Dissertation
The PhD dissertation can be on any topic in astronomy, astrophysics, or space physics. The dissertation must represent original scientific research that contributes substantially to the advancement of the field.
Dissertation Steering Committee
Soon after successful completion of the PhD Oral Qualifying Exam (ideally within about three months), the student selects a tentative dissertation topic and First and Second Readers for the dissertation. The student and advisor select three or four additional members who, with the First and Second Readers, form the PhD Dissertation Steering Committee for the student. A committee Chair is chosen who is neither the First nor Second Reader. These choices are registered and submitted via the Astronomy Dissertation Steering Committee Membership Form form which goes to the Astronomy Department Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and Department Chair for approval.
Since at least one of the members of the Final PhD Oral Examining Committee will need to be from outside the Department of Astronomy and preferably from outside Boston University, adding such an “External Member” to the Dissertation Steering Committee as soon as is practical is strongly advised. But, this addition should not hold up the creation and approval of the Dissertation Steering Committee.
Meetings of the Dissertation Steering Committee
The student should meet with their PhD Dissertation Steering Committee at least twice per calendar year to monitor the student’s progress toward developing their Prospectus and completing their dissertation.
Dissertation Committee Membership Selection and Approval Process
The student works with their faculty advisor to identify suitable members of the Dissertation Steering Committee and seeks their willingness to serve. This Committee must have the advisor, at least two AS faculty members of the same type (astrophysics or Space Physics), and at least one AS faculty member of the other type.
Once the committee memberships have been identified, the student should submit the Astronomy Dissertation Steering Committee Membership Form to their advisor, who will convey it to the DGS and the Department Chair for final approvals.
External members to this committee ideally should be identified as early as possible and added as well. However, they may also be added later, as needed, by submitting a revised Dissertation Committee Membership form.
External Member Guidelines
Prospectus
The PhD Prospectus is an expanded outline of the dissertation the student intends to write and defend. If developed early, a well-written Prospectus can help guide the student’s research research and dissertation writing through the months and/or years ahead.
Prospectus Approval Process
The Prospectus of the dissertation must be approved by the student’s PhD Dissertation Steering Committee. Once the committee has approved the Prospectus, and the Readers have signed the
GRS Dissertation Prospectus Approval Form, the Prospectus and that form should be submitted for review and approval by the DGS or Department Chair, and then conveyed to the Graduate School for final approval.
Prospectus Submission Procedures & Timeline
A Prospectus that has been approved by the student’s PhD Dissertation Steering Committee, the DGS, and the Chair may be submitted (along with the
GRS Dissertation Prospectus Approval Form) to the Graduate School at any time, up to six months prior to the Final PhD Oral Examination. That is, early submission is encouraged but submission within six months of the Final Oral Exam is not permitted (the Final Exam will not be able to be scheduled).
Final Oral Examination
Candidates must defend their PhD dissertations as worthy contributions to scientific knowledge and the candidates must demonstrate mastery of related fields of physics and astronomy. The defense is carried out at a Final PhD Oral Examination, consisting of a public presentation of the dissertation research and an oral examination of the candidate by the PhD Examining Committee.
Oral Examining Committee
The Final PhD Oral Examining Committee must consist of at least five members, including at least a First and Second Reader, a Committee Chair, an External Member, and Another Member. Additional Members, or Third and/or Fourth Readers, may be added as needed, but the Committee Membership must have as a majority Astronomy Department academic faculty members. It is normally expected that the student’s PhD Dissertation Steering Committee members will constitute the Oral Examining Committee, but personnel changes are not unusual. The membership of the Final Oral Examining Committee must be established and approved well in advance of scheduling the Final Oral Examination.
Registration Requirement
A student must be registered in the preceding semester and in the semester during which the degree requirements are completed. Please be aware of this requirement when planning your dissertation defense.
Prior to the Final Oral Examination
At least five weeks prior to the Final Oral Examination, an Abstract summarizing the research and the scientific results of the dissertation must be fully approved by the Astronomy Department. This begins with submission of the Abstract to the Readers. The abstract is limited to a maximum of 350 words and must be properly formatted (refer to the
GRS PhD Graduation Information Guide). The abstract is made available for comment to all members of the Department of Astronomy faculty. Upon approval of a final draft by the Readers, the abstract must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and then by the Chair, both of the Department of Astronomy.
At least three weeks prior to the final oral examination, the abstract must be approved by the Astronomy Department. Upon approval, the scheduling of the defense may proceed.
Dissertation Defense Approval
At least four members of a five-person the PhD Examining Committee must vote to pass the candidate. Failure to achieve four votes of “pass” constitutes a failure, in which case the candidate must leave the PhD program without obtaining the PhD degree. For larger committees, the rule is “no more than one negative vote” to award a “pass.”
Following the Dissertation Defense
Upon successful completion of the Final Oral Examination, the final version of the dissertation and abstract, as revised following comments and suggestions by the PhD Examination Committee and the Department of Astronomy faculty, must be approved by the Readers, as well as by the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. The candidate should consult the
GRS PhD Graduation Information Guide for the precise format and submission requirements for the dissertation.
