The final oral exam is scheduled after the dissertation and all required coursework are complete but not earlier than one semester after admission to candidacy.
The Ph.D. dissertation defense should be a professional, polished presentation whereby the student defends the methodology used and the conclusions reached. The defense is conducted by the advisory committee and is open to the university community. The chair has the option to allow visitors to ask questions; however, it is the chair’s responsibility to maintain a scholarly atmosphere and keep the student’s best interest foremost. To assure sufficient time for a presentation of the research and discussion of the findings the candidate should schedule the defense at a time when all committee members can attend for at least two hours.
A unanimous vote of the advisory committee is required to pass the final oral exam.
All students are encouraged to review the Thesis & Dissertation Guide before she/he begins writing her/his thesis/dissertation. The guide covers all of the Graduate School formatting requirements that the Thesis Editor checks for. The step-by-step submission process section of the Thesis & Dissertation Guide explains the process. All students are encouraged to attend a Thesis & Dissertation Workshop.
Contact:
Erica Braman Cutchins
Thesis Editor / Graduation Coordinator
NCSU Graduate School
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 7102
Raleigh, NC 27695-7102
919-515-4497 phone
919-515-2873 fax
erica_braman@ncsu.edu OR thesis_editor@ncsu.edu
For a Thesis & Dissertation Review:
~ Within 24 hours of successfully passing the final oral exam AND acquiring all required signatures on the title page (before the deadline), the student is to upload 2 pdf files in to the ETD submission system.
1. pdf draft file
2. pdf signed title page (title page can also be faxed, email, hand-delivered, mailed if unable to scan and upload)
3. the date the thesis editor receives BOTH required files in the required Graduate School format is the date of the thesis review. This date replaces the in-person meeting date.
~ Once the Thesis Editor receives both required files, the draft file will be reviewed within 3-5 business days in the order the files are received. The turn-around time may be longer during deadline times. After the file is reviewed the student will be emailed with feedback and a review checklist.
Last update 11/1/07.