Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Take most required courses
LING 519 - RCR training course
Q2 - Winter
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Continue taking most required courses
LING 519 - RCR training course
Q3 - Spring
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Complete the most required courses
LING 519 - RCR training course
Identify Qualifying Paper (QP) advisor (must be a core faculty in the Linguistics Department):
In GPS send an invitation to the research/QP advisor
Once the invitation is accepted, mark committee as complete in GPS
DGS approves QP advisor in GPS
Q4 - Summer
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training – LING 519
Second Year
Q5 - Fall
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Identify a Qualifying Paper second reader (can be someone outside the Linguistics Department):
In GPS send an invitation to the second research/QP advisor
Once the invitation is accepted, mark committee as complete in GPS
DGS approves QP committee in GPS
Q6 - Winter
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Q7 - Spring
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Presentation of Qualifying Paper research to the Department:
Present QP research at QP fest (DGS announces the date in the beginning of the Spring Quarter)
The Qualifying Paper should address any comments that are received during the QP fest
Q8 - Summer
Full-time enrollment (3-4 units of coursework or LING590)
Qualifying Paper must be completed and approved by Qualifying Paper committee. This can be used to satisfy the requirements for an MA Thesis. Student needs to contact the Department office to apply for MA degree. Follow the Linguistics Department QP Submission and Approval Process:
Once the student and QP advisor agree that the QP is ready for review by the second reader, the student submits the QP manuscript to the DGS via e-mail. In the e-mail, please the student should cc the advisor and note that the QP is being submitted for review by the committee. (Note that this agreement does not constitute official "approval" of the QP document by the advisor, simply that the advisor agrees the document is in a form that is ready to be discussed as a committee.)
The DGS contacts the QP advisor and second reader to provide feedback on the QP document.
The QP advisor and second reader discuss the feedback with one another and together decide to either approve or require the student to revise and resubmit the document. This decision is relayed to the DGS.
The DGS contacts the student (cc'ing the QP advisor and reader) about the decision. If revise and resubmit, the student should repeat the above steps once revisions have been made, in discussion with the advisor. If approved, the DGS responds and copies the Graduate Program Assistant to enter the milestone in GPS Identification of dissertation advisor:
In GPS send an invitation to the dissertation advisor (must be a core faculty in the Linguistics Department)
Once the invitation is accepted, mark committee as complete in GPS
DGS approves the dissertation advisor in GPS.
Third Year
Q9 - Fall
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500 and/or coursework)
Q10 - Winter
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500 and/or coursework)
Q11 - Spring
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500 and/or coursework)
Identification of complete dissertation committee (consists of the dissertation advisor as a chair and at least two other committee members*):
In GPS send invitation to the dissertation committee members
Once the invitations are accepted, mark committee as complete in GPS
DGS approves the dissertation committee in GPS
*If someone outside of Northwestern University is invited as a dissertation committee member, consult DGS and to set up NetID and password for that committee member.
Q12 - Summer
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500 and/or coursework)
Satisfaction of Foreign Language requirement
Using Plan of Study in GPS confirm with DGS that all coursework requirement have been completed
Complete and successfully defend (in a closed oral defense) a Dissertation Prospectus and advance to candidacy:
Write up a dissertation prospectus and distributes it to the dissertation committee members; the dissertation committee read and comment on the prospectus
Call for a meeting and defend the prospectus
Once the prospectus is approved, submit Qualifying Exam and Prospectus forms in GPS
GPA approves Qualifying Exam and Prospectus forms in GPS
TGS advances the student to candidacy
Fourth Year
Q13 - Fall
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q14 - Winter
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q15 - Spring
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q16 - Summer
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Fifth Year
Q17 - Fall
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q18 - Winter
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q19 - Spring
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Q20 - Summer
Full-time enrollment (TGS 500)
Successful defense of dissertation and graduation by 08/31. To complete the Dissertation, students must:
Pass an oral defense with the full committee. A full draft of the Dissertation must be submitted to the members of the Dissertation committee at least two weeks before the defense.
Obtain committee approval for the final Dissertation document. Following the defense, the student must make any revisions required by the committee. The full committee must approve the final document.
Present the Dissertation research in a public, colloquium style talk. If at all possible, students will give this talk during the regular academic year (i.e., not in summer) during a regular colloquium slot. The advisor must confirm that this event was a satisfactory presentation of the Dissertation research.
Store all primary data, participant records, analysis scripts, and any other research products associated with the Dissertation in an IRB-compliant format accessible to the student’s primary research advisor.
Following completion of all of the above, the student may file the thesis with the Graduate School into the ProQuest Database.
