A. Thesis Defense

If the thesis is not completed within five years of obtaining Dissertator status, the student must re-take the Preliminary Exam, or request an extension from the Graduate School and by notifying the CMB Office.

If changes in the Thesis Committee are made after a warrant has been requested from the Graduate School, then a revised form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School for approval. The Graduate School may issue a new warrant but a second PhD packet will not be issued.

B. Requirements to Complete

At Least Three Weeks Prior to Defense Date:

• Schedule the PhD Defense: Inform the CMB Office of the date at least three weeks prior to the scheduled date

• Obtain a PhD Final Oral Exam Committee Approval Form from the CMB Office: complete and return this form to the CMB Office (please allow three weeks for processing and approval through the Graduate School)

• The Graduate School will send a packet of thesis materials and information to the CMB Office

• The CMB Office will inform the student when the packet has been received and is ready to be picked up in the CMB Office
  

• Read through the PhD packet and complete necessary items

• Follow the instructions outlined in the Graduate School publications:

  • The 3 D's: Deadlines, Defending, and Depositing

  • A Guide to Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation

At Least Two Weeks Prior to Defense Date:

• Submit a copy of the Thesis Defense to all members of the Thesis Committee

• A Thesis Committee member has the right to remove him/herself from the student’s Thesis Committee if the student does not follow this step

• Submit to the CMB Office, a seminar notice of the final PhD Thesis Defense that includes the thesis title, author, date, time, and location

At the PhD Thesis Defense:

• Obtain signatures of Thesis Committee members on Warrant and title page

Following the PhD Thesis Defense:

• Contact the Graduate School at (608) 262-2433 to schedule an appointment for the final review

  • Final review appointment times are 10:00-11:00 a.m. and 2:00-3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday and take approximately 15 minutes

  • If defending near the end of a semester, call and schedule an appointment immediately following the defense

• According to Graduate School rules, all corrections and revisions of the Thesis Defense must be made before attending the final review

  • Students are not allowed to make changes on the copy submitted to the Graduate School after the final review is complete

Submit the Following Materials:

• To the CMB Office:

  • A copy of the Warrant, signed by ALL Thesis Committee Members

  • The dissertation abstract, signed by the Thesis Advisor

  • A copy of the Title page

  • The Forwarding Address Form

• To the Graduate School:

  • See Step 3: Graduate School Final Reviews at http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/education/completedegree/ddd.html, "The three D’s Deadlines, Defending, Depositing,” for detailed information

• To receive a diploma, all holds must be cleared through the CMB Office and all fines and charges must be satisfied with the University of Wisconsin