Dissertation Completion

For all students

Prior to scheduling the defense of their Ph.D., students are required to publish a first-author manuscript that describes original research findings. While bioRxiv submissions and first-author literature reviews are welcomed, neither is sufficient to satisfy this requirement. The process of writing, submitting, and revising a research manuscript for publication is a critical component of Ph.D. training and central to the mission of academic research.

In certain instances, students may wish to hold the defense and submit the dissertation in time to meet a deadline, even when their first-author manuscript has not been formally accepted. In this case, a request must be made in writing and signed by the student, the advisor, and the dissertation committee chair, then sent by email to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS; jmcalabr@med.unc.edu).

The DGS will then circulate the request to the Graduate Education Executive Committee (GEEC) for evaluation. If members of the GEEC also serve on the student’s dissertation committee, then those members will recuse themselves from the evaluation process.

In the request, please include a detailed response to reviewer comments, the estimated timeframe for revision, the desired time frame for the defense, and discuss the rationale for the request along with the status of the first-author manuscript.

In rare cases, students may encounter a circumstance that requires that they defend prior to having their first-author manuscript reviewed. Please note that the GEEC will review these cases only in exceptional circumstances, and if a request is made, the exceptional circumstance will need to be clearly explained.

See also: Pre- and Post Defense Steps.