How to Get Your PhD in 3 Easy Steps

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How to Get Your PhD in 3 Easy Steps

• Eric S. Kasischke
• Director of Graduate Studies
• Department of Geography
• University of Maryland

Caution the devil is in the details!!!!!
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What is the PhD about?

• Demonstrating your competency and understanding
  of geography
• Further developing and demonstrating your
  expertise in areas directly related to your
  dissertation topic
• Independently developing a proposal to carry out
  unique and meaningful research
• Addresses unique goals and objectives
• Answers new questions or addresses distinctive
  issues
• Proves/disproves hypotheses
• Results in new research methods needed to address
  a. to c.
• Carrying out the research outlined in your
  proposal
• Presenting the results of your research
• Defending your research before a panel of your
  peers

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What is the PhD about?

• Demonstrating your competency and understanding
  of geography
• Further developing and demonstrating your
  expertise in areas directly related to your
  dissertation topic
• Take additional coursework
• Carry out independent readings
• Independently developing a proposal to carry out
  unique and meaningful research
• Addresses unique goals and objectives
• Answers new questions or addresses distinctive
  issues
• Proves/disproves hypotheses
• Results in new research methods needed to address
  a. to c.
• Carrying out the research outlined in your
  proposal
• Presenting the results of your research
• Defending your research before a panel of your
  peers

4
What is the PhD about?

• Developing a presence within your discipline and
  profession
• Attending professional meetings
• Presenting papers at professional meetings
• Submitting articles to peer-reviewed journals
• Developing your skills as an educator and teacher
• Serving as a Teaching Assistant
• Taking on the responsibility for teaching a
  course
• Developing your skills as a mentor
• Working as a supervisor to undergraduate interns
• Working with MA students on their projects
• Develop your proposal writing skills
• a. Writing and submitting proposals to secure
  funding to support your research

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The 3 Easy Steps

• Select your dissertation advisor
• Advance to Candidacy
• Carry out research, write dissertation, and
  defend dissertation

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Policies with Respect to Advancing to Candidacy
and the Dissertation Defense

• Policies and procedures for Advancing to
  Candidacy are determined by the Faculty of the
  Department of Geography
• Policies and procedures for the Dissertation
  Defense are specified by the Graduate School

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Department and Graduate School Policies

• Current Department of Geography policies for the
  PhD program can be found at
• http//www.geog.umd.edu/academic/gradprogram.html
  phd
• The Graduate Committee is working on revising
  these policies to provide clarification and
  revision of specific issues
• Graduate School Policies
• http//www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/requirements
  _Doctorate.html

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Role of the PhD Advisor

• Serves as a mentor to the student, i.e., the
  primary guide and advisor to the student
  throughout her/his tenure as a PhD student
• Can also be the supervisor of the student if
  she/he is employed as a Graduate Research
  Assistant

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Responsibilities of the Advisor

• Provides advice and guidance to the student
• Recommends members of the Diagnostics Committee
• Reviews dissertation proposal before it is
  distributed to other Department Committee members
• Serves as Chair of the Department Committee
• Selects the time and place for the Dissertation
  Proposal Examination
• Leads the Dissertation Proposal Examination
• Submits the Report of the Department Committee on
  the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal to the
  Graduate Director
• Submits Application for Advancement to Candidacy
  to the Graduate Director
• Serves as Chair of the Dissertation Examining
  Committee
• Selects the time and place for the Dissertation
  Examination
• Leads the Dissertation Examination
• Submits Report of the Dissertation Examining
  Committee to the Graduate Director

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Steps in Advancing to Candidacy (ATC)

• Demonstrate Competency in the field of Geography
• Participate in Departmental Seminars
• Form Department Committee
• Demonstrate Competency in Your Selected Area of
  Research
• Prepare and Defend Your Proposal

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The Pathway to Advancing to Candidacy

• Form Diagnostics Committee
• Take Introduction to Geography I/II (ATC 1)
  (register for GEOG 600 and 788W)
• Participate in 3 terms of Depart. Seminars (ATC
  2) (register for 1 credit of GEOG 788 each term)
• Form Department Committee (ATC 3)
• Take courses and carry out independent readings
  that support your research area (in support of
  ATC 4 and 5)
• Conduct preliminary research (as a basis for ATC
  5)
• Prepare written version of your dissertation
  proposal (ATC 5) (note register for GEOG 604)
• Conduct and pass defense of your proposal before
  your Department Committee
• Submit Application for Advancement to Candidacy

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The Diagnostics Committee

• Meets during the students 1st term
• Members are recommended by Advisor
• Committee meets to
• Review the academic background, training, and
  work experience of the student
• Hear the students presentation on her/his
  research interests
• Based on 1 and 2, make recommendations for
  coursework, independent readings and possible
  members for the Department Committee

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Defined Role of the Department Committee

• Formed during the students 2nd term (Graduate
  Committee is recommending that this committee
  must formerly be nominated)
• Advises student with respect to coursework and
  independent readings related to selected research
  topic
• Meets with student individually or as a group to
  review ideas for your dissertation proposal
• Passes judgment on your competency in your
  selected research area (ATC 4)
• Judges whether a student passes or fails the
  dissertation proposal defense (ATC 5)
• Meets once per year to review the students
  progress (Graduate Committee is recommending that
  the Department Committee reports the progress to
  the Graduate Director)

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Department Committee Membership

• Must consist of at least five individuals, all
  must be members of the Graduate Faculty
• Can consist of more than five members, but each
  has to be a member of the Graduate Faculty
• Three must be from the Department of Geography
  and be Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty
• One must be a tenured, Regular Member of the
  Graduate Faculty at the University of Maryland
  and must be from a graduate program other than
  Geography

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Graduate Faculty Categories

• Regular Member - Professorial faculty who have
  tenured or tenure-track appointments at the
  University of Maryland
• Adjunct Member - scholars on appointment at the
  campus as research appointees, visiting, adjunct,
  or affiliated professors
• Special Member - outstanding scholars, including
  many at government agencies in the area, who may
  not have any official affiliation with the campus
  but whom UMCP welcomes to participate on
  dissertation committees

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Contents of the Dissertation Proposal

• Purpose of the proposal is to identify the
  justify and identify the unique research to be
  carried out, present the methods to be used, and
  to discuss its potential significance
• Written proposal should be 15 to 20,
  single-spaced pages (12 point font) in length,
  excluding tables, figures, and reference list.
• Suggested content
• Introduction (1 page)
• Research Goals-Objectives-Hypotheses (1 2
  pages)
• Background summary of important research which
  provides foundation for proposal, including
  initial results (3-4 pages)
• Methods Approach to be used to carry out
  research (8-10 pages)
• Significance of Research (1 page)
• May include appendices that include
• Results of initial research used to develop the
  proposal
• Extensive review of the scientific literature
  that provides the foundation for the proposed
  research

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Dissertation Proposal Defense

• Usually takes place between the students 2nd and
  4th semester in residence
• At the time of the dissertation proposal defense,
  the Department Committee shall have the option of
  testing the candidate on his/her overall
  knowledge required to carry out the research
  outlined in the proposal
• Student must publicly announce date of
  dissertation proposal defense at least one week
  (5 working days) in advance
• Student must submit written proposal to their
  Department Committee and Graduate Director at
  least 1 week prior to their defense (Graduate
  Committee recommends this be changed to 2 weeks)

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Dissertation Proposal Defense

• Dissertation proposal defense is open to the
  public
• Student presents a 15 to 20 minute oral summary
  of her/his proposal
• Student answers questions from the Department
  Committee and the audience
• Department Committee meets in private to render
  pass/fail decision

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Possible Outcomes of the Dissertation Proposal
Defense

• To accept the dissertation proposal without any
  recommended changes and sign the Report of
  Department Committee.
• To accept the dissertation proposal with
  recommendations for changes and, except for the
  chair, sign the Report of the Department
  Committee. The chair will check that the changes
  to the dissertation proposal have been made, and,
  upon his or her approval, sign the Report of
  Department Committee.
• To recommend revisions to the dissertation
  proposal and not sign the Report of Examining
  Committee until the student has made the changes
  and submitted the revised dissertation proposal
  for the Department Committee's approval. The
  Department Committee members sign the Report of
  Examining Committee if they approve the revised
  dissertation proposal.
• To recommend revisions and convene a second
  meeting of the Department Committee to review the
  dissertation proposal and complete the student's
  Examination.
• To rule the dissertation (including its
  Examination) unsatisfactory. In that
  circumstance, the student fails to Advance to
  Candidacy
• Following the Examination, the chair must inform
  the student of the outcome of the Examination.

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Additional Role of the Department Committee

• It is the unwritten policy of the Department of
  Geography that the Department Committee continues
  to advise the student during period prior to the
  formation of the Dissertation Defense Committee
• The Graduate Committee is recommending that this
  become the official policy
• Meets with student as a group or individually to
  provide advice and review progress on
  dissertation research as needed
• Meets once per year to review the students
  progress (Graduate Committee is recommending that
  the Department Committee reports the progress to
  the Graduate Director)
• Reviews written sections of dissertation as
  appropriate after review by advisor

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Dissertation Defense

• The Graduate School presents detailed guidelines
  and policies for the Dissertation Defense
• http//www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/requirements
  _Doctorate.html
• The following slides present a summary of some of
  the more important aspects of the Dissertation
  Defense

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Dissertation Defense Part 1

• After Advancement to Candidacy, student must
  enroll for 12 credits of dissertation research
  to maintain their active status as a PhD
  candidate, must enroll for at least 1 credit per
  term
• Upon completion of the written version of her/his
  dissertation, the students Advisor selects a
  date for the Dissertation Examination when all
  members of the Dissertation Defense Committee are
  able to attend
• At least 6 weeks prior to the Dissertation
  Defense, the student must submit Nomination of
  Thesis or Dissertation Examination Committee form
  to the Graduate Director
• A complete copy of the written dissertation must
  be provided to each Committee Member and the
  Graduate Director at least two weeks (ten working
  days) prior to the Dissertation Defense date

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Dissertation Examining Committee

• Usually, the members of the Department Committee
  form the Dissertation Examination Committee
• The requirements for the composition of the
  Dissertation Examination Committee are the same
  as those for the Department Committee
• The tenured Member of the Graduate Faculty at the
  University of Maryland and from a graduate
  program other than Geography serves as the
  Representative of the Dean of the Graduate School
  
• All members of the Dissertation Examination
  Committee must be present at the Oral Defense

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The Dean's Representative

• Must be identified at the beginning of the
  Examination
• The responsibilities of the Dean's Representative
  include the following
• To ensure that the procedures of the Oral
  Examination are in compliance with those of the
  Graduate School
• To report to the Dean of the Graduate School any
  unusual problems experienced in the conduct of
  the Examination
• If irregularities are encountered, may recommend
  to the Dean that the oral Examination to be ruled
  null and void.

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Dissertation Defense Part 2

• The student must submit to an oral examination of
  her/his dissertation
• The oral examination is open to the public, and
  the student must announce the location of the
  exam at least 1 week (5 working days) prior to
  the date of the exam
• Exam must be attended by all members of the
  Dissertation Examination Committee
• Last minute changes to the Committee are
  permitted under limited circumstances and require
  the approval of the Graduate Director and the
  Graduate School

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Dissertation Defense Part 3

• 9. At the time and place of the defense, the
  student presents a short summary of the
  dissertation (20 minutes)
• 10. During part 1, members of the audience are
  allowed to ask questions concerning the
  dissertation
• Part 2 shall be a formal examination of the
  candidate by the Dissertation Examination
  Committee. This part shall be open only to the
  Dissertation Examination Committee, other members
  of the Graduate Faculty, and graduate students
  from the candidate's department/graduate program.
  During Part 2, only members of the Dissertation
  Examination Committee shall be permitted to ask
  questions.
• 12. The chair invites questions in turn from
  each member of the Dissertation Examining
  Committee. The questioning may continue as long
  as the Dissertation Examining Committee feels
  that it is necessary and reasonable for the
  proper examination of the student.

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Dissertation Defense Part 4

• 13. After questioning has been completed, the
  student and any others who are not members of the
  Dissertation Examination Committee are asked to
  leave the room.
• 14.The Dissertation Examination Committee
  discusses whether or not the dissertation
  (including its Examination) has been
  satisfactory, and has 5 options (see following
  slide).
• 15. Following the Examination, the chair, in the
  presence of the Dean's Representative, must
  inform the student of the outcome of the
  Examination. The chair and the Dean's
  Representative both sign a Report of the
  Examining Committee indicating which of the above
  alternatives has been adopted.
• 16. Passage or Failure - The student passes if
  one member refuses to sign the Report, but the
  other members of the Dissertation Examining
  Committee agree to sign, before or after the
  approval of recommended changes. Two or more
  negative votes constitute a failure of the
  candidate to meet the dissertation requirement.

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Options for the Dissertation Examination Committee

• To accept the dissertation without any
  recommended changes and sign the Report of
  Examining Committee.
• To accept the dissertation with recommendations
  for changes and, except for the chair, sign the
  Report of the Examining Committee. The chair will
  check that the changes to the dissertation have
  been made, and, upon his or her approval, sign
  the Report of Examining Committee.
• To recommend revisions to the dissertation and
  not sign the Report of Examining Committee until
  the student has made the changes and submitted
  the revised dissertation for the Dissertation
  Examining Committee's approval. The Dissertation
  Examining Committee members sign the Report of
  Examining Committee if they approve the revised
  dissertation.
• To recommend revisions and convene a second
  meeting of the Dissertation Examining Committee
  to review the dissertation and complete the
  student's Examination.
• To rule the dissertation (including its
  Examination) unsatisfactory. In that
  circumstance, the student fails.

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Time Limits

• From the date of initial enrollment, the student
  has 9 years to fulfill all requirements for the
  PhD degree
• From the date of initial enrollment, the student
  has 4 years to Advance to Candidacy
• A student may file for a one-time, one-year
  extension for Advancing to Candidacy
• The student may file for a one-time, one-year
  extension for completion of all degree
  requirements