Processes and Procedures: Doctoral Degrees

Processes and Procedures: Doctoral Degrees

Admission to Doctoral Work from 91社区 Master's Program

For master's degree candidates intending to continue into the doctoral program in the same department or discipline, the program's graduate committee, at a designated time near the completion of the student's master's work, decides whether or not to admit the student to the doctoral program. This is indicated on the Recommendation for Award of Master's Degree Form submitted to the Graduate School by the program. 

For entry into a 91社区 doctoral program from a master's program at another university, or from a master's program in a different discipline at 91社区, students follow the regular graduate application and admission procedures.

Advisor Expectations

At the beginning of the student's doctoral work, the Dean, chair or director of graduate studies in the student's program appoints a faculty advisor or advisory committee (whose chair is the principal advisor). The initial advisor assists the student in planning coursework and in understanding the program structure and requirements. The advisor has primary responsibility for monitoring the progress of the student's work. The advisor may or may not become the student's dissertation director at a later stage. The initial advisor is expected to meet with the student at least once each semester.

For information about forming a dissertation committee, see the

Prospectus

In conventional prospectuses, students are asked to identify a topic, to summarize relevant backgrounds, and to explain their approach. Some programs substitute another means of ensuring that the student's project has been identified clearly and has received written approval by each member of the committee.

The prospectus identifies the topic to be undertaken in the dissertation and formalizes the approval of the project by a faculty committee. The timing, format, length, and conventions governing the prospectus are set by each graduate program. If the student's department requires a prospectus, the student must submit it prior to being admitted to candidacy.

Before approving the dissertation project, the chair of the dissertation committee is encouraged to arrange a conference with the student and the other committee members for the purpose of discussing the research topic.

Each program must inform doctoral students of its expectations, standards, and procedures regarding the prospectus or other approvals of dissertation projects and must provide access to samples of accepted proposals or prospectuses. Departments should include specific information about their expectations for a prospectus in advising manuals for graduate students.

Dissertation Defense

The student's dissertation must have the unanimous approval of his or her dissertation committee and of the Director of Graduate Studies to proceed with a defense before arrangements are made for the final examination for the degree.

Members of the dissertation committee serve on the examination committee, and the dissertation chair normally serves as examination chair. The list of examiners may include one or more faculty members from a program other than the student's, if they were members of the student's dissertation committee. See the for more details.

Final Oral Exam

After the student's program has been notified of the appointment of an outside examiner, the graduate program director, in conjunction with the chair of the examination committee, may proceed to schedule the final oral examination.

Because of the time required to give adequate consideration to the student's research, the student should submit the dissertation to the dissertation committee well in advance of the final oral defense. Normally, one month is recommended. No member of an examination committee can be expected to participate in a dissertation defense if that member has not had at least two weeks to read and consider the dissertation.

The final oral examination is open to any person wishing to attend. Members of the examination committee must be given sufficient time to question the candidate about the dissertation. The final defense is a public examination, however, and the committee chair is responsible for the conduct of an open and impartial examination, including reasonable participation by observers. At the conclusion of the examination, it is customary for the chair to request that everyone except the examining committee leave the room, so that the members may reach a decision. This procedure should not be invoked at any other time during the examination and should not preclude any questions from either committee members or outside observers.

At the final examination, the student will be required to respond to examiners' questions concerning the dissertation and to defend the validity of the dissertation.

To pass, the student must receive the unanimous approval of the dissertation examining committee approved by the Graduate School. All members of the examining committee who accept the dissertation in partial fulfillment of requirements for the doctorate shall so attest on the student's electronic Recommendation for Award Form (RFA). If the outside examiner does not signify approval in this manner, he or she should give the reason for dissent by submitting a separate memorandum to the Dean of the Graduate School within three business days of the examination.

If at the final examination the examiners generally approve of the dissertation but require significant changes and are not yet prepared to submit their approval on the student's electronic Recommendation for Award Form (RFA), the chair of the examination committee will coordinate with other members of the committee to compile all required changes and will inform the student of the scope and substance of those changes. The committee will establish how the changes will be reviewed and approved.

Following the oral exam and approval of the dissertation, the student should initiate their electronic Recommendation for Award Form (RFA).

The Dean of the Graduate School may void any dissertation defense that is not carried out in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Graduate School.  In addition, upon recommendation of the Dean's appointed outside examiner, the Dean may declare a dissertation defense null and void.

Remote participation in dissertation defenses

Normally, all dissertation defenses take place on campus and require the full attendance of the dissertation committee including the Outside Examiner. However, at the discretion of the Department, and with the unanimous consent of all members of the dissertation committee and the student, committee members or the outside examiner may participate in the defense via real-time videoconferencing. In special cases (e.g., undue hardship), the student may also request to have the oral presentation of their dissertation via video-conferencing.  Similarly, if in exceptional circumstances one member of the dissertation committee cannot be present (either physically or virtually), he or she may submit questions and comments in writing. Such arrangements must be approved in advance by the Department and must have the unanimous approval consent of all other members of the dissertation committee and the student. In all instances, the chair of the committee and the outside examiner must be physically or virtually present to observe the process.

Any of the above situations for onsite programs must be endorsed by the Director of Graduate Studies and/or Chair of the Dissertation Committee.

For online graduate programs, the student and all committee members (chair, members and outside examiner) may join the dissertation defense online. For the public presentation portion of the online defense, those wishing to be present may join by videoconferencing or the department may choose to have a room available on campus for viewing.

When Completion Letter is Needed

Students who complete all ALL requirements for the degree well in advance of the award of the degree may, upon request to the Degree Coordinator in the Office of Student Records and Registrar Services, receive a statement certifying that fact.