This section of the web site will eventually provide a complete listing of all forms and checklists for graduate students as they move through the program. Right now, this section is incomplete. More forms and checklists will added over the coming year.

Area Group Checklists

• Area Group Checklists: Some area groups have created checklists to help guide graduate students through the various steps to the PhD.

The First Year

• International Teaching Assistant Orientation (ITAO): All new international graduate students must attend the ITAO when they arrive in the fall, even if they will not begin any TA duties that academic year.

• Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAO): All graduate students (both US and international) must attend the TAO before they begin their TA duties. Those graduate students in Psychological Sciences who receive first year service-free fellowships will generally attend TAO at the beginning of their second year.

• Human Subjects Training through the IRB: The Vanderbilt IRB requires all graduate students who are conducting human subjects research to complete human subjects protections training using the online CITI course. In addition, all Investigators, Key Study Personnel, Students, and Faculty Advisors conducting human subjects research, must complete continuing education annually. Continuing education requirements may be met by attending an educational session approved by the IRB (e.g., IRB Essentials, Research Matters, News You Can Use, etc.), a national conference that addresses human subjects protections in research, or completion of one additional CITI module and quiz.
   
• First Year Committee (Department of Psychology only): This form will allow you to declare the composition of your first-year research committee for your meeting by the end of May of your first year.
   

The Second Year

• Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAO): All graduate students (both US and international) must attend the TAO before they begin their TA duties. Those graduate students in Psychological Sciences who received first year service-free fellowships and who will be TAing in their second year must TAO.
  
• Second Year Committee (Department of Psychology only): This form will allow you to declare the composition of your second-year research committee for your meeting by the end of May of your second year.
   

Master's Thesis

• The Master's Degree: A Master's degree is not required en route to the PhD. However, some students may wish to obtain a Master's degree, whether or not they continue on to the PhD. Master's theses must follow the same rules as the doctoral theses. See this web site for details: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/current_students/index.html.

Qualifying Examination / Major Area Paper (MAP)

• Examples of Previous Major Area Papers (MAPs): We have asked some of our current and former graduate students in our program to make their Major Area Papers available for other students to look at. We thank those individuals for making these available. Note that these are only accessible from a Vanderbilt IP address.

Dissertation Proposal

• Examples of Previous Dissertation Proposals: We have also asked some of our current and former graduate students to make their Dissertation Proposals available for other students to look at. We thank those individuals for making these available as well. Note that these are only accessible from a Vanderbilt IP address.

Dissertation Stage

• Scheduling a Final Dissertation: The final oral defense of the doctoral dissertation must be recorded in the Graduate School at least two weeks before the defense meeting.

• As appropriate, graduate students are urged to apply for a Dissertation Enhancement Grant from the Graduate School.

• Preparing your Doctoral Thesis: Your final thesis must conform to a series of guidelines dictated by the Graduate School. Click here for an overview. Click here for document preparation instructions.

• Complete an Intent to Graduate Form: Please check the Graduate School website for deadlines (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/current_students/index.html).