St. John’s
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences dissertation regulations and
forms are available through the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences home page. The link to
“Graduate School Forms” provides detailed information about
dissertation procedures and deadlines as well as the necessary
approval forms for each stage of the dissertation. See especially “Doctoral Dissertation
Procedures” for an overview of Graduate School expectations.
The
dissertation process begins after the student completes the
comprehensive exams. Students should
register for English 975: Doctor of Arts Research each semester
after they have taken their comprehensive exams, until they have
defended the dissertation. All D.A.
students are required to register for at least two semesters (6
credits) of English 975. Within one
year after completing the comprehensive exams, students should
define their dissertation committee and complete a prospectus of
their dissertation to submit to the English Department Chair and
Associate Dean of the Graduate School for approval.
Students
begin the dissertation process by defining their research topic and
asking a St. John’s English faculty member to serve as the mentor
for the dissertation. The mentor is
usually a faculty member with whom the student has already studied,
but the most important consideration is the mentor’s scholarly
expertise, as he or she guides the student in his or her
dissertation research. The student then
asks two additional faculty members to serve on his or her
dissertation committee. Again,
scholarly expertise is important in the selection of prospective
readers, but so is the student’s working relationship with the
faculty members. The dissertation
committee may be comprised of the same faculty who served on the
student’s comprehensive exam committee, but this is not
necessary.
While the
dissertation is a critical, research-based project, it may include
discursive approaches beyond traditional scholarly writing, subject
to the approval of the student’s dissertation committee.
The
Dissertation Prospectus
The
first stage of writing the dissertation is the completion of a 5-10
page
prospectus,
with a bibliography of research materials. While the prospectus should reflect the
research that the student has begun for the dissertation, its
primary purpose is to describe the plan for the dissertation. In writing the prospectus, students should:
- Introduce the
topic to non-specialists
- Explain why the
project is important
- Sketch the
specific argument, or the questions that the research will
ask
- Describe the
research accomplished so far, and research yet to do
- Give a brief
sketch of what each chapter seeks to accomplish
The
bibliography should list as comprehensively as possible the primary
and secondary sources that the student has studied and plans to
study for the dissertation. When the
prospectus is approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the
student needs to fill out Form 1 (“Approval Form for Doctoral
Dissertation Research”) and request signatures from each committee
member and the English Department chair. The student can then proceed to
complete his or her research and write the dissertation.
Completing
the Dissertation
Because the
dissertation is a lengthy project (usually 150 pages or longer),
the overall time of completion depends on how much time the student
can commit to research and writing.
While working on the dissertation, the student should consult with
his or her mentor on a regular basis and with the entire
dissertation committee at least once a year. The purpose for regular consultation with
the mentor is to ensure that the student is making sufficient
progress on the dissertation.
When the
dissertation mentor agrees that the draft is ready for readers, the
student sends copies to the readers and gets their signatures for
Form 2 (“Reader's Copies Receipt”).
Students should submit this form at least four months before they
would like to graduate. This allows
time for the readers to respond to the draft, revisions to be made,
and the appropriate papers to be processed.
Students
also need to give their readers copies of Form 3 (“Professor's
Report to the Dean on Reader's Copy") with the drafts. When the readers approve of the draft, and
think the student is ready to defend, they sign Form 3, which
states that they have read the draft and approve it for the
dissertation defense.
The
Dissertation Defense
The
dissertation defense consists of the student’s brief overview of
the dissertation, followed by a question-and-answer session about
the dissertation with the student’s committee. These questions usually cover the
philosophy, structure, execution, and implications of the
dissertation. The defense, which lasts
one to two hours, is open to guests of the student and to the
entire university community.
When
everyone is ready for the defense, students need to contact their
readers and mentor to find a two-hour period when everyone can meet
for the defense. Once the day and time
have been agreed upon, the mentor submits Form 4 (“Formal Notice of
Final Doctoral Defense”) with the signatures from the readers, to
schedule the defense.
After
receiving Form 4, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School sends
Form 5 (“Ballot—Formal Doctoral Defense”) and Form 6 (“Report of
Oral Doctoral Defense to the Dean”) directly to the mentor. These
forms are filled out after the defense.
There are three outcomes for the defense: 1) approved as presented,
2) approved with revision, 3) failed.
If readers require revisions, they must certify that these
revisions have been made by signing Form 7 (“Submission of
Editorial Copy of Doctoral Dissertation”).
Depositing
the Dissertation
After
the dissertation is successfully defended and readers are satisfied
with the text, the student submits Form 7 (“Submission of Editorial
Copy of Doctoral Dissertation”) with one copy of the dissertation
to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences office. It is then sent to an editor for
copyediting. Once the edited copy is
returned, the student finalizes the changes and submits two copies
of the edited version with Form 8 (“Receipt of Final Copies of
Doctoral Dissertation”) to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
for binding. The school keeps one of
these copies, and the student gets the other.
Detailed Graduate School procedures
for the final stages of the dissertation, including formatting
requirements and required forms and fees, can be found in the St.
John’s College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences “Doctoral
Dissertation Procedures.”
The English
D.A. dissertation (or “research essay”) is an extensive research
project that demonstrates the student’s expertise in a specific
area of inquiry within cultural studies, literary studies,
pedagogy, theory, and/or writing studies. As the final project within the doctoral
program, the dissertation represents not only the student’s most
accomplished work, but also his or her chosen field(s) of scholarly
expertise.
St. John’s
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences dissertation regulations and
forms are available through the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences home page. The link to
“Graduate School Forms” provides detailed information about
dissertation procedures and deadlines as well as the necessary
approval forms for each stage of the dissertation. See especially “Doctoral Dissertation
Procedures” for an overview of Graduate School expectations.
The
dissertation process begins after the student completes the
comprehensive exams. Students should
register for English 975: Doctor of Arts Research each semester
after they have taken their comprehensive exams, until they have
defended the dissertation. All D.A.
students are required to register for at least two semesters (6
credits) of English 975. Within one
year after completing the comprehensive exams, students should
define their dissertation committee and complete a prospectus of
their dissertation to submit to the English Department Chair and
Associate Dean of the Graduate School for approval.
Students
begin the dissertation process by defining their research topic and
asking a St. John’s English faculty member to serve as the mentor
for the dissertation. The mentor is
usually a faculty member with whom the student has already studied,
but the most important consideration is the mentor’s scholarly
expertise, as he or she guides the student in his or her
dissertation research. The student then
asks two additional faculty members to serve on his or her
dissertation committee. Again,
scholarly expertise is important in the selection of prospective
readers, but so is the student’s working relationship with the
faculty members. The dissertation
committee may be comprised of the same faculty who served on the
student’s comprehensive exam committee, but this is not
necessary.
While the
dissertation is a critical, research-based project, it may include
discursive approaches beyond traditional scholarly writing, subject
to the approval of the student’s dissertation committee.
The
Dissertation Prospectus
The
first stage of writing the dissertation is the completion of a 5-10
page
prospectus,
with a bibliography of research materials. While the prospectus should reflect the
research that the student has begun for the dissertation, its
primary purpose is to describe the plan for the dissertation. In writing the prospectus, students should:
- Introduce the
topic to non-specialists
- Explain why the
project is important
- Sketch the
specific argument, or the questions that the research will
ask
- Describe the
research accomplished so far, and research yet to do
- Give a brief
sketch of what each chapter seeks to accomplish
The
bibliography should list as comprehensively as possible the primary
and secondary sources that the student has studied and plans to
study for the dissertation. When the
prospectus is approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the
student needs to fill out Form 1 (“Approval Form for Doctoral
Dissertation Research”) and request signatures from each committee
member and the English Department chair. The student can then proceed to
complete his or her research and write the dissertation.
Completing
the Dissertation
Because the
dissertation is a lengthy project (usually 150 pages or longer),
the overall time of completion depends on how much time the student
can commit to research and writing.
While working on the dissertation, the student should consult with
his or her mentor on a regular basis and with the entire
dissertation committee at least once a year. The purpose for regular consultation with
the mentor is to ensure that the student is making sufficient
progress on the dissertation.
When the
dissertation mentor agrees that the draft is ready for readers, the
student sends copies to the readers and gets their signatures for
Form 2 (“Reader's Copies Receipt”).
Students should submit this form at least four months before they
would like to graduate. This allows
time for the readers to respond to the draft, revisions to be made,
and the appropriate papers to be processed.
Students
also need to give their readers copies of Form 3 (“Professor's
Report to the Dean on Reader's Copy") with the drafts. When the readers approve of the draft, and
think the student is ready to defend, they sign Form 3, which
states that they have read the draft and approve it for the
dissertation defense.
The
Dissertation Defense
The
dissertation defense consists of the student’s brief overview of
the dissertation, followed by a question-and-answer session about
the dissertation with the student’s committee. These questions usually cover the
philosophy, structure, execution, and implications of the
dissertation. The defense, which lasts
one to two hours, is open to guests of the student and to the
entire university community.
When
everyone is ready for the defense, students need to contact their
readers and mentor to find a two-hour period when everyone can meet
for the defense. Once the day and time
have been agreed upon, the mentor submits Form 4 (“Formal Notice of
Final Doctoral Defense”) with the signatures from the readers, to
schedule the defense.
After
receiving Form 4, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School sends
Form 5 (“Ballot—Formal Doctoral Defense”) and Form 6 (“Report of
Oral Doctoral Defense to the Dean”) directly to the mentor. These
forms are filled out after the defense.
There are three outcomes for the defense: 1) approved as presented,
2) approved with revision, 3) failed.
If readers require revisions, they must certify that these
revisions have been made by signing Form 7 (“Submission of
Editorial Copy of Doctoral Dissertation”).
Depositing
the Dissertation
After
the dissertation is successfully defended and readers are satisfied
with the text, the student submits Form 7 (“Submission of Editorial
Copy of Doctoral Dissertation”) with one copy of the dissertation
to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences office. It is then sent to an editor for
copyediting. Once the edited copy is
returned, the student finalizes the changes and submits two copies
of the edited version with Form 8 (“Receipt of Final Copies of
Doctoral Dissertation”) to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
for binding. The school keeps one of
these copies, and the student gets the other.
Detailed Graduate School procedures
for the final stages of the dissertation, including formatting
requirements and required forms and fees, can be found in the St.
John’s College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences “Doctoral
Dissertation Procedures.”