Registrar's Office

Dissertation Defense

When the dissertation is complete, students must defend it to the entire Research Committee at a public presentation. All members of the student’s research committee must be physically present for the defense. If a member cannot be present, the student is expected to reschedule the defense. In extenuating circumstances, the student may petition via a general petition to have a member participate in absentia.

Scheduling the Defense

  1. Obtain the Dissertation Scheduling Form from the HSPH Registrar’s Office.
  2. Schedule a room for the dissertation defense with the assistance of your academic administrator.
  3. Obtain the signatures of the dissertation advisor and the department chair. These signatures signify the approval of the student’s scheduling of the defense.
  4. Submit the Dissertation Defense Scheduling Form to the HSPH Registrar’s Office at least three weeks prior to the scheduled defense. Arrangements then will be made by the Registrar’s Office, for the announcement of the defense to be placed on the HSPH event calendar. The defense is not valid without this, and the student cannot be recommended for the degree without this public announcement. Students who schedule their dissertation defense when Kiosk is not published or who miss the deadline for the publication of the notice must post notices outlining the date, time and place of the defense and the dissertation title in departmental offices and on the first and ground floors of Kresge, making certain that the HSPH Registrar’s Office receives a copy of the posting. These notices must be posted at lease one week prior to the defense.
  5. Submit copies of the dissertation to the committee at least three weeks prior to defense.
  6. The dissertation advisor picks up (and returns) the student’s Report of the Dissertation Committee Form to the HSPH Registrar’s Office on the day of the defense. This form must be completed by the examiners at the end of the exam and returned to the HSPH Registrar’s Office immediately after the student’s defense.
The dissertation defense is a public forum. Examination of the student at the presentation is limited to the members of the Research Committee.

 

After Successful Completion of the Defense
Students must submit to the HSPH Registrar’s Office two bound copies (or three for those students pursuing a joint degree in two departments) of the dissertation by the dates listed below.

  • November degree candidates    September 28, 2012
  • March degree candidates          January 18, 2013
  • May degree candidates             April 26, 2013

All copies of the dissertation should have the original signatures of the Research Committee members on the signature page.

On the recommendation of the department(s) and the Research Committee, the CAD recommends the student for the degree to the HSPH Faculty who then vote to award the degree to the student. After the degree has been voted by the HSPH Faculty, it is voted by the Harvard University Governing Board.