3.1.6.3 The Dissertation Defense
When the student has completed or is in the final stage of completion of Dissertation Requirements (see 3.1.6.3 Format and Requirements for the Dissertation), the Chair of the Dissertation Committee initiates scheduling of the Dissertation Defense by submitting the Dissertation Defense Plan Form. This form should be submitted no less than 6 weeks before the proposed defense date and will trigger a room request inquiry and date/time confirmation. The Chair and Research Mentor are responsible for ensuring that the three manuscripts included in the dissertation represent a cohesive and complete body of work. At least two of the manuscripts must be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals prior to the defense. The third manuscript must be in publishable condition. The manuscripts do not need to be accepted for publication before the defense.
The full dissertation document should be distributed to the Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled oral defense. A revised and complete dissertation document reflecting all three manuscripts must be submitted via Formstack by the ‘Deadline for completion of thesis or dissertation requirements’ for the semester preceding the official graduation month (January, May, or September). See the Official Academic Calendar for deadline dates.
The Dissertation Defense includes a public and private session. The public session is open to the community and consists of the student giving an oral presentation (typically 40-45 minutes) about the dissertation and a brief period for community questions (typically 15 minutes). The private session occurs after the public session and involves the student fielding questions from the Dissertation Committee in a closed meeting (typically 60-90 minutes).
After the oral defense is completed, the Dissertation Committee holds a private session without the student present, (typically 10-15 minutes) to decide by majority vote if the student has successfully fulfilled the dissertation requirements or if additional steps must be taken. When a decision has been reached, the student returns, and the committee reports its decision. Responsibilities of the Chair during the Prospectus, Post-Prospectus, and Dissertation Phases are detailed in the next section.