Doctoral Dissertation
After completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student selects a four-person dissertation committee. In some cases, a larger committee is formed. At least two members must be from the BBC group, and one member is generally an outside examiner from another area, department, or university. As a first step in execution of the doctoral studies, the student develops a written research proposal, in consultation with the adviser. The student is also encouraged to discuss the proposal individually with the committee members. Usually during the fourth year, the committee meets as a group for the dissertation proposal examination, following the requirements of the department and the graduate school. Following the oral examination of the student during this meeting, the student’s dissertation proposal should be finalized. The student can then follow the plan of the proposal and complete a set of research reports. These should be prepared in a form suitable for submission to an appropriate journal (or they can already be submitted or even published). Usually during the fifth year of the program, the doctoral dissertation is submitted for approval to the dissertation committee during a dissertation defense. This final oral examination on the completed dissertation by the committee completes the dissertation approval process.
