Dissertation Guidelines
These guidelines summarize the steps you will follow to prepare for, write and submit a dissertation in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
You are responsible for the content of your dissertation, which must be your original work, and for ensuring the document is appropriately referenced and in the correct format. The content must also be approved by your dissertation chair and committee, and the final format will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance (OAA).
GETTING STARTED
The purpose of the dissertation is to demonstrate a Ph.D. candidate’s ability to conduct research leading to a significant contribution to the candidate’s discipline. Although the dissertation must be the original work of the student, and s/he is responsible for developing a dissertation topic, faculty input is encouraged. As you develop an interest in a potential topic, discuss it with individual faculty members, both to determine the topic’s feasibility as well as faculty members’ interest and expertise in the topic. This should help you determine which faculty member(s) would be willing and able to serve as chair or a member of your dissertation committee.
After successfully completing your qualifying examinations, you will select a Dissertation Committee. The committee should be appointed before you schedule your Proposal Defense. When you are ready to begin initial work on your dissertation you should do the following:
- Meet with the Doctoral Program Director to discuss who among the faculty would be the most appropriate person to serve as your chair.
- After the Doctoral Program Director has agreed with your choice should you invite that faculty member to chair your committee. Once your chair has been chosen, s/he will help you select the additional committee members.
- Talk to each prospective member to determine whether s/he is willing to serve on your committee.
- Send an email to the Doctoral Program Director and copy the Office of Academic Assistance listing your chair and members, and requesting that they be officially appointed. Once approved, an official memo appointing them will be sent out and placed in your file.
Keep in mind that once your committee has been appointed, any changes to the committee must be approved by the Doctoral Program Director and all members of the committee.
Doctoral Program Directors:
Criminal Justice and Criminology – Dr. Joshua Hinkle ([email protected])
Economics – Dr. Garth Heutel ([email protected])
Public Policy – Dr. Can Chen ([email protected])
Urban Studies – Dr. Lelani Mannetti ([email protected])
Committee for Criminal Justice and Criminology Ph.D.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus three members. The dissertation committee is comprised of three faculty members from the Department of Criminal Justice (all must hold graduate faculty status) and one outside member. The outside member typically represents a department at the university other than Criminal Justice. Once a committee has been appointed, any changes to the committee must be approved by the Graduate Program Director and all members of the committee.
Committee for Economics Ph.D.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus three members. One of the committee members is expected to be selected from outside the Economics Department. You are responsible for providing contact information and a resume for any “outside” member who is not on the Georgia State faculty. Once your committee is chosen, you may change the membership of the committee only with the advice and approval of the Doctoral Program Director.
Committee for Public Policy GA State Ph.D.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus an additional four members. Students are encouraged to also have “outside” members when appropriate. You are responsible for providing contact information and a resume for any member who is not core faculty. Once your committee is chosen, you may change the membership of the committee only with the advice and approval of the Doctoral Program Director.
Committee for Public Policy Joint Ph.D.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus an additional four members. Your committee must have three “core” faculty of the joint doctoral program: regular faculty of the School of Public Policy (SPP) at Georgia Tech or the Andrew Young School (AYSPS) at Georgia State. Your committee must include at least one member from each School. Students are encouraged to also have “outside” members when appropriate. You are responsible for providing contact information and a resume for any member who is not core faculty. Once your committee is chosen, you may change the membership of the committee only with the advice and approval of the Doctoral Program Director.
Committee for Urban Studies Ph.D.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus at least two additional members. Up to two additional members of the Committee may be chosen (for a total maximum of five members). The Dissertation Committee Chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at GSU and the majority of members of the Dissertation Committee must be GSU representatives. At least one member of the Dissertation Committee must be a core, tenured or tenure-track faculty member whose primary appointment is in the Urban Studies Institute. Students will choose the remaining members of the Committee with the advice and approval of the Dissertation Committee Chair. Once finalized, the Graduate Programs Director must approve any changes in the composition of a student’s Dissertation Committee.
You will develop a dissertation proposal in consultation with your committee. The proposal should include a summary of the following:
- the purpose of the study;
- the nature of the subject to be investigated and its importance;
- a brief review of the literature;
- the theory, if any, to be developed;
- empirical methodology, techniques, and data sources, if any, to be used;
- the nature of the hypotheses to be developed and tested;
- a time frame for completion of the dissertation.
Normally, the proposal should not exceed 40 pages. You should consult with your Committee Chair on individual preferences.
You will present and defend your dissertation proposal in a public presentation that will be open to faculty and other graduate students in the program. The objective of the proposal defense is to make sure your committee members believe you have chosen a workable research topic and developed a plan for completion of a dissertation that will add to knowledge in the field.
The proposal defense is announced to faculty and doctoral students via e-mail approximately two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. Students must submit the Dissertation Defense Schedule Request Form two to three weeks (determined by modality: two weeks for teleconference or three weeks for in-person defenses) in advance of their defense date.
To set up your proposal defense, you must do the following:
- Coordinate with your committee on a date and time to hold the defense.
- Submit the Dissertation Defense Schedule Request Form.
- Teleconference Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least two weeks in advance of the students defense date.
- Click here for instructions. on how to schedule your online Defense through WebEx
- In-Person Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least three weeks in advance of the students defense date.
- OAA will reserve a room where the dissertation defense will be held.
- Teleconference Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least two weeks in advance of the students defense date.
*Note: If you do not contact OAA by the required timeframe (two weeks for teleconference or three weeks for in-person defenses) before your defense, you may be required to select a different date and postpone your defense.
Assuming that all goes well and your proposal is approved, the chair will ask the committee members and readers to sign the Record of Proposal Defense form (also called a pass sheet) to acknowledge that the defense has been successfully completed. This form will be provided to the Chair by OAA prior to the defense. The chair should submit this form to the Office of Academic Assistance for your permanent file. Example of Record of Proposal Defense form.
Additional information for Public Policy Joint Ph.D students
In addition to the record of proposal defense form, Georgia Tech requires that all students obtain written approval of the dissertation topic and committee. The form used for this approval is the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy. Because you will have selected a topic and committee by the time your proposal defense is scheduled, you should print a copy of this form and have it signed on the day of your defense. It must be turned in at Georgia Tech. Note: If you later have any substantial change in your dissertation topic or title, or a change in the membership of your committee, a revised form must be submitted indicating the change. While no new form is required for additions, deletions or substitution of minor words that do not alter the meaning, if in doubt, submit a revised form to the GTO.
Joint students must apply to graduate at both Georgia State and Georgia Tech, although they will pay the graduation fee at only one school. In addition to the audit at Georgia State, Public Policy students will also be audited by the Georgia Tech Registrar’s Office. Please visit GA Tech’s Registrar webpage for more information.
FORMATTING, STYLE AND LAYOUT
These publications provide specific information on correct footnoting, bibliography, quotations and general format. Theses deviating in format will not be acceptable to the School unless written justification is received from your dissertation committee and prior approval is received from the Program Director. The use of an experienced editor is encouraged and recommended. *Note: Do not use another dissertation as your guide. It is not acceptable to imitate the format of another thesis or dissertation; documents accepted in the past do not set a precedent for what will now be accepted.
Typically one of the following two manuals have been used as formatting styles for theses:
- A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Thesis, Kate L. Turabian, University of Chicago Press (most recent edition).
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. (most recent edition).
After consultation with your dissertation chair, choose one of these style manuals and follow it exclusively. Should you need to use a differing style please discuss this with your dissertation chair. Regardless of the style manual all preliminary pages of the dissertation will remain the same.
AYSPS’ dissertation format requirements are available on the Dissertation Formatting Requirements page. As students begin writing their dissertation it is their responsibility to read and understand the AYSPS formatting guidelines in their entirety.
The Dissertation Formatting Requirements page covers the following content:
- Format requirements,
- Content and organization,
- Copyright Permissions,
- Writing resources,
- Frequent mistakes to avoid, and
- Instructions on how to submit your dissertation for format review.
FINAL STEPS AND GRADUATION
The conduct of the exam will be decided by you and your dissertation chair. Usually a half-hour presentation is made, followed by questions. You are not expected to explain all the details of your research, but to give a broad overview, and to answer questions. The following topics are often addressed:
- What was the objective(s) of your research?
- What research methods were used and why did you choose that approach?
- Were the objectives realized?
- What were your major findings and conclusions?
- How does your research expand on or differ from earlier research?
- What are the implications for further research?
You will present and defend your final dissertation in a public presentation that will be open to faculty and other graduate students in the program. The final defense is not an examination of the merits of the dissertation; it is a formal presentation of the results. You should be prepared to discuss and answer questions about the objectives of your research, research methods you used, major findings, conclusions, and implications of the findings. If you have been meeting regularly with your chair and committee members, there should be no surprises at the final defense. Once you and your chair believe your dissertation is in final form, a copy is circulated to each committee member for review and comments. Only after all comments have been addressed to the satisfaction of your committee should you schedule the final defense.
Your final defense will be announced to faculty and graduate students via email and posted on the web approximately two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. Once you and your committee have decided on a date, it is your responsibility to notify the OAA so that a room may be scheduled and an announcement circulated. You should also assume responsibility for other procedural details, such as bringing the required paperwork, requesting any special equipment you need, and checking the conference room assigned before the exam.
The final defense is announced to faculty and doctoral students via e-mail approximately two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled.
The final defense is announced to faculty and doctoral students via e-mail approximately two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. Students must submit the Dissertation Defense Schedule Request Form two to three weeks (determined by modality: two weeks for teleconference or three weeks for in-person defenses) in advance of their defense date.
To set up your final defense, you must do the following:
- Coordinate with your committee on a date and time to hold the defense.
- Submit the Dissertation Defense Schedule Request Form.
- Teleconference Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least two weeks in advance of the students defense date.
- Click here for instructions. on how to schedule your online Defense through WebEx
- In-Person Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least three weeks in advance of the students defense date.
- OAA will reserve a room where the dissertation defense will be held.
- Teleconference Dissertation Defenses* must be requested at least two weeks in advance of the students defense date.
*Note: If you do not contact OAA by the required timeframe (two weeks for teleconference or three weeks for in-person defenses) before your defense, you may be required to select a different date and postpone your defense.
Final Defense Forms.
Once you have passed your final defense the chair will ask the committee members to sign the appropriate paperwork. The following should be signed and submitted to OAA for record keeping and verification:
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- Final Defense Pass Sheet: This is emailed to the Chair by OAA a few days before the defense.
- Acceptance sheet: You should prepare this sheet and bring it with you to your final defense. If any changes to your dissertation are requested as a result of the final defense, your chair may hold the acceptance sheet until s/he believes the dissertation is in final form.
Additional Paperwork for joint Public Policy Ph.D. In addition to the pass sheet and the acceptance sheet You are required to bring the Certificate of dissertation Approval for Doctoral Students (required by Georgia Tech). Once signed, it is your responsibility to turn in the Certificate of dissertation Approval, along with other required forms, to the Graduate dissertation Office at Georgia Tech. Please refer to GA Tech’s Theses & Dissertation webpage for details.
To be cleared for graduation your dissertation format must be approved by the Office of Academic Assistance (OAA) and electronically submitted through the Georgia State University Library (exception: students in the joint Public Policy program have formatting approved by GA Tech). Follow the instructions for formatting approval and final submission.
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- Submit a PDF of your dissertation to OAA by the appropriate deadline listed in the Graduation Deadline section. Word documents or non-PDF formats will not be accepted. OAA will review your dissertation PDF to ensure compliance with the dissertation guidelines. Should you have edits, OAA will notify you by email that edits are required. It is your responsibility to review your document and make any changes necessary to receive approval from OAA. Failure to do so will result in a delay in graduation.
- Submit a PDF of your dissertation online to GA State’s Library. Instructions on how to do that may be found on the Library webpage.
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Before you upload your final draft of the dissertation, make sure of the following:
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- It is Complete, including preliminary pages – you cannot add text after the document is submitted.
- It is Consistent – Margins must be consistent throughout; Headers of the same type must be treated the same way throughout; Page Numbers must be in the same place on similar pages following the guidelines of the style manual.
- It has been checked for spelling– you are responsible for the final proof of your dissertation.
- It is Named according to the Library’s file naming conventions.
- It has a Table of Contents with numbers matching the text according to the word page numbers.
- All notices of required corrections you have received from your dissertation committee and OAA have been corrected and you have carefully proofed the final version of your document.
- It has been converted to PDF format and you have reviewed the PDF for any formatting issues.
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No modifications may be made to the final copy once it has been accepted as the official copy by the OAA. Please remember that this file will become part of your permanent body of work and it will be available worldwide. Any errors or mistakes will reflect on you and your program.
Additional information for Joint Public Policy students: Once your format is approved by GA Tech’s dissertation & Dissertation Office you must submit written approval to OAA confirming acceptance (an email is sufficient). You will upload your electronic dissertation to GA State’s Library after OAA receives confirmation from GA Tech.
Copyright Service
You are not required to copyright your dissertation, however You may do so if you choose. An overview of copyright information is available through the Library. You may copyright your dissertation for a fee in one of two ways:
1. Through the UMI-ProQuest service or
2. The U.S. Copyright Office
If your dissertation is copyrighted, remember to include a copyright notice after the title page; if it is not to be copyrighted, a blank page is inserted after the title page.
You are required to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates, a national survey that gathers data from all research doctoral graduates. Profiles of doctorate recipients that emerge from these data serve policymakers and are published annually in the Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities. Complete the online survey form and submit a copy of the completion page to OAA.
The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies does not require you to submit bound copies of your dissertation. If you wish to have your dissertation bound there are methods you may use, such as ordering bound copies from UMI-ProQuest.
GRADUATION DEADLINES - GSU Ph.D. Programs
Fall | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
Sept. 1 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
Oct. 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
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Oct. 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
Nov. 1 |
Dissertation Format Review: Deadline to submit the Dissertation Format Review Submission Form.
|
Dec. 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
|
Dec. 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
|
Dec. 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
Spring | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
Feb. 15 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
March 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
|
March 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
April 1 |
Dissertation Format Review: Deadline to submit the Dissertation Format Review Submission Form.
|
May 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
|
May 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
|
May 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
Summer | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
June 1 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
June 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
|
June 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
June 15 |
Dissertation Format Review: Deadline to submit the Dissertation Format Review Submission Form.
|
Aug. 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
|
Aug. 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
|
Aug. 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
GRADUATION DEADLINES - Joint Ph.D. in Public Policy only
Fall | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
Sept. 1 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
Oct. 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
|
Oct. 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
Nov. ~ | GA Tech initial format review. Check calendar for GA Tech’s deadlines. Submit to GA Tech and also submit a copy AYSPS OAA at Georgia State University. |
Nov. ~ | Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA Tech server by noon. Submission instructions available online |
Dec. 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
|
Dec. 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
|
Dec. 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
Spring | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
Feb. 15 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
March 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
|
March 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
Mar. ~ | GA Tech initial format review. Check calendar for GA Tech’s deadlines. Submit to GA Tech and also submit a copy to AYSPS OAA at Georgia State University. |
Apr. ~ | Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA Tech server by noon. Submission instructions available online |
May 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
|
May 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
|
May 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
Summer | Be sure to meet all deadlines. Missing a deadline will delay graduation for a semester |
June 1 | Submit the online commencement form to OAA. |
June 1 |
Deadline to notify OAA of defense date.
|
June 15 | Deadline to hold your Final Dissertation Defense. |
June ~ | GA Tech initial format review. Check calendar for GA Tech’s deadlines. Submit to GA Tech and also submit a copy to AYSPS OAA at Georgia State University. |
July ~ | Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA Tech server by noon. Submission instructions available online |
Aug. 1 |
Create an Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier (ORCID) iD.
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Aug. 1 |
Electronic Dissertation must be posted to GA State Library server; submission instructions available online.
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Aug. 1 | Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates survey and submit the SED Submission Form. |
FIGURES AND FORMS
Students in the Joint Ph.D. program in Public Policy should consult GA Tech’s dissertation & Dissertation page.
All other students may use the following sample pages as guides.