Dissertation Proposal and Completion Procedures

The PhD is primarily a research degree requiring completion of an appropriate dissertation. The degree is not conferred solely as a result of coursework, no matter how faithfully or long it may be pursued. The Doctoral Dissertation must encompass original research yielding a significant contribution to knowledge. It should clearly establish the candidate's ability to ask meaningful questions, provide appropriate answers through diligent investigations, and defend the conclusions. Students should meet with their Supervisory Committee at least once a year, at which time, the Committee might make suggestions for the preparation of the dissertation or request additional work.

Dissertation Proposal

PhD Students are expected to submit a dissertation proposal to their Supervisory Committees within 24 months of beginning the program and before beginning substantive dissertation research. Please see the Thesis and Dissertation Proposal webpage for content and formatting guidelines. The proposal must evidence the student’s readiness to carry out the research and it clarifies the expectations of both parties (i.e., the student and Committee) as to the final objectives, methods, and content. To properly document that a Dissertation Proposal has been read and approved, a copy of the PhD Dissertation Proposal form, signed by all Committee members, and the approved proposal must be submitted to the SAFS Student Services Office for final review by the Associate Director/Graduate Program Coordinator. (Email approvals from Committee members are acceptable, in lieu of actual signatures on the form. Please print and attach any email approvals before submitting it.) The final approved proposal is due in the Student Services Office by the end of the 8th quarter of attendance.

Format of Dissertation

For dissertation preparation procedures and instructions (e.g., formatting, citations, graphics, etc.), refer to the UW Graduate School’s Policy and Style Manual for Theses and Dissertations.

Submission of Dissertation

Corrections, revisions, and submission of the final approved dissertation are due within 60 days after the Final Examination/defense. The dissertation must be submitted to the UW Graduate School no later than 5:00pm on the last day of the quarter (i.e., last day of Final Exams week) in which the degree is to be conferred. If submitted after the last day of the quarter, the degree will be conferred the following quarter, during which the student must register for a minimum of two credits.

Students who defend but do not submit within the same quarter may submit the dissertation during the following quarter, but in no case, no later than 60 days after defending. The quarter in which the dissertation is submitted becomes the official graduation quarter.

Students must register in at least two credits (e.g., Fish 800) when defending and submitting their dissertations, except when the Graduate Registration Waiver Fee applies (see below).

The student is responsible for submitting two approved dissertation copies to the UW Graduate School. Students are encouraged to not wait until the last day of the quarter because there are often lines at the Graduate School. Please see the UW Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation Checklist for more information.

Additionally, one unbound hardcopy or an electronic version of the dissertation should be submitted to the SAFS Archivist, Marcus Duke. This will be used when copies are requested by external entities and posted on the SAFS web site as well. When possible, please send a PDF version, instead of a hardcopy.

GRADUATE REGISTRATION WAIVER FEE: Students who submit their dissertations within 14 days after the last day of the quarter in which they defended do not have to enroll in any credits if they meet the Graduate Registration Waiver Fee eligibility requirements and submit the dissertation and waiver fee by the applicable deadline.

More detailed dissertation submission procedures are on the UW Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation Checklist.

PhD Dissertation Registry

Although not required, students are strongly encouraged to register their dissertation with the Dissertation Initiative for the Advancement of Limnology and Oceanography (DIALOG). The PhD Dissertation Registry and the associated database provide a concise summary of the work of recent aquatic science graduates and enable the identification of trends and assessment of community needs. An electronic abstract submission form is available at http://www.aslo.org/dialog.html.

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