Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student prepares a written dissertation proposal to be presented to the members of the Dissertation Committee, consisting of the permanent advisor plus four other members. The Dissertation Committee is formed when the student consults with the permanent advisor and the advisor nominates the first, second and third readers, as well as two additional readers, to be approved by the department. Ideally, the proposal examination takes place in the first semester following the qualifying examination and while the student is in residence. The dissertation is then prepared and written under the primary direction of the candidate's permanent advisor. Dissertation specifications are determined by the regulation of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and additionally by the student's advisor.
Guidelines concerning illustrations are available from the department.
The completed dissertation must be defended before the Dissertation Committee. Any changes made to the Dissertation Committee must be approved by the department prior to the examination. Individual copies of the dissertation must be given at least two weeks before the exam to all committee members. The oral examination is on matters relevant to the dissertation and its relation to the discipline of geography. Any University faculty member may attend and participate in the examination.