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GradForms: Application for Final Exam How To Guide

Master Exams

The Application for Final Examination form is required for doctoral students who must schedule and receive approval for their final oral examination (dissertation defense). Submission of this form triggers the formal process that verifies exam eligibility and facilitates proper reporting of results.  

Important Notes:  

  • The form must be submitted and fully approved by your advisor and all dissertation committee members at least two weeks before the exam date.  
  • You must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 graduate credit hours in the semester or summer term in which the exam is taking place.  
  • The doctoral candidacy exam must be successfully completed at least one semester prior to the defense.  
  • The form is valid only for the term submitted; if you need to reschedule in a different term, a new application must be submitted.  

Submission Instructions:  

Step 1: Log into GradForms at https://gradforms.osu.edu.  

Step 2: Navigate to Forms > Graduation/Examination.  

Step 3: Select “Create New” next to Application for Final Examination. 

Step 4: Review the Student Information section:  

  • This section is for informational purposes only.  Consult Buckeyelink for the most up to date information about your academic record. If the “Missing Grades” field shows “Yes”, review your advising report on Buckeyelink.  

Step 5: Select the term in which your final oral exam (defense) will be completed. 

Step 6: Select your graduation level: This will be doctoral (PhD) or DMA 

Step 7: Select Exam Type:  

  • Indicate if this is a first or second attempt.  
  • You can request a Graduate Faculty Representative for any first attempt.  The Rep will be assigned automatically if a second attempt. 

Step 8: Enter your dissertation title 

  • A complete draft copy of your dissertation needs to be submitted to the Graduate School for a format review at least two weeks prior to the defense date – grad-schoolformatreview@osu.edu . 

Step 9: Enter Exam Details: 

  • Date and Time of your exam (between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm, Monday–Friday).  Exams need to be scheduled for two hours. 
  • Location including building and room number, or online platform details if virtual.  

Step 10: Committee Members:  

  • Include your Advisor, Co-Advisor (if applicable), and all Committee Members using the dropdown list.  
  • For committee members not in the OSU Graduate Faculty database, enter them as External Members, provide their email address, and submit a Committee and Examination Petition through GradForms to request the external member.  
  • External members do not count toward the minimum required Graduate Faculty.  

Step 11: Once all fields are complete:  

  • You can click Save to return later, or  
  • Click Submit to start the approval process.  

Approval Workflow:  

  1. Initial Review: The form is sent to your Advisor and all dissertation committee members for approval.  
  1. Grad School Review: After program approval, the Graduate School reviews the form.  
  1. Once approved, the status changes to Approved, and the Report on Final Examination and Report on Final Document forms are generated on Gradforms for your committee to complete after the exam.  

After Submission:  

  • To track your form’s progress:  
  • Visit your Home page to view Active Forms, or  
  • Use the Search > Forms tab.  
  • The History tab shows a complete log of all approval actions.  

Making Changes:  

If you need to revise the exam date, committee membership, or cancel the form, contact the Graduate School. You may need to submit a new application or initiate an administrative update.  

 

Helpful Tips:  

  • Verify Graduate Faculty status of all committee members using the OSU directory at https://www.osu.edu/findpeople.  
  • For external members, submit the Committee and Examination Petition well in advance.  
  • Make sure the physical or virtual exam location is clearly identified; vague descriptions (e.g., “TBD”) will delay approval.  

GRADFORMS Support

GRADFORMS Help Page

Alternatively, you can reach out to:

The Ohio State University Graduate School
250 University Hall, 230 N Oval Mall, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-6031 | Fax: 614-292-3656
Graduation Services Email: Grad-SchoolGraduationServices@osu.edu
Registration Services Email: Grad-SchoolRegistrationServices@osu.edu