{"id":17411,"date":"2021-09-15T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/earth\/?page_id=17411"},"modified":"2025-07-08T14:02:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T18:02:48","slug":"dissertation-planning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/earth\/dissertation-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissertation Planning"},"content":{"rendered":"

This list is meant only to assist you in navigating these procedures. Complete and official information can be found on the Graduate School’s website<\/a>. It is strongly recommended that students planning their defense meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator at least 6 months prior to the presentation\/defense. Students should reserve a room for the presentation and committee deliberations with the Graduate Program Coordinator as soon as a date is set.<\/span>
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Do not send any completed forms directly to the Graduate School, our Director of Graduate Studies, or our Chair.
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Committee<\/em><\/h3>\n

The final oral examination committee must be composed of a total of four or more members, including at least a first and second reader and at least two additional committee members who serve as either designated readers or additional committee members. Each committee also must designate a chair from E&E who can serve either as one of the four committee members (although the first reader cannot serve in the role of the committee chair), as an additional committee member, or solely as the chair of the committee.<\/p>\n

All committee members are required to attend the final oral examination. Up to one committee member, who is not the chair of the committee or the first reader, can attend via audio\/video communication without a proxy during the final oral examination. A proxy must be in attendance for any additional committee members who attend via audio\/visual communication.<\/p>\n

A designated reader is defined as those committee members who sign the final dissertation approval page; all committee members are expected to read the dissertation prior to the final oral examination even if not appointed as a designated reader. At least two of the committee members must be from the student\u2019s department or graduate program. if, by special arrangement with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the committee\u2019s first reader is not from the student\u2019s department or program, then at least the chair and the second reader of the committee must be from the student\u2019s department or graduate program. A majority of the committee must be Boston University faculty members who do not require a special appointment. The department chair\/program director or the director of graduate studies must approve the membership of the committee.<\/p>\n

A special service appointment (see #4 below) approved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, is required for those committee members who are: visiting, adjunct, and *emeritus faculty; Boston University employees not of professorial rank; and examiners from outside Boston University.<\/p>\n

*Emeritus faculty members may serve as readers of GRS dissertations or on examination committees within two years of their retirement date without a special service appointment.<\/p>\n

Prior to the Defense<\/em><\/h3>\n
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  1. Submit the dissertation prospectus at the completion of the qualifying exam and no later than six months prior to the defense.\n