This policy sets the standards for the doctoral final oral examination and the submission of the final copy of the doctoral dissertation for the completion of the doctoral degree.
Collegiate deans or their designated representatives at the collegiate level must verify eligibility and approve the members of the final oral examination committee.
A minimum of 2 major field reviewers and 1 minor/outside reviewer are required. In the case of multiple minors, there must be a reviewer for each minor.
Advisor(s) and co-advisor(s) must serve as reviewers.
Students must provide reviewers with a copy of the dissertation at least 14 days before the scheduled date of the doctoral final oral examination.
A public presentation of the candidate’s dissertation to the doctoral final oral examination committee and the invited scholarly community.
A closed session (open only to the doctoral final oral examination committee and the candidate) immediately following the public presentation.
To be recommended for the award of the doctoral degree, all committee members, or all committee members save one, must vote that the student has passed the doctoral final oral examination.
Students are not allowed to retake the final oral examination.
Committee members must notify the candidate in writing of all required revisions to the doctoral dissertation as well as specifying a time limit for the submission of the revised doctoral dissertation within seven (7) days of the final oral examination.
All students who complete a doctoral dissertation must file a digital copy of the dissertation with the University in accordance with University standards. Students may choose whether or not to request an embargo of the publication of the dissertation for a limited period of time.
Doctoral programs with approved completion requirements that do not include a final oral examination are exempt from I.
Doctoral programs with approved completion requirements that do not include a doctoral dissertation are exempt from II.
This policy applies to all students admitted after January 1, 2013. Students who matriculated before January 1, 2013 may choose to continue under the policies in effect when they initially matriculated in their graduate program.
This policy does not apply to the J.D., M.D., Pharm.D., D.V.M., D.D.S, L.L.M degrees.
This policy establishes uniform standards for the doctoral final oral examination; defines timely submission of copies of the dissertation for University archives, and supports Board of Regents Policy: Openness in Research which covers public dissemination of University-sponsored research.
Provide guidelines for formatting and submitting the dissertation, to include not only current instructions for electronic formatting and filing but also guidelines governing the use of already published material in the dissertation. Guidelines should take account of possible copyright issues.
Approve and archive in the system of record committee membership (including any subsequent changes to an approved committee).
Approve and record the specific procedures used by programs for administering and grading the doctoral preliminary and final examinations.
Maintain and publish any additional collegiate-level publishing standards or guidelines (e.g., stylistic conventions based on discipline, language of the thesis).
Maintain and publish any additional program-level publishing standards or guidelines (e.g., stylistic conventions based on discipline, language of the thesis).
Review and approve committee membership (including any subsequent changes to an approved committee); route program-approved requests to the collegiate unit for approval.
Must meet the formatting requirements for the submission of the final doctoral dissertation.
Must meet all requirements for completing the doctoral degree.
June 2017 – Comprehensive Review, Minor Revision. 1) Rewrote the introduction to clarify the goal of the policy, 2) moved language regarding composition of the final exam committee from Appointments to Graduate Examination Committees policy to this policy for consistency, 3) added language to clarify that the co-advisors must be thesis reviewers, 4) added language requiring the committee to notify the student in writing of any required revisions to the dissertation and a deadline for the completion of such revisions, 5) clarified language to indicate that students have a choice whether or not to impose and embargo on publication of the thesis for a limited time period, 6) removed language regarding reactivation in order to graduate. Changes in policy respond to need for greater clarity on policy intent on the part of affected constituencies and enhanced consistency in policy implementation across programs.
July 2012 - New Policy, Comprehensive Review. 1. Establishes guidelines for remote participation in graduate milestone examination. 2. Specifies the University as the digital archive of record for deposit of dissertations. 3. Facilitates reactivation of students who have completed all other degree requirements so that their degree may be conferred. 4. Extends applicability of policy requirements to programs not formerly under the aegis of the Graduate School.