American Studies degrees are characterized by interdisciplinary coursework and methodology(ies) that concentrate on a particular set of research questions within a delineated historical time frame. To complete a Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Minnesota, the graduate student must:

• Complete all courses on the Ph.D. Degree Program (GS89). A student could, with a full load, complete all coursework for the Ph.D. in two years.
• Fulfill the Foreign Language requirement.
• File a Ph.D. Degree Program (approved by the Student’s Preliminary Oral Committee, the DGS, and the Graduate School).
• File the Preliminary Written Examination Report Form (GS17) and Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination Scheduling Form (GS12) after the Student’s Preliminary Oral Committee’s approval of the Preliminary Portfolio (comprised of Subfield Paper #1, Subfield Paper #2 and Dissertation Project Statement), See page 17.
• File the Doctoral Preliminary Oral Exam Report (approved by the Student’s Preliminary Oral Committee and the Graduate School.)
• File a Doctoral Degree Thesis Proposal Transmittal form (GS 63a,b,c) (approved by the Student’s Final Oral Committee, the DGS, and the Graduate School)
• Submit a Dissertation including completing 24 thesis credits (approved by student’s Final Oral Reviewers).
• Pass a final Dissertation Oral Examination (approved by student’s Final Oral Examining Committee)

The completion of a degree in American Studies requires the student to distribute courses between the broad area of American Studies and subfields (understood as a more specific focus of research and teaching) demonstrating programmatic coherence. (See Filing the Ph.D. Degree Program – page 13 and American Studies Program Worksheet – Appendix B) The student in consultation with his or her adviser develops the subfields. The purpose is to allow the student to develop mastery in particular areas of inquiry related to the interdisciplinary field of American Studies and relevant to future teaching and scholarship. The subfields are formulated when developing the Degree Program with the student’s adviser and their preliminary oral committee. They are defined by:

• A theoretical foundation reflecting key issues and debates of scholars in the field;
• a coherent methodology which advances research on issues and questions significant to the field;
• an identifiable “content” or subject matter comprised of texts, contexts, historical issues, and social relations and actions relevant to the field.

Ph.D. students are expected to complete the following course distributions:

• Four core American Studies courses
  • Introductory Seminar: Historical Foundations in American Studies (8201)
  • Introductory Seminar: Theoretical Foundations and Current Practice in American Studies (8202)
  • Practicum in American Studies (8401)
  • Dissertation Seminar (8801)
• A minimum of three seminars – one of which must require original research.
• One comparative culture course covering international or non-U.S. topics.
• Seven adviser-approved courses, at least one of which must focus on American cultural diversity. With advisor approval, any or all of the above listed seminars (except the required core courses) may count toward these seven courses.
• 24 thesis credits.

NOTE: It is highly recommended that all American Studies graduate students take their courses A-F except the practicum (8401) and dissertation (8801) seminars which can only be taken S-N.

Among specific requirements from the Graduate School that each student should keep in mind when registering for courses are:

• All Graduate School students are required to register in the Graduate School every fall and spring term. Confer with your adviser and/or DGS to determine what you should register for each term. Those who do not register in the Graduate School are considered to have withdrawn; their Graduate School records are deactivated. Deactivated students may not register for courses, take examinations, submit degree program or thesis proposal forms, file for graduation, or otherwise participate in the University community as Graduate School students. They must reapply for admission and may not be accepted.
• American Studies Ph.D. students (prior to passing their preliminary oral) may register for Grad 999 (zero credit, zero fees, and no grade) no more than two semesters total without the approval of their adviser and the DGS. The course registration number changes each semester. Do not register for Grad 999 if you must be registered to hold an assistantship, maintain legal visa status, defer loans, receive financial aid, or for any reason other than to meet the Graduate School's registration requirement. See the website for further information:
• A minimum of 12 credits must be completed in the declared minor field or supporting program.
• Two-thirds of the courses taken for the Ph.D. program must be taken under the A-F grading system.
• 24 Ph.D. thesis credits must be taken before the degree will be conferred. These may not be taken prior to passing the Preliminary Oral Examination.

Each native English-speaking student must demonstrate a certified reading knowledge of one foreign language. This requirement is met by the certification of the appropriate language department. There are two ways to satisfy the foreign language requirement:

1. If you have taken a foreign language recently, contact the appropriate language department to inquire about its criteria – how many years of formal language study within the past “n” years. The student may then obtain a Language Department Language Certification form to be signed by an appropriate language department, indicating that the student has satisfied that department’s proficiency criteria. Each language department has its own criteria for certification.

OR

2. You may also translate a passage from a scholarly article, a sacred story, or another option agreed upon with your adviser. The passage will typically be about two pages in length and relevant to the student’s research. The student should have the language department notify our DGS of the results. Although the student’s adviser and the DGS of American Studies must sign the Graduate Department Language Certification form, the student must make arrangements with a foreign language department to have a translation reviewed.

After signature, the student returns the form (whichever is used) to the Graduate School with a copy for the department file. This “official” certification satisfies the requirement and is subsequently recorded on the transcript. Forms are located on the Graduate School Website.

The following should be completed during the 2nd Year:

Students entering the Ph.D. program Fall 2004, Fall 2005 or Fall 2006 choosing to take the Preliminary Examinations should follow the guidelines in their own handbook. The following guidelines are for Fall 2004, Fall 2005 or Fall 2006 students choosing to submit the Preliminary Portfolio and all those entering Fall 2007 or later.

The American Studies department uses the occasion of filing the Ph.D. Degree Program to ask students to identify and define their subfields of concentration, and demonstrate the coherence of coursework, and develop a reading list. The degree program should be developed with the assistance of the student's adviser and the DGS. An American Studies Ph.D. Program Worksheet is included in Appendix B.

Once graduate students have written their program statements and circulated it to their preliminary examination committee, they are required to schedule a meeting with their Committee members. The purpose of the meeting is twofold:

1. to obtain approval of the statement from all committee members;
2. to begin a discussion about preparation for their prelim portfolio.

Following this meeting, the student’s adviser signs the internal American Studies Proposed Preliminary Examination Committee form (found in Appendix B) and the “official” graduate school forms (Gs 89a,b) and forwards them to the DGS for signature along with the graduate student’s program statement. The DGS then signs the Graduate School form (GS 89abc) and returns it to the student for filing with the Graduate School. The program statement and the internal Proposed Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee form are returned to the DGS Assistant for filing in the student’s American Studies permanent file.

Internal American Studies materials needed to file the PhD Degree Program (Appendix B)

AMST Ph.D. Program Worksheet

This course distribution worksheet enables the adviser and preliminary oral committee to see that proposed courses fulfill American Studies course requirements. This form is designed to show the various categories to which the student’s work applies. It is used to complete the Graduate School Degree Program (GS #89b).

AMST Proposed Ph.D. Preliminary Exam Committee Form

With the assistance of their adviser and the DGS, students should select a minimum of four graduate faculty members (including the adviser) to serve on the preliminary examining committee. The committee must include one outside member. The outside member should represent a field not central to the student’s subfields and may or may not be an American Studies graduate faculty member. All committee members, however, must have Graduate School Faculty status. Graduate faculty status can be checked on the Graduate School website. If the faculty member is not on this list, contact the DGS or DGS Assistant to discuss possible exceptions. Please note that if the student has a declared minor in, for example, Feminist Studies or African-American and African Studies, a faculty member affiliated with that program must serve as a preliminary examination committee member.

Committee faculty should be familiar with the individual student’s coursework and knowledgeable about the student’s general areas of interest. It is not necessary that each member of the preliminary examination committee serve on the final oral (or dissertation) committee. All members of the preliminary oral committee will meet to approve the student’s degree program statement and will approve the student’s preliminary portfolio.

Program statement (3-6 double-spaced pages)

Identify the subfields. The subfields are the areas of expertise students develop through the process of taking courses and building a research agenda. The subfields are NOT the same as a dissertation topic. It is also much more than a grouping of a disparate set of interests. Rather, they should encompass a set of theoretical problems, methodologies, and scholarly literatures that are interdisciplinary. The program statements allow students to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of these fields. (Copies of program statements are on file in room 5, Scott Hall and should provide helpful models for students as they develop their own program statements).

When students apply for jobs, their subfields will be the basis on which they will be able to present themselves as teachers and scholars. Hence it should be neither as focused as a dissertation topic nor a broad range of fields.

Please keep the nature of your subfields in mind when you answer the following questions in your program statement:

• identify the subfields (A “field” constitutes a particular area of knowledge and may be articulated in relation to traditional as well as emerging disciplines);
• explain the interdisciplinary character and key theories, methods, and/or significant texts in the field;
• lay out in a preliminary fashion the research question the student proposes to study and the historical, cultural, media, or popular culture phenomenon to which this question will be applied;
• provide a rationale for coursework (For the purposes of the degree program, a subfield is exemplified by a group of courses reflecting a coherent body of scholarship, a series of research questions, and/or a unifying theme.); and
• identify the areas of prospective teaching and research to which the field is relevant preparation.

Graduate School Materials Needed to File the “Official” Degree Plan (GS #89a,b)

The official degree program should be filed during the second year of courses but no later than the first semester of the third year. Failure to file the degree program transmittal form results in the loss of student-in-good-standing status (page 4). Specifically, the Graduate School expects you to file the Ph.D. degree program at least two terms before you take the preliminary oral examination. The Graduate School strongly recommends filing the degree program as early as possible. Courses listed on the form need not be completed at the time the form is submitted to the Graduate School. These forms are the “official” part of your degree program. In other words, these are the forms that are submitted to the Graduate School. These forms are also available on the web.

Degree Program Transmittal Form (GS #89a)

This is the cover sheet of the student’s degree program. Students should not fill in the bottom section of the form, but should indicate their proposed committee on the internal “Proposed Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee Form” described on page 13. Submit the forms to the DGS Assistant who will check for eligibility and will fill in committee members' names and forward to the DGS who will sign the form after approval by the student’s adviser and preliminary examining committee as indicated by the adviser’s signature on the internal “Proposed Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee Form.”

Degree Program Coursework (GS #89b)

This form is a list of all the courses that the student will take (or has taken) to fulfill the degree requirements. (Note: All Ph.D. thesis credits should be included on this form by checking the appropriate box. It is not necessary to indicate the semesters you will be taking them. Up to eight masters’s thesis credits, from a completed master’s degree at either the University of Minnesota or transferred from another graduate institution, may be used toward this requirement.) The American Studies DGS will sign the sheet after the student’s preliminary examining committee approves the student’s program.

Current transcripts, including proposed transfer courses

Students must submit current University of Minnesota transcripts, as well as transcripts documenting any proposed transfer courses counting toward the doctoral degree. Transcripts do not need to be official copies. Graduate level courses taken at other accredited universities which students plan to include in their American Studies’ Ph.D. program should be listed on both the “American Studies Ph.D. Program Worksheet” and the Graduate School “Program Courses” form (GS #89b). The student’s preliminary oral committee will evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed courses and decide whether to recommend their inclusion in the degree program subsequently forwarded to the Graduate School. Note: At the Ph.D. level, no more than 40% of courses counting toward the degree may be transferred from another institution. Students should consult the Graduate School Catalog for regulations pertaining to transfer courses. The Graduate School makes the final decision concerning approval of transfer courses.

The student’s preliminary examining committee will meet, evaluate the proposed degree program and decide whether to recommend approval to the Graduate School. It is not unusual for the Committee to recommend revisions of the program statement, e.g., clarification of a student's proposed field of interest, before a final positive recommendation. It is unusual to recommend changing a proposed preliminary exam committee, unless a faculty member who would be particularly appropriate has been omitted without explanation. Once the student’s Preliminary Oral Committee approves the degree plan, the student forwards the program statement, signed internal “Proposed Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee” form and Graduate School Degree Transmittal form to the DGS Assistant. When the DGS signs the Graduate School Degree Transmittal form it will be returned to the student for submitting to the Graduate School for official acceptance. The internal forms will be filed in the student’s American Studies graduate file.

Changing the Degree Program

Once approved by the Graduate School, the degree program can be changed by petition to the American Studies Department (the DGS) and the Graduate School. Changes to the degree program may be necessary--for example, when courses designated on the official program are not offered or when newly offered courses are more appropriate to a student’s program. If students, in consultation with their adviser and the DGS, decide to change the degree program, they should submit a completed petition form (available on the web and in Appendix B) to their adviser(s) and the DGS. Once the approval of these faculty members is obtained, the form will be sent to the Graduate School for final approval. The Graduate School must approve all degree program changes. All changes to the degree program must be completed prior to submitting the Preliminary Written Examination Report Doctoral Degree(GS 17).

Changes to the Preliminary Examining Committee

These changes may be made with the consent of the adviser and the DGS. The process of changing an adviser or committee membership does not require a written petition. Simply inform the DGS (in writing or via email) who will then notify the Graduate School.

Beginning in the fall of 2007, current students (Fall 2004, 2005, 2006 Cohorts) will have 2 options for the prelim process: 1) Preliminary Examination or 2) Preliminary Portfolio. Students entering in fall 2007 or after will fulfill the Preliminary Portfolio requirement only.

Filing Intent to Take the Preliminary Portfolio

Each student will submit a preliminary portfolio and take an oral examination, normally after all course and language requirements have been completed and recorded on the transcript, although students may take AmSt 8801, Dissertation Seminar, and AmSt 8401, Practicum in American Studies, during the year they submit their Preliminary Portfolio and take the oral preliminary examination with DGS approval. By the end of the semester prior to submitting the portfolio, the student must submit the internal American Studies "Intent to Submit Preliminary Portfolio" form (Appendix C) to the DGS or DGS’ assistant.

Internal American Studies materials needed to complete the Preliminary Portfolio Exams (Appendix C)

The Preliminary Portfolio requires students to identify two subfields within the field of American Studies that intersect with each other and provide the major scholarly context for their work. These subfields should reflect the areas in which they will teach, and the scholarly conversations they will engage with their research. These two subfields should be broader than the student’s dissertation topic, and should be defined by distinct content areas, theories, and methods. In their prelim papers, students should explain the relationship of the subfields to the larger field of American Studies.

Examples of subfields may be found on the websites of major national scholarly organizations, such as the American Sociological Association, the Modern Language Association, and the Organization of American Historians. Students might also look at academic job listings to see how subfields are described. Examples of subfields include, but are not limited to:

• American diplomatic history
• Post-colonial literature
• Labor history
• Media studies
• Critical Race Studies
• 19th century American literature
• Comparative race and ethnicities
• Queer studies
• Sex and gender studies
• Popular culture studies

I. Prelim Portfolio Examination:

The portfolio should demonstrate the breadth and depth of the student’s work. It should draw on a wide number of readings which are represented in footnotes. Each student will meet with committee members to discuss the appropriate books and articles that are central to the two subfields. Ideally, a meeting with all committee members before the exam is written should take place. The portfolio examination will have three components, involving two subfields of expertise and a dissertation proposal:

Subfield Paper #1: A paper of approximately 25 pages, including:

• a broad-based definition and explanation of the student’s first subfield,
• how it engages, informs and contributes to the larger field of American Studies
• an analysis of the major works in the field, and the major debates among scholars in the field.

Subfield Paper #2: An annotated syllabus for an undergraduate introductory course in the student’s second subfield, including:

• a paper of approximately 10 pages that addresses major themes and directions in the subfield, and how it engages, informs and contributes to the larger field of American Studies. The paper should include the relevant scholarly literature that provides the rationale for the topics covered and organization of the course.
• a schedule of classes for the semester of approximately 5 pages, including:
  • a paragraph describing each unit or week in the course
  • topics and readings for each class session.

Dissertation Project Statement:

A substantial dissertation proposal, approximately 15 pages, including a clear statement of the research project, the key questions that the research will answer, an extensive review of the relevant scholarly literature, the original contribution the student will make to the field and subfields, and how they relate to each other, along with a detailed discussion of the sources and methods to be used.

Taking the Preliminary Portfolio Written Examination

The internal “Intent to take Ph.D. Preliminary Portfolio Examinations” form (Appendix C) should be submitted the semester prior to submitting the portfolio. Beginning on the designated date of the preliminary written portfolio exam as listed in the American Studies Graduate Calendar, the Subfield Paper #1, Subfield Paper #2 and Dissertation Project Statement will be submitted to the DGS Assistant. The members of the student’s Preliminary Examination Committee will then read the portfolio.

Committee members have 14 days to return evaluations of the papers after the office staff distributes them (usually within three days). Responses are returned to the DGS Assistant, 104 Scott Hall. If all responses have not been received by the end of the 17th day, the DGS will contact the reviewer.

The student may receive the mark Pass, or Fail. On a four person committee, a passing exam is considered either a unanimous vote or a vote of 3-1. On a five member committee the student passes with either a unanimous vote or 4-1. Once the examination is complete and the student has passed the examination, they will be notified by the DGS. The student should then obtain signatures from their Adviser(s) on the Graduate School Preliminary Written Examination Form and forward it to the Graduate School. The Graduate school requires this form to be submitted one week prior to the scheduled oral exam. In the event of an evaluation of “Fail,” he or she will be contacted by the advisor. A committee meeting will be convened with the members and the student. The student will be informed of the problems with the exam, suggestions will be offered to retake the exam Students will have one opportunity to retake the written prelim during the next examination period.

In the event that a student is unable to write a satisfactory portfolio after having the opportunity to revise, that student would fail the preliminary portfolio and not be advanced to candidacy. They could complete a terminal M.A.

II. Oral Prelim

The oral prelim will provide an opportunity for an in-depth discussion of the contents of the portfolio, and the occasion for the student’s committee to approve all of the components of the portfolio, or to specify what needs to be revised or expanded in order for the committee to pass the student on the prelim.

Once the Graduate School has received the scheduling form (on the web or in Appendix C) and the Preliminary Written Examination Report Doctoral Degree form (GS17), the Graduate School will mail the Report of Preliminary Oral Examination form to the Chair of the student’s preliminary examining committee (adviser) along with instructions for the holding of the preliminary oral examination. At this time, the Graduate School will send the student a copy of their approved Degree Program Transmittal form. The form should be examined carefully to determine if you are deficient in coursework, languages, or other requirements. The Graduate School will not officially notify the student of any deficiencies until scheduling the final oral examination. The final oral examination will not be authorized until all requirements are met.

Students will be notified of the evaluation of the preliminary oral committee immediately following the oral exam. The oral preliminary examination is evaluated on the following scale: Pass, Pass with Reservations, Fail. Those students who earn a “Pass with Reservations” will be assigned some further requirement to be fulfilled before they can become Ph.D. candidates. Generally, such a requirement involves the writing of an additional paper, covering a specified topic. Those students who fail the preliminary oral examination may be allowed to retake the oral exam once at a later date. Specific arrangements will be made in consultation with the DGS, the adviser, and the preliminary oral examining committee.

Following successful completion of the preliminary oral examination, the student returns the signed “American Studies Internal Preliminary Oral Report Form” (Appendix C) to the DGS Assistant, 104 Scott Hall.

Graduate School Materials Needed to Complete the Preliminary Portfolio (Appendix C)

Preliminary Written Examination Report Form (GS 17)
The Graduate School has the responsibility of ensuring that all doctoral students have met the preliminary written requirement before clearing them for the Preliminary Oral Examination. Submission of the signed form is the established protocol for verifying successful completion. See page 17 for the internal process.

Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination Scheduling Form (GS 12)
It is the student’s responsibility to schedule and confirm the time and place of the examination with all committee members and for providing this information to the Graduate School after notification that they have successfully passed the preliminary portfolio. Earliest possible scheduling dates will be noted on the Graduate Calendar. Scheduling should be done with the assistance of the adviser. Be sure to consult the Graduate School Student Services and Progress Office (316 Johnston or gsdoc@umn.edu or on the web at http://www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/ ) when scheduling the preliminary oral examination.

Once the student has passed the preliminary oral exam, he/she is admitted to formal candidacy for the Ph.D. In effect, this authorizes the student to write the dissertation. Each student is required to write a Ph.D. dissertation. The Thesis Proposal Transmittal form (GS 63a,b,c) should be filed with the Graduate School the semester following completion of the preliminary oral examination to remain in good standing. A thesis proposal consists of the following American Studies and Graduate School documents (Appendix D):

NOTE: The Ph.D. Thesis Proposal process for current students (Fall 2004, 2005, 2006 Cohorts) who have chosen option 1) Preliminary Examination for the prelim process can be found in their own handbook. Students entering in Fall 2007 or after or current students (Fall 2004, 2005, 2006 Cohorts) who have chosen option 2) Preliminary Portfolio will follow the process below.

Internal American Studies Materials Needed to File the Dissertation Thesis Proposal (Appendix D)

American Studies Proposed Final Dissertation Examining Committee Form

The final oral examining committee consists of at least four graduate faculty members nominated by the student and approved by the student’s adviser and the DGS. The members are not necessarily those who served on the preliminary examination committee, but students should select members on the basis of their knowledge of the proposed dissertation area. Students should consult with potential committee members before their names are submitted. If a student’s degree program shows a supporting Program—that is, a minor—at least one member of the final oral examining committee must be affiliated with that Program.

Three members of the final oral examining committee must be designated “reviewers.” These graduate faculty members must approve and sign off on the thesis manuscript at least one week before the final oral examination may be held. The thesis adviser is always designated as a reviewer, along with two other members of the committee. If a supporting “minor” is included in the student’s program, one reviewer must represent that supporting program.

All the members of the final oral examining committee are available to the student for advice and suggestions at any stage of the dissertation writing process. The student is strongly advised to consult regularly with the thesis committee members throughout the project. One member of the final oral examining committee is designated as Chair. His/her sole role is to chair the final oral examination. The Graduate School requires that the student designate different faculty committee members as Chair and Adviser. The Chair must be a “senior member” of the graduate faculty. Serving as chair of the committee does not preclude them from also serving as a reviewer. Please note that the adviser may not be the chair of a Final Oral Examining Committee.

Graduate School Materials Needed to File the Dissertation Thesis Proposal

Students are responsible for filing the following official forms with the Graduate School after passing the preliminary oral examination. The “Thesis Proposal Transmittal” form (GS 63a) officially indicates a student's final committee (see above for directions on choosing a committee). The “Thesis Proposal Title” form (GS 63b) identifies the working title of the proposed doctoral study. The “Thesis Proposal” form (GS 63c) is a 250-word summary of the research to be undertaken and the methods to be employed. NOTE: this is separate from the Dissertation Project Statement submitted to the student’s preliminary oral examination committee as part of the Preliminary Portfolio process.

Changing the Thesis Proposal

Should a student wish to make major changes in the dissertation project, he or she must submit a new “Dissertation Project” statement to their Final Oral Committee members and after approval, a revised thesis proposal form to the Graduate School. The student should obtain a new thesis proposal form available here and should complete it in consultation with the dissertation adviser and DGS.

Minor changes in the title of the dissertation or to the project itself need not be submitted to the Graduate School or American Studies prior to completing the thesis.

Changing the Final Oral Committee

Changes to the committee should be requested of the Graduate School by the DGS well in advance of the final oral examination date. Students who wish to change dissertation advisers must clear the change with the DGS, who will then request the change (in writing or via email) of the Graduate School. No petition is required.

Time Limit and Extensions

Ph.D. candidates must complete all requirements and receive the degree within a maximum of five calendar years after passing the preliminary oral examination. In extreme circumstances, a student may petition for a one-semester extension of the five-year dissertation time limit. Petition forms are available in Appendix A or on the web. The petition must be submitted to the DGS along with a letter from the student and his/her adviser summarizing the work completed, outlines of chapters currently in progress or proposed, and plans for completion of remaining work, including a proposed time schedule. Students should keep in mind that the graduate school rigorously enforces the five-year time limit.

Unless otherwise negotiated with advisers, dissertations produced by students in the Department of American Studies should conform to the format recommended by the University of Chicago Manual of Style.

Graduate School Requirements

The Graduate School maintains dissertation registration and final oral scheduling policies. Students should be sure to consult the Graduate School Doctoral Degree Requirements for Graduation as they near the completion of their dissertations. Students should also be sure that the Graduate School has a record of language certification (see page 11).

You can request a graduation packet that will explain the various steps and provide forms needed here. They will be mailed in 3 working days. Upon request for the Graduation packet, the Graduate School will provide the student with Graduation Instructions, Thesis Reviewer's Report, Final Oral Defense scheduling form, Application for Degree, Commencement Attendance Approval Form, Microfilm Agreement and Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Preparing for the Final Examination

At the time the candidate submits the thesis to the thesis reviewers copies of the thesis should also be provided to all other members of the final oral examining committee. Reviewers appreciate the courtesy of having one month to read the dissertation. The Graduate School must receive the Thesis Reviewer’s Report with all reviewers’ signatures one week prior to the final oral examination. The reviewers must be unanimous in certifying that the thesis is ready for defense before the student can take the final oral examination. All members of the committee must have at least two weeks to read the thesis.

The thesis abstract must be included with the thesis when it is distributed to the committee and must be signed by the adviser(s) before it is submitted to the Graduate School.

Upon approved completion of the dissertation, the final oral committee will administer a final oral defense of the work.

The final oral scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least one week before the proposed examination date. The examination shall be limited to the candidate’s thesis subject and relevant areas and is usually scheduled for two hours. If time permits, the date of the examination will be publicly announced, and any member of the scholarly community may attend. At least ten weeks must intervene between the preliminary oral and the final oral examinations.

Evaluation of the Final Oral Examination

Upon completion of the examination, a formal vote of the committee is taken. To be recommended for the award of the Ph.D. degree, a candidate must receive a vote with not more than one dissenting member of the total examining committee. The form is then signed and the Graduate Student delivers it to the Graduate School.

Dissertation Preparation

Rules governing binding and submission of the dissertation to the Graduate School are set by the Graduate School; or contact the Graduate School Student Services and Progress office for specific requirements. One copy of the dissertation and the thesis abstract must be submitted to the Graduate School by the last day of the month of graduation. It is also customary, but not required, for students to donate one copy for the American Studies Library and another copy to the dissertation adviser.

Degrees are granted at the end of each month. To qualify for graduation for a particular month, students must pay the degree application fee on or before the first workday of that month and must complete the examination and all other requirements (including necessary forms and fees) by the last workday of that month. Graduate School graduation instructions can be found on the web.

Students may graduate at one of the two Graduate School commencement ceremonies held each year in late spring and in late fall. Graduates are encouraged but not required to attend. To make sure their names appear in the program distributed at the commencement ceremony, students must submit the Commencement Attendance Approval Form and apply for graduation by the first working day of the month two months prior to the graduation ceremony.