Ready to Defend Dissertation

All members of the Final Oral Examination committee read the dissertation, although only those designated as reviewers sign the Reviewers’ Report Form certifying that the dissertation is ready for defense. Certification of the dissertation as ready for defense is a necessary step toward the Final Oral Examination, but in no way diminishes the significance of that examination. The student works with the advisor to determine when to deliver the dissertation to reviewers and all other members of the Final Oral Examination committee.

Students must confirm the date of their Final Oral Examination at least six weeks in advance of the proposed examination date with their advisor and other members of the Final Oral Examination committee. To allow faculty sufficient time to read the dissertation and decide whether it is ready for defense, students must provide a complete document at least three weeks in advance of their Final Oral Examination date. This allows readers time to read the dissertation and confer with the student if they have concerns.

If the concerns are minor, readers may sign the form and the concerns may be addressed at the defense. However if concerns are major, the reader may ask that students make changes before signing the reviewer form. In that case, the defense may be delayed. As such, it behooves the student to allow sufficient time for committee members to read and for the student to check in with each committee member to avoid last minute delays.

Committee members will also conduct a final review of the student’s doctoral portfolio. If they feel that the competencies have been achieved, they will sign the Doctoral Portfolio Sign-Off Form at the same time that they sign the Graduate School’s Reviewers’ Report Form. However, faculty should submit the original Doctoral Portfolio Sign-Off Form to the FSoS GPC directly.