Montana Tech Graduate School - Current Student Resources

Thesis Degree Programs ✓

2nd semester students (effective Fall 24) are required to complete specific paperwork. It is the students responsibility to access the Graduate School: 2nd Semester Req. Trainings course promptly and stay informed about all relevant deadlines. Missing deadlines will result in a hold on the students account and they will not be able to register for courses in the following term. View canvas courses here.

Graduate Program Form (due second semester of graduate school)

The Graduate Program Form is intended to help you chart the course toward your degree, and serve as a memorandum of understanding between you and your advisor. It is recommended that you begin working on this form your first semester and finalize it your second semester. Check minimum requirements for your degree in the Graduate School Catalog, and be sure to look up the specific requirements of your program.

Submit this form your second semester of graduate school

• Graduate Program Form

Graduate Committee Appointment Form (due second semester of graduate school)

Most graduate products require a committee to review your work and serve as a mentor for you in completing this work, you will need to complete a Graduate Committee Appointment Form. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for more information on the composition of committee members required when completing this form.

Submit this form your second semester of graduate school

• Graduate Committee Appointment Form

Writing Seminar

A program educational objective of the Graduate School is communication, both in oral and written form. For the latter, many degrees require completion of a one-credit hour writing seminar (see your specific program entry in the Graduate School Catalog to determine whether this is a requirement for you). TC5160 is available for students wishing to fulfill this requirement, or more generally, looking to improve their technical writing.  TC5160 is currently offered as a concentrated 'bootcamp', over the course of 4 days, where students receive guidance on technical writing, formulate a writing timeline, and work within the bootcamp to complete sections of the thesis, allowing for both peer and instructor review of writing samples. It is generally recommended that students plan to take TC5160 before they have started writing their thesis. See your program entry in the Graduate School Catalog for additional technical seminar requirements for your degree. 

Non-Thesis Degree Programs ✓

Master of Program Engineering and Management (MPEM):

MPEM Graduate Committee: The Chair should be the Program Director but may, at the student’s discretion, be selected from the faculty instructing MPEM courses. At least three members are required. The student is responsible for asking committee members to serve.

At the beginning of the final semester, the student is responsible for contacting the committee members and asking for exam questions. Answers then need to be sent to the committee for review. The department head will compile the responses and provide feedback to the student. The student will schedule a convenient date to meet with the committee on Montana Tech’s campus where the student will give a 40-45 minute capstone presentation. The student should schedule the presentation; contact the department administrative assistant for assistance with room scheduling. The presentation should be scheduled only after the completion of 21 credits.

The format for the Power Point (preferred) presentation is as follows:

• Give your bio-profile.
• Discuss your reasons for being in the program and how you have benefited.
• Summarize the answers for the exam questions.
• Give comments and input regarding ways to improve the MPEM program.

DUE: After the completion of 21 credits.

Masters Industrial Hygiene Distance Learning/Professional Track (MIHP):

MIHP Graduate Committee: The Graduate Committee is established during the semester that a student is enrolled in the IH 5986 capstone course. The Chair is the faculty member teaching the course, and an additional faculty member is assigned by the Chair. At least two members are required. The MIHP Signature Sheet is used to document the outcome of the written and oral exam for IH 5986. DUE: By the end of the completion of 20 online course credits.

Masters of Engineering:

Candidates must complete a 1-credit hour final examination by registering for ENGR 500. This examination, and a passing grade in this course, constitutes your final product. 

Exceptions ✓

You may transfer a limited number of pre-approved classes. The following form will need to be returned to the graduate school via gradschool@mtech.edu 

• Petition to Transfer Credit Form

Master of Science (MS) ✓

It is recommended that you meet with your committee at least once per year. The committee is in place to provide you mentoring and resources towards your degree. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for more information on your committee composition.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) ✓

The PhD degree is a research degree consisting of both classroom instruction at an advanced level and execution and completion of a research project, i.e. dissertation. To track the progress and receive academic credit for the latter, you should register for research credits during your PhD. Prior to the candidacy examination, register for pre-exam dissertation credits; after, register for dissertation credits. Dissertation credits can typically be used to fulfill credit hour requirements necessary to maintain full time student status and be eligible for assistantships.

Typically, you should finalize your PhD advisor and thesis topic as soon as possible. The thesis topic should be an intersection of your interests, your advisor’s interests, and (if applicable) availability of funding to complete your project. You are also encouraged to form your research committee as soon as possible, as they provide additional resources and additional expertise and tools with which you can complete your dissertation. You should begin working on your research as soon as possible, meet regularly with your advisor, and periodically with your committee.

Check the course requirements for your specific degree. More information can be found in program-specific handbooks below:

• Material Science Ph.D.
• Earth Science & Engineering

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination (QE) ✓

Material Science (PhD):

The Qualifying examination is typically taken August after the first year of your PhD Program. The Qualifying Examination in Materials Science is a proctored written examination at a predetermined date, taken in partnership with our ‘sister site’ at Montana State University. Check with the program director and/or program staff for the schedule of the examination. Please refer to the handbook for additional details on scores required to pass the examination, conditionally pass the examination, and information on criteria by which a retake of the exam is required. In general, passing the qualifying examination requires class attendance and good study habits related to course material. Follow up with the instructor on points of uncertainty during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class; approaching a professor a couple of weeks before the QE to provide clarification as to “what I did wrong on problem 3 of the mid-term examination” or for a compendium of problems and solutions is not a productive study strategy. Also, forming a study group that meets regularly throughout the summer seems to benefit most students. Additional study tips for the QE, combined with format of the examination change periodically, and can be found here.

Earth Science & Engineering (Ph.D.):

The Qualifying examination is typically taken at the end of the 4th semester of your PhD Program. The Qualifying Examination in ESE is an independent research proposal unrelated to the dissertation research with an oral defense. The Qualifying Exam tests the student’s ability to be an independent thinker and scholar, as well as demonstrate knowledge breadth and depth in earth science and engineering. The student will write an independent research proposal unrelated to their dissertation research topic and present and defend it to their dissertation committee. During the oral defense, the student will be questioned on their proposal as well as breadth of knowledge in earth science and engineering.

To prepare and complete the ESE qualifying examination, the recommended steps are as follows:

• Confirm that your independent proposal topic is different from your dissertation research with your committee.
• Prepare a research proposal and submit to your committee.
• Present your proposal to your committee.
• Your committee asks you questions about your proposal.
• The committee asks you questions about your Earth Science and Engineering knowledge based on the classes that you have taken.

Candidacy Examinations ✓

Material Science Ph.D/ Earth Science & Engineering Ph.D:

After the qualifying examination, the next formal examination in is either the comprehensive (ESE) or candidacy (MatSci) examination.  Although these have different names for the different programs, they are of similar structure with the same goal. The purpose of this examination is three-fold.  First, the examination demonstrates that the student can conceive, plan, and design an original and creative research project on a topic important to advancing understanding in the field. Second, the examination demonstrates the student can communicate effectively both orally and in writing.  Lastly, the examination serves as a means by which to lay a specific plan on what is needed to finalize your thesis, present a timeline for meeting these goals, and get committee feedback and approval on this plan.  

The MatSci Candidacy Examination is typically taken before the start of a student’s third year. The examination typically consists of both: (1) a written proposal describing the student’s intended dissertation research; and (2) an oral defense of the proposal to the student’s doctoral committee. The defense will include an open seminar followed by a closed interview/examination by the Committee that can cover a broad range of topics related to the proposed dissertation research.  Check with your advisor and/or program chair for best practices in your degree program on length of both the written and oral portions of the examination.  You are encouraged to schedule a pre-meeting with your committee to briefly discuss the proposal, and provide your committee members sufficient time (e.g. >1 week) to review the written proposal prior to the oral defense.

After you have passed your candidacy/comprehensive examination, you become a PhD candidate. You may register for research dissertation credits to fulfill credit hour requirements necessary to maintain full time student status and be eligible for assistantships.  Continue to meet regularly with your advisor and periodically with your committee.  Once you have complete the work and benchmarks that were agreed upon in your candidacy/comprehensive examination, and your advisor agrees, work to write your dissertation and schedule your defense.

Required paperwork:

You will need to complete and send the following forms to the graduate school via gradschool@mtech.edu to demonstrate you have successfully completed the candidacy/comprehensive examination:

• Results of Candidacy/Comprehensive Examination (All Ph.D. programs)
• Graduate Product Rubric (All Ph.D. programs)

The following forms need to be on file in order for the degree application to be processed by the graduate school ✓ 

Pre-required Graduation Paperwork:

• Graduate Program Form (due second semester of graduate school)
• Committee Appointment Form (due second semester of graduate school)

Degree applications need to be submitted the semester BEFORE you intend to graduate ✓

Degree Applications:

• Application for Master of Science/Master of Engineering Degree 
• Application for Master of Science/Master of Engineering Degree Update 
• Application for Ph.D. Degree 
• Application for Master of Science Industrial Hygiene Distance Degree

In order to participate in the Commencement Ceremony, you must:

• Submit your degree application the semester BEFORE you intend to graduate. 
• Be on schedule to complete your coursework, as approved in your Graduate Program Form.
  
• Successfully defend your thesis, dissertation or publishable paper, according to the thesis deadlines or successfully complete your program's specific requirements.

When you are on track to complete the above tasks, please submit a degree application. The degree application is to alert the staff that you plan to graduate, so that they may perform a preliminary check that you are on track to graduate. 

Commencement Ceremony information is available here.

The following steps will ensure that graduate students successfully finish all graduate product requirements for graduation within all required deadlines. Please review graduation deadlines here.

Step 1: Write the thesis/publishable paper/dissertation and/or prepare the product ✓

All graduate students are required to have a graduate product (thesis, dissertation, publishable paper, or product). These all must be submitted, copied, bound, processed, approved, and published by the Graduate School. Completion and publication of the product is typically completed the semester you intend to graduate, with deadlines outlined in the Thesis Deadlines. All thesis/publishable paper/dissertation must use the templates provided, with no exceptions. Utilize the entire template in its exact format (contents, images, tables, etc. should be linked and other fortmatting should be correct). Publishable papers should be imported into the template. The sections in the paper (per the journal’s ‘Guideline for Authors’) should correspond to sections on the template. The student may add a footnote to the Introductory section stating where the paper will be (or was) submitted, and also include this information in the acknowledgements.

Thesis-based degree templates:

Masters of Science Option A: Thesis or Publishable Paper

• Thesis Template Form 
• Thesis Template LaTeX  [Zip]

Ph.D

• Dissertation Template - ESE students should substitute “Earth Science & Engineering” for “Materials Science” on the title page.

  ---

Non-Thesis based degrees:

Masters of Science Option B: Product:

No required template for non-thesis products. Successful completing of degree requirments and this product constitutes your final product. 

Master of Project Engineering and Management Degree:

Students will complete a final written and oral presentation in MPEM 521 to satisfy the learning objectives of both the program, and a graduate degree at Montana Tech. Contact the MPEM 521 instructor for more details on the presentation.  The written report in MPEM 521 constitutes your final product.

Masters Industrial Hygiene Distance/Professional Track Degree:

Students will be examined by a committee at the completion of the course requirements. The Chair should be the Program Director but may, at the student’s discretion, be selected from the faculty instructing industrial hygiene courses. At least three members are required. The student is responsible for asking committee members to serve and attaching verification to their degree application that the committee has agreed to serve. Successful completion of degree requirements and successfully completing of this examination constitutes your final product. 

Master of Engineering Degree:

Candidates must complete a 1-credit hour final examination by registering for ENGR 500. Successful completion of degree requirements, this examination, and a passing grade in this course, constitutes your final product. 

Step 2: Defend the graduate product ✓

Masters of Science Option A: Thesis or Publishable Paper 

Required to announce/defend graduate product.

Masters of Science Option B: Product:

Not required to defend graduate product unless required by department or advisor.

Non-thesis degrees:

Not required to announce/defend, view program requirements in step 1.

Schedule the defense:

Defenses need to be scheduled within the Thesis Deadlines. Students are encouraged hold defenses as early as possible. The student is responsible for finding a time where all committee members are able to attend.  Keep in mind that faculty members have many responsibilities and obligations, especially during the period approaching the end of any term and/or in the summer term. Faculty members have no obligation to accommodate students who fail to meet Thesis Deadlines, and thus, the student should schedule the defense well in advance and give the committee members sufficient time to read material in advance.

Once date and time are set with the students committee. A room will need to be reserved with Live25 here.

Defense extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. If you cannot meet the defense deadline as outlined in the Thesis Deadlines the following form needs to be submitted to the graduate school via gradschool@mtech.edu. 

• Petition to Graduate Dean

Announce the defense:

The following information needs to be forwarded to the graduate school two weeks prior to the defense:

• Student Name
• Degree Program
• Academic Advisor
• Title of Defense
• Defense Date, Time and Location
• Abstract

Defend the product:

Graduation documents will be used by the graduate school as documentation that you have successfully completed your defense. View "Step 6" for required graduation paperwork by program.

Step 3: Finalize and publish the Thesis/Publishable Paper/Dissertation/Product /Presentation ✓

Finalize the product:

All changes required by the student's committee need to be made before final submission to the graduate school and within the Thesis Deadlines.

Publish the product: 

Publication of the graduate product will only occur once all graduation requirements are met. View graduation paperwork "Step 6".

Master of Science: Thesis | Publishable Paper | Ph.D Dissertation:

Thesis, publishable papers and dissertations will be published in the Montana Tech's Digital Commons and ProQuest.

Master of Science: Option B

Your product will be published in the Montana Tech Library (Digital Commons). 

Master of Project Engineering and Management Degree:

Your presentation will be published in the Montana Tech Library (Digital Commons).

Hard copy orders (optional; not applicable to non-thesis degrees):

The graduate school pays for one (1) library archival copy of the bound graduate product. One (1) copy for the department/advisor, as well as the one (1) copy for the student may be ordered additionally by completing the Thesis/Dissertation Copy Order Form. Students desiring additional copies of the graduate product can order copies directly from ProQuest with direct shipping to their desired address.

Graduation Deadlines ✓

The Graduate School is now introducing a graduation canvas course. This resource will streamline the graduation process by allowing students to submit all required paperwork through a single portal. Once you have submitted your completed degree application (excluding Distance Industrial Hygiene), you will receive an official invitation to join the course. It is the students responsibility to accept the invitation promptly and stay informed about all relevant deadlines.

Review graduate product deadlines and graduation deadlines here.

Missing deadlines will result in postponed graduation and the student will be required to register for at least one thesis credit in the following term. 

If you cannot meet the graduation deadlines outlined a Petition to the Graduate Dean form needs to be submitted to the graduate school before graduation deadlines via gradschool@mtech.edu. Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. 

Required Graduation Paperwork ✓

All signatures must be completed and compiled in order for the form to be processed by the graduate school.

Master of Science: Option A - Thesis/Publishable Paper

• Graduate Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Committee Appointment Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Graduate Student Product Publication Agreement – obtain signatures after successful defense and complete product
• Graduate Product Rubrics - not required for on-campus Industrial Hygiene; supply to committee members to complete during defense
• M.S. Thesis/Publishable Paper Signature Sheet – obtain signatures after successful defense and complete product
• Checkout Form – obtain signatures after successful defense and complete product
• Final thesis/publishable paper in pdf form
  

Master of Science: Option B - Product

• Graduate Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Graduate Student Product Publication Agreement

• Checkout Form 
• Final product in pdf form 

Ph.D.

• Committee Appointment Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Graduate Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Graduate Student Product Publication Agreement – obtain signatures after successful defense and complete product
• Graduate Product Rubrics - supply to committee members to complete during defense
• Results of Dissertation Defense - obtain committee signatures directly after defense
• Checkout Form – obtain signatures after successful defense and complete product
• Final dissertation in pdf form with Ph.D. Dissertation Signature Sheet 

Master of Project Engineering and Management

• Graduate Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• MPEM Checkout Form

• Final presentation in pdf form 

Masters Industrial Hygiene Distance/Professional Track

• IH Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school), please contact your advisor for this form.
• Your department will fulfill graduation paperwork requirements

Master of Engineering

• Graduate Program Form (pre-required - due second semester of graduate school)
• Checkout Form

An emergency fund is available for financial emergencies in limited situations. This is limited to extreme circumstances and administered by the Vice Provost and Dean of Students.

Montana Tech Food Pantry is located in the SUB basement.

Policies: Students who cannot financially provide themselves with appropriate nutrition may utilize the Montana Tech Food Pantry. Students may take up to two packages of food per week. The student will record the number of packages taken and their student ID number before leaving the Food Pantry. The Montana Tech Food Pantry is managed by the ASMT Food Pantry Committee.

There are not typically tutoring services available for graduate classes. However, if refreshers are needed in undergraduate subjects that are often prerequisites for graduate students, students may contact the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) for on- campus tutoring services. Montana Tech students also have access to 2 hours of online tutoring per month through Tutor.com.

Professional relationships can be hard, and conflicts and disagreements can be a normal – yet unfortunate - part of any professional relationship. Many graduate student – advisor relationships can resemble those in the workplace, with a number of notable exceptions (e.g. a notable end point that ends in a degree!) Many of the graduate processes such as the Program form and committee form are designed to help establish clear expectations in the student-advisor relationship.

If you have made a fair effort to resolve a conflict, and you feel you need assistance in mediating an issue or even a sounding board, you may contact the graddean@mtech.edu . An additional resource for you is your thesis committee. These faculty, in agreeing to serve on your committee, have agreed to be your mentors and act as a resource. Use them for this as you feel comfortable.

The relationship between a student and advisor is a critical component of the success and professional development of both parties, and is analogous to a professional working relationship.  Like all professional relationships, it is subject to disagreements and/or misunderstandings.  Resolution of disagreements is a critical component of the educational process, and both parties should attempt to resolve any/all disagreements in a professional manner.  When/if resolution efforts are ineffective, either or both parties may request an impartial mediator from the Graduate Dean.  In extreme cases, those in which student progress towards degree becomes jeopardized, either party may request a change in thesis advisor. 

To change a thesis advisor, the student must submit a change of committee form.  The form should be signed by the new advisor and the remainder of the thesis committee.  In changing thesis advisor, the student may not transfer significant intellectual property (IP) from the old advisor, without submitting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines the condition in which the IP will be utilized in the new thesis or graduate product.  Significant intellectual property includes, but is not limited to: project scope, editing and advice on technical content, recommendations for methodology, direction on relevant prior literature, and results that were enabled by external funding that supported the student’s progress.  The MOU should outline (1) what, if any, thesis work will be included in the thesis/product under the mentorship of the new advisor; (2) the role of the old advisor in the new thesis committee, if any; and (3) acknowledgments and co-authorship on the thesis/product and subsequent publications.  If the parties involve dispute the handling of IP, an outside committee will be appointed by the Graduate Dean to review supporting documentation and provide a recommendation for the MOU.  When the old advisor is unable to sign the MOU, and/or unable to complete advising responsibilities, a proxy advisor may be appointed by the Graduate Dean, in consultation with the student’s committee and department. 

The thesis committee is meant to serve as a board of experts to advise you in progress towards your thesis. In best cases, you should be able to derive slightly different skill sets from each, such that you have resources beyond a single individual with which to complete your degree.

For the interdisciplinary degrees offered at Montana, the Program Committee is the student’s surrogate department and will meet frequently with the student to assist in keeping the educational goals in order.

In both cases, the student must take responsibility for convening the committee. This committee is meant to be a resource for you, but only if you use it.

As a resource, it behooves you to form your committee as early as possible. Please inform the Graduate School of any changes in your committee or academic program using the forms found on the graduate school website.

The thesis committee is meant to serve as a board of experts to advise you in progress towards your thesis. In best cases, you should be able to derive slightly different skill sets from each, such that you have resources beyond a single individual with which to complete your degree.

For the interdisciplinary degrees offered at Montana, the Program Committee is the student’s surrogate department and will meet frequently with the student to assist in keeping the educational goals in order.

In both cases, the student must take responsibility for convening the committee. This committee is meant to be a resource for you, but only if you use it.

As a resource, it behooves you to form your committee as early as possible. Please inform the Graduate School of any changes in your committee or academic program using the forms found on the graduate school website.

Both GRAs and GTAs are employment contracts, i.e., payment (including tuition waiver) in exchange for assigned duties as tasks.

As employment, here are the formal definitions used by student employment:

Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs): (0.25 or 0.50 FTE; Stipend Grade I-III) This classification is reserved specifically for those Graduate Students who are funded on accounts allocated for research (e.g., external grants, contracts, internal accounts originating in return of indirect costs).

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs): (0.25 or 0.50 FTE; Stipend Grade I only) A GTA assists with course duties and student instruction.

Examples of GTA duties include (but are not limited to) assistance with laboratory set up, leading organized student help sessions, assistance with development of student assessments, delivery of class lectures on an occasional (~monthly) basis, and grading. GTAs are allocated to the department, selection is made by the Department Head, and the award is made through the Graduate School.

The Graduate Student Handbook states additional rules on a number of credit hours and maximum hours per week. In brief, an important point is that the maximum number of credits that can be worked on a GRA/GTA per week is 20, if you are on a 50% appointment (this assumes a 40-hour work week). GRA/GTA appointments at 25% (10 hours/week) are also available. This condition (which is based on national guidelines) is in place to emphasize that these GRA/GTA positions are reserved for students, and your job is to be a student and make progress toward your degree.

Duties on a GRA appointment are set by the funded research grant or contract. It is important to realize that GRAs are employees on a contract to the University and are part of the task force in place to ensure the University completes the expectations of the sponsor that is providing the funding.

Lesser appointments receive a proportional stipend. The minimum GRA stipend level is equal to the GTA stipend. GRA stipends may be higher, depending on the responsibilities of the appointment, the level of the student, and the budget available in the funding source. (typically, a research grant).

(The answer below considers only the 20 hours/50% case. If you are a 10 hour/25% case, the answer still applies, just substitute 10 for 20 in the answer below.)

It should be clear that the 20-hour maximum (for a 50% appointment) is the condition of your GRA/GTA, not your condition of being a student. 20 hours per week should also be considered an ‘average’. You may have some hours you work more, some less. For example, you may find that as a GTA you will hold extra office hours the week before the exam or have extra grading duties the week after the exam. If you find that you are spending way more than 20 hours per week, please discuss with your advisor ways in which you may be more efficient. There may, for example, be things you are doing that are not expected by your supervisor.

It is not a condition of being a student that you only spend 20 hours per week on a GTA and 20 hours per week on classes. After you complete the hours required by your GRA/GTA, the additional time is yours as a student. For GRAs, in many cases (and if you are lucky!) the duties assigned to you as a GRA will directly overlap with work that will be included in your thesis. This is not always the case and is not the condition of having a GRA. As the GRA is made possible by a sponsored contract, it is the responsibility of your advisor to make sure the expectations of the sponsor are being satisfied. This is critical to make sure contractual obligations are met, and funding continues. (The latter will generally help to support additional students). As in the GTA example noted above, there may be some weeks as a GRA you work more than 20 hours and some you work less than 20; the average should be 20 hours per week. GRAs are meant to be professional positions – and are certainly preparation for such – and it is generally expected that you will work the hours needed to complete the task.

Any time you spend above/beyond your 20 hours (on average) is your time as a student. Think of this like studying for a test. In this analogy, the test is both the oral and written components of your thesis. No one is ever going to dictate to you how many hours to study for that test. That is yours alone to decide. However, in this case, the hours you spend studying for your test will determine whether you pass/fail, what you are able to get out of that examination. In this case, the “course” is self-paced, and the time you spend “studying” will ultimately determine the time in which you complete the course.

As noted above, GRA duties and what goes into your thesis are aligned in the best-case scenario, but this is not always the case. That being said, if you feel that your GRA/GTA duties are conflicting with your ability to complete your degree, you should first discuss this with your advisor, and as needed, with the Dean of the Graduate School. Your first and foremost responsibility as a GRA/GTA at Montana Tech is to make progress towards your degree, as a student.

If you have an unforeseen discontinuity in funding, please contact your advisor, department chair, and/or the Dean of the Graduate School. When/if you must contact the Dean, she is likely to check your academic progress and discuss the issue with your advisor. The Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship was also founded with the intent to accommodate a limited number of cases in which there is a discontinuity in funding. As they are limited, prior to using a CDF, the Graduate Dean is likely to explore other GRA/GTA funding opportunities with your department or program chair.

Talk to your advisor and/or the Graduate School Dean about your concerns. After hearing your concerns, they can help you chart a path forward.

In situations where the Graduate Committee membership must change, due to changes in the thesis/dissertation, interests/goals of the student, the non-availability of members, or an irreconcilable difference, the appointment and approval of new committee requires the same form and the same approvals as the appointment of the original committee. Direct any questions about the Graduate Committee to your Advisor or to the Graduate School. You are encouraged to request and establish your Graduate Committee as early as possible, as this committee provides important advice and guidance and can help you complete your degree program efficiently (Graduate Student Handbook pg. 11). 

Please contact your advisor or program chair about this opportunity, as well as his/her expectations for presenting work at a conference. Presenting your work at a conference can be an important aspect of professional development, but funding is often limited. Whereas funding for graduate student travel has been made available in the past, this is currently being handled by disbursement by the graduate school to program chairs, as it allows for a more thorough analysis of need/opportunity. Thus, in some cases, your graduate program chair may have funds available. Opportunities for funding from the graduate school for student travel will typically be announced to all students, with stated prioritization of how the funding will be distributed.

The Graduate School requires all graduate student projects including non-thesis projects, reports, and publishable papers be submitted to the graduate school for publication in Montana Technological University’s Digital Commons as a part of graduation requirements. Handbook pg. 23 Your advisor may have additional expectations for publication in peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings. You are strongly encouraged to discuss this issue with your advisor and include this in your degree plan.

For specific timelines and steps, please reference the topic, “Finalizing your Required Graduate Product”, on the Graduate School Home Page , as well as the Published Timeline established by the Graduate Council.

As to when you are “ready to defend” or “ready to start writing” this is a conversation you should have with your advisor as you develop your degree plan. It is reasonable to discuss benchmarks and/or milestones that are expected to be completed before you defend or write. Expectations and benchmarks should be adjusted for whether you are completing an MS or Ph.D.

Human subject research requires approval from the IRB. IRB approval is approved by the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. 

Please contact your advisor or the Dean of the Graduate School for additional information.

• IRB Guidelines and Procedures

Graduate School Programs offered at Montana Tech can be found here.

You should be given the name of your advisor in your acceptance letter. Generally, this is based on matchmaking between advisor expertise and student interest during the admission process. Advisors often recruit students that are aligned with either their own professional interests and/or funded projects.