Frequently Asked Questions about the Dissertation and Graduation Language, Literacy, and Culture Ph.D. Program

1. When can I begin my dissertation work?

Students are encouraged to begin thinking about their dissertation topic upon enrolling in the Program. It is advisable to orient all papers required in courses in the direction of developing this area of research.Students should have completed all of their core courses, program concentration courses, research methods courses and have taken the comprehensive examinations before formally beginning their dissertation work. Students typically take their first LLC 899 Dissertation Research credit concomitantly with LLC 890 Research Proposal Seminar.

2. How do I register for LLC 899?

Each dissertation chair is given a unique section number of LLC 899 and his/her own STARS code. The STARS code changes each spring and fall semester for each faculty member. Inform the Program Assistant of your intent to take LLC 899 and the name of the faculty member with whom you will be working. You will be cleared to register and informed to do so. Note that all candidates for the doctoral degree must register for a minimum of twelve credits of LLC 899.

3. How do I form my Final Examination Committee?

You should discuss the membership of the Committee with your dissertation advisor. The committee must consist of a minimum of five voting members, all of whom hold the doctoral degree. At least three of these must be regular members of the graduate faculty. One or more members of the Committee may be faculty from other institutions. The student indicates the names of all Committee Members on the "Nominations of Members" form. Two readers should be identified on this form.

The Dean of the Graduate school and Vice Provost for Research will appoint the Final Examination Committee and notify the Chairperson of the Committee. One member of the Committee will be designated by the Dean as his Representative.

4. When can I be admitted to candidacy?

A student must be admitted to candidacy within five years after admission to the doctoral program. Within this time, the student must complete all core courses, all program concentration requirements, all methods courses, and LLC 890 Research Proposal Seminar. When all of these requirements have been met, the student defends his/her dissertation proposal before his/her chairperson and his/her Final Examination Committee. There is a departmental certification form for successful completion of the research proposal defense which must be signed by the student's dissertation committee chairperson and the LLC Program Director.

Note that a student must be admitted to candidacy at least two full sequential semesters (spring, summer, or fall), before the date on which the doctoral degree will be conferred.

Students must complete all of their program requirements for the degree, including the dissertation and final oral defense within four years after admission to candidacy.

5. What must I do for the Graduate School after I defend my proposal?

After the student defends his/her proposal, he/she must submit the "Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy" form and the "Graduate School Record" form. The latter form delineates all coursework taken and proposed by the student in fulfillment of degree requirements. These forms are available from the Program Assistant and they are also downloadable from the Graduate School website:
www.umbc.edu/tmp/gradschool/policies_proc.htm

6. What is involved in scheduling and completing the final dissertation defense?

All final oral examinations are open to members of the graduate faculty. The defense is considered successful when affirmative votes of a majority plus one of the members of the Committee are cast in private deliberation. This means that the minimum number of required affirmative votes from a five-membered committee is four, or, from a six-membered committee, five.

The Dean's representative is responsible for ensuring that all established procedures are followed and for resolving all disagreements. The Representative is also responsible for returning the "Report of the Examining Committee" form to the Graduate School. If the report is negative, a letter of explanation and remediation, if appropriate, must be given to the Graduate School, the Graduate Program Director, and the student, within two working days of the defense.

The candidate may attempt the final oral defense only twice. A failure on the second attempt means the doctoral degree is forfeited.

Other points to remember are as follows:

• Six months prior to the defense, complete the "Nomination of Members for the Final Doctoral Examination Committee" form and take it to the Graduate School. Include a curriculum vitae for any nominees who are not members of the graduate faculty at UMBC. Designate two members as "readers." This form is available from the Program Assistant and downloadable from the Graduate School website:
  www.umbc.edu/tmp/gradschool/policies_proc.html
• At least two weeks prior to the defense, the student should complete the "Announcement of Ph.D. Dissertation Defense" form and the "Certification of Completion of Doctoral Dissertation" form and submit them to the Graduate School along with an abstract. This form is available from the Program Assistant and downloadable from the Graduate School website:
  www.umbc.edu/tmp/gradschool/policies_proc.html
• At least two weeks prior to the defense, the student should submit a copy of the final dissertation to all members of the Final Examination Committee.
• Within two working days after the oral dissertation defense, the Representative for the Dean (a member of the Final Examination Committee), returns the completed "Report of the Examination Committee" form to the Graduate School.

7. After I meet all the departmental requirements and defend my final dissertation, what must I do to graduate?

• Before the close of general registration of the semester in which you intend to graduate, the student should register for at least one credit.
• Within the first three weeks of that semester, the student should pay the diploma fee of $150 at the Cashier's Office (3rd Floor of the Administration Building).
• Take the diploma fee receipt and the completed Application for Diploma form to the Graduate School. This form is available from the Program Assistant and downloadable from the Graduate School website:
  www.umbc.edu/tmp/gradschool/policies_proc.html

8. To what other logistical matters should I attend?

• For those who wish to participate in graduation ceremonies, order academic regalia from the UMBC Bookstore by the deadline date, and inform the Graduate School that you plan to attend commencement.
• One month before the graduation date (January 31, late May, or August 31), pay the cashier all outstanding university debts. This date is also the last date to submit the "Certification of Completion of Doctoral Dissertation" form and the "Announcement of Ph.D. Dissertation Defense" form.
• One week before the graduation date, the original dissertation and one copy
  of it are due in the Graduate School. All personal and departmental copies which the student wishes to have bound should also be submitted by this date. Any minor typographical corrections or emendations to the dissertation which were agreed upon by the committee at the time of the defense should be incorporated into the final version. The signature of the mentor on the approval sheet will certify that all the corrections/emendations have been made.
• One week before the graduation date, the student should submit the "Survey of Earned Doctorates" form and the "University Microfilm" form. Include a copy of the title page and the abstract of the dissertation.