Doctoral Dissertation Requirements

Formation of Dissertation Committee

Upon achieving candidacy, you should formulate a research area for dissertation research and put together a Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The Rackham School of Graduate Studies Guidelines for dissertation committee service must be followed when composing the committee. These guidelines address the composition of the dissertation committee and eligibility for service on dissertation committees. The dissertation committee

• Must have at least four members.
• Must include at least two HILS faculty of which one or both chair/co-chair the committee.
• Must have a cognate faculty member from outside of the Department of Learning Health Sciences who holds at least a .50 appointment in a Rackham doctoral program.

The committee must be approved by the HILS program director and submitted to the Rackham Graduate School for approval at least 6 months prior to the oral defense. prior to the proposal defense. The HILS program manager will complete the committee form, obtain appropriate signatures, and submit it to Rackham for approval.

Dissertation proposal defense

You write a formal dissertation proposal that must be approved by your dissertation committee. This proposal must lay out the planned dissertation research, including a rationale based on your literature review. The proposal should be circulated to dissertation committee members at least two weeks prior to a formal defense meeting. After the committee has discussed the proposal, the Dissertation Committee Chair submits a written statement of approval of the proposal to the HILS program manager following the proposal defense. Unlike other aspects of the doctoral program, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies does not have any major policies or regulations regarding the preparation or defense of the dissertation proposal.

The dissertation proposal is intended to constitute an agreement between you and the Dissertation Committee as to the scope and character of the dissertation project. Any change in the nature of the dissertation must be approved in writing by your dissertation chair and the HILS program director.

Dissertation Preparation

Organize and format your dissertation as outlined in the Rackham Graduate School Dissertation Handbook and the Rackham Formatting Guidelines. This handbook includes information about the specific parts of the dissertation, suggestions for word processing, the physical specifications, required procedures for submitting the dissertation (including format checks), arranging for your oral examination, and more. Refer to the handbook throughout the process of writing your dissertation.

You must be enrolled for eight credit hours of candidacy (LHS 995) during the full term (fall, winter, or spring/summer) that you plan to defend the dissertation.

Dissertation Oral Defense

At least three weeks prior to your oral defense, schedule a required pre-defense meeting with Rackham. You will be asked to provide your name; program; U-M identification number; defense date, time, and location; and information about your committee members, including e-mail addresses. This meeting should be held at least two weeks before your oral defense. Also two weeks prior to your defense distribute your dissertation and abstract to your dissertation committee. One week before the oral defense, submit your dissertation draft to Rackham.

The HILS program manager can aid you in scheduling your oral defense, finding a suitable room, and arranging any necessary technology, but it is your responsibility to make sure all committee members are available to attend on the selected day and time. Oral defenses are open for anyone to attend and an announcement will be posted publicly, both by HILS and Rackham.

Plan on at least two hours for your defense. The committee usually meets for a few minutes in private at the beginning of the defense to discuss their concerns and a strategy for the defense. The committee should agree to meet 15 minutes before the scheduled (public) start of the defense. Your advisor will tell you how long to plan to speak. When people attend a defense, they often ask questions. The priority, of course, is for the committee to do its questioning. After your presentation, the committee will adjourn to confer. After the committee confers, they will announce the result.

Dissertation Resources

• Sweetland Writing Center Dissertation Writing Institute