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Proposal Overview and Format

Proposal committee, proposal hearing or meeting.

• Printing Credit for Use in School of Education Labs

Students are urged to begin thinking about a dissertation topic early in their degree program. Concentrated work on a dissertation proposal normally begins after successful completion of the Second-Year Review, which often includes a “mini” proposal, an extended literature review, or a theoretical essay, plus advancement to doctoral candidacy. In defining a dissertation topic, the student collaborates with their faculty advisor or dissertation advisor (if one is selected) in the choice of a topic for the dissertation.

The dissertation proposal is a comprehensive statement on the extent and nature of the student’s dissertation research interests. Students submit a draft of the proposal to their dissertation advisor between the end of the seventh and middle of the ninth quarters. The student must provide a written copy of the proposal to the faculty committee no later than two weeks prior to the date of the proposal hearing. Committee members could require an earlier deadline (e.g., four weeks before the hearing).

The major components of the proposal are as follows, with some variations across Areas and disciplines:

• A detailed statement of the problem that is to be studied and the context within which it is to be seen. This should include a justification of the importance of the problem on both theoretical and educational grounds.
• A thorough review of the literature pertinent to the research problem. This review should provide proof that the relevant literature in the field has been thoroughly researched. Good research is cumulative; it builds on the thoughts, findings, and mistakes of others.
• its general explanatory interest
• the overall theoretical framework within which this interest is to be pursued
• the model or hypotheses to be tested or the research questions to be answered
• a discussion of the conceptual and operational properties of the variables
• an overview of strategies for collecting appropriate evidence (sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data reduction, data analysis)
• a discussion of how the evidence is to be interpreted (This aspect of the proposal will be somewhat different in fields such as history and philosophy of education.)
• If applicable, students should complete a request for approval of research with human subjects, using the Human Subjects Review Form ( http://humansubjects.stanford.edu/ ). Except for pilot work, the University requires the approval of the Administrative Panel on Human Subjects in Behavioral Science Research before any data can be collected from human subjects.

Registration (i.e., enrollment) is required for any quarter during which a degree requirement is completed, including the dissertation proposal. Refer to the Registration or Enrollment for Milestone Completion section for more details.

As students progress through the program, their interests may change. There is no commitment on the part of the student’s advisor to automatically serve as the dissertation chair. Based on the student’s interests and the dissertation topic, many students approach other GSE professors to serve as the dissertation advisor, if appropriate.

A dissertation proposal committee is comprised of three academic council faculty members, one of whom will serve as the major dissertation advisor. Whether or not the student’s general program advisor serves on the dissertation proposal committee and later the reading committee will depend on the relevance of that faculty member’s expertise to the topic of the dissertation, and their availability. There is no requirement that a program advisor serve, although very often they do. Members of the dissertation proposal committee may be drawn from other area committees within the GSE, from other departments in the University, or from emeriti faculty. At least one person serving on the proposal committee must be from the student’s area committee (CTE, DAPS, SHIPS). All three members must be on the Academic Council; if the student desires the expertise of a non-Academic Council member, it may be possible to petition. After the hearing, a memorandum listing the changes to be made will be written and submitted with the signed proposal cover sheet and a copy of the proposal itself to the Doctoral Programs Officer.

Review and approval of the dissertation proposal occurs normally during the third year. The proposal hearing seeks to review the quality and feasibility of the proposal. The Second-Year Review and the Proposal Hearing are separate milestones and may not occur as part of the same hearing or meeting.

The student and the dissertation advisor are responsible for scheduling a formal meeting or hearing to review the proposal; the student and proposal committee convene for this evaluative period. Normally, all must be present at the meeting either in person or via conference phone call.

At the end of this meeting, the dissertation proposal committee members should sign the Cover Sheet for Dissertation Proposal and indicate their approval or rejection of the proposal. This signed form should be submitted to the Doctoral Programs Officer. If the student is required to make revisions, an addendum is required with the written approval of each member of the committee stating that the proposal has been revised to their satisfaction.

After submitting the Proposal Hearing material to the Doctoral Programs Officer, the student should make arrangements with three faculty members to serve on their Dissertation Reading Committee. The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form should be completed and given to the Doctoral Programs Officer to enter in the University student records system. Note: The proposal hearing committee and the reading committee do not have to be the same three faculty members. Normally, the proposal hearing precedes the designation of a Dissertation Reading Committee, and faculty on either committee may differ (except for the primary dissertation advisor). However, some students may advance to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status before completing their dissertation proposal hearing if they have established a dissertation reading committee. In these cases, it is acceptable for the student to form a reading committee prior to the dissertation proposal hearing. The reading committee then serves as the proposal committee.

The proposal and reading committee forms and related instructions are on the GSE website, under current students>forms.

Printing Credit for Use in GSE Labs

Upon completion of their doctoral dissertation proposal, GSE students are eligible for a $300 printing credit redeemable in any of the GSE computer labs where students are normally charged for print jobs. Only one $300 credit per student will be issued, but it is usable throughout the remainder of her or his doctoral program until the balance is exhausted. The print credit can be used only at the printers in Cubberley basement and CERAS, and cannot be used toward copying.

After submitting the signed dissertation proposal cover sheet to the Doctoral Programs Officer indicating approval (see above), students can submit a HELP SU ticket online at helpsu.stanford.edu to request the credit. When submitting the help ticket, the following should be selected from the drop-down menus for HELP SU:

Request Category :  Computer, Handhelds (PDAs), Printers, Servers Request Type :  Printer Operating System : (whatever system is used by the student, e.g., Windows XP.)

The help ticket will be routed to the GSE's IT Group for processing; they will in turn notify the student via email when the credit is available.

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Handbook Contents

• Timetable for the Doctoral Degree
• Degree Requirements
• Registration or Enrollment for Milestone Completion
• The Graduate Study Program
• Student Virtual and Teleconference Participation in Hearings
• First Year (3rd Quarter) Review
• Second Year (6th Quarter) Review
• Committee Composition for First- and Second-Year Reviews
• Advancement to Candidacy
• Academic Program Revision
• Dissertation Content
• Dissertation Reading Committee
• University Oral Examination
• Submitting the Dissertation
• Registration and Student Statuses
• Graduate Financial Support
• GSE Courses
• Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (CTE)
• Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)
• Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD)
• Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE)
• Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS)
• Contact Information
• Stanford University Honor Code
• Stanford University Fundamental Standard
• Doctoral Programs Degree Progress Checklist
• GSE Open Access Policies

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• Thesis Proposal Meeting FAQ’s

Q: What is the purpose of the thesis proposal meeting?

A:  The thesis proposal meeting is to help you plan and execute your thesis work. You will present the questions you want to address and the methods you wish to use to your committee and solicit feedback on your ideas. This is intended to crystallize your thinking about your project and force you to think deeply about the research you are doing, how it fits into the current field, and how you will interpret your anticipated results.

Q: Do I need to have a lot of preliminary data before I propose?

A:  No. The thesis proposal meeting is NOT to show how much bench work the student has accomplished to date. Preliminary data can be helpful but is not essential. It is more important for the student to be able to present a logical, well thought-out rational for why he or she is pursuing the proposed questions, and why they have chosen the approaches they are proposing. This should include critical analysis of published data in the area of research.

Q: Why is the thesis proposal meeting so early compared to many other DBBS programs?

A:  The goal of moving the thesis proposal meeting earlier in the program is get students onto a productive line of research as quickly as possible. The first thesis committee meeting is the perfect time to make sure that you understand the background, have thought carefully about your proposed experiments and to make adjustments in your plan as necessary after all of your reading and after comments from your committee.

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• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

• An introduction to your topic and aims
• A literature review  of the current state of knowledge
• An outline of your proposed methodology
• A discussion of the possible implications of the research
• A bibliography  of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Table of contents

Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

• Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
• Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

• Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
• Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

• Does social media harm mental health?
• What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

• Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
• Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

• Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

• Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
• What variables will you measure?
• How will you select a representative sample ?
• If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
• What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

• This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

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You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

• Develop or test a theory?
• Provide new information to governments or businesses?
• Challenge a commonly held belief?
• Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

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Caulfield, J. (2022, November 11). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved 31 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/proposal/

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Oral Thesis Proposal

The oral component of your thesis proposal is your opportunity to present your research plan to your committee, receive their feedback on your ideas, and consult their expertise to improve your overall vision. You should seek to present your plan in a clear, concise way such that your committee understands your proposal thoroughly and you can make the most of their knowledge. While they should have read your written proposal, you cannot assume that they understood everything.

Be mindful that the presentation is not just a reformulation of your written document and it will take you a significant amount of time to convey your plan in a different medium. Indeed, it is a common misconception that preparing the presentation will be quick and easy. For example, content that may have been explained extensively in the written proposal may be better condensed to a figure. Logistically, you have an extra 3 weeks to prepare your oral presentation after you submit the written document. While the overall concept will be the same, with so much extra time to think, it is typical for the specific content in your proposal to change – maybe you learn about a new technique to apply to your research or recognize a flaw in your original plan.

In this article, we hope to provide some tools and tips for best preparing the oral presentation and what to expect on the day of your thesis proposal.

Understand your audience

Know your committee’s behaviors. Similar to your written document, you have the advantage of tailoring your presentation to a group of people whose expertise and style you either know already or can learn well in advance. Specific to your thesis proposal, your committee members will each have different ways of receiving information. For example, some people will better understand processes and science through detailed graphics while others better understand by seeing the math. In addition, consider whether or not they have seen this information before; if an older student in your group has this person on their committee, chances are they are already familiar with the research area and you can be more concise in your introduction. You will also want to get a sense of what questions your committee members are notorious for asking.

Out-of-department committee members may have different expectations. The thesis proposal process varies from department to department. For some, the thesis proposal is treated as an exam while for others, it is meant to serve only as a committee meeting. Research their home department’s thesis proposal and consider reaching out to students in their lab or in that department to getter a better idea for what their thesis proposal process is like.

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Structuring your presentation

Planning and execution. The entire thesis committee meeting will be an hour and a half. You should plan for approximately 45 minutes of discussion, questions, and deliberation of your thesis committee, leaving about 45 minutes for your presentation. Ensure that you allow time for questions so that you are not forced to rush through important parts of the proposal.

• Background : Only provide the background information that is absolutely necessary to motivate your project – you want to reserve as much time as possible for your research plan. After all, that is what the committee is there for – to provide feedback on this plan.  
• Research plan : Your research plan should be consistent with your written proposal, pending any potential new developments. We recommend starting with your specific aims and using these as a roadmap to cover the details of your research plan. Design a graphic around your project’s overall goals to serve as an outline that you can continue to reference throughout your presentation.
• Safety : This is important to discuss and is a requirement for the thesis proposal, regardless of your research area. Safety both in the lab and in the office are paramount for our overall success. Your committee will care about this section and you should give it ample thought.

Timing. Your presentation should be ~35-45 minutes long without questions, however questions can easily derail time. Keep track of time and make sure you have a plan if you are running over.

Slide design. Keep your slides uncluttered, ensuring information is clear and easy to interpret. Check out other CommKit articles on designing effective slides .

References. These should be included throughout your presentation in the footer of relevant slides. Use these where you are including figures or information from literature. Always include slide numbers so the audience can reference them when they have questions or comments. In addition, you may also consider using a graphic to illustrate the current section of the presentation (see examples).

Addressing committee questions

How to prepare. Your committee will ask you questions throughout your presentation, and you should expect to be interrupted. This will go beyond asking for clarification – they will challenge you on your ideas and be sure you have thought about the problem from multiple angles.   Have backup slides ready and anticipate what questions you may get from your committee and have slides ready to answer these questions. Maybe it does not help your story to include certain data sets, but you should have them ready in case your committee is not convinced. Practicing will help you get an idea of what questions a representative audience will have and therefore what questions your committee members might ask.

How to respond. Remember, it is ok to:

• Repeat questions to ensure understanding,
• Say “I’ll address that question in a couple slides,”
• Take time to reason out an answer (out loud),
• Say “I don’t know the answer to that, but I will follow up” (they may still push you to suggest an answer).

However, try to avoid making something up, reading too deeply into the question, or saying “I’m doing it this way because that’s what my advisor said.”

Sample committee questions – technical

• Referring to the microbial conversion of glucose to acetate: “What is the exact stoichiometry of that conversion?”
• “How does your problem scale: How much does your model accuracy increase for each computational hour you spend on the overall problem?”
• Pertaining to safety: “How do you know the GC’s in your lab are configured properly?”
• A classic among committee members: “Is there an alternative hypothesis that fits those data?”

Sample committee questions – high level

• “How feasible is this project from an engineering perspective?”
• “What do you anticipate being the hardest/least likely to succeed part of this proposal?”
• “What if the proposed experiments do not lead to expected results? Is there still anything to be learned?”

Practice, practice, practice

Most people practice their presentation at least once in front of their group. This is great as your group is likely the most intimately engaged with your research and can offer critical scientific feedback. However, your group may not represent the more general audience that makes up your thesis committee. Whereas your group may easily understand jargon and specific concepts, these may be confusing to your committee. Therefore, you should also practice at least once in front of a more general audience such close friends (inside or outside the department) and Comm Lab Coaches . If possible, it helps to practice your presentation in the same room you will be using for your meeting.

Day of the presentation

Preparing for the meeting. Send reminder emails to your committee about the meeting, both in advance and the morning of the presentation. While not required, it is common and courteous to provide coffee and/or snacks for the meeting – we all enjoy a meeting with snacks and this is one way to show your appreciation for your committee members’ advice and feedback. If you need projectors and laser pointers, they can be borrowed from ChemE headquarters.

Day of the meeting. Remember to dress professionally – you want to look your best and show you are serious about your work. Try to arrive to the room and set up ~30 minutes early to make sure everything is working and you are comfortable in the space. Have some way of writing down question/comments so you can refer back to them later. Finally, you will be talking a lot, so bring water for yourself.

Meeting structure. The meeting will typically be an hour and a half. At the beginning, the committee will ask you to leave the room for ~15 minutes while they discuss your written proposal. After this, you will return to the room and give your presentation. Finally, after you have given your presentation and answered any questions, you will leave the room again while the committee discusses your presentation and decides your grade.

After your thesis proposal

After your proposal, follow up with your committee members individually. Thank them for their time and for any insight they provided to your project. Also take the time to follow up on any unanswered questions or resources discussed during your presentation. Second, do not forget to fill out your thesis proposal form on the ChemE website ( http://cheme-forms.mit.edu ). The information on this form will be approved by your committee and sent to the student office for confirmation that you completed your thesis proposal.

Committee Meetings

The Department requires that the student and supervisor will hold progress reviews with the entire Thesis Committee at least once a year. These meetings help to ensure satisfactory progress towards the student’s intended defense and graduation dates by ensuring seamless communication across the entire Thesis Committee on the student’s aims, progress, and any issues encountered during their thesis research trajectory.

Students must present at least four Committee Meetings:

• Thesis Proposal (Oral Qualifying Exam)
• (≥ 1) Annual Thesis Committee Meeting (Progress Report)
• Plan to Finish Meeting (Final Thesis Committee Meeting Report)
• Thesis Defense (Oral Defense of the Thesis)

Annual Thesis Committee Meeting

This page details the format and preparation for Annual Thesis Committee Meetings, which is relevant for the Plan to Finish meeting as well.

Students are responsible for scheduling the meeting and reserving a room. The Committee should be scheduled for 1.5 hours. Students can contact the BE Academic Office for help reserving a conference room.

Progress Report Form

Prior to the meeting, students should fill out the Thesis Committee Progress form and bring hard copies for each Committee Member.

The first Annual Committee Meeting must be held within one year of the Thesis Proposal/Oral Exam presentation. Annual Committee Meetings are required once a year or more frequently if the Thesis Committee so requests. More frequent one-on-one meetings are strongly recommended.

While the Department recognizes that there may be extenuating circumstances leading to a delayed Annual Thesis Committee meeting, which do not merit withholding registration, the Department reserves the right to withhold registration if the one-year mark past the regular annual Committee meeting schedule has passed. This circumstance implies that two years have elapsed since the last regular Thesis Committee meeting, all e-mail reminders and meeting attempts have failed to realize a subsequent meeting, and the Graduate Committee has determined that withholding registration is in the best interest of the student.

Preparation

One week prior to each Committee Meeting, the student is encouraged to share an annotated set of Specific Aims with their Committee Members. The annotated Specific Aims should be approximately one to two pages long (12 pt font), with a few sentences describing the status of each Aim and a Gantt Chart showing the anticipated timelines for their completion.

Students should prepare a presentation outlining the progress they have made towards accomplishing their research aims. Students should also plan to discuss career goals and a timeline to graduation.

Students are encouraged to hand out hardcopies of their presentation slides to their Thesis Committee Members, including a summary of their Specific Aims.

Meeting Format

The Department encourages in-person meetings with all Committee members present whenever possible. Committee meetings are run by the Chair of the Thesis Committee. The specific format of the meeting is described below:

• Student leaves room: Committee checks in with advisor(s)
• Advisor(s) leave room: Committee checks in with student
• Bullet-point overview of progress toward PhD accomplishments, goals, anticipated timeline
• Specific issues to be addressed
• Anticipated career trajectory
• Including risks and alternate pathways 
• Publication plan
• Reiteration of PhD objectives and anticipated timeline

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DETAILS OF THE THESIS PROPOSAL PRESENTATION

Once the Chair of the Thesis Committee concurs with the student that her or his thesis proposal is well-prepared and the student is ready to proceed with the Thesis Proposal Presentation, the student submits a copy of his or her thesis proposal to the Thesis Chair and to the Thesis Reader.

The Thesis Chair and Thesis Reader read the thesis proposal and each gives approval that the student’s proposal is of a quality that will enable the student to schedule a Thesis Proposal Presentation. Decision to approve or not to approve the scheduling of the Thesis Proposal Presentation is made by the Thesis Chair and Thesis Reader within two weeks of receiving the student’s thesis proposal.

The Thesis Proposal Presentation is a formally scheduled meeting between the student, Thesis Chair, and Thesis Reader. The purpose of this Thesis Proposal Presentation is to provide the student opportunity to verbally/visually present his or her proposed research to the Thesis Committee, and to engage in conversation about the student’s proposed thesis research.

The student, in consultation with the Thesis Chair, is responsible for scheduling the Thesis Proposal Presentation at a time that is agreed upon by the Thesis Chair, Thesis Reader, and the student. The location for this meeting is determined by the Thesis Chair.

At the Thesis Proposal Presentation, the student provides a 10-15 minute overview of his or her proposed thesis research. The student is encouraged to show a PowerPoint presentation or furnish handouts that help to clarify his or her research intent and methodology.

The student comes to the Thesis Proposal Presentation prepared to discuss and answer questions regarding the thesis research topic and thesis proposal. Other questions and issues for discussion may arise during conversation in the Thesis Proposal Presentation.

It is important for the student to recognize that a primary purpose of the Thesis Proposal Presentation is to allow the Thesis Committee, through suggestions and recommendations, opportunity to assist the student with the research by clarifying issues and providing guidance to avoid potential problems in carrying out the proposed thesis research.

The student should be aware that her or his thesis proposal may be, and proposals often are, altered in some respect through conversation that occurs in the Thesis Proposal Presentation.

Once a thesis proposal has been approved by the Thesis Committee, the student may begin work to carry out the thesis research, but only after written approval has been received from the Internal Review Board (IRB) of the Office of Research Support at The University of Texas at Austin. Students should not move forward in their thesis research until this IRB approval to do so has been received in writing. This approval may require multiple submissions and edits of the student’s IRB proposal, and may take 4-6 weeks to accomplish. Students are strongly urged to plan their research schedule accordingly.

It is recommended that the student meet with the Thesis Chair soon after successfully completing the Thesis Proposal Presentation, in order to establish a timeline for conducting his or her thesis research and writing.

If during the Thesis Proposal Presentation there is a difference of opinion amongst the Thesis Chair and Thesis Reader regarding what is expected of the student in writing his or her thesis, and/or whether or not a student has successfully completed the Thesis Proposal Presentation, the Chair of the Thesis Committee is the one to make these determinations.

In the event that a student’s thesis proposal is not approved at the conclusion of the Thesis Proposal Presentation, the Thesis Committee makes recommendations to the student for further work. These recommendations for additional work may range from asking the student to submit written responses to one or more questions asked in the Thesis Proposal Presentation, to requesting that the student schedule and carry out another Thesis Proposal Presentation.

Recommendations for further work are communicated to the student through the Thesis Chair at the conclusion of the Thesis Proposal Presentation.

If another Thesis Proposal Presentation is needed, the student may, with the approval of the Thesis Chair, schedule this Thesis Proposal Presentation following the guidelines set down for an initial Thesis Proposal Presentation.

At the conclusion of the Thesis Proposal Presentation, the Thesis Chair gives approval for a student to proceed with his or her thesis.

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PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start

• Tips for designing the slides
• Presentation checklist
• Example slides
• Additional Resources

Purpose of the Guide

This guide was created to help ph.d. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. the guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from ph.d. graduates. the tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can be used in designing other types of presentations such as conference talks, qualification and proposal exams, and technical seminars., the tips and examples are used to help students to design effective presentation. the technical contents in all examples are subject to copyright, please do not replicate. , if you need help in designing your presentation, please contact julie chen ([email protected]) for individual consultation. .

• Example Slides Repository
• Defense slides examples Link to examples dissertation defense slides.

Useful Links

• CIT Thesis and dissertation standards
• Dissertations and Theses @ Carnegie Mellon This link opens in a new window Covers 1920-present. Full text of some dissertations may be available 1997-present. Citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses CMU graduate students have published through UMI Dissertation Publishing. In addition to citations and abstracts, the service provides free access to 24 page previews and the full text in PDF format, when available. In most cases, this will be works published in 1997 forward.
• Communicate your research data Data visualization is very important in communicating your data effectively. Check out these do's and don'ts for designing figures.

Power Point Template and other Resources

• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 1
• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 2

Source: CEE Department Resources https://www.cmu.edu/cee/resources/index.html

• CMU Powerpoint Slide Template

Source: CMU Marketing and Communications

https://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand-standards/downloads/index.html

• Use of CMU logos, marks, and Unitmarks

Email me for questions and schedule an appointment

Top 7 tips for your defense presentation

1. show why your study is important, remember, your audience is your committee members, researchers in other fields, and even the general public. you want to convince all of them why you deserve a ph.d. degree. you need to talk about why your study is important to the world. in the engineering field, you also need to talk about how your study is useful. try to discuss why current practice is problematic or not good enough, what needs to be solved, and what the potential benefits will be. , see how dr. posen and dr. malings explained the importance of their studies..

• Carl Malings Defense Slides with Notes
• I. Daniel Posen Defense Slides with Notes

2. Emphasize YOUR contribution 

Having a ph.d. means that you have made some novel contributions to the grand field. this is about you and your research. you need to keep emphasizing your contributions throughout your presentation. after talking about what needs to be solved, try to focus on emphasizing the novelty of your work. what problems can be solved using your research outcomes what breakthroughs have you made to the field why are your methods and outcomes outstanding you need to incorporate answers to these questions in your presentation. , be clear what your contributions are in the introduction section; separate what was done by others and what was done by you. , 3. connect your projects into a whole piece of work, you might have been doing multiple projects that are not strongly connected. to figure out how to connect them into a whole piece, use visualizations such as flow charts to convince your audience. the two slides below are two examples. in the first slide, which was presented in the introduction section, the presenter used a flow diagram to show the connection between the three projects. in the second slide, the presenter used key figures and a unique color for each project to show the connection..

• Xiaoju Chen Defense Slides with Notes

4. Tell a good story 

The committee members do not necessarily have the same background knowledge as you. plus, there could be researchers from other fields and even the general public in the room. you want to make sure all of your audience can understand as much as possible. focus on the big picture rather than technical details; make sure you use simple language to explain your methods and results. your committee has read your dissertation before your defense, but others have not. , dr. cook and dr. velibeyoglu did a good job explaining their research to everyone. the introduction sessions in their presentations are well designed for this purpose. .

• Laren M. Cook Defense Slides with Notes
• Irem Velibeyoglu Defense with Notes

5. Transition, transition, transition

Use transition slides to connect projects , it's a long presentation with different research projects. you want to use some sort of transition to remind your audience what you have been talking about and what is next. you may use a slide that is designed for this purpose throughout your presentation. , below are two examples. these slides were presented after the introduction section. the presenters used the same slides and highlighted the items for project one to indicate that they were moving on to the first project. throughout the presentation, they used these slides and highlighted different sections to indicate how these projects fit into the whole dissertation. .

You can also use some other indications on your slides, but remember not to make your slides too busy.  Below are two examples. In the first example, the presenter used chapter numbers to indicate what he was talking about. In the second example, the presenter used a progress bar with keywords for each chapter as the indicator. 

Use transition sentences to connect slides 

Remember transition sentences are also important; use them to summarize what you have said and tell your audience what they will expect next. if you keep forgetting the transition sentence, write a note on your presentation. you can either write down a full sentence of what you want to say or some keywords., 6. be brief, put details in backup slides , you won't have time to explain all of the details. if your defense presentation is scheduled for 45 minutes, you can only spend around 10 minutes for each project - that's shorter than a normal research conference presentation focus on the big picture and leave details behind. you can put the details in your backup slides, so you might find them useful when your committee (and other members of the audience) ask questions regarding these details., 7. show your presentation to your advisor and colleagues, make sure to ask your advisor(s) for their comments. they might have a different view on what should be emphasized and what should be elaborated. , you also want to practice at least once in front of your colleagues. they can be your lab mates, people who work in your research group, and/or your friends. they do not have to be experts in your field. ask them to give you some feedback - their comments can be extremely helpful to improve your presentation. , below are some other tips and resources to design your defense presentation. .

• Tips for designing your defense presentation

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Guidelines for Thesis Proposal Meetings

Graduate studies.

• Comprehensive Examinations
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• Thesis Committees and Examinations

Overview: The doctoral thesis proposal meeting is intended to serve several important functions.  First, the meeting is an opportunity for the committee members to come together to provide the student with consensus feedback on their thesis research plans.  In other words, this meeting should help ensure that the supervisory committee members (including the student’s supervisor) are themselves consistent in their expectations for the student’s doctoral thesis research.  Second, the meeting is meant to provide the student with reassurance that their thesis will meet the scholarly standards we expect from those who receive doctorates from our program, assuming the research unfolds as proposed and is defended successfully.  

How to prepare: Once the student and supervisor have a sufficiently well-developed plan for the doctoral thesis research, they should approach the student’s supervisory committee members in advance of a proposal meeting to ask them what they would find helpful in evaluating the student’s proposed research.  For example, the committee may ask the student to prepare a brief presentation, a brief written precis of the proposed work, or both.  The student and supervisor may also ask the committee to meet prior to the proposal if group feedback would be useful at earlier stages of thesis development.  

The meeting: The proposal meeting is less formal than the thesis defense and there are very few specific requirements for the meeting.  The meeting may include a brief presentation (see previous section) but will primarily be a group discussion of the proposed research focused on giving the student feedback on any issues or concerns the committee members have about the research plans.  The supervisor will also be involved in the discussion, in contrast to the thesis defense.  At the end of the discussion, the student will leave the room to allow the committee members to discuss the proposal. The student should bring this form to be completed at the meeting.   Please refer to the form for a list of possible outcomes of the proposal meeting.   

Other notes: It is possible that an unforeseeable issue will necessitate changes in the student’s proposed thesis research.  In such cases, the student and supervisor should work together to ensure that the supervisory committee is kept apprised of any major changes.  When in doubt, it is always best to ask committee members about any changes that need to be made; this is why regular supervisory committee meetings are useful even after the proposal.  

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Thesis Proposal

The Thesis Proposal is an opportunity for formal feedback from the Thesis Committee. It is not an examination, and there is no Pass or Fail consequence, however the progress of the student will be assessed by the committee and will be evaluated based on the criteria of “not meeting expectations”, “meeting expectations”, or “exceeding expectations”. Students who are not meeting expectations will receive detailed feedback on how to remediate gaps in knowledge or training.

Each student will complete a Thesis Proposal that includes a written document an oral presentation of the proposed project to the Thesis Committee by the end of the Summer Quarter of the third year. 

Pre-Proposal Meeting

Students are required to meet with the Thesis Committee either individually or as a group at least once before the Thesis Proposal. Students will familiarize the committee members with their project and identify topics that should be addressed in the written and/or oral proposal.

Thesis Proposal Defense:

The written proposal must be submitted to the members of the Thesis Committee at least 2 weeks before the presentation. Scheduling of the oral presentation is the responsibility of the student.

The written thesis proposal document should follow the current guidelines required by the NIH for an NRSA submission. At minimum, it should include a Title, Abstract, Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Date, Experimental Design and Methods, and Reference sections. The format and content of the written document should be discussed in advance with the Thesis Advisor and/or committee together or individually. See   “Written Thesis Proposal Guideline" section of NUIN Proposal and Committee Guide  for more detail.

The oral presentation of the thesis proposal should include a formal presentation of the Background and Significance of the project, relevant Preliminary Data, and the major elements of the Experimental Design and Methods. Students should prepare approximately 45 minutes worth of slides, but should expect to answer questions from the committee throughout the presentation, as well as participate in a discussion at the end.  Often, this means the meetings last more than 1 hour, and this should be considered when scheduling.  These procedures are designed to allow the Thesis Committee to critically review and offer suggestions to strengthen the proposal.

Submitting the Thesis Proposal/Committee Meeting Status Report:

The thesis proposal milestone cannot be marked as complete until the student has filled out a Prospectus Form on GSTS, and has returned a both a PDF copy of the written proposal, and a signed NUIN Thesis Proposal/Committee Meeting Status Report  to NUIN.

NOTE: Refer to "Proposal and Committee Guide" for more detailed information on this milestone.

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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

What is a thesis defense?

How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.

If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .

A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.

During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.

The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.

• Check with your department about requirements and timing.
• Re-read your thesis.
• Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
• Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
• Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.

How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.

Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.

First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.

The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:

• your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
• questions from the committee
• questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)

You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.

Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.

You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.

Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.

The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.

While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:

You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?

If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.

Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.

While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.

It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:

• preparing the room of the day of defense
• setting up equipment for the presentation
• preparing and distributing handouts

Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.

One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.

There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.

James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.

You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.

Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.

• Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
• Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
• Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
• During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
• Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.

Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.

We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.

Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.

It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.

Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".

Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.

• Dress for success.
• Ask for help setting up.
• Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
• Deal with your nerves.

First meeting with your dissertation supervisor: What to expect

The first meeting with your dissertation supervisor can be a little intimidating, as you do not know what to expect. While every situation is unique, first meetings with a dissertation supervisor often centre around getting to know each other, establishing expectations, and creating work routines.

Why a good relationship with a dissertation supervisor matters

Getting to know each other during the first meeting, getting to know the work environment during the first meeting, establishing a meeting and communication schedule, discussing your research idea with your dissertation supervisor, discussing expectations with your dissertation supervisor.

Writing a dissertation is an exciting but also intimidating part of being a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD student. A dissertation is often the culmination of several years of higher education, and the last step before graduating.

What is important to know is that the relationship that you establish with your supervisor can be a crucial factor in completing a successful dissertation.

A better relationship often results in better and timely completion of a dissertation. This finding is backed up by science. This study , for instance, points out that student-supervisor relationships strongly influence the quality, success or failure of completing a PhD (on time).

Good communication with a dissertation supervisor is key to advancing your research, discussing roadblocks, and incorporating feedback and advice.

Commonly experienced challenges in student-supervisor relationships, on the other hand, are “different expectations, needs and ways of thinking and working” (Gill and Burnard, 2008, p. 668).

Therefore, getting acquainted with each other to set a foundation for the upcoming collaboration is often what first meetings with dissertation supervisors are (and should be) about.

Many first meetings with a dissertation supervisor include a considerable amount of ‘small talk’. Thus, you can expect to engage in a casual conversation to get acquainted.

This conversation tends to look different based on whether you already know your dissertation supervisor, or whether you have never met them before. It could also be that you had a talk with your dissertation supervisor during a formal interview stage, but never talked informally.

Common questions to expect are:

• How are you doing?
• Did you find adequate housing, and did the (international) move go well?
• Did you bring a partner, spouse or family to a new country or city?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• Where and what did you study before?
• How did you experience your degree programme so far?
• What courses did you enjoy?
• How did you come up with your dissertation topic?
• What are your ambitions for this thesis?
• What are your expectations and goals for both the thesis process?
• What do you want to do after graduating?

You may also like: Getting the most out of thesis supervision meetings

PhD students who start their dissertation are often introduced to their lab, research group or department during the first meeting.

It is not uncommon for the dissertation supervisor to walk around with the new student and introduce him or her to colleagues and supporting staff.

Getting to know your (new) work environment is less common for students who write a dissertation to complete their master’s degrees. Though in some cases, they conduct their master thesis research as part of a lab or existing research project, and will be introduced there as well.

There may also be a discussion about accessing an institutional email address or online work environment as a dissertation student. And any questions that are important to answer to kick off the dissertation process.

During the first meeting, it is very useful for both the student and the dissertation supervisor to discuss their collaboration for the coming months.

This particularly includes agreements on meetings and the frequency of communication. Even if your dissertation supervisor does not raise these issues during the first meeting, it can be helpful to raise them yourself.

Establishing a meeting schedule, or at least discussing how often you are planning to meet, how regularly, and within what time intervals, can reduce a lot of stress and uncertainty.

It can also be very valuable to talk about the frequency of communication. Does your dissertation supervisor appreciate a weekly summary of your progress? Or are you only supposed to reach out when you hit a roadblock?

Furthermore, what are the best ways to communicate? For instance, does your supervisor prefers emails? If so, check out some sample emails to a thesis supervisor ! Or does your supervisor prefer you to collect all your questions until the next supervision meeting, putting them on the meeting agenda?

While you can expect a lot of Smalltalk, planning, and organisational issues to dominate the first meeting with your dissertation supervisor, it is common to also chat about your research idea.

But don’t worry! Supervisors tend to be aware that you are just at the beginning of the dissertation process. Usually, they don’t expect you to provide a fully-fledged research proposal or a formal presentation.

However, be prepared to share your initial thoughts and ideas. Additionally, be prepared to explain why you are interested in the topic and how you roughly anticipate conducting your research and writing your dissertation.

Based on this information, the dissertation supervisor can already point you in the right direction, suggest relevant literature, or connect you with other students or colleagues who work on similar issues.

It is normal to feel slightly lost during the first weeks of working on your dissertation.

However, to keep this feeling to a minimum, it can be extremely helpful to create concrete steps and plans with your dissertation supervisor for the first weeks.

Expectations differ from supervisor to supervisor. Some may just expect you to simply get used to your work environment, read a lot and explore theories that are relevant to your dissertation. Others may want to see the first results in terms of a literature review or research proposal.

Thus, make sure to discuss expectations for the upcoming weeks during the first meeting with your dissertation supervisor. It will prevent you from overthinking what you should do.

Elsewhere, I have written a guide for first-year PhD students with some directions and advice . As a PhD student, you can use this guide as an inspiration and starting point to discuss your own supervisor’s expectations.

If you are writing a master thesis, your timeframe will be much shorter. Thus, it is even more important to define deadlines and milestones with your dissertation supervisor as soon as possible. The first meeting lends itself to making this plan.

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Doctoral Program

Program summary.

Students are required to

• master the material in the prerequisite courses ;
• pass the first-year core program;
• attempt all three parts of the qualifying examinations and show acceptable performance in at least two of them (end of 1st year);
• satisfy the depth and breadth requirements (2nd/3rd/4th year);
• successfully complete the thesis proposal meeting (winter quarter of the 3rd year);
• present a draft of their dissertation and pass the university oral examination (4th/5th year).

The PhD requires a minimum of 135 units. Students are required to take a minimum of nine units of advanced topics courses (for depth) offered by the department (not including literature, research, consulting or Year 1 coursework), and a minimum of nine units outside of the Statistics Department (for breadth). Courses for the depth and breadth requirements must equal a combined minimum of 24 units. In addition, students must enroll in STATS 390 Statistical Consulting, taking it at least twice.

All students who have passed the qualifying exams but have not yet passed the Thesis Proposal Meeting must take STATS 319 at least once each year. For example, a student taking the qualifying exams in the summer after Year 1 and having the dissertation proposal meeting in Year 3, would take 319 in Years 2 and 3. Students in their second year are strongly encouraged to take STATS 399 with at least one faculty member. All details of program requirements can be found in our PhD handbook (available to Stanford affiliates only, using Stanford authentication. Requests for access from non-affiliates will not be approved).

Statistics Department PhD Handbook

All students are expected to abide by the Honor Code and the Fundamental Standard .

Doctoral and Research Advisors

During the first two years of the program, students' academic progress is monitored by the department's Graduate Director. Each student should meet at least once a quarter with the Graduate Director to discuss their academic plans and their progress towards choosing a thesis advisor (before the final study list deadline of spring of the second year). From the third year onward students are advised by their selected advisor.

Qualifying Examinations

Qualifying examinations are part of most PhD programs in the United States. At Stanford these exams are intended to test the student's level of knowledge when the first-year program, common to all students, has been completed. There are separate examinations in the three core subjects of statistical theory and methods, applied statistics, and probability theory, which are typically taken during the summer at the end of the student's first year. Students are expected to attempt all three examinations and show acceptable performance in at least two of them. Letter grades are not given. Qualifying exams may be taken only once. After passing the qualifying exams, students must file for Ph.D. Candidacy, a university milestone, by the end of spring quarter of their second year.

While nearly all students pass the qualifying examinations, those who do not can arrange to have their financial support continued for up to three quarters while alternative plans are made. Usually students are able to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree in Statistics in two years or less, whether or not they have passed the PhD qualifying exams.

Thesis Proposal Meeting and Dissertation Reading Committee 

The thesis proposal meeting is intended to demonstrate a student's depth in some areas of statistics, and to examine the general plan for their research. In the meeting the student gives a 60-minute presentation involving ideas developed to date and plans for completing a PhD dissertation, and for another 60 minutes answers questions posed by the committee. which consists of their advisor and two other members. The meeting must be successfully completed by the end of winter quarter of the third year. If a student does not pass, the exam must be repeated. Repeated failure can lead to a loss of financial support.

The Dissertation Reading Committee consists of the student’s advisor plus two faculty readers, all of whom are responsible for reading the full dissertation. Of these three, at least two must be members of the Statistics Department (faculty with a full or joint appointment in Statistics but excluding for this purpose those with only a courtesy or adjunct appointment). Normally, all committee members are members of the Stanford University Academic Council or are emeritus Academic Council members; the principal dissertation advisor must be an Academic Council member. 

The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form should be completed and signed at the Dissertation Proposal Meeting. The form must be submitted before approval of TGR status or before scheduling a University Oral Examination.

 For further information on the Dissertation Reading Committee, please see the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP) Handbook section 4.8.

University Oral Examinations

The oral examination consists of a public, approximately 60-minute, presentation on the thesis topic, followed by a 60 minute question and answer period attended only by members of the examining committee. The questions relate to the student's presentation and also explore the student's familiarity with broader statistical topics related to the thesis research. The oral examination is normally completed during the last few months of the student's PhD period. The examining committee typically consists of four faculty members from the Statistics Department and a fifth faculty member from outside the department serving as the committee chair. Four out of five passing votes are required and no grades are given. Nearly all students can expect to pass this examination, although it is common for specific recommendations to be made regarding completion of the thesis.

The Dissertation Reading Committee must also read and approve the thesis.

For further information on university oral examinations and committees, please see the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP) Handbook section 4.7 .

Dissertation

The dissertation is the capstone of the PhD degree. It is expected to be an original piece of work of publishable quality. The research advisor and two additional faculty members constitute the student's dissertation reading committee.

Watch CBS News

The FDA is weighing whether to approve MDMA for PTSD. Here's what that could look like for patients.

By Alexander Tin

Edited By Allison Elyse Gualtieri

May 31, 2024 / 2:19 PM EDT / CBS News

Ahead of a key meeting Tuesday to weigh the potential approval of midomafetamine , or MDMA, for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing a new set of restrictions on how eligible patients would be able to get the drug.

Details of the FDA's proposal were published Friday in a set of documents released by the agency ahead of an advisory committee meeting next week. 

After the panel votes, drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics says the FDA is expected to make a decision by Aug. 11 on whether to approve its approach for patients with PTSD: a four-month course of MDMA combined with psychotherapy.

Among the FDA's questions for the committee is whether the benefits of MDMA , combined with the FDA's proposed restrictions on prescriptions for the hallucinogenic drug, will be enough to outweigh its risks.

"Patient impairment is an expected effect from midomafetamine administration and there must be safeguards to mitigate serious harm from patient impairment, similar to the risk mitigation in the clinical trials, to support patient safety," the FDA's reviewers said in a briefing document ahead of the meeting.

Under the proposal, administering MDMA would be restricted to healthcare facilities that agree to ensure at least two providers are onsite to monitor patients while taking the drug.

Patients will need to be monitored for at least eight hours, until they are psychologically stable enough to be discharged to an adult after the session. During the trials, many ended up staying overnight at study sites, being monitored by therapists.

Providers will also need to prepare for some physical risks. In the trials, one participant was hospitalized after MDMA was suspected to have exacerbated a pre-existing heart problem.

Patients will also need to be enrolled in a registry tracking side effects and issues that come up from the sessions, as well as how they are faring following completion of the treatment.

"We are also concerned about worsening of psychological disorders that cause disability or that may lead to hospitalization or death, and suicidal behaviors and ideation," the FDA said.

The drugmaker has also been in talks with the FDA over other steps to curb risks of the drug, like providing the product in only single dose packages aimed at limiting the risk of "nonmedical use," Lykos said in their briefing document .

The FDA often turns to its authority to apply additional restrictions on prescription drugs, dubbed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies or REMS, to curb the pitfalls of drugs that it thinks would otherwise be too dangerous to approve.

Nasal sprays of hallucinogen esketamine to treat depression, branded as Spravato, were also approved in 2019 under these kinds of REMS restrictions.

Additional restrictions could be imposed by a different agency – the Drug Enforcement Administration – which will be responsible for "rescheduling" the drug. 

The DEA currently deems MDMA or "ecstasy" to be a Schedule I drug, alongside other substances like heroin which the DEA says have "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers the Biden administration's public health agencies, including the federal response to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19.

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• Updated: May. 30, 2024, 4:51 p.m. |
• Published: May. 30, 2024, 3:20 p.m.

Flint City Hall building mug. (Date shot: 2/10/2009) (The Flint Journal / Ryan Garza) THE FLINT JOURNAL

• Ron Fonger | [email protected]

(This story has been updated with additional information.)

FLINT, MI — Flint’s general fund budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 may not be adopted by the charter-mandated deadline of the first Monday in June for the second straight year .

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2024 annual shareholder meeting.

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“Our investors sent a powerful message that rules and value-creation matter. 

Their vote signals a belief that we are on the right track by overwhelmingly re-electing our directors and soundly defeating all four proposals that would have hampered our ability to create long-term value by providing the world with the energy and products it needs while investing billions to reduce carbon emissions in our own business and others’.

We expect the activist crowd will try and claim victory on today’s vote, but common sense should tell you otherwise in light of the large margin of the loss. 

We look forward to continuing our ongoing extensive shareholder engagement as we work to solve the ‘and’ equation – growing supplies of affordable energy and products and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”  

Darren Woods ExxonMobil Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

• 3.3 billion shares represented at this meeting – equates to approximately 84% of outstanding shares entitled to vote.
• On average 95% of the votes cast were voted to elect, as Directors , the 12 nominees listed in the proxy statement. Director support ranged from 87% to 98%. Support last year ranged from 91% to 99% with an average support of 96%.
• The resolution concerning the Ratification of Independent Auditors passed . Approximately 97% of the shares voting thereon voted FOR it.  This is consistent with last year’s support .
• The resolution concerning an Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation passed , with approximately 92% of the shares voting thereon voted FOR it.  This is higher than last year’s support of 91%.
• The proposal to Revisit Executive Pay Incentives for GHG Emission Reductions was not approved . Approximately 2% of the shares voting thereon voted  FOR it.
• The proposal for an Additional Pay Report on Gender and Racial Basis was not approved . Approximately 20% of the shares voting thereon voted FOR it.
• The proposal calling for a Report on Plastic Production Under the SCS Scenario was not approved . Approximately 21% of the shares voting thereon voted  FOR it.  This is lower than last year’s support of 25% .
• Finally, the proposal for an Additional Social Impact Report was not approved . Approximately 7% of the shares voting thereon voted FOR it.  This is lower than last year’s support of 17% .

Voting results

Additional information about the meeting can be found here .

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What’s included in the $975 million bond proposal for Denver Public Schools

D ENVER (KDVR) — Denver Public Schools held a final meeting Monday on plans for a $975 million bond proposal to go on the November ballot.

“This is an opportunity for almost a billion-dollar investment into our city without raising any taxes,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said at the meeting.

The Community Planning and Advisory Committee laid out its final proposal, which is the final step before the plan moves to the Board of Education for approval. Nearly a third of the money would go toward maintenance at 154 schools across the district.

The average age of buildings in the Denver district is 55 years. The committee estimates it will cost $301 million to make electrical, plumbing and general renovations to the aging buildings.

“It’s more expensive to go in and have to repair equipment on a reactive basis than proactively replace equipment,” said Trena Marsal, Denver Public Schools’ chief of operations.

The second highest chunk of money would go toward installing air conditioning at 29 schools in the district that still need it. The cost for that is an estimated $240 million. At the beginning of the school year, several DPS schools had to cancel classes because of the heat and lack of AC.

“There was overwhelming support for AC within the buildings,” Marsal said. “Our CPAC committee all see the need for having a quality learning environment for our students and having a building that’s not air-conditioned does impact that learning environment.”

The remainder of the money would go to arts and athletic facilities, new buildings, improved learning environments and safety and technology.

“We were really trying to be fiscally responsible in looking at a bond that doesn’t increase taxes to Denver voters,” said Todd Nielsen, a member of the Community Planning and Advisory Committee. “I think the incredible part about this is the district looked at making this equitable as well as really hitting the pieces that needed to be hit.”

The Board of Education will vote on the bond proposal in August. If approved, the bond measure will appear on the November ballot.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.

Generative AI is in the crosshairs at Meta and Alphabet annual meetings as shareholders vote for detailed reports

Generative AI is on the ballot at Big Tech companies like Meta and Alphabet, as shareholders vote on proposals calling for detailed reports by the companies about how the technology is being used to create and spread misinformation. The shareholder proposals, which will be voted on at each company’s upcoming annual general meeting, reflect growing concerns about the power and prevalence of generative AI.

The votes come as Google has faced massive blowback over the past week for its new search AI features, which has produced false and often bizarre responses, including telling users to put glue on pizza . Audio and video deepfakes created by AI technology are also proliferating online, raising concerns in an election year.

Shareholders in Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will vote at the company’s annual meeting on Wednesday, while investors in Google-parent company Alphabet will weigh in at the company’s annual meeting on June 7. The resolutions come just a few months after a similar proposal at Microsoft’s AGM on December 7, 2023, which was presented by Nirvana co-founder and bassist Krist Novoselic and garnered 21% of the shareholder vote. 

The three proposals were led by ESG activist investor group Arjuna Capital and focus on concerns that generative AI threatens to amplify misinformation and disinformation around the world, particularly during a critical election year in countries like the US and India. A separate shareholder proposal brought to Apple focused on the risks of AI to workers, which was filed by the AFL-CIO Equity Index Funds, the largest labor union federation in the US. While the proposal was ultimately voted down by Apple shareholders at its annual meeting in February, proponents of AI transparency won a victory beforehand when the SEC ruled that companies like Apple could not bar shareholders from voting on such matters.

In the proxy statement for Meta’s annual meeting, the shareholder proposal states that “with Meta’s recent development of gAI products, including conversational assistants and advertising tools, the company is increasingly at risk from misinformation and disinformation generated through its own products.”

The proposal calls for the Meta board to “issue a report, at reasonable cost, omitting proprietary or legally privileged information, to be published within one year of the Annual Meeting and updated annually thereafter, assessing the risks to the Company’s operations and finances, and to public welfare, presented by the Company’s role in facilitating misinformation and disinformation disseminated or generated via generative Artificial Intelligence; what steps the Company plans to take to remediate those harms; and how it will measure the effectiveness of such efforts.” 

In its response urging shareholders to reject the proposal, Meta pointed to its “five pillars of Responsible AI” which are overseen by its board of directors, as well as its investments in safety and security efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation. 

“Given our ongoing efforts to address this topic, the board of directors believes that the requested report is unnecessary and would not provide additional benefit to our shareholders,” the Proxy Report said. 

In a response to a similar proposal, Alphabet said that its Board of Directors recommended a vote against the stockholder proposal because “Our enterprise risk frameworks, product policies, and tools provide a foundation for identifying and mitigating AI-generated mis/disinformation and other potential risks,” adding that “we continually strive to improve the quality of our generative AI models and applications through both pre-launch testing and ongoing fine-tuning, and we are transparent about our ongoing work via public reporting.” 

The proposals for AI reports at Meta and Alphabet are unlikely to be approved, as both companies have dual class stock that concentrates the voting power in the hands of the founders. Still, the proposals carry symbolic power and have the potential to send a message to management if they earn widespread support from shareholders.

At December’s Microsoft AGM, Novoselic served as the spokesperson for the shareholder initiative, describing himself as a long-time shareholder. He accused the company of racing forward, “releasing this nascent technology without the appropriate guardrails.” Generative AI, he continued, “is a game-changer, there’s no question, but the rush to market seemingly prioritizes short term profits over long-term success.”

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• Education Lab

SPS kicks off community meetings ahead of school closure proposal

Many of the approximately 200 parents who turned out to hear the Seattle Public School district’s plan for a system of “well resourced schools”left disappointed Tuesday night, unable to directly question district officials about the proposal that could eventually lead to the closure of 20 elementary schools.

The meeting at Roosevelt High School was the first of four sessions to explain and hear feedback from the public about SPS’s proposal, which could result in school closures starting in the 2025-26 school year.

Toward the end of the meeting, the scene devolved into shouting. “Show us your work,” one participant yelled in the crowded school theater. Others booed or shouted questions.

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Rebecca Stephens, a parent with one child in elementary school, said she expected parents would be able to ask questions during the meeting, even if they did not get answers immediately.

“They used the word engagement multiple times,” Stephens said. “I don’t think anyone in this room felt engaged in a conversation.”

Instead of taking questions directly, the district used an electronic platform called “ThoughtExchange” that allowed participants to give feedback using cellphones.

School Superintendent Brent Jones is expected to present the proposal — including a list of the schools slated for closure — to the School Board next month, along with an analysis of the impacts.

The district has not indicated publicly which schools are under consideration. However, anxious parents and community members have begun to guess, using two of the criteria the district said it will use: schools with fewer than 300 students and the age of the building. The district says 29 elementary schools have fewer than 300 students and 24 have between 300 and 400 students.,

The district says the move is driven in part by a long-running structural deficit, including a $105 million budget gap next school year and $129 million the following year. With an estimated 49,000 students, SPS has more school buildings than it needs, and bigger elementary schools will allow the district to provide better staffing and support for students, according to the district.

A confluence of factors has led to this point. For several years now, the district had been spending more money than it took in. In recent years, it used a series of one-time measures and federal COVID-19 aid to plug the budget hole. But that money has come to an end. The district also signed a teachers’ union contract in 2022 that increased special education staffing but also added to the deficit. Declining student enrollment between 2019 and 2023 also meant that the district lost out on millions from the state. District officials also say the state doesn’t fully cover the costs of special education, transportation or insurance, which have skyrocketed.

The district says it will have to resort to other cost-cutting measures — including laying off staff, renegotiating contracts, and postponing new curriculum — if it does not close schools.

SPS estimates that it would save between $750,000 and $2 million for each building it closes. Fred Podesta, the district’s chief operations officer, said during the meeting that closures would require some staff cuts. Personnel is the largest school-level expense.

Beverly Redmond, the district chief of staff and spokesperson, said earlier this month that she expected the staff to transfer with students as they move to their new schools, because resources typically follow students.

Parent Erica Seddig also left disappointed that the meeting ended so quickly. “The listening session didn’t feel like a listening session,” she said, “but more like a presentation.” Like many parents in attendance, she wanted to know how the system of well-resourced schools would affect current and future students. Her two children attend option schools, and she’s worried those programs may close.

Stephens came with a group of others from Laurelhurst Elementary. She wanted to know how much savings the district would realize on an annual basis from closing schools, how the staff to student ratio would change, and why the district was making decisions about closures before learning the results of an enrollment study to understand what’s behind the enrollment decline. 

“I didn’t feel like the community was heard,” she said. “I felt shut down by the district. I had been holding out hope that the decisions weren’t [already] made and that they were interested in evolving their thinking. I don’t think that’s the case. This feels it’s already been decided and the community meetings aren’t genuine.”

District officials say schools in a “well-resourced” system would have more than one teacher in each grade, preschool, stable year-to-year school budgets, and art, music and physical education teachers in each building, among other changes, according to the district’s plans.

The School Board’s vote earlier this month giving Jones the green light to come up with a plan for school closures has unsettled many parents and staff. Many have questions about the criteria the district will use as it decides which schools to close.  

During his presentation, Jones acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions ahead. “I know it’s hard, I know it’s difficult, I’ve read a lot of your emails.” Jones, who grew up in Seattle and whose mother worked for the school district, mentioned how he had to change schools himself when he was bused from the south end of Seattle to the north end as part of desegregation efforts several decades ago.

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“If there is a better comprehensive option, let us know,” he said. “But right now we have to do more with less.”

Before the meeting, about two dozen people wearing red T-shirts and carrying placards gathered outside the high school to rally against possible closures. Jones spoke to them briefly and said he was open to other suggestions for how to solve the budget crisis.

A citywide group of parents, community members and educators launched a petition last week opposing possible closures. By Monday, the group, All Together for Seattle Schools, had collected more than 600 signatures.

The group argued that the district and School Board settled on school closures without “meaningful collaboration” with families, staff and the public and that the May 8 vote sowed confusion among parents. It also criticized the district for failing to explain how the closures address the budget deficit. It urged the district to focus on opportunities that address students’ needs and outcomes.

The group wants the district to explore budget-saving alternatives in conjunction with the community. Alternatives should take into account the needs of Black and brown students, as well as those from the LGBTQ, immigrant, refugee, special education and multilingual communities. The group wants the district to disclose the alternatives it considered and how each would affect students, including their academic and social and emotional outcomes. It also wants an equity analysis.  

In a statement Monday, the Seattle Council of PTSA tried to strike a balance between individual parent action and a collective PTSA response. It said that while individuals can “advocate as their conscience directs,” a PTA should not advocate for or against school closures or consolidation.

Instead, it will advocate for “responsible and effective systemwide improvement to education quality and equity for students in Seattle Public Schools, undertaken in a way that ensures that adults and not students bear the primary burden of any avoidable disruption.” 

Samantha Fogg, the co-president of the PTSA council, said there are a number of questions to be answered, including what the district means when it talks about inclusive classrooms and how it is engaging with families who aren’t well served by the district. 

There should also be acknowledgment that the current system doesn’t serve all students, she said. And the process may unearth needs that require city, county and state resources. 

“Everybody’s intentions are honorable here,” she said. “I think that’s something  we have to really remember– it’s that we’re all trying to do our best for students.”

Three more community sessions are scheduled: Thursday, from 6-7:30 p.m., at Garfield High School; Saturday, from 10:30 a.m.-noon at Chief Sealth International High School; and Tuesday, from 6 -7:30 p.m., on Zoom.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the group All Together for Seattle Schools.

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.