Catalog Navigator : Dissertation Prospectus Defense

Dissertation

The dissertation is required of all Ph.D. candidates and is the culmination of advanced study leading to the doctoral degree. It demonstrates the student's scholarly expertise and independent contribution to knowledge. The dissertation process formally begins when all other requirements of the Ph.D. program have been met, including all required and elective coursework and completion of the empirical paper. The doctorate requires that each doctoral candidate perform original research in the form of a doctoral dissertation. The dissertation is an investigation of an area of significance that makes a unique contribution to the field. It must demonstrate that the candidate is capable of independent research and analysis, reported in accepted scholarly style, and that s/he has attained a high degree of scholarly competence.

Step 1: Selection of the Dissertation Committee

Within six months of the completion of the empirical paper, a student must constitute their Dissertation Committee. The committee consists of the Dissertation Chair and three additional Dissertation Committee members: two members from the SCJ faculty and one member from outside the SCJ faculty. The Dissertation Committee Chair, who supervises the investigation, must be a member of the full-time graduate faculty in the School of Criminal Justice (https://rscj.newark.rutgers.edu/people/faculty/) and must have been approved for supervising doctoral research. The two internal members must be tenured or tenure-track SCJ faculty members. Deviation is allowed only in exceptional circumstances, and when prior approval has been obtained by the Ph.D. Director in consultation with the Dean. The outside member must be approved by the SCJ Dean and can be a member of the Rutgers graduate faculty or a suitable scholar outside Rutgers. To establish the Dissertation Committee, students are responsible for the completion of the form Appointment of the Dissertation Committee.

Members who serve on the Dissertation Committee do so because they are specialists in some aspect of the proposed dissertation, namely, because the substantive topic or proposed methodology is within their area of expertise. The Chair is ordinarily a faculty member who is knowledgeable and interested in the proposed dissertation topic and willing to oversee the study. Students who are uncertain about a topic or a Chair may consult with the Ph.D. Director. Once the Chair has accepted, s/he will assist the student in identifying appropriate faculty to serve on the committee. The Dissertation Committee assists in selecting and developing the research problem and evaluates the student's scholarly work. The student should consult frequently with the committee, particularly the Chair, when developing their prospectus, executing the research, and writing the dissertation. The primary duties of the Dissertation Committee are to (1) examine and evaluate the student's dissertation proposal at the prospectus defense, and (2) examine and evaluate the student's completed doctoral dissertation at the final oral examination.

Step 2: Dissertation Prospectus

Once the Dissertation Committee is selected, the student develops a dissertation prospectus, which is the proposed research plan for the dissertation. The prospectus explains what the student intends to study, its importance to the field, and the proposed methods of investigation, and includes a review of the relevant literature. Its structure, format, and length are determined by the Dissertation Committee Chair, with approval of the Dissertation Committee. To obtain Committee approval, the student is expected to meet with Dissertation Committee members to share their plan for the prospectus in terms of format, structure, length and timing of the defense prior to commencing work on the prospectus.

Once the prospectus is completed and reviewed by the Dissertation Committee, the student presents and defends it at a scheduled public meeting that is open to fellow students and faculty. The prospectus defense date is set by the Dissertation Committee Chair, with the approval of the Ph.D. Program Director. To ensure sufficient time for review, students must distribute the completed prospectus to their Dissertation Committee at least one full month prior to the scheduled defense.

An official Prospectus Defense Announcement is to be distributed to all SCJ faculty, staff, and Ph.D. students at least two weeks prior to the defense date by the Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and Enrollment Services. The announcement is to include the following information provided by the student: date, time, and location of the prospectus defense; prospectus title; names of the candidate, dissertation chair, and committee members; and an abstract of approximately 350 words. A paper copy of the Prospectus Defense Announcement will be prominently displayed on School of Criminal Justice bulletin boards. Except with permission from the Ph.D. Program Director and Dissertation Committee, the prospectus defense must take place during the academic year. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all timelines, deadlines, and procedures are met.

Ordinarily, the prospectus defense begins with a brief presentation by the student, followed by questions from members of the Dissertation Committee, then questions from other members of the audience. Once this portion of the defense is complete, the student and audience will leave so the Dissertation Committee can deliberate. The Dissertation Committee alone is responsible for deciding the outcome of the prospectus defense. They will evaluate the student on (1) their proposal, (2) their presentation, and (3) their demonstrated competence in addressing committee members' and others' questions and concerns. Once a decision is rendered, the student will be invited back into the defense. The student may (1) pass the defense; (2) provisionally pass, pending successful completion of required revisions; or (3) fail to pass. Upon final approval of the prospectus defense, the student must submit an electronic copy of the final approved prospectus to the Ph.D. Director.

Following successful completion of the prospectus defense, a student is considered to be All-But-Dissertation, or ABD. This is not an official designation, but it has implications for a student's eligibility for fellowships, many of which require that the student be in good academic standing and that all program milestones except for the dissertation be completed. Students who are ABD must still be continuously enrolled in dissertation research credits until they graduate.

Failure to Pass the Prospectus Defense
If the student fails to pass the dissertation prospectus defense, s/he may sit for the prospectus defense a second time within six months of the original defense. The student must submit a revised prospectus to his or her committee and schedule a new prospectus defense, following the procedures described above. Students normally will not be permitted a third prospectus defense. Instead, they will be dismissed from the doctoral program. Students who are dismissed from the doctoral program may appeal the decision.