Proposal must be at least one year before the final defense, since this shows the feasibility of the project and the committee’s buy in. Needs to be addressed in the yearly meeting with student.

The dissertation proposal and the specialty exam serve different purposes and should be viewed as separate activities, even though often executed concurrently. The dissertation proposal marks the ...

Before you can write a dissertation, you must write a dissertation proposal. How to do that is worth a closer look. In my July 24 column, “It’s a Dissertation, Not a Book,” I emphasized the importance ...

Students should begin to think about possible dissertation topics early on in their doctoral career. Keep a file of topics on which you imagine yourself writing. Over the years of course work and ...