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 ...

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 ...

A doctoral thesis should be based on extensive research in primary sources, make an original contribution to knowledge, and be presented in acceptable scholarly form. Students entering the program ...

Students should begin to think about possible dissertation topics early on in their doctoral career. Keep a file of topics on which you imagine yourself writing. Over the years of course work and ...

The formal, written thesis proposal is due by 5:00 pm on the fourth Wednesday of September (e.g., 9/24/25). You are expected to email a copy of your document to the Chair by this deadline. Evaluation ...

"I've been taken aback at what passes for a dissertation proposal around here," a newly arrived colleague at a major research institution confided, lamenting the brevity and tentativeness of the ...