Following successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student prepares a dissertation proposal in consultation with his or her dissertation committee. The proposal shall be formally presented for approval at a public meeting of the dissertation committee within no more than four months of passing the qualifying examination. The proposal defense consists of two parts: (1) a public lecture outlining the subject and method of the proposed dissertation research; and (2) a closed meeting with the dissertation committee. Immediately following the proposal presentation, the student's dissertation chair, in consultation with the rest of the student's dissertation committee, will provide the student with a written evaluation of his or her proposal, providing specific suggestions on how the student can improve his or her dissertation research.
