Harvard University History Department

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		Dissertation Committee		On This Page
		A candidate, in consultation with his or her advisor (and first committee member), is responsible for inviting faculty members to join the dissertation committee. The advisor will be responsible for most of the regular contact about the progress of the dissertation. The second reader should be a senior or junior faculty member of the Department (or affiliated with the Department and listed under other faculty offering instruction in History in the Courses of Instruction). However, if a candidate wants to include a second reader who is not affiliated with the Department, he or she must petition the Director of Graduate Studies.		Dissertation Writing Help Links Dissertation Committee Form (PDF) Application for Degree Form (PDF) Prospectus Conference Dissertation Submission Form of the PhD Dissertation Expository Writing Program
		The third reader may be the member of another department, faculty or university. A candidate may choose not to approach a third reader for academic reasons, but only with the advisor’s permission; an extension of this requirement will only be given for one additional year. Having four members on the committee is also possible; the fourth member may be added toward the completion of the dissertation. Throughout the research and writing phase, candidates are urged to maintain communication with each committee member, submitting chapters to the entire committee as they are written. Dissertation Committee Form A Dissertation Committee Form, signed by the required three committee members, must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator before May 1st, 2008. This date is generally one week before the Graduate Student Review Meeting, where the Coordinator will report whether conference participants have completed the requirement of forming a committee two terms after completion of the General Examination. Altering a Dissertation Committee After establishing a dissertation committee, a candidate may choose to replace an existing committee member. This decision should be made after careful consideration and consultation with his or her advisor. The candidate should initiate discussions with the current and potential reader; there should be no ambiguity about the latter's agreement to serve. The Graduate Coordinator, once notified, will update the official record of committee names. Dissertation Defense Candidates may arrange and assemble a committee for a dissertation defense, but it is not required. All members of the committee are required to approve and sign the final dissertation acceptance. Workshops, Conferences and Dissertation Writing Help There are many workshops and seminar series for discussing work in one's field and presenting one's own work. Examples include the Workshops in British History or Renaissance and Reformation History, and the seminar series at the area studies centers. There are also opportunities to obtain grants and to present papers at conferences before specialists in one's field. Each term of the academic year, the Expository Writing Program sponsors a Graduate Dissertation Seminar to help with any problems. Topics include writing a prospectus, organizing research, time and task management, strategies for generating text, and overcoming writer's block by cultivating steady working habits and setting modest, achievable goals. Students in the process of writing their dissertations are advised to consult the Form of the PhD Dissertation.