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| graduate_handbook:beyond_the_second_year [2024/11/05 16:57] – [The Ph.D. Thesis and its defense] vinals | graduate_handbook:beyond_the_second_year [2025/03/02 11:10] (current) – [The Ph.D. Thesis and its defense] vinals |
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| The third and subsequent years are dominated by research activities, which will conclude with the writing of a thesis. The average time for completing a Ph.D. in our School is about 6 to 7 years. The precise duration depends on many factors, including preparation, perseverance, and sometimes factors outside of your control. | The third and subsequent years are dominated by research activities, which will conclude with the writing of a thesis. The average time for completing a Ph.D. in our School is about 6 to 7 years. The precise duration depends on many factors, including preparation, perseverance, and sometimes factors outside of your control. |
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| | You can consult a complete [[https://onestop.umn.edu/academics/grad-and-professional/degree-completion-steps|guide]] to degree completion steps. Or a briefer, [[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UZfAnLziojdYwybb-FK75veNNTrNeMlVPsojo9-LcfE/edit?tab=t.0|step by step description]]. |
| ==== Preliminary Oral Exam ==== | ==== Preliminary Oral Exam ==== |
| Students are required to pass the preliminary oral examination before the end of the third year in our program. See the document on [[graduate_handbook:physics_graduate_policies#preliminary_oral_examination|process and policies]]. | Students are required to pass the preliminary oral examination before the end of the third year in our program. See the document on [[graduate_handbook:physics_graduate_policies#preliminary_oral_examination|process and policies]]. |
| ==== The Ph.D. Thesis and its defense ==== | ==== The Ph.D. Thesis and its defense ==== |
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| The Ph.D. thesis represents the capstone of your graduate student career. It begins with the preparation of a dissertation, a written document summarizing your original research while in our program. | The Ph.D. thesis represents the capstone of your graduate student career. It begins with the preparation of a dissertation, a written document summarizing your original research while in our program. You can find a [[https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/university-of-minnesota-thesis-template/tkngcptkrmgy|template]] on Overleaf to prepare the document in LaTeX. The template can also be downloaded from [[https://github.com/agude/UMN-PhD-Thesis-Template|GitHub]]. The templates conform with the [[https://onestop.umn.edu/sites/onestop.umn.edu/files/2023-01/Thesis%20Formatting%20%26%20Submission%20Guidelines_2023.pdf|official University guidelines]] which you may want to consult if you do not use the templates. |
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| A dissertation committee needs to be set up by the student in consultation with the adviser, with a composition [[graduate_handbook:physics_graduate_policies#assignment_of_msc_and_phd_committees_dissertation_defense|determined by University policy]]. The thesis defense date and time is scheduled by the student, in consultation with the adviser and the committee members [[https://onestop.umn.edu/academics/grad-and-professional/doctoral-oral-exam-scheduling|following these steps]]. When the defense is formally scheduled, the names of the committee members are entered by the student into the scheduling online interface. The composition of the committee is then approved by the adviser and by the Director of Graduate Studies. Note that the adviser **cannot** serve as the chair of the Thesis Defense Committee (SPA policy). | A dissertation committee needs to be set up by the student in consultation with the adviser, with a composition [[graduate_handbook:physics_graduate_policies#assignment_of_msc_and_phd_committees_dissertation_defense|determined by University policy]]. The thesis defense date and time is scheduled by the student, in consultation with the adviser and the committee members [[https://onestop.umn.edu/academics/grad-and-professional/doctoral-oral-exam-scheduling|following these steps]]. When the defense is formally scheduled, the names of the committee members are entered by the student into the scheduling online interface. The composition of the committee is then approved by the adviser and by the Director of Graduate Studies. Note that the adviser **cannot** serve as the chair of the Thesis Defense Committee (SPA policy). |