The text of the Ph.D. dissertation must be submitted to the Doctoral Committee for its review at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled Final Examination date. 

When the committee judges the dissertation to be acceptable, the student will present his or her dissertation research in a one-hour public seminar.  We will attempt to involve an outside examiner or reader in the final examination.  Following this seminar, the Doctoral Committee will examine the student on the contents of the dissertation.  A unanimous vote of the committee is required for approval of the dissertation. 

The results of the Doctoral Committee’s scrutiny of the dissertation will be conveyed by the committee chair to the student services coordinator for transmittal to the Office of Graduate Studies.