The dissertation and defense of it, in the Final Examination, are the final requirements for the Doctoral Degree. These requirements are undertaken after you have achieved Candidate status, i.e., passed your oral General Examination at least one quarter previously. The dissertation should demonstrate "original and independent investigation and achievement [and]... should reflect not only mastery of research techniques, but also ability to select an important problem for investigation."
You must register and receive credit for a minimum of 27 credits of dissertation research (800) distributed over a minimum of three quarters. At least one of these quarters should be after you have passed your General Examination.
As you near completion of your dissertation, you should determine which members of your committee will serve as the Reading Committee. The committee members agree to read the entire dissertation prior to the scheduling of the dissertation defense. These members will be the ones to sign the final version of the dissertation.
To schedule your Final Examination, arrange a day and time agreeable with your committee members. A minimum of 4 members, including the Chair and the Graduate School Representative (GSR), must be present at the examination.
Download the "Request for Scheduling the Final Examination" form from: http://www.grad.washington.edu/forms/finexam.pdf. This form must be signed by ALL members of your Supervisory Committee and turned in to the Graduate Program Coordinator. E-mails or faxes from committee members can be submitted in lieu of signatures on the form. Electronic approval of the scheduling must include the date, time and location of the defense. Members can be asked to copy and return a statement such as the following:
"I will (will not) attend the dissertation defense of on at in ."
The Graduate Program Coordinator will submit the request to the Graduate School. This must be done at least 21 calendar days before the proposed examination date.
When the Graduate School Student Services Division's review of the student's record indicates that the Graduate School's minimum requirements have been met, a Final Examination Warrant will be sent to the Women Studies Graduate Program Assistant.
Either you or your Supervisory Committee Chair will arrange to obtain the warrant on or before the final exam day. The final warrant is signed by all committee members present (minimum of four required) at the exam and returned to the Women Studies Graduate Program Office.
The signed Final Examination Warrant indicating satisfactory performance on your exam and two final copies of your approved dissertation must be accepted by the Graduate School's Student Services Division no later than the last day of the quarter for you to receive your degree that quarter. If the dissertation is turned in after the quarter ends, you must register for the following quarter. The dissertation, in any case, must be submitted to the Graduate School within 60 calendar days of the defense or the student must re-defend. This is strictly enforced by the Graduate School.
This manual also has a detailed description of all steps to be taken in preparing the dissertation for submission to the graduate school. It's an excellent source. Use it!
Requirements for Doctoral Degree which must be met before a Final Examination is scheduled:
Completion of all required coursework.
At least half of your program must be in courses 500 or above.
You must have at least 18 graded credits of course work (400 or 500 level courses only) at the U.W. which averaged to at least 3.0
Creditable passage of the General Examination at least one quarter before the Final Examination.
Minimum of 27 dissertation credits (800), taken over a period of at least three quarters, at least one of which follows the General Examination.
Completion of all work for the doctoral degree within ten years. This includes work transferred from other institutions, as well as all time spent on-leave, e.g., on internship.
You must be registered at the University either full- or part-time (minimum 2 credit hours) during the quarter in which you take your Final Examination. You have 60 days from the date of your Final Examination in which to submit your dissertation to the Graduate School. However, if you do not submit your dissertation in the same quarter in which you defended it, you must also be registered for the quarter in which you do submit your dissertation to the Graduate School.