The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
Develop a Ph.D. Proposal
-Proposal
Announcement
General Guidelines for Ph.D. Research
The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Process
-Defense Announcement
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree recognizes proficiency and high achievement in research. After adequate preparation, you must complete a searching and authoritative investigation in your chosen field, culminating in a written dissertation covering that investigation. The dissertation either must be an addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. The dissertation must demonstrate that you possess powers of original thought, a talent for research, and the ability to organize and present findings.
Registration
Grades
Ph.D. students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.3 for good academic standing . If your overall GPA drops below 3.3, you will be given the next two academic semesters in residence to raise your GPA to regain good academic standing. Failure to do so could result in your being dropped from the program. These requirements apply to the entire graduate program and include coursework taken for a master's degree provided that a grade of C or better was included in the program of study.
Courses taken at other institutions may be included in the program of study. All or part of the courses included in the Minor Area may be taken at another institution with the approval of the Georgia Tech Graduate Thesis Office. Six hours of credit for a graduate course (at the 6000 level) taken as an undergraduate at Georgia Tech may also be included in the program of study if you graduated with a B.S.M.E. or a B.S.N.R.E. and earned an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.5.
Courses
A list of all courses in mechanical engineering, nuclear and radiological engineering, and medical physics by number and their frequency of offering may be found in Appendix A. Appendix B is a list of the courses in each of the research areas in the Woodruff School.
Special Problem Courses
A special problem is an individual study in a specialized area under the direction of a member of the Woodruff School faculty. To register for ME/NRE 89XX you must select a project and find a faculty member (typically, your academic advisor) to direct it. Once a project is defined, you should prepare a Special Problem Statement and obtain the signature of the faculty advisor and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Each special problem must culminate in a written final report, which is to be submitted to the advisor for grading and forwarded to the Office of Student Services at the end of the semester. No grade will be assigned until the final report has been reviewed and approved by Dr.Yogendra Joshi, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. All special problems are given a letter grade. Special Problem credits may not be included as part of the 30 hours of required coursework for master's thesis students.
"The Special Problem Statement represents a contract between the student and the Woodruff School. Therefore, the tasks to be performed must be clearly stated and careful consideration should be given to the amount of course credit proposed for these tasks."
"The student must complete enrollment for a special project before the end of the semester preceding the semester of enrollment."
NOTE: This form is now available to be completed electronically. To initiate your Special Problem Course Form, please go to the following link and follow the online instructions:
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/STUDENT/
SpecProb_stu\Spec-prob-gradstd.asp
If you note any problems with this automated process, please notify the Office of Student Services by sending an email directly to wayne.whiteman@me.gatech.edu
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Seminars
Two hours of credit in Seminar-Mechanical Engineering, ME 8010-8011-8012, are required for the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering. Two semester hours of seminar credit, NRE 8011 and 8012, are also required for the Ph.D. degree in Nuclear Engineering. These courses are offered on a pass/fail basis and therefore are not included in the 42 semester-hours degree requirement. Attendance at a minimum of eleven seminars per credit hour is necessary to pass, with the attendance record being cumulative from semester to semester. Registration for these credits occurs after you attend the requisite number of seminars.
Any graduate research seminar given in the Woodruff School may be used to satisfy this requirement provided that the seminar is not part of another course for which you are registered. Numerous seminars are given by visitors, faculty, and thesis students. Notices are posted on the Woodruff School 's web page under Seminars or Calendar of Events
www.me.gatech.edu/me/events/
or
www.me.gatech.edu/me/events/calendar.html
Additional announcements are also posted on the bulletin board outside the Woodruff School Office of Student Services in MRDC. Graduate students are encouraged to attend seminars regularly.
You must keep track of each seminar that you attend (date, speaker, title of seminar). After you attend eleven seminars, complete the Seminar Registration Form , obtain your advisor's signature, and submit it to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, who will then electronically permit you to register for seminar credit. Once you have permission, you must formally register for the seminar course.
NOTE: This form is now available to be completed electronically. To initiate your Seminar Registration Form, please go to the following link and follow the online instructions:
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/
STUDENT/srf_stu/srf_stu.asp
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The Teaching Practicum
All
Woodruff School Ph.D. students are required to complete
three semester hours of Teaching Practicum (ME/NRE 7757)
during the course of their doctoral studies. Students
enrolled in the teaching practicum will work closely
with a Woodruff School faculty member in all aspects
of teaching a course, including the preparation and
delivery of a limited number of lectures (usually in
the presence of the course professor) and tutorials,
and setting and evaluation of homework, laboratories,
and examinations. The faculty member of record will
maintain full responsibility for the course. You must
do the teaching component and the classwork in the same
term.
Students enrolled in the practicum will attend regular meetings to discuss aspects of teaching appropriate to your chosen field. You may not register for this course during the semester in which you expect to receive the Ph.D. ME/NRE 7757 is offered on a pass/fail basis and cannot be used to satisfy the 42 semester-hours course work requirement. If you are assigned as a laboratory instructor in ME 3056/4053/4055 or NRE 3112/NRE/MP 6757, you are exempt from the teaching practicum requirement. Note: The previous sentence does not apply to any student who matriculates into the doctoral program after November 12, 2003.
The Teaching Practicum Request for specific ME/NRE 7757 assignments is available online. You are encouraged to select a faculty mentor for a specific assignment before the end of the preceding academic term in which you enroll in the practicum. Obtain the approval of both the proposed faculty mentor and your advisor, and submit the form to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies before the end of the preceding term. To gain the full benefit of the Teaching Practicum, only one student may be assigned to a single course in a given semester.
NOTE: This form is now available to be completed electronically. To initiate your teaching practicum request, please go to the following link and follow the online instructions:
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/
STUDENT/tpr_student/tpr.asp
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Ph.D. Residency Requirement
Doctoral students must spend at least two full-time semesters in residence at the Georgia Institute of Technology and ordinarily must complete research for the dissertation while in residence. Under special circumstances, candidates who have met the residency requirement may receive permission to pursue their research in absentia, provided the chair of the appropriate school approves and a faculty member directs the project. In either case, doctoral students working full time on thesis research should be registered for a full course load of “9000” dissertation hours each semester.
Degree Requirements
The doctoral degree requires 42 semester hours of course work (on a letter-grade basis) beyond the bachelor's degree or its equivalent. A total of 36 semester hours must be at the 6000 level or above. Up to six semester hours may be at the 4000 level. Any courses required for the B.S.M.E. or the B.S.N.R.E do not meet these respective course requirements.
Mechanical Engineering
Major Area |
24 |
Must be in a coherent subject area appropriate to ME, or related combinations, such as dynamics and controls. If you completed a master's thesis in this area, it may count for nine semester hours toward this requirement (a copy of the M.S. thesis abstract must be attached to the Ph.D. program of study form). ME 6753, ME 6789, and ME 6799 do not meet this requirement. |
Minor Area |
12 |
Must be distinctly different from the major area. The minor is intended to provide depth in an area not directly needed for Ph.D. research or related to the area of the principal expertise of the student. |
Electives/Other |
6 |
May be different than the major or minor, or could be applied to either the major or minor area. |
Total |
42 |
|
Nuclear Engineering
Major Area |
24* |
Must be in a coherent subject area appropriate to NE/RE/MP. If you completed a master's thesis in this area, it may count for nine semester hours toward this requirement. *27 hours of subject area is MP |
Minor Area |
9 |
Must be distinctly different from the major area. The minor is intended to provide depth in an area not directly needed for Ph.D. research or related to the principal area of expertise. |
Electives/Other |
9 |
May be different than the major or minor, or could be applied to the major or minor area. |
Total |
42 |
|
Paper Science and Engineering
Major Area |
24 |
Must be in the subject area of paper science and engineering. If you completed a master's thesis in this area, it may count for nine semester hours toward this requirement (a copy of the M.S. thesis abstract must be attached to the Ph.D. program of study form). |
Minor Area |
9 |
Must be distinctly different from the major area. The minor is intended to provide depth in an area not directly needed for Ph.D. research or related to the area of the principal expertise of the student. |
Electives/Other |
9 |
Six of these credits need to be courses in paper science and engineering. |
Total |
42 |
|
You are expected to be well grounded in the fundamentals of Paper Science and Engineering and have successfully completed the minimum coursework requirements for the master's degree in Paper Science and Engineering. Forty-two credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree are required for the Ph.D. You must demonstrate a mastery of some body of knowledge outside the core discipline of Paper Science and Engineering. This is referred to as a minor program of study. The minor should consist of at least nine semester hours of cohesive courses chosen in consultation with the thesis advisor. The courses must be at the 6000 level or above. You must complete the minor program with a grade point average of 3.3 or better.
Bioengineering
The requirements for the Ph.D. in Bioengineering are available at:
In addition to other Woodruff School requirements, you need to present two seminars, and submit a thesis-related paper to a refereed journal before graduation. Your advisor will assist in arranging both seminars and will ensure that the journal requirements are met.
Programs of Study
A Ph.D. Program of Study form must be submitted for approval by your advisor and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies before the end of the first semester of doctoral study . Upon preliminary approval, the Ph.D. Program of Study will be forwarded to the Woodruff School Graduate Committee for final approval. In preparing your program of study, you should be aware that graduate courses are usually offered only once a year and, in some cases, even less frequently. Appendix B contains a listing of graduate courses and their frequency of offering. Programs of Study forms are available for download below.
NOTE: The Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study can be completed electronically. To initiate the submission of your Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study, please go to the link and follow the instructions:
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/STUDENT/
phd_stu/phdstu.asp
If you note any problems with this automated process, please notify the Office of Student Services by sending an e-mail directly to wayne.whiteman@me.gatech.edu .
If you have forgotten your password, please go to the following link to reset your password: https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/pwrdreset/
Within one week from the date you submitted your Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study, you must send an electronic copy of the following documentation to glenda.johnson@me.gatech.edu or bring hard copies to the Office of Student Services, MRDC, Room 3112:
1) A copy of your M.S. Thesis Abstract if you are requesting course credit for your master's thesis.
2) A copy of any special problem (ME/NRE/MP 89XX) abstract for which you are requesting course credit.
3) A copy of the course syllabus and the catalog description for each course not taken at Georgia Tech.
Submit revisions to the program of study that are approved by your faculty advisor to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Revisions may be submitted at any time, except for the semester in which you graduate. During the semester in which you graduate, revisions must be made on or before the first day of classes. This will allow time for the review and approval process prior to the close of registration.
Program of Study forms for Ph.D. programs other than mechanical engineering are listed below. Please download these forms and submit hard copies to the Office of Student Services, MRDC Room 3112.
Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study
Nuclear Engineering/Medical Physics
Paper Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program of Study
Bioengineering Ph.D. Program of Study
The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
Objective
The objective of the Ph.D. Ph.D Qualifying Examination is to assess your general knowledge of mechanical engineering or nuclear and radiological engineering. The examination philosophy of the Woodruff School is to evaluate your understanding of fundamental principles and your ability to apply these principles to solve problems. The ability to express both written and oral in English, the solutions in English to the problems is essential. The qualifying examination provides an early assessment of your potential to satisfactorily complete the requirements for the doctoral degree. All students entering the Ph.D. program in the Woodruff School are required to take the examination. The written examination is closed-book and closed-notes.
Examination Schedule
The exams are given twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. If you already have a master's degree and matriculate as a Ph.D. student, you must take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination no later than the first opportunity following the one-year anniversary of your initial enrollment date in the Woodruff School graduate program. Those who matriculate with a bachelor's degree must take the qualifying examination no later than the first opportunity following the two-year anniversary of your initial enrollment date in the Woodruff School graduate program.
Postponement of the exams will not be allowed as a general rule. However, some flexibility may be allowed for students who do not have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related area and for those just returning to school after being in industry for some time. If you want to delay taking the qualifying exam, get an endorsement from your academic advisor, and petition the Woodruff School Graduate Committee.
Grade Point Requirement
You must be registered for the semester quarter in which you take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and have full graduate standing. A minimum GPA of 3.3 is required to take the qualifying examination.
Mechanical Engineering Qualifying Examination
Examination Format. The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination consists of three area examinations to be chosen from the Standard Exam Area List or the Special Exam Area List. At least two examinations must be selected from the Standard Exam Areas. Each area exam consists of a two-hour, closed-book/closed-note written exam and a one-half hour oral exam. The exams are scheduled over a two-week period in mid-fall s emester Quarter and mid-spring semester Quarter. The dates are posted to the web calendar as soon as they are scheduled.
Standard and Special Exam Areas. The Standard Exam Areas are based on materials normally covered in the undergraduate core curriculum in mechanical engineering. The Special Exam Areas include materials at an advanced undergraduate level and/or at a graduate level. Notify the Office of Student Services in writing which three area exams you wish to take. In mechanical engineering, the exam areas are:
• Applied Mathematics
(AMath)
• Design (DE)
• Dynamics and
Vibrations (DV)
• Fluid Mechanics
(FL)
• Heat Transfer
(HT)
• Manufacturing
(MFG)
• Mechanics
of Materials (MM)
• System Dynamics
and Control (SDC)
• Thermodynamics
(TH)
The Special Exam Areas are:
• Acoustics
(AC)
• Bioengineering
(BE)
• Computer-Aided
Engineering (CAE)
• Tribology
(TR)
Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Qualifying Examinations
Examination Format: The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination consists of three, two-hour written examinations and a one-hour oral examination. Each two-hour written exam is conducted on a separate day. The first two days of the exam are required for all NRE/MP students, and the exam consists of material covered in the following courses:
Day 1: Radiation Physics : NRE/MP 6757, Radiation Physics
Day 2: Radiation Transport Methods: NRE 6101, Transport Fundamentals
Day 3 of the exam would include one exam from the following areas:
• Medical Physics: NRE/MP 4750, Diagnostic Imaging Physics; MP 6407, Radiation Biology and Oncology
• Radiation Detection and Protection: NRE/MP 6757, Radiation Detection; MP 6405, Radiation Protection and Dosimetry
- Reactor Physics: NRE 6201, Reactor Physics; NRE 4204, Nuclear Reactor Physics
- Thermal Hydraulics: NRE 4214, Reactor Engineering; NRE 6301, Reactor Engineering
- Fusion: NRE 4610, Introduction to Plasma Physics and Fusion Engineering; NRE 6102, Plasma Physics
- The Woodruff School's Applied Mathematics Examination
Oral Exams: The Oral Examination Committee consists of the lead examiners for the three written examinations selected by the student. The oral examination addresses material covered in the three written examinations selected by the student.
Grading and Notification of Examination Results
You will be evaluated on your performance in each area of the qualifying examination by the respective area exam committee. Each area committee reports its their assessment s to the Woodruff School faculty on a pass/fail basis. The faculty then meet s to evaluate your overall performance on the entire exam (all area exams). In mechanical engineering, the results of the examination will be one of the following:
Pass: You will continue in the Ph.D. degree program, and will prepare a Ph.D. proposal.
Fail: Students not passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination at the first sitting will be allowed to sit at the next offering of the examination for the one or more area exams that were failed. However, the faculty may advise the student after one sitting to leave the Ph.D. program. A student who fails the exam on the second attempt will be asked to leave the Ph.D. program. In retaking the qualifying exam, you may choose to be tested in a different area; however, only one attempt is allowed in this different area.
The grading of the examinations in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics will conform to existing Woodruff School guidelines. The results of the four examinations (three written examinations and the oral examination) will be reviewed by the NRE/MP faculty and reported to the Woodruff School Graduate Office and the Woodruff School academic faculty.
You will be notified of the results of the exam (pass/fail in each area as well as an overall pass/fail grade) by letter from the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. The Associate Chair will counsel each student who does not pass the exam. Students not passing the exam are encouraged to discuss their performance with their advisors as well as the chairs of the appropriate area exam committees.
Preparation Guidelines
You are encouraged to review the texts and the listed courses associated with each area. An open file of past written exams is available from the Georgia Tech Library at:
The detailed test specifications for the Standard and Special Area Exams in Mechanical Engineering may be found in Appendix D.
Bioengineering Qualifying Examination
The Comprehensive Exam in Bioengineering is administered by the Bioengineering Program Graduate Committee. For additional information, please see:
Develop a Ph.D. Proposal
The Ph.D. Dissertation is a comprehensive, scholarly, and independent investigation within your chosen research field. The process includes the submission of a Ph.D. proposal, the preparation of the dissertation document, and the final dissertation examination (the defense).
Prior to admission to Ph.D. candidacy, you must submit a formal Ph.D. Proposal for approval by the Woodruff School Graduate Committee, your Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, and the Georgia Tech Graduate Thesis Office.
Step 1. Identify your Ph.D. reading committee.
The Ph.D. Reading Committee approves your dissertation research topic, provides advice and guidance during the research process, is charged with approving the dissertation when the research is completed and presented as the doctoral dissertation, and participates in and approves the oral defense of the dissertation research.
Composition of the Committee
In conjunction with your advisor, identify the members of your dissertation reading committee. The Ph.D. Reading Committee consists of at least five faculty members including the dissertation advisor, who serves as the chairperson. All committee members must have an earned doctorate or equivalent degree. The dissertation advisor (or the co-advisor) and the second committee member shall be tenure-track academic faculty members with a primary or joint appointment in the Woodruff School. The third committee member shall be a research faculty, academic professional, or tenure-track faculty member with a primary or joint appointment in the Woodruff School. The fourth committee member shall be a Georgia Tech tenure-track faculty member whose primary appointment is outside the Woodruff School. A fifth committee member shall have no primary or joint appointment in the Woodruff School. A majority of the committee members must be tenure-track academic faculty members at Georgia Tech of which at least one has a primary appointment in the Woodruff School.
Step 2. Submit the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form. At the same time, the faculty advisor submits a justification for the composition of the reading committee.
Before you present your Ph.D. proposal, your reading committee must be formed and the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form must be turned in to the Office of Student Services for approval by the Woodruff School Graduate Committee. Committee member signatures on the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form should not be obtained until the Graduate Committee gives its approval of your reading committee. Both you and your advisor should sign the form when it is submitted for approval. One copy of the Ph.D. proposal should be included with this submission to the Office of Student Services.
Members of the Ph.D. dissertation reading committee are recommended by you and your advisor and approved by the Woodruff School Graduate Committee and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. At the same time that you submit your Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form, your advisor should send an e-mail to Dr. Joshi at joshi.gradprog@me.gatech.edu (and a copy to Glenda Johnson at glenda.johnson@me.gatech.edu) that provides a short justification for the selection of each member of the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee. If a proposed member is not a Georgia Tech faculty member, a biosketch of that proposed member must also accompany the request. The advisor must also inform the Woodruff School Graduate Committee in the event that the dissertation contains any proprietary information that will require a delay in the placement of the dissertation in the Georgia Tech Library.
Step 3. Receive Woodruff School Graduate Committee approval.
After your Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form receives Woodruff School Graduate Committee approval, it remains in your file in the Office of Student Services until the date that you formally present your Ph.D. Proposal.
Present Your Ph.D. Proposal
Step 1. Submit a Faculty Consent Form.
Once the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee is appointed, you may pick up your Faculty Consent Form from the Office of Student Services. You must contact each member of your Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee to ask if they are willing to serve and to give them a copy of your proposal. Once all faculty signatures have been obtained, the Faculty Consent Form must be returned to the Office of Student Services.
Step 2. Schedule the Ph.D. Proposal Presentation and submit the Ph.D. Proposal Presentation Announcement to the Office of Student Services.
Poll the members of the reading committee and establish a date and time for the proposal presentation. Reserve a room, and prepare an announcement of the presentation.
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/STUDENT/
PhD_proposal_pres/announce.asp
This step must be completed at least two weeks (14 days) before the proposal presentation. The announcement will be posted on the Calendar of Events on the Woodruff School's home page.
If you have forgotten your password, please go to the following link to reset your password: https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/pwrdreset/
Step 3. Obtain the final signatures of committee members on your Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form and submit.
On the day (or a few days before) you present your proposal, go to the Office of Student Services to get your Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form. The members of the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee should sign the form to show approval of your Ph.D. proposal and presentation. Take the signed Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form to the Office of Student Services for processing.
Changes in Dissertation Title and Abstract
Complete an updated Request for Admission for Ph.D. Candidacy Form. Indicate on the form that this is a change in title, abstract, or both. You and your advisor must sign the form and submit it to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Changes to a title or abstract are handled administratively and need not go to the Woodruff School Graduate Committee for approval.
Changes in the Ph.D. Reading Committee
Changes to your Ph.D. Reading Committee must be on an updated Request for Admission for Ph.D. Candidacy Form and submitted to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Your advisor must provide a short justification for the change in Reading Committee to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. (This justification may be provided by email.) Upon approval by the Woodruff School Graduate Committee, the modified form will be returned to you so that you can secure the signatures of the members of your reading committee.
Writing the Ph.D. Proposal
Objective
The objective of the Ph.D. Proposal is to allow an early assessment of your chosen topic of research for the satisfactory completion of the doctoral degree. The proposal should delineate your specific area of research by stating the purpose, scope, methodology, overall organization, and limitations of the proposed study area. The proposal should include a review of the relevant literature and indicate the expected contribution of the research.
Schedule
All graduate students who have successfully completed the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination should submit a Ph.D. proposal to the Woodruff School Office of Student Services within one year after completion of the qualifying examination. A student will not be allowed to graduate without a minimum of six calendar months between the time that his/her Ph.D. Proposal is approved and the time in which he/she completes the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense.
Benefits
A well-conceived Ph.D. proposal will help you:
• Develop the critical
research questions;
• Lay the foundation
for the research work to be done;
• Isolate pending
problems;
• Manage your time
efficiently;
• "Map" your
research progress; and
• Think through the
whole process, indicating the need for an integrated approach.
Your proposal should contain a concisely stated hypothesis. After a successful proposal presentation, the Woodruff School Graduate Committee will inform you that the topic is appropriate and that the committee understands what is planned. The Ph.D. proposal serves to minimize disasters of misunderstanding from occurring later in the doctoral process. After the proposal is presented, you are ready to move from perception and comprehension of critical questions to a resolution of the problem.
Format
Cover Sheet. The cover sheet for the Ph.D. proposal is the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form. The cover page is essentially a formal statement that names the dissertation advisor, sets forth the dissertation topic selected for the investigation, and enumerates a 200-word summary (or abstract) of the proposed dissertation research. The title of the proposed dissertation topic should be brief, scientifically and technically valid, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader, and suitable for use in the public press.
The 200-word summary of the proposed research should be a self-contained description of the activity. The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives, methods to be employed, and the significance of the proposed work to the advancement of knowledge. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically literate reader.
Table of Contents. A table of contents is required and should show the location of each section as well as the major subdivisions of the project description, such as a summary of previous work, and the methods and procedures to be used.
Project Description. The main body of the proposal should be a clear statement of the work to be undertaken. It is limited to 15 pages and should include:
• objectives of
the proposed research and its expected significance;
• relation
to longer-term goals of the investigator's project;
• Relation
to the present state of knowledge in the field, to work-in-progress
elsewhere;
and.
• Plans of work, including the broad design of activities
to be undertaken, an adequate description of experimental methods
and procedures, and, if appropriate, plans for preservation, documentation,
and sharing of data, samples, physical collections, and other
related research products.
Bibliography. Citations must be complete (including the full name of the authors, title, year and location in the literature). There is no page limit for this section of the proposal. Refer to the Manual for Graduate Theses at
www.grad.gatech.edu/thesis/thesis_man.html
for the accepted format for presenting bibliographic citations. Once a format is chosen, you should maintain consistency in the presentation of your sources.
Style and Format. Brevity will assist your Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee in reviewing the Ph.D. proposal. The project description must not exceed 15 pages (30 double-spaced pages is acceptable). Graphical elements, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations are included in the 15-page limit. Pages should be of standard size (8½" x 11"; 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm) with 1" or 2.5 cm margins at the top, bottom, and on each side. The type font size must be clear and readily legible and in standard size, which is 10 to 12 points. (Nothing smaller than 10 points should be used.)
Pursuant to the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, your proposal must use the metric system of weights and measures, unless impractical or inefficient.
General Guidelines for Ph.D. Research
Doctoral research should provide a useful educational experience that emphasizes creativity, independent action and learning, implementation of research methodology, and a scholarly approach. The research must be relevant to the field in which you are pursuing a degree. The dissertation should demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in the written communication (in English) of research results. It should conform to the Institute's requirements as outlined in the Thesis Manual at
www.grad.gatech.edu/thesis/index.html
The contribution must be original and, as such, should represent a substantial addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. The research must demonstrate creativity. Dissertations based on well-known principles, techniques, and models applied to situations only somewhat different from previous applications are not acceptable.
The dissertation should contain clear statements about the relevance and importance of the problem as well as the significance, originality, and generality of the research results. The relationship of the research to the literature in the field should be described fully. The dissertation must demonstrate an understanding of the theory and methodology related to its main thrust, and it should reflect knowledge of the application area.
The research should possess the major characteristics of the scientific method, namely, objectivity and reproducibility. Experimental and theoretical research assumptions should be clearly stated. The scope of the research should be such that it requires at least the time and effort equivalent to one year of full-time graduate study. The research should result in at least one paper that might be published in a refereed journal of engineering, science, management, or architecture, as appropriate.
The Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Process
After adequate preparation, you must complete a searching and authoritative investigation in your chosen field that culminates in a written dissertation describing that investigation. An oral defense of the dissertation will be scheduled. The following procedure must be followed at the time of the dissertation defense.
Step 1. Provide your completed written Ph.D. Dissertation to the members of your Ph.D. Reading Committee.
You must provide copies of the completed final draft of your dissertation to each member of the Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee. This must be done at least two weeks before the final dissertation defense. The defense may be scheduled only after the members of your committee have reviewed the written document and consider the dissertation to be satisfactory.
Step 2. Schedule your Ph.D. Dissertation Defense and submit your Ph.D. Dissertation Defense announcement to the Office of Student Services.
Poll your committee and establish a date and time for the defense. Reserve a room, and prepare an announcement of the defense. Submit your announcement at the following link:
https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/STUDENT/
PhD_diss_defense/announce.asp
If you have forgotten your password, please go to the following link to reset your password: https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/pwrdreset/
This step must be completed at least two weeks (14 days) before your defense. The announcement will be posted on the Calendar of Events and to Theses (an archival record) on the Woodruff School's web page at
www.me.gatech.edu/me/theses/index.html
Step 3. Submit your Certifcate of Thesis Approval.
To obtain a Certificate of Thesis Approval (a writable PDF form) for the members of your reading committee to sign as acceptance of your doctoral work, go to
www.grad.gatech.edu/thesis/Forms/
Doctoral/CertiPhD.pdf
Once the signatures have been obtained, leave the signed form and the Checkout Clearance Form in the Office of Student Services for the signature of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Finally, submit the certificate and the faculty signature form to the Graduate Thesis Office (Savant Building, Room 317).
Graduation 
Deadlines
The Georgia Tech Graduate Studies and Research Office establishes deadlines for the submission of dissertations. These deadlines are strictly enforced and failure to meet all the deadlines might jeopardize your graduation . Please check the web at
www.grad.gatech.edu/thesis/
thesisdeadlines.html
for the deadlines applicable to the term you plan to graduate.
Petition for the Degree
To complete its records for each Ph.D. student, the Registrar's Office requires a Petition for Degree. The degree petition must be submitted to the Registrar's Office prior to the end of the semester preceding your final semester. The due date is listed in the OSCAR and on the Georgia Tech web site. You must complete the form, obtain your advisor's signature, take the form to the Bursar's Office in Lyman Hall (across from Junior's), pay the required fee (current, $25), and return the petition to the Woodruff School Ofice of Student Services three weeks before the end of the semester for the signature of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. The Woodruff School Office of Student Services forwards these documents to the Georgia Tech Registrar at the end of each semester.
Enrollment Reduction or Enrollment Waiver
You may register for a minimum of one hour of dissertation in the term of graduation. This Enrollment Reduction from the normal minimum course load of three hours may be used only once.
If all requirements for graduation, including submission of the final approved dissertation, have been completed prior to the last day of registration, and the student was registered for the preceding term, the student may apply for an Enrollment Waiver. Pay the Institute a fee (currently $55) for archiving and distributing the dissertation through UMI Dissertations Publishing prior to the final submission and the complete dissertation to Graduate Studies via the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation web site.
The Enrollment Waiver must be submitted before the first day of classes. You must also reactivate your degree petition at the same time as you submit the Enrollment Waiver. The waiver must be signed by your advisor and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Then submit your thesis.
Format Checks
To make an appointment to have your dissertation checked, contact the Graduate Thesis Office at 404-894-3092 or e-mail thesis@grad.gatech.edu. You are urged to have the dissertation's format checked by bringing a paper copy to the office. There is now a deadline for the initial format check that is one week before the final submission deadline. There is a recommended deadline, but initial format checks will not be done in the week leading up to the thesis deadline; only final submissions will be checked that week. The specific requirements for the format, publication, and distribution of your dissertation are explained in the Manual for Graduate Theses. It can be seen at
www.gtad.gatech.edu/thesis/thesis_man.html
Electronic Submission of Dissertations
You no longer have to submit any paper copies of your dissertation to the Graduate Thesis Office. Paper copies should be given to your advisor and the members of your reading committee. For complete instructions, go to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertations web site at
Enter the requested information about yourself and your thesis/dissertation on a form and upload your thesis or dissertation in PDF format. The Graduate Thesis Office will check your electronic document and let you know about any corrections your must make; make the corrections and resubmit the corrected file. If the Graduate Thesis Office has all of the related documents, your dissertation will be approved and they will notify the Registrar's Office that you are eligible to graduate. Once you have graduated, your dissertation will be released for electronic circulation. Once you submit the document electronically, an e-mail notice will be sent to your committee members.
The Thesis Approval Page will still be the second page in your thesis/dissertation, but it will not have signatures. List the committee members who approved your thesis or dissertation, but remove signature lines and be certain you type in the Date Approved. That should be the date the final draft of your dissertation was approved.
You must submit a paper copy of the Certificate of Thesis Approval to the Graduate Office. The form must have the original signatures of all your committee members as well as the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Checkout Form
You are required to submit a Checkout Clearance Form along with the Certificate of Thesis Approval for final approval by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Publication of Dissertations
It is the policy of the Georgia Institute of Technology that doctoral dissertations and master's theses are to be published in the open literature. Extraordinary delays to protect proprietary interests of sponsors are allowed. It is anticipated that all Ph.D. dissertations and a significant fraction of master's theses be published as archival publications in the open, refereed literature. In all cases, doctoral research should meet all the requirements given in the section on General Guidelines for Ph.D. Dissertation Research, and in no situation should these items be compromised to allow for concealing important research results because of security classification or a sponsor's proprietary interest.
Under unusual circumstances and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, the dissertation may be held by the Dean for a period of time not to exceed one year before transmittal to the Georgia Tech Library for online posting as a PDF file.