PhD Dissertation Reading Committee

The dissertation Reading Committee is formed near the end of the doctoral candidate’s fourth year in the program, and well before completion of the first dissertation draft. The Reading Committee is comprised of the student’s Major Professor and at least two other Supervisory Committee members. There are no restrictions on the Reading Committee composition other than requiring a minimum of three members, one of whom is the Major Professor, endorsed to chair doctoral committees. (See Graduate School Memorandum #13 for more information.)

To form the Reading Committee, students submit the PhD Reading Committee Request to the SAFS Student Services Office, after obtaining signatures from each Reading Committee member. (Email approvals are acceptable, in lieu of actual signatures. Please print and attach any email approvals before submitting the form.)

Students should submit a near-to-final dissertation draft to the Reading Committee at least four to six weeks prior to the Final Examination. The Reading Committee reviews the dissertation and reports back to the student and other members of the full Supervisory Committee. The Reading Committee should approve the near-to-final draft of the dissertation before recommending to the full Committee that the student is ready to defend. The student should submit the near-to-final dissertation draft, approved by the Reading Committee, to the full Supervisory Committee at least two to four weeks prior the Final Examination.

Please refer to the SAFS Dissertation Proposal and Completion Procedures and the Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation Checklist for more information about formatting and submission.

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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