The graduate student is expected to meet regularly with advisory and/or research committees for academic and research advising. In addition to these informal meetings, the following official meetings are required for each of the graduate degrees:

Master's thesis option students:

• Proposal meeting
• Thesis defense

Doctoral students:

• Course prescription meeting
• Qualifying examination
• Proposal meeting
• Dissertation defense

The proposal meeting and the thesis/dissertation defense are public meetings, open to the academic community. Those attending these meetings are expected to follow the established protocol.The proposal meeting is open to faculty and students in the university community. During the first portion, the student formally presents the research proposal in an open forum. Committee members and visitors have the opportunity to ask questions. Visitors leave after the formal presentation. The remaining time is determined by the student's research committee.

Students may schedule the meetings described above by completing and submitting the appropriate form to request the desired meeting. Forms to request these meetings are available online at at www.publichealth.indiana.edu/current-students/forms.shtml. The form to request the course prescription meeting or the doctoral dissertation proposal meeting is called the Application to Schedule a Graduate Student Meeting. On the same "forms" page, there is a separate Application for Doctoral Qualifying Examination. Lastly, there is a School of Public Health - Bloomington Dissertation Defense Eligibility Verification Form.  Students must carefully follow the directions on these forms. Paper copies of these forms are available in SPH 115.