Ideally, a Ph.D. student's academic advisor should be the faculty member who will serve as the dissertation advisor because dissertation topics should be supported by the student's prior coursework and Area Examination topics. Students should consult with the department chair about selecting the appropriate advisor.
Students must submit a Preliminary Dissertation Proposal Approval Form before the end of the Spring semester preceding the semester they will take the Area Exams. The form requires signature approval by a student's dissertation advisor on the proposed dissertation title and a one-paragraph description of the project. This approval confirms the faculty member's agreement to assume responsibility for dissertation advisement. Students will not be permitted to register for Dissertation Proposal without submitting this form.
Ph.D. students register for the required Dissertation Proposal course (H42.2301) in the Spring semester following their Area Exams. Students may only register for Dissertation Proposal after passing Area Exams, completing 76 credits of coursework and fulfilling the foreign language requirement. Students write the proposal within the context of the Dissertation Proposal seminar.
Students will only receive credit for the Dissertation Proposal course when their dissertation advisor and two core readers have approved the proposal. The dissertation advisor will advise the student about selecting two other resident faculty members to serve as core readers for the committee.
In order for students to receive conferral of ABD (All But Dissertation) status and formal admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, they must submit the completed proposal with the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form as a cover sheet to the Administrative Director. The Dissertation Approval Form requires the signatures of the entire dissertation committee: the dissertation advisor and the two core readers.
The ABD student is encouraged to meet as necessary with her or his dissertation advisor and the two core readers while writing the dissertation. ABD students must receive advisor approval confirming their dissertation progress in order to register to maintain matriculation each semester.
When students submit a complete draft of the dissertation to the advisor, they will consult with the advisor about selecting two outside readers for the dissertation committee. Outside readers must hold a Ph.D. and have the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor. Students must submit a Dissertation Defense Committee Approval Form to the Administrative Director before the defense will be scheduled. The department will not schedule a defense until notified by the dissertation advisor and/or the student. Defenses are generally scheduled on Fridays and scheduling arrangements are coordinated by the department.
Students must pick up a dissertation information packet from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Academic and Student Life at One-Half 5th Avenue (212-998-8060). All guidelines and deadlines for dissertations are determined by GSAS, so it is crucial that students coordinate directly with that office. The first deadline requires the submission of a preliminary copy of the dissertation to GSAS at the start of the semester during which the student plans to defend. This deadline only requires a preliminary version and is primarily concerned with formatting guidelines.
After the advisor has approved the completed dissertation, the student will distribute copies to the rest of the committee. At this time the student should make an appointment with the Administrative Director to confirm clearance of all degree requirements.
Once a student has successfully defended their dissertation, one copy of the final dissertation must be submitted to the Department of Performance Studies and another copy must be submitted to the GSAS Office of Academic and Student Life.
