Instructions and Helpful Information for M-3 Form
Preliminary Approval of Thesis and Request for Oral Defense (M-3)
1. DEADLINES
➢ M-3 must be submitted to the UGS at least 3 WEEKS BEFORE the date of the defense or by the UGS
deadline (whichever date is the earliest).
➢ The Defense will be delayed if the announcement format does not conform to the UGS standard.
➢ Deadlines for submission of forms to the UGS are available at: http://gradschool.fiu.edu/calendar-deadlines/.
o Submit forms to the Academic units well before the deadline to allow sufficient time for approval
and signature.
o Ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to make sure forms are received by the University
Graduate School on time and that all deadlines are met.
2. CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
➢ Master’s students are required to be enrolled in at least 1 thesis credit hour in the term in which they submit
M-3.
o The M-3 form will not be processed without proof of current enrollment.
➢ Further information regarding the UGS continuous enrollment policies is available at:
https://policies.fiu.edu/files/783.pdf.
3. INSTRUCTIONS
➢ All information must be typed.
➢ The final examination committee will consist of all members of the thesis committee and any other members
of the Graduate Faculty as may be appointed by the Dean of the UGS.
➢ Type the names of the committee members and obtain their original signatures.
o If one of the committee members is unavailable to sign, he/she can give a departmental
Faculty/Staff (proxy for a person) written authorization to sign on his/her behalf.
➢ It is expected that all committee members will be present for the thesis defense. It is possible for one
committee member to attend via video conference or teleconference technology, however prior approval
must be obtained from the UGS through a Petition for Exception to Graduate Requirements. Please contact
your academic unit to initiate this process.
➢ Prior to defending a thesis, your major professor must run the document for content, excluding bibliography
and preliminary pages, through Turnitin. The similarity report from Turnitin is required as part of the checklist
items below.
➢ Complete checklist and attach documentation as needed.
o Provide a hard copy of class schedule to show proof of current enrollment in thesis credit hours:
▪ Access: my.fiu.edu > Choose the Manage Classes tile > Choose Class Schedule
o Attach written authorization if one of the committee members has authorized a departmental
Faculty/Staff (proxy for a person) to sign on his/her behalf.
o Provide a hard copy of the entire Thesis in standard UGS format. This hard copy is typically
used by your academic deans to make any content suggestions they may have.
o Provide an electronic version to the UGS of the same Thesis submitted with your M3 in
standard UGS format.
▪ This electronic version is used for formatting review. To submit your electronic version,
you will receive instructions via email to upload to Digital Commons once your M3 and
pertinent documents are received by the UGS.
▪ Regarding UGS format guidance, please refer to Regulations for Thesis and
Dissertation Preparation Manual available at: https://gradschool.fiu.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2020/09/2020-2021-ETD-Student-Manual-reduced-file-size.pdf
▪ Be sure to include the following in the thesis copy:
• Signature page (unsigned). Be advised that you must use one of the thesis
approval page templates at http://library.fiu.edu/etd (see example signature
page below).
▪ Title Page (mandatory), Abstract (mandatory), Table of contents (mandatory), List of
tables (mandatory for 5 or more tables), List of figures (mandatory for 5 or more
figures), References (mandatory), Copyright Page (optional and only include if paying
for this service), Dedication (optional), Acknowledgments (optional), Appendices
(optional).
o Provide a hard copy of the Thesis Defense Announcement in standard UGS format. (See
Additional Information and example)
