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A doctoral candidate must defend their dissertation in a final oral examination. Successful defense of the dissertation requires unanimous approval of the committee. If unanimity cannot be reached, the matter is referred to the Graduate Dean for review.
The Graduate School has strict rules and deadlines for scheduling the final oral examination and submitting paperwork for graduation. These are not flexible and students should make themselves familiar with the rules, because they are responsible for following them.
As of January 30, 2018, the department requires that no food be brought to the Final Oral Examination. The department recommends that students attend theDoctoral Degree Candidate Workshoppresented by Degree Evaluators from the Graduate School. At this workshop, they review the guidelines and deadlines necessary for graduation that semester. Topics will include: scheduling your defense, how to submit your dissertation to the Texas Digital Library, requesting an embargo, IRB & IOC requirements, and reviewing what paperwork you must submit to the Graduate School.
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