CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF PROCEDURES LEADING TO A DOCTORAL DEGREE

1. Admission
2. Continuous enrollment
3. Course work and residency year
4. Foreign languages or other specialized knowledge. Regulations are set by the department, school, or college.
5. Comprehensive examination, covering the major discipline, advances the student to candidacy for the degree
6. Appointment of dissertation committee, registration for Dissertation (603), and completion of dissertation. A minimum of 18 credits of Dissertation (603) are required after advancement
7. In absentia. Postadvancement doctoral students are allowed only a single academic year of registration in absentia following advancement to candidacy
8. Application for degree made to the Graduate School. Deadlines are available from the Graduate School
9. Defense of dissertation
10. Dissertation publication, arranged through the Graduate School
11. Granting of degree at end of term in which all degree requirements are satisfied
12. Diploma, with commencement date, issued by registrar

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE SEVEN YEAR TIME LIMIT

The seven-year time limit on completing a doctoral degree begins with the first term of admission as a conditional or regular doctoral student at the University of Oregon. The required year of residency spent on the Eugene campus, the passing of the comprehensive examinations required for advancement to candidacy, and the completion of the doctoral dissertation must all be accomplished within this seven-year period.

A petition for an extension of this period can only be considered if the student has already advanced to candidacy and has an approved dissertation proposal by the end of the 7th year. Petitions for extension of the seven-year limit may include the requirements of a second year of residency or a new set of comprehensive examinations or both. Petitions are evaluated on a case by case basis, and are not automatically granted.

In addition, some departments may require that the dissertation be completed within a certain number of years after advancement to candidacy (e.g. three years) to ensure currency of knowledge. In such cases, a petition for an extension of that three-year period will be evaluated in the same manner as a petition to extend the seven-year time limit.

Students are responsible for staying informed about and complying with individual departmental regulations as well as Graduate School regulations.

DOCTORAL STUDENT GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

For Information on the doctoral residency year and academic work, continuous enrollment and minimum registration, please see Residency and Enrollment Policies and Information.

INFORMATION FOR DOCTORAL CANDIDATES WHO HAVE ADVANCED TO CANDIDACY

So that you will be better able to plan the remainder of your work for the degree, please review the following:

Registration Requirements

Dissertation hours

After advancement to candidacy, you must register for a minimum of 18 credit hour of Dissertation (603).

Final Terms of Registration

You must be enrolled for a minimum of three (3) credits of Dissertation (603) during the term prior to and the term of your oral defense and graduation. This is a Graduate Council policy to ensure adequate review of the dissertation. Audit registration is not acceptable. The dissertation is the final requirement for the doctoral degree and is submitted to the Graduate School in the term the degree is to be awarded. Students making satisfactory progress toward the completion of the dissertation will receive a grade of Incomplete for 603 Dissertation each term; the Incompletes are replaced by a grade of Pass only after the Graduate School has accepted the dissertation and awarded the doctoral degree.

Official Dissertation Committee

Your dissertation committee (which determines the acceptability of your dissertation) must be proposed via your major department or school to the Graduate School within one (1) month after the comprehensive exams and in no case later than six (6) months before the date you expect to hold your oral defense. This committee should include three (3) regular instructional faculty members, (assistant professor or higher) from the department and one (1) regular instructional faculty member, (assistant professor or higher) from outside the department to represent the Graduate School. For more details concerning faculty eligibility, please refer to Doctoral Dissertation Committee Policy below.

Writing and Submitting the Dissertation

A dissertation is a substantial document presenting independent research which makes a contribution to the current body of knowledge in a scholarly field. The author may conduct an original investigation or develop an original interpretation of existing research and/or literature. A dissertation adheres to a standard format, generally including five basic chapters or divisions: an introduction and statement of the problem, a review of the literature pertinent to the problem, an explanation of the materials and methods used to solve the problem, a discussion of results, and a conclusion. A formal bibliography of references cited in the dissertation is also required. A dissertation must be formatted to conform to the University of Oregon Style and Policy Manual of Theses and Dissertations. The dissertation is presented to the Graduate School, recorded on the student's transcript, and forwarded to the UO Libraries for cataloging and shelving.

There are both departmental and Graduate School requirements for successfully completing a dissertation. The student is responsible for requesting information from the major school or department about the various steps involved and the standards expected by the department.

Dissertation Submission Procedures and Requirements

For a list of dissertation submission procedures and requirements, please see the guidelines for Manuscript Review of Theses and Dissertations for a list of Graduate School Expectations and Common Problems in the process.

Dissertation Archival

All University of Oregon dissertations are submitted to ProQuest, a dissertation/thesis service responsible for keeping a scholarly record of doctoral and master's recipients worldwide. Costs for submitting the dissertation to ProQuest are published in the doctoral materials mailed to each candidate.

Proquest is recognized as the publisher, cataloger, and marketer of doctoral dissertations. Its archiving service is the chosen resource for universities in the USA. In addition to creating and storing a master copy, they also create a microfilm copy for the UO Knight Library archives. Proquest also offers copyrighting services. For more information, visit www.il.proquest.com

Other Degree Requirements

Required Research Clearance

All graduate students conducting research for a thesis, project or dissertation must submit the Required Clearance for Master's Thesis, Project or Doctoral Dissertation form verifying compliance with university and federal Research Compliance guidelines.

In Absentia

You are allowed three (3) regular academic terms of In Absentia following advancement when you are doing work toward the degree but are neither using University facilities nor consulting with faculty.

Please remember: failure to register for credit, be officially on-leave, or have In Absentia status means that you have given up your Graduate School standing. Subsequent return to your program may require the re-taking of comprehensive examinations and another year of residency.

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE POLICY

The dissertation committee shall consist of at least four tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty members, three from the department awarding the degree and one from outside of the department. You may also view or print the PDF version of this policy .

COMMITTEE CHAIR

• One tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty member with a regular academic appointment (assistant professor or higher) from the department awarding the degree.
• Holds a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

The Chair's Purpose is to:

• Guide the candidate at all stages of the project including formulating the proposal, carrying out the research, and writing the dissertation.
• To monitor the student's progress, to ensure that all committee members have reviewed the dissertation and that substantive objections are resolved prior to the defense.

DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES (Inside)

• Two tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty members with regular academic appointments (assistant professor or higher) from the department awarding the degree;
• Each holds a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

Also considered eligible for membership as one of the two inside department representatives:

• Participating Appointment: Faculty member with a Participating appointment provided the person is currently employed as a tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty member in a UO doctoral degree granting department; not eligible if this is the only institutional appointment. Must hold Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

The purpose of the departmental representatives is to assure the quality of the research and to:

• Provide special expertise in areas needed to give a comprehensive appraisal of the project.
• Provide broader representation from the faculty of the candidate's major.
• Provide critical reading of the drafts of the proposal and dissertation.

OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE

• One tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty member with a regular academic appointment (assistant professor or higher) in a UO doctoral degree granting department other than the one awarding the degree.
• Holds a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

His/her purpose is to represent the Graduate School in order to:

• Protect the interest of the University faculty and the student by ensuring that the dissertation meets the highest academic standards.
• Play a "disciplinary" role in terms of maintenance of uniformity in standards of quality across departments.
• Provide assurance that political or other extraneous factors do not enter into the process and that appropriate procedures are followed.
• Provide the "outside" point of view, sharing an expertise with a new perspective or theoretical vantage that might not otherwise be available.

OTHER FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ELIGIBILITY

Those faculty members already approved in the past who may not meet the current criteria will continue to be eligible to serve on doctoral committees.

The following are considered eligible for membership as an inside department representative:

• Emeriti/Emerita: With the approval of the department in which the person holds emeritus status. Must have previously held a tenured instructional faculty appointment (assistant professor or higher) in a doctoral degree granting department. Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.
• Senior Research Associate II: Eligible to serve as an INSIDE departmental representative at the written request of the department awarding the degree and with Graduate School approval. Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.
  • To become eligible for membership as an OUTSIDE representative, the person must have served on three doctoral dissertation committees as an inside departmental representative.
• Faculty members in departments without doctoral programs: Tenured or tenure-track instructional faculty members with a regular academic appointment (assistant professor or higher) in a department or program that does not offer a doctoral degree are eligible to serve as an INSIDE departmental representative at the written request of the department awarding the degree and with Graduate School approval. Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.
  • To become eligible for membership as an OUTSIDE representative, the person must have served on three doctoral dissertation committees as an inside departmental representative.

The following may be considered for membership as an INSIDE departmental representative at the submission of a written appeal as described below in Exception Clause A:

• Visiting Assistant Professor or higher: Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.
• Lecturer: Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.
• Research Associate, Senior Research Associate I: Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

Exception Clause A: A written appeal for an exception shall be submitted to the Graduate School by the degree-awarding department. The appeal shall include the following:

1. Description of the proposed member’s active involvement in scholarly research.
2. Description of the availability of the proposed committee member to provide for adequate input, guidance, and evaluation time to the doctoral candidate.
3. Endorsement by the head of the department or dean, if appropriate.

The following may be considered for membership as a fifth additional member only at the submission of a written request as described below in Exception Clause B:

• Non-UO Faculty: Must hold a Ph.D. or its equivalent doctoral degree.

Exception Clause B: A request for a non-UO faculty to serve on a doctoral committee as a fifth additional member shall consist of the following paperwork, to be submitted as one packet to the Graduate School:

1. Request to Add a Non-UO Faculty to a Doctoral Committee form.
2. A short statement from the student describing in non-technical terms, what the study is about.
3. A statement of support from the student’s current committee chairperson. The statement must also include a description of what special expertise the non-UO faculty will bring to the doctoral student’s studies that would not otherwise be available from any UO faculty eligible to serve on a doctoral committee.
4. A copy of the non-UO faculty’s vita.

If you have any questions, please email Jered Nagel at jnagel@uoregon.edu

PREPARING FOR THE ORAL DEFENSE

To apply to defend your dissertation, an Application for Final Oral Defense and five (5) copies, two unsigned and three signed, of your final abstract (no more than 350 words long) must be submitted to the Graduate School three (3) weeks before the date of the final oral defense. You are expected to graduate during the term of your oral defense.

To apply to defend your dissertation, you will need to do the following:

1. Submit to the Graduate School an Application for Advanced Degree You must apply for the degree on the Graduate School website for the term when you plan to receive it. Generally, the closing date to make application is the second week of the term. Check the Graduate School web site for completion deadlines.
2. Complete the online process for obtaining Confirmation of Agreement to Attend an Oral Defense found on GRADWEB.
   • By entering the Oral Defense module you are indicating your readiness to schedule an oral defense. You should, at this point, have obtained provisional agreement from your doctoral committee members that they will be available on the specified day and time you wish to hold your defense.
   • Please be sure to allow yourself enough time for the online process of obtaining email confirmations from the faculty so that you can meet the three week prior to defense date submission deadline
   • If one of the inside members is unable to attend, you will have the option to choose Waiver of Attendance as a part of the online process. Only one inside member may waive attendance at the defense, never the chair or the outside representative. The faculty waiving their attendance must agree to read the dissertation prior to the defense and submit any questions directly to the chair of your committee. There is a final letter which you must prepare for the faculty who waives attendance. Instructions for writing this letter.
3. After you receive the email which advises you that all faculty have confirmed their attendance, contact your department to obtain the Application for Final Oral Defense for Doctoral Degree. This form is available from your department and requires the signature of the department head. Submit the application to the Graduate School, no less than three weeks before the date of the final oral defense, in a package that also includes five copies of your final abstract, two unsigned and three signed, on cotton bond paper, properly formatted.
4. The Graduate School will verify your enrollment in the actual term of the defense. You must be registered for a minimum of three (3) hours of Dissertation (603) during the term prior to and the term of your oral defense and graduation. You are required to graduate during the term of your defense.
5. Please note the following requirements:

• Graduate Students are expected to meet the published deadlines for completion of a degree.
• If you choose to hold your oral defense after the established term deadline, you will be considered an applicant for graduation for the next term. This will mean you will be required to have completed all the above described steps, including registration for the subsequent term and the Application for Advanced Degree. Please note that the defense may not be held during the breaks between terms.
• Upon submission of your paperwork for the Oral Defense, your abstract and the title of your dissertation have also been accepted
• The Title: Since your title will be input into the U of O student information system, which generates a number of publication points, the title cannot be changed.
• The Abstract: Your abstract has been accepted as part of the requirement for applying to defend your dissertation. Therefore, no changes to content or style will be accepted unless specifically requested by the Graduate School staff or editor.
• Exact dates differ for each term, but approximately two weeks prior to the end of the term, deposit two copies of your completed and approved dissertation for final acceptance by the Graduate School. See: Deadlines for Completion of Degree Requirements.

If you have questions about this process, please contact Jered Nagel at jnagel@uoregon.edu