Eligibility

Students are eligible for the dissertation defense examination when they have:

• Completed the required and recommended coursework,
• Presented the required seminars
• Met the teaching requirement
• Obtained the approval of their Research Advisory Committee
• Completed the comprehensive exam and a minimum of 5 months has lapsed following the exam.

General guidelines

• Students should consult the Office of Graduate Studies Graduation Information site to ensure all Graduate School requirements are met. This site includes a Graduation Checklist, a helpful resource for a student's final semester.
• Students should consult the Graduate Studies Calendar and Academic Calendar for important deadlines and dates regarding Application for Degree, Thesis upload, etc.
• Further information about the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation process, Application for Degree, Commencement, Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, and Doctoral Completion survey can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) web page.
• The Student must enroll in NEUS 999 the semester in which they plan to defend (1-6 h).
• The Student will present their second of two research seminars no later than the semester just prior to the one in which they plan to defend.

Defense Examination Committee

The Defense Examination Committee may be the same as the Research Advisory Committee/Comprehensive Exam Committee or may be modified (as allowed) after the student has passed the Comprehensive Examination. Committee composition requirements are the same for all committees.

The Chair of the Defense Examination Committee will be the primary Research Mentor, provided that the mentor has Dissertation graduate faculty status. In the event they do not, the Research Mentor will co-chair the Defense Examination Committee and an eligible member of the committee will be selected as Chair.

The Committee will meet with the student approximately every 6-9 months after the Comprehensive Examination to approve the research project and guide the progress towards completion.

Dissertation

The format of the dissertation must meet all KUMC guidelines as determined by the Office of Graduate Studies. Details of the format of the Dissertation can be found Office of Graduate Studies Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) web page

The Student must hold a committee meeting 4 – 6 months before defending to update research progress and present a proposed outline of the dissertation. The committee will then decide whether the Student has their permission to write the final dissertation. It is expected that at this time the Student’s research is at or near completion. 

Substantial portions of the dissertation should be publishable and are expected to be submitted for publication to reputable, peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Dissertation Defense

Seminar.  On the day of the defense, the Student's Research Mentor(s) will introduce the student prior to the defense seminar. The Student will deliver a seminar of approximately 40 minutes. Following the seminar, the Chair or Co-chair of the Defense Committee will direct all questions from the floor to the Student after the research material is presented.

Defense examination.  After all questions from the floor are answered, the audience will be dismissed. The exam may take place in the same or a different location as the seminar, but only the Student and members of the Defense Committee may be present. The Chair or Co-chair, either of whom must have Dissertation Graduate Faculty Status, will conduct the defense examination. The Chair/Co-chair may be the Research Mentor of the Student. A member of the N-GSAC will oversee the examination and ensure that all program policies are followed. In addition, the Outside Member will ensure that the rules and policies of the Office of Graduate Studies are followed.

During the exam, the Committee members will take turns questioning the Student on the background, outcomes, impact, and potential future directions of their dissertation work. Comments regarding the format or content of the dissertation will also be given at this time. When all questions are answered, the Student will be asked to leave the room and a blind vote will be taken by the committee. If a majority approval is obtained, the student passes the examination. A discussion of Honors will also be conducted at this time. View the current Dissertation Honors guidelines for more details.

The Dissertation Title Page may be signed by the committee members at the time the examination is passed. Once the Student has made all requested changes to the Dissertation, the Chair or Co-chair of the committee will notify the Director of the N-GSAC, who will notify the Office of Graduate Studies that the Program has approved the Student’s dissertation.

Timeline

The student is responsible for scheduling the defense date and the room(s) for the seminar and defense. The student may request assistance from the Departmental/Program administrative staff for room scheduling. These should be done well in advance to ensure the availability of committee members and rooms.