G7.11 The Doctoral Dissertation

Students are encouraged to begin planning the dissertation as early as possible in their doctoral studies. Such planning should encompass possible topics and potential directors. Candidates must have narrowed down their topics and determined who will serve as the dissertation director by the time of the PhD preliminary examination, since the dissertation director must be one of the examiners in the major field. The dissertation director is chosen by mutual agreement between professor and candidate. However, when in the opinion of the candidate such relationship ceases to function acceptably, the candidate must enlist the involvement of the director of graduate studies in arranging for a change in dissertation director.

The defense of the dissertation proposal is to take place within eight months of the successful completion of the preliminary examination. Students who are unable to defend their proposal within this time must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for an extension in order to remain in good academic standing. The dissertation topic must be approved not only by the director but also by the other two members of the student’s reading committee (selected jointly by the director and the candidate). They will have repeated opportunities for direct advice and consultation with the candidate and the director during the writing of the dissertation. The director’s written approval of the final dissertation draft is required prior to the final defense.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese enforces the Graduate School policy that establishes a five-year deadline for completion and defense of the doctoral dissertation. If the candidate does not complete the dissertation within five years of the preliminary examination, the candidate must retake this examination.

The final oral examination for the PhD (the dissertation defense) will concentrate solely on the dissertation and generally does not exceed two hours in length. The examining committee is composed of a minimum of four members, at least one of whom must be from outside the student’s program in Spanish, and at least three of whom, including the dissertation director, should be designated as readers. This examination is held at least two weeks after the dissertation is submitted. The topic of the dissertation must, of course, pertain to the major field. If after the preliminary examination the student decides to write on a topic unrelated to the area of major concentration, the student will then be required to pass a major examination in that field.