The Dissertation Prospectus is the fifth academic milestone. To achieve this milestone students must:
- Complete a Dissertation Prospectus that must be approved by the Dissertation Chair to be eligible to take the Qualifying Exam.
- Complete all required revisions and have them accepted by the Dissertation Chair prior to submitting the Application for Doctoral Candidacy following a successful Qualifying Exam.
Doctoral students must complete a Dissertation Prospectus well in advance of taking the Qualifying Examination. The prospectus must summarize the relevant literature, describe the issue or problem to be addressed (with clear study aims), and focus on the plan of research, including the proposed methodology, data sources, and/or analyses to be used, and a tentative timeline for project completion. Students will be examined on their prospectus as part of the Qualifying Exam.
The deadline for submitting a Dissertation Chair-approved prospectus (before needing to reschedule the Qualifying Exam for a future semester) is four weeks prior to the scheduled QE date. After the Dissertation Prospectus has been approved by the Dissertation Chair, the student must circulate the signed approval form and Dissertation Prospectus to the QE Committee with the GSAO copied.
Any required revisions to the Dissertation Prospectus must be completed prior to submitting the Application for Advancement to Candidacy e-form in CalCentral following a successful Qualifying Exam. The GSAO will not approve the Application for Advancement to Candidacy until required revisions to the prospectus have been accepted by the Dissertation Chair.
Dissertation Prospectus Chair Evaluation and Approval Form [fillable PDF]