Final Examination and Dissertation Defense

The dissertation is an important part of the candidate's program; it must represent an original contribution toward understanding a problem of substantial scientific importance. The dissertation must be prepared in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Graduate School. A Reading Committee consisting of three members of the supervisory committee will be appointed. The dissertation must be approved by this Committee, and it must be presented orally and defended at a Department of Atmospheric Sciences colloquium. The Request for Final Examination must be signed by all members of the Supervisory Committee including the Graduate Faculty Representative (GSR) and must be presented to the Academic Counselor no later than three weeks in advance of the date of the dissertation defense. In addition to the two copies that must be submitted to the Graduate School, one copy of the dissertation must be filed with the Department and one copy presented to the Supervisory Committee chairperson. The Final Examination is conducted following the oral presentation of the dissertation and is limited to the subject of the dissertation.

Final Exam Checklist