Dissertation
A Dissertation describes original research performed by the student. The Dissertation topic must be approved by the advisor and Graduate Coordinator. A Dissertation committee, made up of graduate faculty, must be formed to assess the quality and value of the work. A public Dissertation defense is made by the student. The final Dissertation and defense must be approved by the advisor and Dissertation committee.
Summary of Doctoral degree requirements: Preliminary Examination, plus the Doctoral Plan of Work, plus three credits of CS 89191 Doctoral Seminar, plus nine credits major concentration course work, plus nine credits minor concentration course work, plus nine credits elective coursework or research, plus Candidacy Examination, and plus 30 credits of CS 89199 Dissertation I along with the Dissertation and defense.
Dissertation Topic and Prospectus
All students writing a dissertation are required to file a
Notification of
Approved Dissertation Topic and Prospectus form, which is to be signed by members of the Dissertation
Committee and submitted to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies with
a copy for the CS Graduate Coordinator. Forms are available in the
Division office.
The dissertation prospectus normally includes an outline of the parameters
of a projected dissertation topic, indicating a clear statement of the problem
to be undertaken, the procedure or methodology to be used in the research,
a preliminary review of the literature substantiating the need for the study,
and where appropriate, a discussion of the principal sources for acquiring
information. Affirmation of completion of the prospectus will be contained
in the
Notification of
Approved Dissertation Topic and Prospectus form. Each member of the
Dissertation Committee will be required to approve the prospectus and
indicate such approval on the
Notification of
Approved Dissertation Topic and Prospectus form.
The CS Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the CS Graduate Studies
Committee as necessary, will review the composition of the proposed committee for appropriate
balance, and the topic for strength and suitability as a Doctoral dissertation
topic.
Dissertation and Final Examination
Two separate committees will be involved with the progress,
completion, and examination of the Doctoral Candidate's dissertation. These
are
the Dissertation Committee, and the Examining Committee.
The Dissertation Committee
This committee is composed of graduate faculty members and is appointed
by the CS Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the CS Graduate Studies
Committee as necessary, when the candidate has developed an appropriate
dissertation topic and has an approved advisor. This committee will consist
of a minimum of:
The advisor, who will act as Chairman of the Committee. Two additional members from the candidate's department. One faculty member from a discipline outside the department.
The advisor and at least two of the remaining three must be members of
the Graduate Faculty who have been approved to direct
dissertations. If a co-advisor is desired, he or she should be
included in the
above members. If, for warranted reasons, it is desirous to have a person
on the committee who does not meet the above qualifications, special
permission must be obtained from the Division of the Research and Graduate
Studies. When the Dissertation Committee has been formed, a
Notification of
Approved Dissertation Topic and Prospectus form
should be filed in the Division, with a copy for the CS Graduate Coordinator.
Responsibilities of the Dissertation Committee: This committee is
responsible for the progress of the candidate's dissertation and will
keep in touch with his or her research. When the advisor believes the
dissertation is ready for preliminary approval, it will be circulated in
easily legible form among the members of the Committee. At the time that
the entire dissertation is first circulated to the Dissertation
Committee, the Dean in the Graduate Affairs office in the College of
Arts and Sciences must be notified to request the appointment of the
Graduate Faculty Representative to serve on the Examining Committee.
The advisor must make this request online at: http://as.kent.edu/gcr.htm
The advisor will allow a minimum of a ten-day period for
reading of the dissertation and will then convene the Dissertation
Committee (without the candidate) for the purpose of evaluating it. The
Graduate Faculty Representative should be notified of this meeting and
invited to attend. Recommended revisions will be noted by the advisor and
communicated to the candidate, and when, in the opinion of the advisor and
the candidate, the appropriate revisions have been made, the advisor will
inform the department and the Division of Research and Graduate Studies.
The Examining Committee
The Examining Committee will consist of the Dissertation Committee (at
least four persons as previously defined) plus the Moderator and a
Graduate Faculty Representative.
The Moderator: The Moderator will be selected by the
Dissertation Committee from the members of the Graduate Faculty who have
been approved to direct dissertations. He or she will not be a
faculty member in the department of the candidate's major.
Duties of the Moderator: The principal duties of the
Moderator are to preside and to moderate. He or she should see to it that all
participants act in a civilized, polite, and proper manner. He or she should
be familiar with the procedures of the Oral Defense, and he or she has the
authority to suspend the examination should a situation arise which would
not be conducive to a fair examination.
Graduate Faculty Representative: The Representative of
the Graduate Faculty will be appointed by the Division of Research and
Graduate Studies after consultation, when appropriate, with the advisor
or department chairperson. To qualify, he or she must have directed a
dissertation to completion. The Representative may be a member of the
candidate's department and is expected to be familiar with the general
content area of the dissertation.
Duties of the Graduate Faculty Representative: This person
represents the Graduate Faculty by noting whether or not the nature of the
questioning and of the responses meets highly respectable scholarly
standards. If he or she has some reservations in regard to this, the
reservations should be presented immediately to the Division of Research
and Graduate Studies. The Graduate Faculty Representative is expected to
question the candidate and to vote on the passing of the Final Examination.
The Final Oral Defense:
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The Advisor will designate the time and place of the
Final Oral Defense and notify all members of the Examining
Committee. The Oral Defense is open to any member of the University
wishing to attend, and therefore, a facility adequate to meet this
requirement should be provided. The Oral Defense should be scheduled
to allow a minimum of ten
days for all of the Examining
Committee to look over the dissertation. In the absence of the
Dissertation Advisor, the Oral Defense may
not be held. If it is a matter of long-term absence or
enduring illness of the Advisor, the
Chairperson of the department, in consultation with the appropriate
administrator, should make appropriate arrangements for a substitute.
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The dissertation must be in final form (not
merely a late draft, but also, not necessarily the final typed copy)
prior to the Final Oral Defense. If, in the opinion of more than one
member of the Examining Committee, the dissertation is not in acceptable
final form, the Oral Defense will not be held. This is to be
determined by vote prior to the Final Oral Defense and without
the candidate or others being present. If a negative vote occurs, the
candidate may be called in to provide clarification. Acceptable form
refers to the substance and usefulness of the dissertation,
as well as the quality of the writing. However, it is permissible
to number pages in pencil in order to reduce the cost of possible final
changes which may grow out of the Oral Defense.
A rescheduling of the Oral Defense, if necessary, will occur when, in
the opinion of the Advisor and the candidate, the dissertation has been
modified to incorporate the suggested changes. The dissertation must
be acceptable, with no more than one dissenting vote, before the
rescheduled Final Oral Defense can be held. If the dissertation is
not in suitable form at this second scheduled Final Oral Defense, the
Division of Research and Graduate Studies will be so notified. Further
action then becomes the responsibility of the Division.
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The Final Oral Defense will be open to the University community.
Notification of the time and place of the Oral Defense should be
provided to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies so that it
may be announced
in a suitable publication. Copies of the abstract of the
dissertation should be available in the candidate's department and
the Division prior to the Oral Defense, and at the Oral Defense,
itself, to familiarize members of the Graduate Faculty with the
methodology and findings.
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The candidate will open the Oral Defense with a brief presentation of
his or her findings, after which the members of the Examining Committee
will question the candidate in an order to be determined by the
Moderator. When, in the opinion of the Moderator, members of the
Examining Committee have had an adequate opportunity to question the
candidate, the Moderator may open the examination to appropriate
questions from others present.
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Questions dealing with the substance, meaning, and usefulness of
the research in the dissertation are of greatest propriety. Questions
or comments dealing with punctuational or grammatical minutiae,
spelling, etc., are out of order; such comments should be written out and
privately submitted to the Advisor.
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If, in the opinion of the Moderator or upon motion duly passed by
a majority of the Committee, it is deemed desirable to discontinue the
Oral Defense, the Moderator may recess the Oral Defense until a time
mutually agreeable to the Moderator, the Advisor, the candidate, and
the Division of Research and Graduate Studies.
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When the questioning has run its course, the Moderator will
adjourn the Oral Defense and the room will be cleared of everyone except
the members of the Examining Committee. Parliamentary procedure will be
observed to determine the success or failure of the candidate, with the
Moderator acting as chairman without a vote.
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The candidate should be evaluated both
(a) upon the overall quality and significance of his or her
dissertation, and
(b) upon the oral defense of his or her findings.
A candidate passes the Oral Defense if he or she passes with no more
than one dissenting vote.
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All members of the Examining Committee (except the Moderator) will
sign the "Report of Final Examination" form, recording their votes.
Committee members may vote "yes" or "no", but they may not
abstain.
The Moderator and Department Chairperson must sign the "Report of Final
Examination" form, which is then forwarded to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies with a copy given to
the CS Graduate Coordinator.
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Filing the Dissertation
New Option:
Electronic dissertations submission is mandatory. For more information, see
Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
Students writing a dissertation can file two copies of the dissertation
with the Graduate Affairs office in the College of Arts and Sciences
according to the deadlines listed in the current catalog. Each
dissertation must be typed according to the guidelines in the current
"Style Guide and Instructions for Typing Theses and Dissertations".
Copies of the "Guide" are available from the College of A&S Graduate Studies.
When the student is satisfied with the final preparation of his or her
dissertation, he or she will need to file the "Dissertation Preparation
Approval" form and the final copies of the dissertation in the Graduate
Affairs office in the College of Arts and Sciences. Submission of the
student's dissertation must be by the published deadline. Deadline dates
may be obtained from the College.
For further information on this topic, see Writing
The Thesis and Dissertation.
Timetable
| "Notification of Proposed Dissertation" form filed: One year prior to final defense. |
| Final version of dissertation copies to committee members: At least 20 days before final defense. |
| Ph.D. defense announcement made: At least one week before final defense. |
| Pre-defense meeting of Examination Committee: At least 10 days before final defense. |
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