The dissertation proposal and the specialty exam serve different purposes and should be viewed as separate activities, even though often executed concurrently. The dissertation proposal marks the ...

Proposal must be at least one year before the final defense, since this shows the feasibility of the project and the committee’s buy in. Needs to be addressed in the yearly meeting with student.

Before you can write a dissertation, you must write a dissertation proposal. How to do that is worth a closer look. In my July 24 column, “It’s a Dissertation, Not a Book,” I emphasized the importance ...

Once you have passed your comprehensive exams, the time has come for you to complete the dissertation proposal. In this memo, I give you some of my thoughts on ways to approach the proposal. Also, I ...

Your research proposal also needs to persuade someone about how and why your intended project is worthwhile. In your proposal you will need to explain and defend your choices. Always think about the ...

Fifth semester exam to assess a Ph.D. student’s knowledge of their research area and to specifically evaluate the research proposal. During the semester in which a student plans to defend the ...