The defense of a dissertation is the final requirement for the Ph.D. degree in Mathematics. This process has several steps:

Advancement to candidacy

After both completing the coursework requirements and passing all qualifying exams, you should immediately request the director of graduate studies to nominate the student to Ph.D. candidacy.

G901 status

Once nominated to candidacy, you may register for the six-hour course Dissertation Research G901. If you register for no other classes, you will pay minimal fees.

Nomination of research committee

You must form a research committee that meets the requirements of the Graduate School Bulletin. The University Graduate School must approve of your research committee six months before you defend the dissertation. Visit the Mathematics Graduate Office to complete a Nomination of Research Committee form well before this deadline.

Dissertation defense

You must notify the Mathematics Graduate Office of your dissertation defense date at least thirty days in advance. The dissertation and the dissertation defense must conform to the policies of the Graduate School, to be found in the Bulletin. Pay special attention to the Graduate School’s rules for Preparing Theses and Dissertations.

Each candidate is asked to provide the Mathematics department with a black 8 1/2 x 11” bound copy of their dissertation, with the title lettered in gold ink on both the spine and front cover. The department will hold this dissertation as a record of your achievement.