Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

You must submit a thesis/dissertation proposal (also called a prospectus) describing fully the research work to be done. For Ph.D. candidates, the proposal defense should be done after the candidate successfully passed the comprehensive exam. The thesis/dissertation proposal must be approved and signed by all members of the Committee, the GPD, and the Department Head and forwarded to the Graduate Dean at least four months before the thesis defense or seven months before the dissertation defense. A specific format is given for the title page (see Graduate Student Handbook online), but there is no specific format for the text.

The format of the proposal is to be determined by you and your examination/advisory committee. Ideally it should be written in an appropriate publication format but with the "Results and Discussion" sections replaced with "Anticipated Results." Include your experimental design (layout), plans for data statistical analysis, measurements and methodology, a timeline, and your publication plans. The Research Concepts course will provide you with the background for developing a proposal.

For doctoral students, the date the prospectus was defended along with a copy of the proposal, signed by all advisory committee members must be submitted by GPD to the Graduate School.

For MS students, a copy of signed proposal should be given to graduate school by the student.