VIII. DISSERTATION REQUIREMENTS

APPROVAL OF THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

1. The Dissertation Prospectus or Proposal, which is the plan for the design of the dissertation, must be approved by both members of the dissertation committee at a meeting before you proceed to carry out the plan for the dissertation.        

Students must register for a minimum of three credits each semester (excluding summers unless you are actively working with your committee during the summer) until graduation.  Only a total of 9 disertation credits will be given towards the required number of course credits for graduation.

2. An approved Rutgers University Institutional Review Board on Human Subjects in Research (IRB) form or written exemption must be included with your Dissertation before it will be accepted by the Student Services Coordinator.

3.  At the prospectus or proposal meeting, students are expected to defend the proposal before your committee members and to demonstrate knowledge and background sufficient to justify undertaking the dissertation as proposed.  The signed Dissertation Proposal is viewed as documented evidence that a student is authorized to develop the dissertation as proposed.

4. Students give one complete copy of the Dissertation Proposal, with original signatures, including the Protection of Human Subjects application or exemption, to their program administrator.