Culminating
Events:
Culminating event for the degree program
Dissertation
Dissertation Advising Committee Information
The Dissertation Advising Committee is formed to oversee the student's doctoral research and is comprised of at least three Graduate Faculty members. Two members, including the chair, must be from the Political Science Department. Committee compositions must be approved by the department's graduate chair. The Dissertation Chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the Committee members, and informing the student of his or her academic progress.
Dissertation Examining Committee Information
The Dissertation Examing Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is comprised of the Doctoral Advising Committee and at least one additional Graduate Faculty member from outside the Political Science Department. The Outside Examiner should be identified no later than the beginning of the semester in which the student will defend the dissertation.
Advisor/Committee Information
If a student needs to change a member of a Committee, the new member must be approved by the department's graduate committee and registered with the Graduate Secretary and the Graduate School.
Preliminary Exam Description
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to demonstrate breadth of knowledge and intellectual sophistication across the major Ph.D. field. Students should also be prepared to interpret political phenomena within the context of various theories and to use empirical data to illuminate concepts.
Subject Areas/Major Components of the Preliminary Examination
Students are encouraged to meet with faculty in their field to discuss content of the exams to ensure that they have accurately identifed key theories, concepts and literature.
At what point in the program is the student expected to take the preliminary examination
The preliminary examination should be completed no more than one semester after the student completes the coursework component of the program.
Writing the Questions for the Preliminary Examination
The Graduate Chair selects three faculty members to write the questions for the preliminary examination.
Evaluating the Preliminary Examination
The faculty committee will evaluate the examination. Each member votes to pass or fail the student. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the exam has been satisfactorily completed.
Criterion for Passing the Preliminary Examination.
The student must answer the required number of questions in order to be evaluated. The evaluators look for a breadth and depth of understanding of specific research areas.
Administering, Scheduling, and Proctoring the Preliminary Examination
All comprehensive examinations will be conducted within a designated period once each semester. Students should request the application for exams from the Graduate Secretary and return it before the deadline. The student will be advised as to the time limit for the exam.
Dissertation/Monograph Philosophy
A doctoral dissertation should demonstrate that the candidate can conduct and report on scholarly research with a high level of professional competence. The dissertation should constitute a distinctive contribution to knowledge in Politial Science. Normally, it should outline theoretical knowledge in some field of Political Science, propose a question or hypothesis that is linked to the theory, and provide empirical data to illuminate the theoretical issues in a convincing manner.
Philosophy of the Proposal
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The dissertation prospectus should consist of a research design and literature review. The prospectus should be defended and accepted by the full membership of the committee within two semesters after passing the comprehensive examination.
Criterion for Passing the Dissertation and the Defense.
The oral defense should demonstrate that (1) the dissertation satisfies the standards for original research in Political Science; (2) the ethics and standards governing Political Science research have been followed; (3) the candidate has mastered the research and appropriate methodology; and (4) the candidate has an understanding of the relationship of this work to the broader field in which it is lodged.
Dissertation Defense Scheduling
Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a time and date with their Dissertation Advisory Committee and register with the Graduate Secretary at least 15 days before the defense. The Graduate Secretary will arrange the time, date and room within two working days, and forward the appropriate forms to the student.
Announcing the Dissertation Defense
After the Graduate Secretary has arranged the time, date and room for the defense, a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form will be sent to the Graduate School (501 Carnell Hall) at least 10 days before the defense. The Department will post fliers announcing the defense.
