Skip to content
Graduate Student Resources

OHS Dissertation Policy

A. Purpose

Oral defense of the dissertation and the field with which it is concerned.

B. Preparation

Prior to Defense

1. Carefully review the Graduate School’s Degree Requirements for the most comprehensive information on defending and graduating, which includes:

  • Preparing to Graduate
  • Thesis/Dissertation Information
  • Concurrent Graduate Degree Requirements
  • Dates and Deadlines
  • Policies and Procedures

The above Degree Requirements page serves as the most exhaustive explanation of instructions, while this document serves as a supplemental document to focus on essential steps with the department.

2. Register for the final quarter you are to defend. Registration as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken and the degree is conferred.

3. Meet with your committee prior to the quarter you will defend about potential dates for your defense, who will serve on the Reading Committee and Reading Committee responsibilities.

4. Email your Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) the Reading Committee members list to input and approve in MyGrad, ideally by the start of the quarter you will defend.

5. Finalize a defense date and time that works for you and your supervisory committee. It is highly recommended to schedule your exam no later than the last day of instruction in case any unexpected issues arise such as you or a committee member getting sick and needing to reschedule.

6. Email your GPA to reserve a room, including what equipment you will require. At least a 25-person capacity room is recommended. Health Sciences Room Matrix

7. Schedule your exam in MyGrad and notify your GPA once doing so. Departmental approval will then be granted.

8. Submit your preferred name, defense title and location/day/time to the GPA at least three weeks before the exam to be included in School of Dentistry and OHS announcements.

9. Send your reading committee a draft of your written thesis about two weeks before the exam.

10. Your GPA will email you the Exam Committee Signature Form prior to the exam date to either hand to your committee chair on the day of the defense (in person) or to email to your chair (remote). The Committee Signature Form must be signed by the committee after the exam, and a committee member must return it to the GPA or Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC), ideally in person, or via email.

Day of Defense

11. Print and bring the Exam Committee Signature Form to your defense, if defending in person, for committee signatures. What to do if a committee member is late or missing.

Virtual Doctoral Examinations
Contact Health Services at 206-543-6729 for classroom technology emergencies.

12. Submit Signed Committee Signature Form

After the defense (or within the next day or so), either the Chair or committee member submits the signed Committee Signature Form to the GPA or GPC via email or in person. Those defending virtually may have the Committee Signature Form signed electronically/ printed, signed and sent via email with committee members’ signatures. The Committee Signature Form will be used to submit your exam results to the Graduate School no later than the last day of the quarter and will be kept on file by the department.

Last Day of Quarter

13. Submit your dissertation and Survey of Earned Doctorates certificate to the UW ETD Administrator Site and complete any other steps outlined on the Thesis/Dissertation webpage. Also, your committee members register electronic approval of your thesis.

C. Format

The department is following the formatting guidelines outlined by the Graduate School on Thesis/Dissertation submission via Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD).

D. Evaluations and Outcomes

Satisfactory
If the Final Examination is satisfactory, the supervisory committee members who participate at the examination sign the Committee Signature Form and return it to the student’s graduate program by the last day of the quarter (last day of finals week). Any members of a supervisory committee who participate at an examination but do not agree with the majority opinion are encouraged to submit a minority report to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Unsatisfactory
If an examination is unsatisfactory, a supervisory committee may recommend that the Dean of the Graduate School permit a second examination after a period of additional study.

Department of Oral Health Sciences Doctoral Dissertation Format

The department is following the formatting guidelines outlined by the Graduate School.

ETD Formatting Guidelines:
After you submit your ETD, the Graduate School will review your document as part of the graduation process at the end of each quarter. We will review for information accuracy, consistency, and to ensure your ETD meets the formatting requirements described below. There are three required sections (pages) that must be included at the beginning of your manuscript: 1) Title Page, 2) Copyright Page, 3) Abstract. Templates for these sections are provided below.

Apart from these first three pages, the Graduate School does not adhere to any specific formatting or publishing requirements unless explicitly stated by the ProQuest Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission (provided below). You should refer to the citation, formatting, and style specifications of your discipline and the guidance of your supervisory committee. Note: theses and dissertations must be submitted in PDF format.

Required Sections:

 Title Page

Doctoral Dissertation Title Page Template (PDF)

  • Must include all items listed in the sample title page and placed in the same order
  • May be the first or second page of your document

These items must match MyGrad – student view information:

  • Title of document
  • Author’s Full Name
  • Name of degree as it will appear on your diploma
  • Year of graduation
  • Names of chair/committee members (do not include signatures or professional titles, e.g. Dr. or PhD, before/after faculty names)
  • Program authorized to offer degree (school or department)

Copyright Page

Copyright Page Template (PDF)

  • May be the first or second page of your document
  • Name and year must match title pages
  • List the year of graduation

 Abstract

Abstract Template (PDF)

  •  Place abstract after copyright and title page

ETD Formatting Resources: