Spring 2026 Deadlines

All Graduate Students
2025 activity report, updated CV, annual advisor assessment - Due by January 9, 2026

Spring 2026 Course Registration - Begins Monday, October 20; Complete prior to the end of the first week of classes (1/16/26)

Political Science Department Comprehensive Exams

Students must have an approved Ph.D. Plan of Study on file before taking the Comprehensive Exams.

Field Exams due in the semester after the coursework on the Ph.D. plan of study is completed (fifth or sixth)
Comparative Exam - January 5-8, 2026
International Relations Exam - January 5-8, 2026
Policy Exam - January 5-8, 2026
**Results will be communicated to students by the DGS on Wednesday, January 28.

Methods Paper due in the semester after the coursework on the Ph.D. plan of study is completed (fifth or sixth)
Due by Friday, February 6, 2026
**Results will be communicated to students by the DGS on Wednesday, February 25.

Major Field Research Paper due by the eighth week of the sixth semester, but can be submitted as early as the fourth semester
Complete form and submit paper document.
Form is due no later than Friday, February 13, 2026.
Paper is due no later than Friday, March 6, 2026.
**Results will be communicated to students by the DGS nineteen days after the Major Field Research Paper is submitted.

OGSPS Preliminary Oral Examination Students must initiate this process in the week that they submit their major field research paper. If the student fails to pass their major field research paper after scheduling their preliminary oral examination, then the examination is cancelled.

Students must successfully complete an oral examination in which they defend and expand on answers in
their written exams and discuss the content of their major field research paper, as determined by the
examining committee. The oral examination occurs in the semester in which the last of the major field
research paper and written examination requirements have been met. The oral examination committee
consists of representatives from the student’s major and minor fields of study. Three members are
required for the preliminary oral examination committee, but four members are recommended. The
department and OGSPS reserve the right to assign additional representatives.

The Preliminary Oral Exam must be held prior to the last week of classes.
Student schedules the Preliminary Oral Exam with Committee then notifies the Graduate Coordinator, who arranges the room and posts notification of the Exam within the department.
Student completes Form 8 in myPurdue at least 2 weeks in advance of the exam date. The Committee will be asked to approve Form 8.
**Results are communicated to the student by Committee at end of Exam. The Committee then completes form 10
Students who have passed their Preliminary Oral Examination must complete their Dissertation Defense within 4 years (8 regular semesters) or they will be required to re-take the Preliminary Written Comprehensive Exams.

Students defending their Prospectus
Work with Major Professor and Committee to schedule - Due by end of seventh semester
Advisor gives student permission to circulate prospectus before it is sent to the rest of the committee for review.
Committee receives prospectus at least two weeks before defense date.

Complete top portion of PDF form and submit a copy Grad Coordinator for announcing/scheduling room.
This is an open seminar; the date/room of Prospectus Defense is announced to faculty/graduate students.At the end of the Prospectus Defense, return form to Committee for completion of the bottom portion.

Students earning Master's Degrees
Ensure the Master's Plan of Study is complete and approved by January 11, 2026.
Register CAND991.
Complete steps in the Commencement tab in myPurdue.
Commencement is on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:30 p.m.

Ph.D. CAND991 students graduating in May, 2026

Preliminary Oral Exam - May 10, 2025

PhD Plan of Study Approved by Committee - January 11, 2026

Student can register as CAND991 - February 6, 2026
** registration after that date requires permission and results in $200 fee

Schedule Defense via form 8 in myPurdue - 3 weeks in advance (no later than April 1)

Dissertation Format Review via Thesis Office - March 27, 2026

Dissertation Defense - No later than April 22, 2026
** The Doctoral Exit Questionnaire, Survey of Earned Doctorates and Electronic Thesis Acceptance Form must be completed immediately after the defense

Last day to order cap and gown - tbd

Dissertation Approved by Committee, Deposited and Accepted in Hammer RR - April 29

Commencement - May 15, 2026

Degrees are posted to academic records by May 22, 2026

Graduate Records Office Guidelines:

After your defense, complete both the Doctoral Exit Questionnaire and the Survey of Earned Doctorates (both are found in your online student Plan of Study account in myPurdue). These must be completed prior to final deposit approval.
Form 9: Electronic Thesis Acceptance Form must be electronically signed & approved by all committee members & your department’s thesis form head before the deposit deadline. After they electronically approve & sign your Form 9, you will receive an automated email with instructions on how to submit your final thesis/dissertation to HammerRR. Follow those email instructions to submit your final deposit. Please note that some internet browsers do not always work well with HammerRR (most students report that Google Chrome works best), & your submission must have a status of “Under Review” for us to see it.
Your final deposit submission must be made before the deposit deadline. After you submit your final deposit, the Thesis & Dissertation Office will review it. If revisions are needed from you, they must be completed no more than 24 hours of when we requested the revisions from you. When your final deposit is acceptable, we will approve both your final deposit and your Form 9 (we are the last signature on that form).
After your final deposit is approved, we will initiate standard billing for the dissertation deposit fee with the Bursar’s Office. The only thing left for you to do (relating to the deposit process) is to pay the deposit fee.

Since the Bursar’s Office runs batch billing only once per week, they have advised that it can take up to 10 business days from the date we approved your final deposit for the deposit fee to appear.

Registration

Graduate students in the Department of Political Science are expected to enroll in 9 cr of coursework/research during the Fall and Spring semesters. Additional stipulations apply for students completing research off-site, international students, students completing CPT, students working for the Department during the summer, students completing research in absentia, students auditing courses, students using courses to fulfill their Plan of Study, and students in their last semester. Please refer to the Policies and Procedures for Administering Graduate Student Programs.

This document is updated and reissued every academic year.