Dissertation Proposal

Students must formally propose their dissertation to a committee through both written and oral components. During the semester in which the proposal occurs, students are required to enroll in KINES 742-990 (Research or Thesis).

Scheduling and Notification

• The student must provide the following information to the Graduate Program Manager (GPM) at least two weeks before the scheduled proposal.

  • Proposal Title
  • Committee member names and emails
  • Date, time, and location

• A written copy of the dissertation proposal must be provided to all committee members at least seven days before the oral presentation.

Committee and Proposal Format

• The format of both the oral presentation and written proposal is determined by the student’s advisor (major professor), with input and approval from the rest of the committee.

• In most cases, the proposal committee continues to serve as the final dissertation defense committee, though this is not required.

• The dissertation proposal often serves as a formal checkpoint to ensure committee consensus on the research plan. Students should consult with their advisor about lab-specific expectations and timeline relative to the defense.

Proposal Approval Form

• The student must submit the proposed title and list of committee members to the GPM at least two weeks before the scheduled proposal.

• The GPM will generate a Dissertation Proposal Approval Form, circulate it for electronic signatures from the committee, and retain a signed copy in the student’s file. A copy will also be sent to the student.

Learning Assessment Rubric

• A formal assessment rubric is used to evaluate the dissertation proposal.

• The GPM will distribute the rubric to committee members prior to the proposal. After all responses are collected, feedback will be compiled and shared with the student.