Dissertation
One of the most important requirements of the Public Policy PhD Program is the completion of a dissertation: an original empirical project that makes a substantive contribution to knowledge about public policy.
The student's dissertation work is supervised by a primary advisor and a doctoral committee who are responsible for approving the research proposal, overseeing the data collection and analysis, and reviewing the written draft of the dissertation. Upon successful completion of the dissertation proposal, a doctoral student achieves candidacy for the PhD degree.
The completed dissertation must be approved by the program's doctoral committee and an oral defense must be successfully presented before the PhD degree is conferred.
For titles of completed and in-progress dissertations, please visit our PhD Student Profiles and Alumni Profiles pages.
Dissertation Policies and Procedures
For details on how to form a dissertation committee, deadlines and other policies related to your dissertation, please see our Student Handbook.
Other Dissertation resources
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The Finish Line: A Collection of Tips on the Dissertation Process
(ed. Barbara Graceffa) - Thesis/Dissertation Style Guide
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Public Policy Checklist:
Timelines and Steps in the Dissertation Process, Graduation Paperwork, Fees, and Deadlines - Sample Dissertation Cover and Signature Pages (Annotated version)
- Dissertation Pre-submission Checklist
- Dissertation Submission Instructions
