A student admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree will chose a dissertation director, who will sign the student's dissertation proposal. The dissertation director, in consultation with the student, will also nominate members of a three-person dissertation committee (the director and two others, with the director as chairperson). The dissertation proposal as well as the composition of the committee shall be presented for approval by the departmental committee.

At an appropriate early stage during the student's work with the dissertation, the director shall call a meeting of the committee to review the aim, method, and progress of the dissertation. When the dissertation is complete, the final version and an abstract shall be submitted to the dissertation committee for approval, and an oral examination by a five person committee (as required by the Graduate School) will be held on the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation.