Doctoral Dissertation and Examination

Submit a dissertation for review by the student’s Dissertation Committee at least ten working days prior to the oral defense.

The student should provide an abstract, with day, time and location of the oral defense to the Graduate Office by emailing Anna Damm one week prior to the defense so it can be advertised to all CEE faculty and students.

Pass an oral examination in defense of the dissertation. The possible outcomes of the oral examination are as follows:

• The committee accepts the dissertation without any recommended changes and sign the Report of the Examining Committee.

• The committee recommends changes and, except for the Chair, the committee members sign the Report of the Examining Committee. The Chair will check the dissertation and, upon his or her approval, sign the Report of the Examining Committee.

• The committee recommends revisions to the dissertation and does not sign the Report of Examining Committee until the student has made the changes and submitted the revised dissertation for the committee’s approval. The committee members sign the Report of Examining Committee if they approve the revised dissertation.

• The committee recommends revisions and convenes a second meeting to review the dissertation and complete the defense.

• The committee rules the dissertation (including the defense) unsatisfactory. In that circumstance, the student will have failed the examination and will not be awarded the doctorate.

It is expected that each Ph.D. candidate will have a publication published or submitted by the time of the defense and that the Ph.D. dissertation will result in at least 2 journal peer-review publications.