Ph.D. Dissertation and Graduation

Dissertation Reading Committee Composition

A Ph.D. student, in consultation with the Graduate Vice Chair, is responsible for selecting a dissertation reading committee. The committee consists of the student’s advisor and at least two other members of the Mathematics faculty. In special circumstances, a committee member may be chosen from another department and/or from another institution. The student’s advisor is the chair of the committee.

The Graduate Division must approve the committee. The Nominations for Dissertation Reading Committee Form must be completed and submitted prior to advancement to candidacy. The form can be found on the Graduate Division website or can be provided by the Mathematics Department. The form should be turned in to the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator for review and submission to the Graduate Division.

A new form must be submitted for approval if changes to the dissertation reading committee must be made.

Dissertation/Dissertation Defense

Each graduate student in the Ph.D. program is required to write a Ph.D. dissertation or thesis on a research topic in mathematics. The Ph.D. dissertation should contain original research results that are publishable in a peer-reviewed journal. All members of the student’s dissertation committee must read and approve the dissertation.

After the dissertation has been approved, the student has an option of making a public oral presentation of the mathematical results contained in the dissertation—the “thesis defense.” A recommendation by the dissertation committee will be made to the Mathematics Department and to the Graduate Council on the granting of the Ph.D. degree.

More information about dissertation submission can be found at the Graduate Division website.

Applying for Graduation

Ph.D. students must complete the Application for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree form by the appropriate quarter’s deadline listed in the current Academic calendar.

The form can be found on the Graduate Division website or can be provided by the Mathematics Department. The form should be turned in to the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator for review and submission to the Graduate Division.