PhD Handbook: Dissertation Approval
When the dissertation research has been completed and the result written in potentially final form, the dissertation will be submitted to the student's dissertation committee within the time constraints imposed by the Office of Graduate Studies. Currently normative time to degree is five years following admission to the doctoral program. The student may be on "filing fee" status for three quarters with the possibility of extension.
As soon as possible after receipt of the dissertation, the chair of the dissertation committee may schedule a meeting at which the student will discuss the dissertation with members of his or her committee. At this meeting, the committee may accept or reject the dissertation, or may require specific modifications. Following acceptance of the dissertation, the student will make a formal presentation of his or her work to the university community at a colloquium or seminar.