Philosophy of the Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the defining component of a doctoral education and should make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge it addresses. All doctoral dissertations should expand existing knowledge and demonstrate that the author understands and is capable of original research. All completed dissertations must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and the Graduate Board before the degree is conferred. The Dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to reject any dissertation that does not demonstrate the following qualities:

• Is commensurate with the standards fororiginal research in the field.
• Upholds the ethics and standards governing research in the field.
• Demonstrates mastery of the research and the appropriate methodology.
• Demonstrates an understanding of therelationship of the work to the broader field in which it is lodged.
• Is commensurate in content, grammar, spelling, format, and general readability with academic and scholarly publications.

Dissertation Proposal

The major adviser and the Doctoral Advisory Committee work with the graduate student to develop a proposal. The dissertation proposal demonstrates the graduate student’s knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. An approved proposal, signed by the Doctoral Advisory Committee, is an agreement between the graduate student and the Doctoral Advisory Committee. Part of this agreement is that the proposed research be completed within the time limits established by the schools, colleges, and Graduate School, thus assuring the continuing relevance of the research topic.

Within 30 days of the approval of a proposal by all members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, the proposal must be filed with the student’s department and with the Graduate School with the following:

• the Dissertation Advisory Committee members’ signatures,
• the Dissertation Proposal Transmittal form, and
• curriculum vitae if a member is not Temple Graduate Faculty or is from outside the University.

These same offices must be notified of any changes in membership of the Doctoral Advisory Committee or of major advisor.

Once the proposal has been approved, and provided the proposal remains current, the Doctoral Advisory Committee may not unilaterally require significant theoretical or methodological changes in the substantive direction of the project. The committee and the graduate student may, however, jointly agree on such changes. Such changes should be dated and noted in the student’s file.

Changes in the membership of the Doctoral Advisory Committee after the acceptance of the proposal do not require re-approval of the proposal. A candidate whose dissertation fulfills the commitments made in the proposal and any modifications made to it as specified above is entitled to an oral defense of the dissertation.

Dissertation Formatting Guidelines

Every graduate student must select a style manual to use in conjunction with the Dissertation Handbook. The Graduate School will accept dissertations prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and University of Chicago Style Manual.

Before assembling the dissertation for the final examination, students should download the Dissertation Handbook to familiarize themselves with current formatting requirements.

Authorship and Prior Publication

A doctoral dissertation may have only one author. Previously published work by that author may be included in the dissertation provided that the work:

• represents research conducted by the candidate while the candidate was a   Temple University doctoral student,
• has not been used to meet the   requirements for another degree,
• is not coauthored,*
• is logically connected with and   integrated into the dissertation, and
• by its inclusion, does not violate any  existing copyright or contractual   agreement.
• Jointly authored works may be included as appendices provided they are clearly labeled as jointly authored, with all authors' names given.

In addition, each Doctoral Advisory Committee will meet at least once a year, with the candidate, to do the following:

• Review the candidate’s progress;
• Make suggestions concerning future research;
• Record the findings of the committee and the suggestions made.A copy of this record must be placed in the graduate student’s file and given to the graduate student.

Note: Nominations for Dissertation Completion Grants must include copies of the nominee’s Doctoral Advisory Committee reports for the past two years. The Graduate Dean and/or the Graduate Board Student Appeals Committee also will ask for such reports for any appeals it considers.

Procedure for Establishing Doctoral Advisory Committee

Within each graduate program (or alternatively within the college housing that program), there is a Graduate Faculty member, or a committee of Graduate Faculty members, responsible for overseeing the formation of the Doctoral Advisory Committees and the identification of a major adviser, and for approving both.

Changes in membership of a Doctoral Advisory Committee or in a major adviser must be approved by the faculty member or body responsible for the formation of the original Advisory Committee. The change also must be communicated to the Graduate School. If the change includes the addition of a member from outside Temple’s Graduate Faculty or outside the University, a curriculum vitae is required.

Dissertation Examining Committee

This committee evaluates the dissertation and the student's oral defense thereof.

Composition of the Dissertation Examining Committee consists of the Doctoral Advisory Committee and at least one additional Graduate Faculty member, from Temple or another university, but not from the faculty of the graduate student’s program. A doctorally prepared expert not affiliated with a university also may serve as the additional committee member. The curriculum vitae of any proposed member who is not a member of Temple’s Graduate Faculty, or who is outside the University, must accompany the graduate student’s defense announcement. Committee composition must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School before the defense is scheduled.

Outside Examiner

Every dissertation sponsoring committee should identify the outside examiner no later than the beginning of the semester in which the oral defense is likely to occur. He or she should be invited to familiarize him or herself thoroughly with the student’s dissertation project between then and the time of the oral defense. This person is not one who has been part of the student’s committee all along.

Examining Committee/Oral Defense Chairperson

An Examining Committee/Oral Defense Chairperson must be identified.* This person must be a Presidential Faculty member and may not be the Chair of the student’s Doctoral Advisory committee. Each department/program must have written procedures on how the Examining Committee Chairperson is identified, and whether or not the Chairperson is a voting member of the Examining Committee.

*This is not necessarily an additional person; the position may be filled by a member other than the Doctoral Advisory Committee Chair.

Note: Examining committees may be larger than four. For example, they may include the outside member and all the graduate faculty of the student’s program.

| NEXT | PREVIOUS | MAIN |