Proposal

After completing the coursework and the written qualifying examination, a student takes an oral examination in which he or she proposes a dissertation topic or other substantive piece of research, discusses its significance, and explains the research methods to be used and any preliminary results. The proposal date and requirements are set by the individual PhD programs, so if you have questions, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for your program and/or your dissertation advisor. For the Dean’s Office at Kellogg, the deadline for students to pass their proposal is the summer of their fourth year (August 31); however, some programs have instituted an earlier deadline for the proposal. Check with your DGS and program guidelines regarding the proposal deadline and requirements.

The proposal process is similar to the final defense. Here's the information Susan Jackman will need from you by email at least two weeks before the date of your proposal:

• Scheduled date, time, and location (room number) for your proposal
• Title of proposal or presentation
• List of committee members, noting who your chair is. Details regarding the committee requirements are available online. 

David Dranove, Faculty Director of the PhD Program, approves of all committees. Once Susan has his approval, she'll process the paperwork for your proposal and give the forms to your dissertation chair. To pass the proposal, signatures are required from your proposal committee members. The signature form is returned to Susan Jackman for processing.