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Dissertation chair and committee selection
Students will select a dissertation chair upon approval of their academic advisor (who may be the same individual) and with approval of the Department of Communication's Graduate Committee. The student and their dissertation chair will create a dissertation committee at the time the student begins to develop the dissertation proposal. The dissertation committee shall include at least two faculty members from within the Department of Communication's Ph.D. faculty. Students must also name at least one dissertation committee member from outside of the Department of Communication's Ph.D. faculty with approval of their dissertation chair and the Department of Communication's Director of Graduate Studies. A dissertation committee may have no less than four members and no more than six total members. All Ph.D. dissertation committee members must hold a doctoral degree. Students must complete a Dissertation Committee Form and submit it to the Department of Communication's Director of Graduate Studies
Defense of the dissertation proposal
A copy of the dissertation proposal must be available to faculty dissertation committee members at least two weeks in advance of the proposal defense. The dissertation proposal defense will be scheduled only after a majority of members of the dissertation committee have determined that a defense is appropriate. The dissertation proposal defense will be open to the public, and invitations will be sent to all Department of Communication faculty and graduate students at least one week prior to the defense date. Once the oral defense of the proposal is complete the Dissertation Proposal Defense Form must be completed, signed by all committee members, and submitted to the Department's Director of Graduate Studies.
Defense of the Dissertation
The format of the dissertation must adhere to the guidelines specified by the University's Thesis and Dissertation Manual. The manual is available electronically on the internet on the Graduate Office website​.
The dissertation defense will be scheduled only after the dissertation chair has determined that a defense is appropriate. The dissertation defense will be open to the public, with invitations send to all Department of Communication faculty and graduate students at least two weeks prior to the defense date. A copy of the dissertation must be made available to faculty dissertation committee members at least two weeks prior to the dissertation defense. The dissertation is expected to reflect the results of original and significant research written in a scholarly and literate manner worthy of publication. The dissertation must be approved by the dissertation chair, the Chairperson of the Department of Communication, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education.
In addition, once the oral defense of the dissertation is complete the Oral Dissertation Defense Form must be completed, signed by all committee members, and a PDF of the final dissertation must be submitted to the Department's Director of Graduate Studies.
