Graduate Programs
Discussing Readings before Class
Preliminary Proposal
As stated in the Ph.D. detailed program description, each doctoral student will submit a preliminary proposal for the dissertation as part of the comprehensive examination. Generally up to ten pages, the preliminary proposal describes the proposed project, offers a rationale for its importance, discusses and justifies the methods the student will employ, sets a time line for completion, and provides a working bibliography. This preliminary proposal will provide one subject for discussion at the comprehensive oral exam. The student will have an opportunity to discuss the planned dissertation research and to receive initial comments and suggestions from the committee.
Formal Proposal
After passing the comprehensive examination, the student begins full-time work on the dissertation. Early in the dissertation process, the student develops a formal dissertation proposal comprising a definition of the problem to be explored, a methodological and theoretical section, a literature review, and a working bibliography. The formal proposal is a substantial document (25-75 pages, exclusive of the reference list). The formal proposal must be approved by the student’s committee before the student begins to collect any data for the dissertation.
With the chair’s approval, the proposal is submitted to all members of the doctoral committee. The proposal must be approved by all members of the committee, who then sign off on the proposal. A copy of the sign-off sheet and the approved proposal are placed in the student’s departmental file. The sign-off on the proposal allows the student to begin the formal conduct of the study (i.e., collecting and analyzing data, interviewing subjects, recording field notes). Students should avoid moving ahead with a study if the committee has not agreed to the proposal. Pilot studies may be conducted before sign-off on the formal proposal, subject to human subjects review approval.
If human subjects are involved (e.g., as survey respondents, as writers under study, or as interviewees), the student must receive the necessary approvals from the university prior to using such subjects. Forms and instructions for human subjects approval are available at http://research.nmsu.edu/.
Once the formal proposal has been approved, if a student for any reason needs or wishes to change the topic or method of the dissertation, that student must submit a revised proposal, or amendment to the proposal, which must be approved by the committee before the student collects data on the new dissertation project. If there is a change in the membership of the committee, the new member should receive a copy of the proposal and have an opportunity to comment and suggest changes to the student and the dissertation director. A copy of the newly approved, revised, or amended proposal should be added to the student’s departmental file.
In-Draft Procedures
The director is responsible for helping the student develop the dissertation and will review each chapter of the paper. Periodically, committee members may, at their discretion, review various drafts (e.g., drafts of individual chapters) of the dissertation. This will enable committee members to help the student with any problems that arise as they arise. The student may ask that individual committee members review parts of the dissertation as needed.
Defense Draft
With the concurrence of the director, the student will submit the completed dissertation draft to the committee before scheduling the final exam. Students should allow the committee members two weeks to review a completed dissertation draft. Committee members will read this draft and certify it as being defensible or as being in need of further revision. When all members agree that the draft is defensible, then the student may schedule the final oral examination. Note that the Graduate School requires that exams be scheduled ten working days in advance. Normally, a defensible dissertation will still need further revision, and one purpose of the oral defense is to hear the revision suggestions from committee members. Committee members also frequently suggest editorial changes. If, at the close of the oral defense, the committee feels the dissertation is satisfactory, the director will be responsible for overseeing the changes suggested by committee members, whose work is done at the close of the meeting.
As stated in the Ph.D. detailed program description, each doctoral student will submit a preliminary proposal for the dissertation as part of the comprehensive examination. Generally up to ten pages, the preliminary proposal describes the proposed project, offers a rationale for its importance, discusses and justifies the methods the student will employ, sets a time line for completion, and provides a working bibliography. This preliminary proposal will provide one subject for discussion at the comprehensive oral exam. The student will have an opportunity to discuss the planned dissertation research and to receive initial comments and suggestions from the committee.
Formal Proposal
After passing the comprehensive examination, the student begins full-time work on the dissertation. Early in the dissertation process, the student develops a formal dissertation proposal comprising a definition of the problem to be explored, a methodological and theoretical section, a literature review, and a working bibliography. The formal proposal is a substantial document (25-75 pages, exclusive of the reference list). The formal proposal must be approved by the student’s committee before the student begins to collect any data for the dissertation.
With the chair’s approval, the proposal is submitted to all members of the doctoral committee. The proposal must be approved by all members of the committee, who then sign off on the proposal. A copy of the sign-off sheet and the approved proposal are placed in the student’s departmental file. The sign-off on the proposal allows the student to begin the formal conduct of the study (i.e., collecting and analyzing data, interviewing subjects, recording field notes). Students should avoid moving ahead with a study if the committee has not agreed to the proposal. Pilot studies may be conducted before sign-off on the formal proposal, subject to human subjects review approval.
If human subjects are involved (e.g., as survey respondents, as writers under study, or as interviewees), the student must receive the necessary approvals from the university prior to using such subjects. Forms and instructions for human subjects approval are available at http://research.nmsu.edu/.
Once the formal proposal has been approved, if a student for any reason needs or wishes to change the topic or method of the dissertation, that student must submit a revised proposal, or amendment to the proposal, which must be approved by the committee before the student collects data on the new dissertation project. If there is a change in the membership of the committee, the new member should receive a copy of the proposal and have an opportunity to comment and suggest changes to the student and the dissertation director. A copy of the newly approved, revised, or amended proposal should be added to the student’s departmental file.
In-Draft Procedures
The director is responsible for helping the student develop the dissertation and will review each chapter of the paper. Periodically, committee members may, at their discretion, review various drafts (e.g., drafts of individual chapters) of the dissertation. This will enable committee members to help the student with any problems that arise as they arise. The student may ask that individual committee members review parts of the dissertation as needed.
Defense Draft
With the concurrence of the director, the student will submit the completed dissertation draft to the committee before scheduling the final exam. Students should allow the committee members two weeks to review a completed dissertation draft. Committee members will read this draft and certify it as being defensible or as being in need of further revision. When all members agree that the draft is defensible, then the student may schedule the final oral examination. Note that the Graduate School requires that exams be scheduled ten working days in advance. Normally, a defensible dissertation will still need further revision, and one purpose of the oral defense is to hear the revision suggestions from committee members. Committee members also frequently suggest editorial changes. If, at the close of the oral defense, the committee feels the dissertation is satisfactory, the director will be responsible for overseeing the changes suggested by committee members, whose work is done at the close of the meeting.