PhD Handbook
Defense of Dissertation
Upon the recommendation of your AC, a final oral defense of your dissertation shall be conducted by your AC, as finally constituted. The final examination is not to be administered until such time that the dissertation is available to your AC (including the GCR) in substantially final form. This form would constitute, as a minimum, a typed version that is complete in content in all respects. Moreover, all AC members should have had adequate time to review the document. Although the defense may cover the broad field of your training, it is presumed that the major portion of the time will be devoted to the dissertation and closely allied topics. The defense is open to faculty and PhD students at Texas A&M. The chair of your committee will send a memo to OGS and Mays faculty and PhD students announcing your dissertation defense. (See Appendix for examples of these memos.) Only your AC will be present for evaluating your performance on the examination.
You must pass the defense of your dissertation by the deadlines announced in the OGS calendar each semester or summer session in order to graduate in that semester or summer. The announcement of the defense should be submitted to the OGS at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled date for the defense. The approval to hold the defense is signified by receipt by your chair of the form from the OGS for the final defense. This form is later used by your AC to submit its recommendations to the OGS director concerning the acceptability of the candidate for the doctoral degree.
The defense may be held only if you meet the following conditions (in addition to satisfactory status of the dissertation research):
- have completed all course work on the degree plan, with the exception of any 691 (research) hours for which you are registered (or any course for which permission from the OGS, has been granted to delete from the degree program)
- have a 3.0 or better and have no unabsolved grades of D, F, or U for courses listed on the degree plan
- have an approved research proposal on file with the OGS
- have been admitted to candidacy
The form your chair submits to OGS indicating your successful defense also is used to change all grades of "I" in 691 hours to "S."
After satisfactory completion of the final oral exam and by the dates announced each semester or summer session in the OGS calendar, you must submit to the office of the Thesis/Dissertation Clerk (University Library) two (2) copies of the dissertation in the final form. The two copies are for the University library and your Department. The dissertation must be completed, with all suggestions and corrections of your AC properly incorporated. The dissertation also must bear the signatures of the department head and members of your AC, with the exception of the GCR.
An abstract not exceeding 350 words and a vita page must be included with the dissertation. Two (2) additional copies of the abstract and title page must be submitted with the dissertation for microfilming.
In addition to a dissertation binding fee, all successful candidates for the doctoral degree are required to pay to the Fiscal Department a dissertation microfilming fee. This fee is used to film doctoral dissertations in cooperation with University Microfilms.
Formal application for the degree must be filed in the OGS office not later than ninety (90) days prior to the end of the semester, or thirty (30) days prior to the end of the summer term in which you expect to complete requirements for graduation. You must be formally registered at Texas A&M for the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. The only exception to this rule is presented earlier in the section on "residency and credit hour requirements."
Upon submission of the two required copies of the dissertation in final form to the Thesis/Dissertation clerk, you will also supply the GCR with a copy. The GCR has one week, from the date of receipt of the dissertation, to certify to the OGS director that the document is satisfactory.
last update: July 17, 2000
