This document is intended for all graduate students entering the final year of dissertation writing. Please refer to it often, as it lists the several specific deadlines you must meet between now and Commencement. Some of these dates have been set by GSAS. The Department has established others--those concerning reading and revision time—to best serve both the student and his or her thesis committee. Under all but extraordinary circumstances, these dates are not flexible.

Please inform Frannie once you and your committee have agreed that you are about to enter your finishing year so that she may send you special notices and reminders, and facilitate the defense of your dissertation.

Application for the degree:
The following deadlines were established by GSAS. Applications submitted after them carry a late fee.
November degree: August 11, 2008
March degree: December 1, 2008
June degree: March 30, 2009

Submission of final draft to all committee members:
In order to accommodate a timely and purposeful thesis defense, all finishing students must submit the final draft to all three readers by:
August 11, 2008 for the November degree
December 12, 2008 for the March degree.
*April 13, 2009 for the June degree

NOTE: The dissertation must be submitted, with adequate copies, in hardcopy. Submissions of the dissertation by email attachment are not acceptable. The final draft will, of course, be the result of regular discussions with readers throughout the preceding year. On or before these dates, you should provide Frannie with the date and time of your defense, having discussed this in advance with your readers.

Defense of the Thesis:
All candidates must defend their dissertations at least ten days before the bound and boxed copies are due at the registrar. Holding the defense in advance of submitting the approved and final version will not jeopardize your degree candidacy. Rather, it will allow for fine-tuning and presentation of your very best work to the University Archive. Your committee members should sign your Thesis Acceptance Certificate immediately following the successful defense of your thesis.

Submission of Approved Thesis to Registrar:
These deadlines are firm. Inability to meet them requires reactivation of the degree application for the next degree granting date.
October 1, 2008 for the November degree
*January 23, 2009 for the March degree
*May 22, 2009 for the June degree

Facilities Fee for final term:
All students must pay the facilities fee for their final term, whether or not they are in residence.

Optional Registration for the Degree-Awarding Term: If the student submits two copies of the approved dissertation to the registrar prior to registration day, he or she need not register for that term. If a student registers for a term and then submits the copies of the approved dissertation by the last day to cancel registration for the term without payment of tuition, registration will be canceled and tuition refunded for that term. As you approach the final stages of your thesis preparation, please consult The Form of the PhD Dissertation, an on-line document available at the GSAS web site. This booklet provides you with regulations on footnoting, bibliography format, and so forth.		Lia Brozgal (right) passes her completed dissertation to her advisor, Susan Suleiman, summer 2007

Optional Registration for the Degree-Awarding Term:
If the student submits two copies of the approved dissertation to the registrar prior to registration day, he or she need not register for that term. If a student registers for a term and then submits the copies of the approved dissertation by the last day to cancel registration for the term without payment of tuition, registration will be canceled and tuition refunded for that term.

As you approach the final stages of your thesis preparation, please consult The Form of the PhD Dissertation, an on-line document available at the GSAS web site. This booklet provides you with regulations on footnoting, bibliography format, and so forth.

Lia Brozgal (right) passes her completed dissertation to her advisor, Susan Suleiman, summer 2007

Last updated on August 27, 2008