PhD Academic Procedures
As you set off on your PhD experience, steer yourself toward success by following Khoury procedures. For current PhD students, please see the Khoury Graduate Resource Center SharePoint site for policies, forms, events, and additional information.
As you set off on your PhD experience, steer yourself toward success by following Khoury procedures. For current PhD students, please see the Khoury Graduate Resource Center SharePoint site for policies, forms, events, and additional information.
As you set off on your PhD experience, steer yourself toward success by following Khoury procedures. For current PhD students, please see the Khoury Graduate Resource Center SharePoint site for policies, forms, events, and additional information.
As you set off on your PhD experience, steer yourself toward success by following Khoury procedures. For current PhD students, please see the Khoury Graduate Resource Center SharePoint site for policies, forms, events, and additional information.
Readings or project courses may not have duplicative content with paid work or research being completed under the supervision of university or college faculty members. This includes research conducted as part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
The readings or project course proposal should have clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of the above reference positions. Please contact your academic advisor or program administrator if you require further guideline clarification.
How to take a readings course:
- Students will meet with their advisors before the start of the next academic term to discuss their coursework.
- With advisors’ assistance, students will draft a readings course proposal with clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
- Students submitting online requests for readings courses will include a copy of their proposal. Learn more here.
- Administrators reviewing requests will keep readings course proposals in student records.
To demonstrate research ability, you are required to write a research or survey paper in an area of specialty under the supervision of a faculty advisor and submit it to the PhD committee. Typically, the paper should not exceed 15 pages.
A student is considered to have fulfilled the paper requirement if:
- A paper that they have authored and the student has made substantial contributions to the paper.
- The name and acceptance rate of the relevant conference or journal where the paper has been accepted, and any additional information about the quality of the venue.
- A statement from their advisor clearly indicating the student’s contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
If a paper meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Paper Requirement.”
- Submit your paper as a single PDF as well as a statement from your advisor that indicates your contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome.
Readings or project courses may not have duplicative content with paid work or research being completed under the supervision of university or college faculty members. This includes research conducted as part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
The readings or project course proposal should have clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of the above reference positions. Please contact your academic advisor or program administrator if you require further guideline clarification.
How to take a readings course:
- Students will meet with their advisors before the start of the next academic term to discuss their coursework.
- With advisors’ assistance, students will draft a readings course proposal with clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
- Students submitting online requests for readings courses will include a copy of their proposal. Learn more here.
- Administrators reviewing requests will keep readings course proposals in student records.
To demonstrate research ability, you are required to write a research or survey paper in an area of specialty under the supervision of a faculty advisor and submit it to the PhD committee. Typically, the paper should not exceed 15 pages.
A student is considered to have fulfilled the paper requirement if:
- A paper that they have authored and the student has made substantial contributions to the paper.
- The name and acceptance rate of the relevant conference or journal where the paper has been accepted, and any additional information about the quality of the venue.
- A statement from their advisor clearly indicating the student’s contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
If a paper meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Paper Requirement.”
- Submit your paper as a single PDF as well as a statement from your advisor that indicates your contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome.
Readings or project courses may not have duplicative content with paid work or research being completed under the supervision of university or college faculty members. This includes research conducted as part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
The readings or project course proposal should have clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of the above reference positions. Please contact your academic advisor or program administrator if you require further guideline clarification.
How to take a readings course:
- Students will meet with their advisors before the start of the next academic term to discuss their coursework.
- With advisors’ assistance, students will draft a readings course proposal with clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
- Students submitting online requests for readings courses will include a copy of their proposal. Learn more here.
- Administrators reviewing requests will keep readings course proposals in student records.
To demonstrate research ability, you are required to write a research or survey paper in an area of specialty under the supervision of a faculty advisor and submit it to the PhD committee. Typically, the paper should not exceed 15 pages.
A student is considered to have fulfilled the paper requirement if:
- A paper that they have authored and the student has made substantial contributions to the paper.
- The name and acceptance rate of the relevant conference or journal where the paper has been accepted, and any additional information about the quality of the venue.
- A statement from their advisor clearly indicating the student’s contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
If a paper meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Paper Requirement.”
- Submit your paper as a single PDF as well as a statement from your advisor that indicates your contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome.
Readings or project courses may not have duplicative content with paid work or research being completed under the supervision of university or college faculty members. This includes research conducted as part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
The readings or project course proposal should have clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of the above reference positions. Please contact your academic advisor or program administrator if you require further guideline clarification.
How to take a readings course:
- Students will meet with their advisors before the start of the next academic term to discuss their coursework.
- With advisors’ assistance, students will draft a readings course proposal with clearly stated learning outcomes distinct from research that can be considered part of a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or research assistantship.
- Students submitting online requests for readings courses will include a copy of their proposal. Learn more here.
- Administrators reviewing requests will keep readings course proposals in student records.
To demonstrate research ability, you are required to write a research or survey paper in an area of specialty under the supervision of a faculty advisor and submit it to the PhD committee. Typically, the paper should not exceed 15 pages.
A student is considered to have fulfilled the paper requirement if:
- A paper that they have authored and the student has made substantial contributions to the paper.
- The name and acceptance rate of the relevant conference or journal where the paper has been accepted, and any additional information about the quality of the venue.
- A statement from their advisor clearly indicating the student’s contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
If a paper meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Paper Requirement.”
- Submit your paper as a single PDF as well as a statement from your advisor that indicates your contributions to the paper and how these contributions provide evidence of research potential.
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
PhD student services reviews submissions once per semester during the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend. This takes effect the semester following when candidacy is achieved.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
PhD student services reviews submissions once per semester during the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend. This takes effect the semester following when candidacy is achieved.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
PhD student services reviews submissions once per semester during the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend. This takes effect the semester following when candidacy is achieved.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
PhD student services reviews submissions once per semester during the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend. This takes effect the semester following when candidacy is achieved.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
PhD candidacy
In order to be admitted to candidacy, PhD students must have submitted the PhD Coursework Completion form and have satisfied the PhD paper requirement.
The PhD curriculum committee reviews submissions on a monthly basis during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Once approved, a doctoral student is considered a doctoral candidate and eligible for an increase in their SGA stipend.
Candidacy stipend rate will be reflected in the first available pay period subsequent to the academic status being reflected on the academic record.
Students are not eligible for candidacy consideration during the summer semester.
The examination will be taken after you have achieved sufficient depth in a field of study in order to prepare a thesis proposal for the PhD dissertation. This process should take place no later than the fall semester of the fifth year in residence. Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, you will prepare a thesis proposal for the examination describing your proposed research, including the relevant background materials from the literature.
The thesis proposal should clearly specify the research problems to be investigated, the techniques to be used, and a schedule of milestones towards completion. It should include an abstract and a schedule of milestones towards completion.
The thesis proposal must be approved by your Comprehensive Committee. It is strongly recommended that the same members should serve on both the Comprehensive and Thesis Committees. With the help of your advisor, you will select the Comprehensive Committee consisting of four members to be approved by the PhD Committee. The four members must include the advisor, two other faculty members from the College, and an external examiner.
If your thesis proposal meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Thesis Proposal.”
- Submit an abstract for your thesis proposal
- Submit a short paragraph from the thesis advisor justifying the choice of your committee members. One sentence per member of the committee will suffice.
- Add any additional information regarding your committee members
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome. Do not schedule your Comprehensive Exam until you have received approval.
Once your Comprehensive Committee is set and your proposal has been written and approved, please select a date for your Comprehensive Exam and complete this form so that your proposal may be advertised to the larger Khoury community.
The examination will be taken after you have achieved sufficient depth in a field of study in order to prepare a thesis proposal for the PhD dissertation. This process should take place no later than the fall semester of the fifth year in residence. Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, you will prepare a thesis proposal for the examination describing your proposed research, including the relevant background materials from the literature.
The thesis proposal should clearly specify the research problems to be investigated, the techniques to be used, and a schedule of milestones towards completion. It should include an abstract and a schedule of milestones towards completion.
The thesis proposal must be approved by your Comprehensive Committee. It is strongly recommended that the same members should serve on both the Comprehensive and Thesis Committees. With the help of your advisor, you will select the Comprehensive Committee consisting of four members to be approved by the PhD Committee. The four members must include the advisor, two other faculty members from the College, and an external examiner.
If your thesis proposal meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Thesis Proposal.”
- Submit an abstract for your thesis proposal
- Submit a short paragraph from the thesis advisor justifying the choice of your committee members. One sentence per member of the committee will suffice.
- Add any additional information regarding your committee members
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome. Do not schedule your Comprehensive Exam until you have received approval.
Once your Comprehensive Committee is set and your proposal has been written and approved, please select a date for your Comprehensive Exam and complete this form so that your proposal may be advertised to the larger Khoury community.
The examination will be taken after you have achieved sufficient depth in a field of study in order to prepare a thesis proposal for the PhD dissertation. This process should take place no later than the fall semester of the fifth year in residence. Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, you will prepare a thesis proposal for the examination describing your proposed research, including the relevant background materials from the literature.
The thesis proposal should clearly specify the research problems to be investigated, the techniques to be used, and a schedule of milestones towards completion. It should include an abstract and a schedule of milestones towards completion.
The thesis proposal must be approved by your Comprehensive Committee. It is strongly recommended that the same members should serve on both the Comprehensive and Thesis Committees. With the help of your advisor, you will select the Comprehensive Committee consisting of four members to be approved by the PhD Committee. The four members must include the advisor, two other faculty members from the College, and an external examiner.
If your thesis proposal meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Thesis Proposal.”
- Submit an abstract for your thesis proposal
- Submit a short paragraph from the thesis advisor justifying the choice of your committee members. One sentence per member of the committee will suffice.
- Add any additional information regarding your committee members
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome. Do not schedule your Comprehensive Exam until you have received approval.
Once your Comprehensive Committee is set and your proposal has been written and approved, please select a date for your Comprehensive Exam and complete this form so that your proposal may be advertised to the larger Khoury community.
The examination will be taken after you have achieved sufficient depth in a field of study in order to prepare a thesis proposal for the PhD dissertation. This process should take place no later than the fall semester of the fifth year in residence. Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, you will prepare a thesis proposal for the examination describing your proposed research, including the relevant background materials from the literature.
The thesis proposal should clearly specify the research problems to be investigated, the techniques to be used, and a schedule of milestones towards completion. It should include an abstract and a schedule of milestones towards completion.
The thesis proposal must be approved by your Comprehensive Committee. It is strongly recommended that the same members should serve on both the Comprehensive and Thesis Committees. With the help of your advisor, you will select the Comprehensive Committee consisting of four members to be approved by the PhD Committee. The four members must include the advisor, two other faculty members from the College, and an external examiner.
If your thesis proposal meets these criteria, then a student may submit it for review. Below are the steps:
- Log into the student portal (admin.khoury.northeastern.edu).
- Under the “Students” section on the left, choose “Thesis Proposal.”
- Submit an abstract for your thesis proposal
- Submit a short paragraph from the thesis advisor justifying the choice of your committee members. One sentence per member of the committee will suffice.
- Add any additional information regarding your committee members
Please allow two weeks for the PhD committee to review, discuss, vote, and communicate the outcome. Do not schedule your Comprehensive Exam until you have received approval.
Once your Comprehensive Committee is set and your proposal has been written and approved, please select a date for your Comprehensive Exam and complete this form so that your proposal may be advertised to the larger Khoury community.
Upon successful completion of the research proposed in your thesis proposal, you will prepare your dissertation for approval by the Doctoral Thesis Committee. The dissertation must contain results of extensive research and make an original contribution to the field. The work should give evidence of your ability to carry out independent research. It is expected that the dissertation should be of sufficient quality to merit publication in a reputable journal.
Doctoral Thesis Committee
If the Thesis Committee is the same as the Comprehensive Committee, no further approval is needed. If the Thesis Committee is different in its composition, the approval process will follow that of the Comprehensive Committee.
Dissertation defense
The dissertation defense is held in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate Council. You will give a lecture on the subject matter of your dissertation, followed by questions from the Doctoral Committee and others in attendance concerning the results of the dissertation as well as any related matters. The examination will be chaired by the PhD advisor.
Dissertation submission
The university requires graduate students to submit their dissertation or thesis electronically to UMI Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously submitted hard copies to Snell Library, it is now your responsibility to publish your dissertation using the aforementioned site as well as cover the cost of the electronic submission.
Dissertation submission should begin only after you have defended your work and had your dissertation signed off by the Doctoral Thesis Committee, your advisor, and the graduate programs director using the PhD Thesis Approval form. Once completed, the introductory material contained on UMI will lead you through the account creation and submission processes.
You can directly upload your dissertation as a PDF to UMI. While Khoury has no specific formatting requirements, the electronic submission must follow UMI’s guidelines.
After the dissertation is submitted electronically, it will be catalogued in NUCat, Northeastern’s library catalog, and made available in both ProQuest and the Digital Repository Service (DRS) for research purposes. If you do not wish for your dissertation or thesis to be immediately placed in DRS for any reason (for example, if you are planning a patent application or formal publication), please opt for an embargo option (from six months to two years) when you submit your paper to Proquest. The university libraries will honor the embargo request before making your paper available via DRS and the Internet.
Deadline
Dissertations may be submitted at any point during the year upon completion of all degree requirements. If you would like to be cleared for a specific commencement, the dissertation must be approved two weeks before commencement. You should allow for adequate time to make any necessary corrections to your dissertation as requested by your committee.
Upon successful completion of the research proposed in your thesis proposal, you will prepare your dissertation for approval by the Doctoral Thesis Committee. The dissertation must contain results of extensive research and make an original contribution to the field. The work should give evidence of your ability to carry out independent research. It is expected that the dissertation should be of sufficient quality to merit publication in a reputable journal.
Doctoral Thesis Committee
If the Thesis Committee is the same as the Comprehensive Committee, no further approval is needed. If the Thesis Committee is different in its composition, the approval process will follow that of the Comprehensive Committee.
Dissertation defense
The dissertation defense is held in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate Council. You will give a lecture on the subject matter of your dissertation, followed by questions from the Doctoral Committee and others in attendance concerning the results of the dissertation as well as any related matters. The examination will be chaired by the PhD advisor.
Dissertation submission
The university requires graduate students to submit their dissertation or thesis electronically to UMI Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously submitted hard copies to Snell Library, it is now your responsibility to publish your dissertation using the aforementioned site as well as cover the cost of the electronic submission.
Dissertation submission should begin only after you have defended your work and had your dissertation signed off by the Doctoral Thesis Committee, your advisor, and the graduate programs director using the PhD Thesis Approval form. Once completed, the introductory material contained on UMI will lead you through the account creation and submission processes.
You can directly upload your dissertation as a PDF to UMI. While Khoury has no specific formatting requirements, the electronic submission must follow UMI’s guidelines.
After the dissertation is submitted electronically, it will be catalogued in NUCat, Northeastern’s library catalog, and made available in both ProQuest and the Digital Repository Service (DRS) for research purposes. If you do not wish for your dissertation or thesis to be immediately placed in DRS for any reason (for example, if you are planning a patent application or formal publication), please opt for an embargo option (from six months to two years) when you submit your paper to Proquest. The university libraries will honor the embargo request before making your paper available via DRS and the Internet.
Deadline
Dissertations may be submitted at any point during the year upon completion of all degree requirements. If you would like to be cleared for a specific commencement, the dissertation must be approved two weeks before commencement. You should allow for adequate time to make any necessary corrections to your dissertation as requested by your committee.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.
Upon successful completion of the research proposed in your thesis proposal, you will prepare your dissertation for approval by the Doctoral Thesis Committee. The dissertation must contain results of extensive research and make an original contribution to the field. The work should give evidence of your ability to carry out independent research. It is expected that the dissertation should be of sufficient quality to merit publication in a reputable journal.
Doctoral Thesis Committee
If the Thesis Committee is the same as the Comprehensive Committee, no further approval is needed. If the Thesis Committee is different in its composition, the approval process will follow that of the Comprehensive Committee.
Dissertation defense
The dissertation defense is held in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate Council. You will give a lecture on the subject matter of your dissertation, followed by questions from the Doctoral Committee and others in attendance concerning the results of the dissertation as well as any related matters. The examination will be chaired by the PhD advisor.
Dissertation submission
The university requires graduate students to submit their dissertation or thesis electronically to UMI Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously submitted hard copies to Snell Library, it is now your responsibility to publish your dissertation using the aforementioned site as well as cover the cost of the electronic submission.
Dissertation submission should begin only after you have defended your work and had your dissertation signed off by the Doctoral Thesis Committee, your advisor, and the graduate programs director using the PhD Thesis Approval form. Once completed, the introductory material contained on UMI will lead you through the account creation and submission processes.
You can directly upload your dissertation as a PDF to UMI. While Khoury has no specific formatting requirements, the electronic submission must follow UMI’s guidelines.
After the dissertation is submitted electronically, it will be catalogued in NUCat, Northeastern’s library catalog, and made available in both ProQuest and the Digital Repository Service (DRS) for research purposes. If you do not wish for your dissertation or thesis to be immediately placed in DRS for any reason (for example, if you are planning a patent application or formal publication), please opt for an embargo option (from six months to two years) when you submit your paper to Proquest. The university libraries will honor the embargo request before making your paper available via DRS and the Internet.
Deadline
Dissertations may be submitted at any point during the year upon completion of all degree requirements. If you would like to be cleared for a specific commencement, the dissertation must be approved two weeks before commencement. You should allow for adequate time to make any necessary corrections to your dissertation as requested by your committee.
Upon successful completion of the research proposed in your thesis proposal, you will prepare your dissertation for approval by the Doctoral Thesis Committee. The dissertation must contain results of extensive research and make an original contribution to the field. The work should give evidence of your ability to carry out independent research. It is expected that the dissertation should be of sufficient quality to merit publication in a reputable journal.
Doctoral Thesis Committee
If the Thesis Committee is the same as the Comprehensive Committee, no further approval is needed. If the Thesis Committee is different in its composition, the approval process will follow that of the Comprehensive Committee.
Dissertation defense
The dissertation defense is held in accordance with the regulations of the University Graduate Council. You will give a lecture on the subject matter of your dissertation, followed by questions from the Doctoral Committee and others in attendance concerning the results of the dissertation as well as any related matters. The examination will be chaired by the PhD advisor.
Dissertation submission
The university requires graduate students to submit their dissertation or thesis electronically to UMI Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously submitted hard copies to Snell Library, it is now your responsibility to publish your dissertation using the aforementioned site as well as cover the cost of the electronic submission.
Dissertation submission should begin only after you have defended your work and had your dissertation signed off by the Doctoral Thesis Committee, your advisor, and the graduate programs director using the PhD Thesis Approval form. Once completed, the introductory material contained on UMI will lead you through the account creation and submission processes.
You can directly upload your dissertation as a PDF to UMI. While Khoury has no specific formatting requirements, the electronic submission must follow UMI’s guidelines.
After the dissertation is submitted electronically, it will be catalogued in NUCat, Northeastern’s library catalog, and made available in both ProQuest and the Digital Repository Service (DRS) for research purposes. If you do not wish for your dissertation or thesis to be immediately placed in DRS for any reason (for example, if you are planning a patent application or formal publication), please opt for an embargo option (from six months to two years) when you submit your paper to Proquest. The university libraries will honor the embargo request before making your paper available via DRS and the Internet.
Deadline
Dissertations may be submitted at any point during the year upon completion of all degree requirements. If you would like to be cleared for a specific commencement, the dissertation must be approved two weeks before commencement. You should allow for adequate time to make any necessary corrections to your dissertation as requested by your committee.
Residency
One year of continuous full-time study is required after admission to the PhD candidacy. You are expected to make substantial progress in preparing for the comprehensive examination during this period.