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How to Create a Dissertation Timeline (With Examples + Tempate)

When it’s time to start thinking about writing your dissertation, it is vital to put together a dissertation timeline. This will help you map out the months you will be spending on your dissertation, and ensure that you’re staying on track. A specific and detailed dissertation timeline will serve as an outline to guide you, step by step, through what can be a long and challenging process. 

While we often refer to a dissertation in a way that makes it sound like a monolith, in reality, a dissertation consists of many moving parts. A dissertation timeline includes a series of milestones that leads up to the dissertation defense , revisions, and final submission of your dissertation. Constructing an outline of every step in the dissertation process , including rough estimates of how long each will take, will give you a realistic picture of where you are in the process at any given time. 

Before embarking on your dissertation, it is a good idea to meet with your dissertation advisor and sketch out a dissertation timeline that is realistic for the size and scope of your project and includes deadlines. This will provide you with much-needed structure and a sense of what will happen next. To get an idea of what a completed dissertation looks like and the components your program requires, ask to see samples from recent graduates in your department. 

These are a few frequently asked questions about crafting a dissertation timeline: 

• What does a dissertation timeline look like?
• What goes in a dissertation timeline? 
• How structured should a dissertation timeline be?
• What do you do with a dissertation timeline? 

What Does a Dissertation Timeline Look Like? 

One way to think about a dissertation timeline is as a kind of outline. While the outlining process is unique to each writer, there are commonalities shared by all of them. Likewise, when writing a dissertation timeline, you’ll want to include all of the basic elements of your dissertation as well as the amount of time you think you’ll need to execute them. 

The best dissertation timeline format is the one that works for you. Though I’ve reformed somewhat over the years, for a long time I wasn’t a fan of intensely detailed outlines. Many people don’t like outlines. And that’s okay! However, writing a dissertation is not the time to be flying by the seat of your pants. To get started, a simple, linear timeline that projects the amount of time you think you’ll need to write your dissertation will suffice. 

Example Dissertation Timeline

Below, you’ll find an example of a dissertation timeline, which you can view as an image in your browser or download as a spreadsheet. Feel free to use the spreadsheet as a template as you build your own dissertation timeline.

Or download the spreadsheet below:

Inclusion in a Dissertation Timeline

When constructing your dissertation timeline, include every element of the dissertation from the abstract to the conclusion. Keep in mind that you may not be writing your chapters in chronological order. For instance, after completing their first round of research and writing their research question, most graduate students will tackle their literature review next, even though it comes after the abstract and introduction in the final document. 

Depending on the field being studied, most dissertations will also include sections for methodology, results, and discussion. Many programs also require a detailed conclusion that alludes to future research possibilities. Every dissertation also has an extensive list of references (pro tip: write this as you’re writing your dissertation), as well as appendices for charts, graphs, and other ephemera. And don’t forget your acknowledgments! 

Dissertation Timeline Structure

The structure of your dissertation timeline will take shape once you’re engaged in the research process. While a road map may seem like an apt metaphor for a dissertation, once you get started you may notice a lot of starts and stops and circling back. After you’ve begun researching, you may realize that you need to allot more time for digging through the databases, or you may discover that you need to reformulate your research question entirely. 

I’ve seen many of my own graduate students use calendars to great effect, giving themselves hard and fast deadlines to meet. Many students also build out their dissertation timelines as they progress, attaching working drafts of their abstract, introduction, and literature review to their timeline within a giant spreadsheet that links to multiple documents and sources. All of these methods are valid. Devise one that works for you. 

Using a Dissertation Timeline

So once you have a thoughtful, soundly-constructed dissertation timeline, what do you do with it? First, and most importantly, try your best to adhere to it. Check in with your dissertation timeline regularly, and use it to keep yourself on track. Also, make adjustments to it as needed. If you find yourself breezing through your preliminary research but needing a bit more time for your literature review, consult your timeline and adjust accordingly. 

While meeting your deadlines is important, also construct your dissertation timeline with an understanding that many graduate students face delays once they start working on their dissertation. These can include hold-ups at the department or university level in the form of late IRB approval or limited lab space or grant funding that gets cut. Anything can happen, but having a dissertation timeline will help you get back on track as soon as the storm passes. 

In my own experience, I also found my dissertation timeline to be a great document to share and discuss with my dissertation chair and committee. Once I finished my comprehensive exams, I met with members of my dissertation committee and got feedback on my rough dissertation timeline to make sure my goals for submitting my dissertation and graduating were realistic. This also ensured that we were all on the same page. 

When writing a dissertation, timing is everything. Creating a dissertation timeline gives you definitive time limits for research and writing, and it also influences several other major decisions that you’ll need to make. These include preparation to go on the job market, which often coincides with writing your dissertation. There is no doubt that this will be a hectic time in your graduate school career, but having a well-organized dissertation timeline is a good way to keep everything in perspective. 

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Courtney Watson, Ph.D.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Radford University Carilion, in Roanoke, Virginia. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate and graduate curriculum development for writing courses in the health sciences and American literature with a focus on literary travel, tourism, and heritage economies. Her writing and academic scholarship has been widely published in places that include  Studies in American Culture ,  Dialogue , and  The Virginia Quarterly Review . Her research on the integration of humanities into STEM education will be published by Routledge in an upcoming collection. Dr. Watson has also been nominated by the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award, and she is a past winner of the National Society of Arts & Letters Regional Short Story Prize, as well as institutional awards for scholarly research and excellence in teaching. Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Watson has served in faculty governance and administration as a frequent committee chair and program chair. As a higher education consultant, she has served as a subject matter expert, an evaluator, and a contributor to white papers exploring program development, enrollment research, and educational mergers and acquisitions.

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“How to Finish Your Dissertation in Half the Time”

Every Thing You Need to Know About the Dissertation Timeline

• By Ethan Tremblay
• Academic Writing

Pursuing a PhD is an immense undertaking, and the dissertation timeline is a critical component that guides scholars through this academic endeavor. A dissertation timeline outlines the major milestones and deadlines from the proposal to the final defense. It serves as a roadmap, helping students manage their time effectively and navigate the complex process with clarity and focus. Understanding the significance of a well-structured timeline is paramount, as it can influence the quality of the research, the writing process, and ultimately, the success of the dissertation.

Understanding the Dissertation Process: Key Stages to Shape Your Timeline

Embarking on a dissertation journey is a significant undertaking that involves several key stages. Each phase is crucial and requires careful planning and execution to ensure a successful completion. Understanding these stages is essential for creating an effective dissertation timeline .

• Proposal Development: This initial stage involves identifying a research topic, formulating research questions, and developing a proposal that outlines the study’s objectives, methodology, and significance.
• Literature Review: A comprehensive review of existing literature to frame the research within the context of what is already known and to identify gaps that the dissertation will address.
• Research Design and Data Collection: Establishing a robust methodology and collecting data through various means such as experiments, surveys, or archival research.
• Data Analysis: After data collection, the next step is to analyze the data to draw meaningful insights and patterns that support the research questions.
• Writing the Dissertation: This involves drafting the chapters, which include the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.
• Revision and Editing: Refining the draft, addressing feedback from advisors and committee members, and ensuring the dissertation meets the required academic standards.
• Defense Preparation: Preparing for the final defense involves summarizing the research findings and defending the work before a committee.

Each of these stages plays a pivotal role in shaping the dissertation timeline and ultimately determines the trajectory of the research journey from inception to defense.

Creating Your Personalized Dissertation Timeline

Creating a personalized dissertation timeline is a pivotal step in managing your doctoral journey effectively. To begin, break down the dissertation process into manageable stages. Start by estimating the time needed for each phase, such as proposal development, research, writing, editing, and preparation for defense. Set realistic goals for each stage, considering your personal and professional commitments.

• Initial Research: Allocate time to immerse yourself in your topic, understand the scope, and formulate your research questions.
• Proposal Writing: Dedicate a period for drafting, revising, and obtaining approval for your proposal.
• Data Collection: Schedule ample time for gathering and analyzing your data, which can be unpredictable.
• Drafting Chapters: Plan periods for writing individual chapters, allowing for feedback and revisions.
• Final Review: Before the defense, set aside time for a thorough review and refinement of your dissertation.

Remember to incorporate buffers for unexpected delays, such as personal emergencies or academic setbacks. By anticipating these potential hurdles, you can adjust your timeline accordingly. Tailor your timeline to your individual needs, working style, and life circumstances. Regularly review and adjust your timeline to reflect your progress and any changes in your situation.

Utilizing tools like Gantt charts or project management software can help visualize and track your progress against your dissertation timeline . This visual representation can be particularly helpful in staying organized and motivated.

Key Factors Influencing Your Dissertation Timeline

When planning your dissertation timeline , it’s crucial to consider the various elements that can influence its length. These factors are often interconnected, and their impact can vary widely among different students and disciplines.

• Research Complexity: The scope and depth of your research can significantly affect your timeline. Projects requiring extensive experimentation, fieldwork, or longitudinal studies may take longer to complete.
• Funding: Access to financial resources can accelerate or delay your progress. Sufficient funding allows for dedicated research time, while a lack of it might necessitate part-time work, extending the timeline.
• Academic Obligations: Teaching responsibilities, coursework, and departmental duties can impact the amount of time available for dissertation work.
• Personal Life: Life events such as family commitments, health issues, or other personal circumstances can also play a significant role in the duration of your dissertation journey.

Understanding these factors can help you set realistic goals and adjust your timeline accordingly, ensuring a smoother path to your dissertation defense.

Typical Duration from Start to Defense in Your Dissertation Timeline

When planning for a PhD, understanding the dissertation timeline is crucial. The journey from the initial proposal to the final defense can vary significantly. Generally, this period spans anywhere from three to eight years, with most candidates averaging around four to six years. This timeframe is influenced by numerous factors, including the complexity of the research, the field of study, and the institution’s requirements.

• Year 1-2: Coursework and defining research topic
• Year 2-3: Comprehensive exams and proposal development
• Year 3-5: Research, data collection, and writing
• Year 5-6: Revisions and preparation for defense

It’s important to note that these stages can overlap, and some students may progress faster or slower. In fields like the sciences, where experiments can be unpredictable, the timeline might extend. Conversely, disciplines with a strong theoretical basis might see shorter durations. Each academic journey is unique, and while these are typical stages, they are not set in stone.

Completion Rates and the Dissertation Timeline: Understanding the Challenges

Understanding the completion rates and the hurdles that PhD students face during their dissertation journey is crucial. A significant number of doctoral candidates face the daunting reality of not crossing the finish line. Statistics reveal that nearly 50% of PhD students do not complete their dissertations . This stark number is indicative of the myriad of challenges that can derail even the most dedicated scholars.

• Protracted research phases and difficulty in data collection often contribute to delays.
• Financial constraints may arise, leading to stress and a lack of resources.
• Academic burnout and personal issues can also impede progress.
• Moreover, the complexity of the subject matter and unexpected academic hurdles can cause significant setbacks.

These factors, among others, underscore the importance of a well-planned dissertation timeline to navigate the PhD journey effectively. It is not just about setting deadlines, but also about anticipating potential obstacles and building in contingencies for when things do not go as planned.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways on Your Dissertation Timeline

In wrapping up, the journey through your dissertation timeline is unique, yet it shares common milestones with peers. From proposal to defense, each phase is pivotal. Remember, meticulous planning and realistic timeframes are the cornerstones of success. The challenges faced, such as research complexities and personal commitments, can stretch this timeline, but they also forge resilience. A significant portion of doctoral candidates may not reach the finish line, underscoring the need for determination and support networks. Ultimately, this timeline is not just a schedule; it’s a testament to your scholarly dedication and perseverance.

Ethan Tremblay

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Dissertation Checklist and Timeline

Completing all of the crucial steps to the dissertation process can be complicated. Time and task management will be key to your success. Review the suggested tasks and print out this checklist to assist you in your dissertation journey.

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How to Create a Research Timeline for Your Thesis

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• 21st May 2023

Beginning a dissertation can feel both thrilling and overwhelming. One of the best things you can do to prepare for the exciting journey of doing a dissertation is to design a comprehensive timeline as your guide. Here we will take you step by step through creating your thesis timeline and provide some example templates, so you’ll be well-prepared to begin your dissertation work.

Reasons for Creating a Timeline

There are many benefits to crafting a detailed dissertation timeline. In addition to helping with time management and meeting crucial deadlines, your timeline will also help you stay motivated by reviewing the tasks you have completed as you progress. A thorough timeline will be valuable during your dissertation proposal and useful if you are applying for grants or other additional funding.

Ste0ps for Creating a Timeline for Your Thesis:

• Research and record all requirements and deadlines.

Before you write out your timeline, ensure you know all of your program’s requirements and deadlines. Academic institutions often require you to complete your dissertation within a specified timeframe.

There are likely several recommended or mandatory deadlines for approval of certain items by your adviser (and possibly the rest of your committee members). Gather all these dates beforehand so you can allot an appropriate amount of time to meet your deadlines.

It will be beneficial to meet with your adviser to understand when you are expected to complete the major phases of your dissertation work and to confirm that there aren’t any other requirements or deadlines that you may not be aware of.

• List all of your tasks and bundle them into phases.

Now that you’ve assembled your dates, working backward from your deadlines is a good rule of thumb. List all of the required tasks that must be completed to meet each milestone, from coming up with your research questions to writing each chapter of your dissertation .

Even though your list will be unique to your research project, it can help to refer to a thesis checklist . It’s also helpful to assemble tasks into different phases (e.g., dissertation proposal, research recruitment). Grouping tasks into phases gives anyone looking at your timeline a quick overview of your research plan.

• Organize your tasks into a schedule and assign task deadlines.

Now it’s time to build your timeline. There are many different free templates available online, from straightforward lists of deliverables to colorful options with room for notes and customization.

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A popular organizational approach for thesis timelines is a Gantt chart , which is a type of bar chart often used in project management in which the length of the bar corresponds to the time the task will take. The best choice for you will depend on the specifics of your research study and personal preferences. Whichever option you select, make sure you can easily edit and revise it as need be.

Sanity-Saving Tips:

●  Pay attention to your work style. Some people are more productive when writing in short bursts, while others write better after taking time to get into the zone. Some people choose to start writing parts of their thesis while still conducting research, while others prefer to focus on one phase at a time. Set yourself up for success by reflecting on what type of schedule will help you create the best quality work.

●  Schedule breaks. Almost everyone will work better after a well-deserved break. Make sure to schedule regular breaks into your timeline, as well as provide enough time to sleep, eat well, and do anything else you need to do to safeguard your well-being. 

●  Always have a plan B. Your dissertation is an extensive endeavor with many moving parts. It’s impossible to anticipate and plan for every conceivable event, but it’s helpful to expect something may occur that will cause a deviation from your original timeline. Perhaps study recruitment takes longer than you expected, or one of your committee members gets sick and you have to postpone your dissertation proposal. After you draft your timeline, check that it is not so strict that any disruption will cause a total derailment of your plan. Aim to strike a balance between goals that will inspire you to progress steadfastly and have some leeway in your timeline for the inevitable curveball that life will throw at you somewhere along the way.

Following these three steps will help you draft a timeline to steer the course of your dissertation work: research and record all requirements and deadlines; work backward from your dissertation deadline and assemble your task lists; and organize your tasks into a timeline.

Don’t forget to include ample time for editing and proofreading your dissertation . And if you are interested in any help from us, you can try a sample of our services for free . Best of luck in writing your dissertation!

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The Dissertation Process Explained in 6 Simple Steps

Completing your doctoral program is no easy feat, yet the payoff makes it all worthwhile. You’ll challenge yourself with academic rigor and defend your thesis as you showcase your knowledge to a panel of experts.

One of the hardest parts of the dissertation process is simply getting started. Here are six steps to guide you to successfully earning your doctoral degree by tackling your dissertation, from start to finish.

Step 1: Brainstorm Topics

Finding a research topic that’s right for you and your doctoral studies requires some serious thought. A doctoral program can take years to complete, so it’s important you choose a topic that you’re passionate about. Whether that’s in the field of education administration or entrepreneurship, find an area of study that suits your academic interests and career goals. 

As a doctoral candidate, you’ll take on the role of an independent researcher, which means you’ll be facilitating your own studies and academic milestones. Choose a topic that gets your wheels turning and stirs up an urgent sense of curiosity. However, take note that not every idea will suit a doctoral dissertation and the manuscript formatting. Many students make the mistake of choosing a topic that is too broad. Doctoral dissertations must be researchable and demonstrative based on qualitative or quantitative data. 

Do some preliminary research to determine if someone has already conducted similar research. Being flexible with your brainstorming will allow you to refine your topic with ease. Take constructive criticism from peers and mentors seriously so that you set yourself up for success from day one. If you find yourself feeling a bit lost, don’t be afraid to turn to experts in your field for their opinion. At this initial stage of the dissertation process, you should be the most open to exploring new ideas and refining your area of research.

Step 2: Find a Faculty Mentor and Committee Assignment

Once your topic is approved by the university, you’ll be tasked with selecting a faculty mentor. Finding a faculty chairperson is one of the most important steps you will take in your dissertation process , apart from crafting and delivering your manuscript. After all, your mentor will guide your academic work over the course of your doctoral studies for the next several years. You two will develop a working relationship, so it’s crucial that you choose a mentor you can collaborate and communicate with effectively.

At most universities, your faculty chair will be dedicated to the dissertation process full time. That means they will have the skills, expertise and time to support all of your needs. However, for the other members of your dissertation committee, you’ll want to consider logistics as well. You may have a dream faculty mentor you’d appreciate working with, but they must have the time and attention to dedicate to make the investment worthwhile for you both. Be upfront about your intended timeline, weekly and monthly time commitment, and expectations around communication. When you approach a faculty member about serving as part of your dissertation committee, leave the door open for them to say “no,” so you’re sure to find the right fit and someone who can commit in the long run. 

Some universities make the selection process easy by assigning a dissertation chair and committee to you. For example, doctoral students at SNU are assigned a committee comprised of four people: a dissertation chair within the program’s department, a second departmental faculty member, a member from outside the department who has scholarly expertise in the student’s research topic, and the Dissertation Director who coordinates all communication among the committee members.

Step 3: Develop and Submit a Proposal

Think of the proposal as an opportunity for you to both suss out your ideas and create a convincing argument to present to the faculty committee. Your proposal is the first look at your thesis statement, where you:

• Introduce the topic
• Pose a set of related topics
• Outline the qualitative and quantitative data you hope to extract through careful research  

Again, be open to critical feedback. During this stage, you have the opportunity to reflect and refine the direction of your research. Faculty members will likely reciprocate your proposal with pointed questions that identify gaps in your proposal development or information-seeking process. 

You’ll go through a set of one or more revisions based on faculty feedback. You’ll then submit your proposal application for final approval. Once you have the entire committee’s approval, you’ll begin to collect data.

Step 4: Conduct Research and Data Analysis

In your proposal, you’ll outline your plan to conduct careful research, collect data and analyze that data. Throughout the research process, refer back to your outline to chart your own progress and to build a collection of measurable results to present to your faculty mentor. 

The next step is to add the data you collect to your proposal in two sections. The first section will summarize the data, and the second will offer an interpretation of that data. This step also lends itself to a series of revisions between you and the dissertation committee. Be prepared to implement those changes as you begin to draft your manuscript .

Step 5: Draft Your Manuscript

First, consult with your university’s policies and procedures regarding the doctoral manuscript academic requirements and scholarly style. Check with your department to inquire about additional departmental procedures. 

Consider Your Format 

Develop a consistent format in the early stages, so that submitting your thesis to the Advisory Committee and Examining Committee will run smoothly and you can receive swift feedback. You want to create both a professional and intuitive system for the academic committee and your general audience to be able to easily peruse your thesis. 

Pay close attention to proper sourcing of previously published content and provide a numbering system (page numbers and charts) that reflects the formatting of your thesis, not the numbering system of a previous publication. Devise chapter layout with the same level of scrutiny. Number chapters sequentially, and create a uniform system to label all charts, tables and equations. And last but not least, be sure to follow standard grammatical conventions, including spelling and punctuation. 

Cite Your Sources

As you gather research and develop your manuscript, you must cite your sources accurately and consistently. Check with your department ahead of time in case you should be formatting your resources according to specific departmental standards. In the absence of departmental standards, create a format of your own that you can adhere to with consistency. Most doctoral candidates will choose to include sources at the end of each chapter or in one single list at the end of their dissertation. 

Craft Your Content

You’ll spend the bulk of your time crafting the content of the manuscript itself . You’ll  begin by summarizing relevant sourcing and reviewing related literature. The purpose of this first section is to establish your expertise in the field, establish clear objectives for your research, identify the broader context within which the research resides, and provide more acute context for the data itself. You’ll then discuss the methods of analyzing the research before transitioning into data analysis in a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. Finally, in your conclusion, you’ll link your direct research to the larger picture and the implications of its impact in your field.

Step 6: Defend Your Thesis

The pinnacle of your research will be defending your thesis in front of a panel of experts — the dissertation committee. Sometimes this takes place in person, or, as has proved increasingly common during the past year, by video/voice conferencing. 

This is your opportunity to demonstrate all that you have learned over multiple years of careful research and analysis. The committee will pose questions to both clarify and challenge your level of knowledge in an impromptu fashion. In some cases, based on the committee’s perception, you may need to submit a secondary oral defense. Ultimately, the committee will determine a successful delivery of your dissertation and the chance to proudly assert your doctoral status after completing all degree requirements. 

No matter which path you choose to pursue en route to your doctoral, online and in-person education options can make your dream of completing your degree one step closer to reality. Take a look at SNU’s online and on-campus course offerings today.

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Managing the Dissertation Writing Process

Materials from workshop.

• Slides:  https://z.umn.edu/dissworkshopslides
• Revision Memo:  https://z.umn.edu/revisionmemo
• Dissertation Analysis handout (PDF)
• "How to Read like a Writer" (PDF) by Mike Bunn (in  Writing spaces : readings on writing Vol 2 )

Finding Dissertations

• Dissertations and Theses Global This link opens in a new window Collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, offering millions of works from thousands of universities. Each year hundreds of thousands of works are added. Full-text coverage spans from 1743 to the present, with citation coverage dating back to 1637.
• Google Scholar (Setup connection to get to PDFs) Use Google Scholar to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, research institutes, and scholarly repositories from colleges and universities. If you are using from off-campus access, change the "Library Settings" to University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Look for the "FindIt@U of M Twin Cities" links in your Google Scholar search results to access full text and PDFs. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
• University Digital Conservancy at the University of Minnesota A digital archive of M.A. and PhD theses at the University of Minnesota. The collection in this institutional repository can also be searched by keyword, date, authors and majors.

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• Smartsheet:  https://www.smartsheet.com/
• Click up:  https://clickup.com/
• Kanboard:  https://kanboard.org/

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Student Writing Support (SWS) offers collaborative one-to-one writing consultations to help student writers develop confidence and effective writing strategies. SWS offers three kinds of consultations:

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Our writing consultants will listen to your goals and concerns, read and respond to your written work, pose questions that help you clarify and articulate your ideas, and affirm the experiences and abilities you bring to your writing. We value your life experiences and languages, and we seek to provide a supportive space for you to share and develop your voice.

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• Restarting stalled research by Paul C. Rosenblatt ISBN: 9781483393551 Publication Date: 2016 Written for researchers and graduate students writing dissertations, this unique book offers detailed advice and perspective on many issues that can stall a research project and reveals what can be done to successfully resume it. Using a direct yet conversational style, author Paul C. Rosenblatt draws on his decades of experience to cover many diverse topics. The text guides readers through challenges such as clarifying the end goal of a project; resolving common and not-so-common writing problems; dealing with rejection and revision decisions; handling difficulties involving dissertation advisers and committee members; coping with issues of researcher motivation or self-esteem; and much more.

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Citation managers

What is a citation manager.

A citation manager is a software tool used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to:

• import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources,
• export your citations into Word documents or other types of publications,
• format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles, and
• include your own notes.

Choosing a citation manager

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Trapped in dissertation revisions?

Dissertation timeline, published by steve tippins on june 26, 2022 june 26, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 05:21 am

So, you’re writing a dissertation? Amazing! Congratulations! (Also, I’m sorry. And good luck.). 

If you’re embarking on this difficult journey, you need to go where you’re going. Every treasure hunt begins with a good map. (This particular treasure hunt happens to be for information that fills an extremely specific gap in the scholarly literature ).

Your dissertation timeline is the map you’ll rely on as you navigate the stormy waters of your dissertation journey. It will tell you what you need to be working on at any given stage of the process, and what you should prepare for when you’re done with your current task.

Expect the Unexpected

Remember that the map is not the journey. You can plan everything out perfectly, but life happens. Life even happens to doctoral students, who have ostensibly given up having a life.

The point is, don’t beat yourself up when your experience doesn’t match up with your dissertation timeline. The timeline is there to guide you and provide useful goals, but it can be adapted along the way as things come up. 

Perhaps your proposal needs five rounds of revision instead of the one or two you planned for (a common occurrence, except for those who have the foresight to hire a dissertation editor ). Maybe your committee chair decides to take an unexpected vacation. Maybe an unexpected family event happens.

All of these bumps are normal parts of the dissertation process. Don’t worry if you don’t live up to your own expectations as far as how quickly you finish. The important thing is not to go quickly, but to get to completion. 

Here are the major steps you’ll need to take when writing your dissertation, from ideation to graduation.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Step 1: Prospectus

The timeline for a dissertation begins with the generation of your idea. This usually takes the form of a prospectus . A prospectus explains, What are you planning to do? Then, you get your chair and committee to agree that it’s a reasonable topic. Most people go through more than one idea before settling on their topic, and that can take some time. 

It may take you a month to come up with your idea because you’re going to be looking for a gap in the research. Once you find a gap in the research, see whether you could complete a relevant study within a reasonable time period. 

A tip – most students try to tackle topics that are entirely too broad. Look at past dissertation topics in your department, and you’ll see just how specific you need to be. 

Step 2: Proposal (Chapters 1 to 3)

After your prospectus, you move on to the proposal stage. At most universities, that means writing Chapters 1, 2, and 3. These three chapters are going to be about 60 to 70 pages total. You are going to have to do a lot of writing and research and get committee approval. 

A timeline might say you can do your dissertation proposal in three to four months, but that is only true as long as what you’re submitting is well-written and your committee approves it. For argument’s sake, we’ll say it takes four months. The next level of your dissertation is to collect data. But before you can collect data, you have to get IRB approval. 

Step 3: Institutional Review Board Approval

Approval from the Institutional Review Board, or IRB, states that what you’re going to be doing will not harm any participants in your study. IRB approval is usually relatively quick, depending on what type of research you’re doing. If you want to research small children, for example, it’s going to take longer to get approval. There must be safeguards in place to protect those children. Once you have IRB approval, you move on to collecting your data. 

Step 4: Data Collection

Collecting data can be as short as a couple of hours if you are accessing data for a quantitative study from a secondary data source . In that case, you would just be getting the data you need from the database. Then, take that data, make sure it’s in the format you need, and enter it into the appropriate statistical software package. If you need help with this, check out our quantitative data analysis services.

On the other hand, if you’re doing a qualitative study and you have to track people down, it can take several months in order to just find and interview them. Then, you can process those interviews by transcribing and entering them into the appropriate statistical or software program to come up with themes. 

Step 5: Analysis and Conclusion (Chapters 4 and 5)

Once you have statistical results and themes, you can write Chapter 4 and report your findings. Then, write Chapter 5 , in which you analyze your findings. Say what they mean and how it fits in the literature. Compare your findings to the literature you used to begin your study and address what future research should be done. 

This phase could take anywhere from three to nine months, depending on how quickly you can collect your data. It is conceivable that you could finish your dissertation within a year or a year and a half. All of these time periods we’ve presented so far assume you’re working on your dissertation full-time. If you have a job and a family and are also working on a dissertation, it can take longer.

Step 6: Defense

Once you have finished your dissertation (Chapters 1 through 5) you have to go back to your committee, get approval, and then do your dissertation defense. This process can be as short as a month. But if your committee has problems with what you’ve done or it needs more work, it could take several months. 

Variables in the Dissertation Timeline

There are a number of variables outside your control. For example, you might finish in July and then one or two of your committee members are off on research projects of their own and won’t be back until September. But in an ideal timeline, a year to a year and a half is reasonable.

While we can present ideals and hypotheticals, you do have a lot of control over the timeline. If you dedicate yourself and work ahead, you can minimize the amount of time it will take to have “Dr.” in front of your name. 

Dealing With Unexpected Events

Unexpected things can come up as well. First of all, if you’re not a full-time student, life can throw many things in your way. Somebody could become sick, a pandemic could come about, or your job could increase its demands on you. 

You don’t control your committee’s time, and they may have other things going on that prevent them from responding quickly. Funding interruptions can also happen. Being good at handling details is going to help you stay on track as much as possible. 

That’s where a dissertation timeline comes in. Get this together from the very beginning, and you’ll be better-equipped to deal with unexpected events and finish your dissertation in as little time as possible.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Time Management Resources for Graduate Students and Postdocs

Dissertation plan

Completing your dissertation can be overwhelming and stressful. It is a critical period of time to manage time effectively and execute your well-thought-out plans. In this section, we aim to provide some checkpoints or milestones that help you to complete your dissertation in a timely manner:

• Find out the requirements and deadlines set by the department and graduate school. Having the end goal in mind will help you plan your way to get there.
• Have the initial meeting with your advisor to discuss the goals of your dissertation and set up an overall timeline. For example, determine when to have the defense, when to send the dissertation to committee, when to send out the schedule poll to committee, etc.
• Create an outline of the dissertation with sections and subsections for each chapter according to the initial discussion, and map out deadlines for each section.
• Meet with your advisor to discuss and finalize the outline and roadmap, including what kind of format (by chapters or the whole dissertation) your advisor expects, and how to maintain the line of communication (face-to-face or email) and how often you should communicate, so that you can get support and feedback along the way.
• Reach out to your committee members to let them know your dissertation plan and schedule the defense date. Ask if they are willing to provide feedback on your drafts.
• Incorporate the feedback comments and edit your dissertation for submission to your committee for defense.

*You can create a timeline table to help you visualize your plan.

Execution plan:.

• On your daily schedule, block off a couple of hours when you are most effective for your dissertation writing. Having this specific time block will help you prioritize and fit other tasks around your writing. Stick to the schedule and treat it as your appointment with your advisor or doctor.
• Limit the distraction during your blocked writing time in order to fully concentrate.
• Set a daily goal. For example, writing 2 pages each day on chapter 1 or finishing the method session on chapter 2, etc.
• Find a place that you find yourself most productive and efficient, and write there.
• Monitor your progress by calendars and project management apps.
• You are not alone. Find someone who is also writing their dissertation to be your writing buddy to help encourage one another and keep each other on track.
• Work/life balance (refer to the work/life balance )

https://www.stcloudstate.edu/elhe/_files/documents/dissertation/time-management-tips.pdf

https://sph.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/StrategiesDissertationCompletion3_8_07.pdf

Library Guides

Dissertations 1: getting started: planning.

• Starting Your Dissertation
• Choosing A Topic and Researching
• Devising An Approach/Method
• Thinking Of A Title
• Writing A Proposal

Planning Your Time

The dissertation is a large project, so it needs careful planning. To organise your time, you can try the following:  

Break down the dissertation into smaller stages to complete (e.g., literature search, read materials, data collection, write literature review section…). 

Create a schedule. Working backwards from your deadline, decide when you will complete each stage. 

Set aside time to regularly work on the dissertation. 

Consider what times of day you are most alert and what makes a suitable space to study. 

Identify a specific task to work on. 

If overwhelmed, try to identify one task that needs doing rather than focusing on the larger project. 

Leave time to redraft, proof-read, format, and complete the reference list. 

Gantt Charts

As the dissertation project involves certain processes to take place simultaneously, rather than in a sequence, you can use a Gantt chart to organise your time.  

A Gantt chart is a bar chart which shows the schedule for a project. The project is broken down into key tasks/elements to be completed. A start and finish date for each task/element of the project is given. Some tasks are scheduled at the same time or may overlap. Others will start when a task has been completed. 

To produce a Gantt chart, you can use Word, Excel (see example in the attachment) or an online planner.

• Tom's Planner . There's  an example  for you to use to complete your plan. 
• Excel:  example of Gantt Chart in Excel . This is an example of a Gantt chart which can be used to generate a plan of work (timeline) for your dissertation. You can download and edit it as you please. The chart has been created by the University of Leicester. 

Research Data Management

This video helps you to understand the importance of research data management and how you can plan, organise, store, preserve, and share your data.

• Link to video on Research Data Management
• Feedback Form Please give us feedback on our videos!
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Dissertation Essentials

• Welcome to Dissertation Essentials

DSE Guides & Templates

Dissertation rubrics, preparing for your cmp course, academic success center services, library dissertation toolbox series, other resources, dissertation essentials webinars.

• Student Experience Feedback Buttons
• Doctoral Record
• Working Ahead Guidelines
• Applied vs Theoretical Doctorates
• Technology Resources
• Published Dissertations
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• Scholarly Writing This link opens in a new window
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Need help ask us.

The Dissertation Essentials area houses guides, manuals, and templates to assist you in your doctoral journey.  There is also a section specifically for rubrics for each of the chapters as well as the proposal and manuscript.  Along with these items, there are additional resources provided for the ASC, Library, technology, accessing published dissertations, and even some school specific resources.

• DSE Manual (Previously Handbook) Use this guide throughout the dissertation process to support you in understanding the courses, deliverables, and expectations of students and the dissertation committee.
• Dissertation Proposal/Manuscript Template You will use this templates to write all chapters of the dissertation.
• PhD-DS Dissertation Proposal/Manuscript Template Students in the PhD Data Science program will use this template to write all chapters of the dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Revision Timeline Use this template to create a timeline for deliverable revisions in the dissertation.
• SOBE Best Practice Guide for Qualitative Research and Design Methods
• SOBE Best Practice Guide in Quantitative Research and Design Methods

If you are working on your CMP course, your course will provide information on how to format your prospectus/portfolio.

• DSE Chapter 1 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 1 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 2 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 2 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 3 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 3 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Proposal Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combining Chapters 1-3 into the Dissertation Proposal.
• DSE Chapter 4 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 4 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 5 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 5 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Manuscript Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combing all five of your dissertation chapters to produce your Dissertation Manuscript.

Not yet at the Dissertation phase?  Getting ready for your CMP course?  Check out the CMP Course Frequently Asked Questions document below:

• CMP Course Frequently Asked Questions

Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series

The  Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series  consists of engaging, skill-building workshops designed specifically for doctoral students. Students will learn how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information relating to their dissertation research topics. Each toolbox session features a new research focus- sign up for the entire series, or just those that most appeal to you:

• Research Process Guide by NU Library Outlines important steps in the research process and covers topics such as evaluating information.
• Managing and Writing the Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation Dr. Linda Bloomberg's newest edition Completing Your Qualitative Dissertation: A Road Map From Beginning to End is out now. This resource includes an interview between Methodspace and Dr. Bloomberg.

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Notes From a Writer's Desk: Demystifying the Dissertation Finish Line

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As a doctoral candidate in your final year, you’re likely juggling various responsibilities—finishing the dissertation, navigating the job market, completing lab work, possibly teaching, and trying to maintain some semblance of a personal life. In these last few months of the dissertation process, the journey can range from feeling like a well-oiled machine to experiencing well-ordered chaos. Amidst this whirlwind, it is crucial to establish clear expectations with your committee and prioritize tasks to ensure success on the road to graduation. As you try to manage your academic and personal obligations, a primary step is to plot out your remaining time and strategize how to allocate that time effectively. Consider breaking down your time into reasonable chunks, dedicating specific periods to producing the final draft(s) and making revisions, preparing for the defense, and formatting your dissertation document for submission.

Final draft(s) and revisions

Take inventory of the revisions you still need to make for your dissertation. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and feasibility within your timeline. For example, you may need to incorporate additional critical literature into various chapters, clean up citations and your bibliography, build in transitions that move between chapters, alter the structure of a couple of sections within a chapter, and/or hone the framing of your goals and argument(s) in your introduction. Set aside specific time for each of these revisions, thinking about which ones will require the most attention and which you can accomplish when you are less focused. Furthermore, seek out feedback from your advisor and committee members to ensure that your work meets the prescribed standards. Remember that maintaining clear communication with your advisor is essential for a smoother final stretch, especially if you find yourself needing to make compromises in order to meet deadlines. 

Preparing for the defense

Depending on your department’s requirements, the dissertation defense may take various forms. Many defenses will be public presentations, in which the candidate is given the chance to present their research to an audience of peers, members of the faculty, and their committee. Others might be a private final conversation with your committee. Reach out to the committee and to your department administrator to make sure that you are all on the same page. But no matter what kind of defense you have, preparation is key. Practice your presentation (perhaps with us at the FWC!), anticipate potential questions, identify areas you hope to improve upon or develop further in future iterations of the project, and ensure that you are well-versed in discussing and defending your research. Finally, make sure to schedule your defense with ample time before the submission deadline—ideally two or three weeks—to allow you to address any late-stage revisions, including crucial questions that might be brought up at the defense itself.

Submission process

Staggering the defense and submission dates will also provide sufficient time to format your dissertation according to the  registrar’s guidelines . Familiarizing yourself with the formatting requirements early on in the process will help minimize stress during the brief post-defense period. Pay close attention to the guidelines regarding the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC) and the document’s front matter, including the title page, copyright page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, and any lists of illustrations or figures you may require. Strive to submit your dissertation earlier than the deadline just in case you need to make minor adjustments based on feedback from the registrar.

Long-term considerations

Remember to think carefully about your long-term plans for the material in your dissertation. Are you planning to revise the entire dissertation for publication as a monograph? Or are you going to publish elements of it in a series of articles? Should you embargo your work, and if so, for how long? This should also prompt some reflection on how your dissertation will fit into your broader academic and professional goals.

As you approach the dissertation finish line, remember that it is not just about reaching the end and checking that last box. It should be a celebration of your academic journey and the achievements you have amassed along the way. By formulating a well-structured plan, you can navigate these last few months with confidence and alleviate at least some of the stresses of the home stretch. And trust me, once you hit the submit button and get that final confirmation email—after, of course, the inevitable email asking you to fix a formatting issue—you will feel an immense weight lifted from your shoulders.

Ready to book an appointment with FWC staff? Access the  FWC intake form .

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Notes From a Writer's Desk: Code for Writing

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Karan and Jiang Awarded Soros Fellowship for New Americans

The merit-based graduate school program, founded 26 years ago, celebrates the achievements and potential of immigrants and children of immigrants across the United States.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: The Genius of a Problem and Solution Framework

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Planning the timeline and progress of your doctoral dissertation (or Masters/undergraduate thesis)

One of my PhD students lamented this week with me that she had a lot to juggle (taking children to and from schools and to and from activities, etc.) and that she needed a strategy to make her research move forward. I had been planning to write this blog post for a while, since this is the one question I get asked the most by doctoral students (“ how do I plan my unstructured time over the summer ” being the other one).

Do you have one like this but for dissertations? From how to pick your topic to how to plan your chapters or something similar? 🙂 — Mariana Miguélez (@Scherezadda) March 27, 2018

I had to rush to get this blog post done because my student is 2 years away from the deadline her university has imposed for her thesis defence, which is why I sat down with her last night to show her how I do things. I have two other PhD students at exactly the same stage (2 years to defense) so I figured I might as well finish this blog post.

While I’ve suggested that people read one (or more) of the books that I’ve digested myself (check my Writing a Doctoral Dissertation page), one of the main things I teach my students is how to apply backcasting techniques to develop a project plan . I was trained as a project manager, and I worked in that capacity for a number of years, so I understand exactly the kind of work that needs to be done to develop good project plans.

There are a few resources for students, which I mentioned on Twitter earlier today (October 5th, 2018), many of which are listed in the thread that will appear if you click anywhere on the tweet shown below. Thanks to everyone who responded to my query, though I think many of them were professors describing their own process, which is not the same as having a doctoral dissertation (ONE GOAL) to finish in X number of years. My students are doing theirs in the 3 papers’ model, which is a bit closer to the day-to-day life of a professor, but still, the trajectory is quite different. Anyhow, here are some recommendations (click on the tweet to expand the entire thread).

Everyone: one of my PhD students today asked me how to plan her day/week/month/time table. Can you tweet me your process before I tweet/thread mine? Thanks! (I'm off to dinner because I've already written 460 words). — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 3, 2018

The core planning strategy I would thus recommend doctoral, masters and undergraduate students is to engage in a combination of Gantt Chart Design and project backcasting techniques .

The Gantt chart is a technique I learned in graduate school when I took project management courses. This is a hypothetical Gantt chart for my doctoral student, covering about 15 months.

What I suggested to her was to use backcasting techniques to plan backwards from her goal (PhD thesis defense) to intermediate goals. This post explains how I backcast a project https://t.co/wAmyejeoa0 since her dissertation is a 3-papers one, I suggested she uses that model. — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

For Gantt Chart templates, you can see Dr. Emma Sheppard’s here.

Project planning for research students https://t.co/ku7shfB5uL excellent template by @DrESheppard which may be of interest to students from undergrad, Masters and PhD levels. pic.twitter.com/ujQVlYocH7 — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 3, 2018

Here is another resource that you can use to create Gantt Charts.

To do Gantt charts you can use Excel or Microsoft Project (which is how I learned to do them), or Visio (which has been bought by the evil company and is now Microsoft Visio). I liked this detailed approach that uses connectors between milestones and tasks https://t.co/xVjNmM1q7c — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner have lots of resources on their site, and have published books on this as well.

I just realised @ithinkwell and @ithinkwellHugh have excellent FREE templates on their website https://t.co/Q859jNiM6Q for PhD students to plan their trajectories, etc. #PhDChat (thanks, Maria and Hugh!) — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

Dr. Patrick Dunleavy’s book “ Authoring a PhD ” is incredible and really does help students who are planning their PhD process. I recommend it to my own doctoral students.

And of course I would be remiss if I forgot to recommend Dr. Ellie Mackin Roberts (my coauthor for a forthcoming book on research planning) and her website. Ellie has A TON of downloadable printables for you to plan your own research. She is fantastic.

Both for doctoral students AND for post-PhD folks, my coauthor Dr. @EllieMackin has an entire website for research planning https://t.co/unXMqmaf2Z she offers FREE downloadable printable templates that you can use to plan your own research. — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

In the end, the process I recommended to my students and that I do myself is – set a target defense date and then work backwards and plan tasks, activities, and intermediate goals. For example, I have asked my students to plan submission dates for their 3 papers (to be sent to journals) and then schedule fieldwork and data analysis accordingly. This process has worked well, and I hope my description of the process will help my students and others!

In a subsequent blog post I’ll describe how to go from long-term goals (submit paper X by Y date) to daily tasks. That blog post will definitely apply to doctoral students and post-PhD folks.

If you liked this blog post, you may also be interested in my Resources for Graduate Students page, and on my reading notes of books I’ve read on how to do a doctoral degree.

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About Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD

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ISE Graduate Handbook 2024-2025: Doctoral Degree Programs

For general guidelines see  Graduate School Handbook

A. Admission Requirements

• Identical to the MS admission requirements; see Section VIII, A, parts 1 and 2 of this Handbook.
• Entrance preference is given to engineering, math and science graduates with a minimum undergraduate point hour ratio of 3.4 and MS with a minimum graduate point hour ratio of 3.5.
• Students who complete the MS program in ISE and wish to continue on to a Ph.D., will need to communicate their intention to ISE Graduate Coordinator and obtain approval via the transition form signed by their advisor.
• If the student is transferring within OSU, the credit transfer will be reviewed by the student’s advisor based on the relationship to the student’s intended program.
•  If the student is applying to the Ph.D. program from outside OSU, the credit transfer will be reviewed by the graduate studies committee

B. Program Requirements

• Minimum of 80 graduate semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree is required. 30 semester hours credit will be granted for an appropriate earned Master’s degree.
• Minimum of 30 semester credit hours of graduate level courses beyond the Master’s degree. The course work requirement consists of one primary area of concentration (15 hours), two secondary areas of concentration (12 hours: 6 hours for each secondary area), and Graduate Research Seminar (3 credits). To achieve the remaining 20 hours (minimum) of graduate credit hours required for the PhD degree (30 for MS + 30 ISE Ph.D. courses + 20 remaining = 80 total), students may enroll for any combination of research credit hours or additional graduate level course hours.
• The primary area of concentration consists of at least 15 semester credit hours of graduate level course work. The primary area of concentration is a coherent theme of inquiry and study in support of the student’s area of dissertation research.
• Each secondary area of concentration consists of at least 6 semester credit hours of graduate level course work. A secondary area is also a coherent theme of inquiry and study. At least one secondary area of concentration must consist of courses taken outside of ISE; however, both secondary areas of concentration may be outside of ISE.
• 3 semester credit hours of ISE Graduate Research Seminar (minimum).
• For students pursing a doctorate in Operations Research, a qualifying exam is required. The full description of this exam process can be found in Appendix B.
• The Doctoral Candidacy Examination is normally administered at the completion of the Ph.D. course work.
• Public presentation of the dissertation research proposal and work completed to-date. This is also commonly called the ISE Dissertation Proposal Colloquium.
• Dissertation and Final Oral Examination.

Note: Students entering the PhD program directly from the BS degree typically (although not necessarily) fulfill the requirements for, and acquire, an ISE MS degree while engaged in accumulating the 30 hours of course work to complete the Ph.D. course requirements.

C. Candidacy Committee:

Upon arrival, each student is assigned to a temporary advisor. The student and the advisor examine the student’s interests, background and goals in order to determine a primary area of concentration, and possible secondary areas of concentration. This effort will determine course work for the first semester. As soon as possible after arrival, the student should identify a faculty member whose teaching and research philosophy and interests coincide with those of the student. That faculty member will become the student’s program advisor.

Ph.D. students can be advised by any tenure or research track faculty members with a formal appointment or formal joint appointment in the Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE) Department that has P status within the department. Ph.D. students can also be co-advised by a tenure or research track faculty outside ISE, who has a courtesy appointment in ISE and category P status within the department, and by an ISE tenure or research track faculty member with P status.

During the student’s coursework, the student and the advisor will identify other potential faculty to serve on the student’s Candidacy Committee. As a minimum, the Advisory Committee should include the advisor (Committee Chair), one additional faculty member representing the student’s primary area of concentration, and one faculty member representing each secondary area of concentration. A minimum of four graduate faculty members are required for the Candidacy committee. A faculty member must have ISE Category P status in the graduate school to serve as the Candidacy Examination Committee Chair. A faculty member must have at least Category P status (any program) in the graduate school to serve as a member of the committee. Those without either of these two qualifications may participate on the committee only with permission of the GSC. At this point a final program plan, which is signed by each committee member, should be submitted to the graduate studies coordinator. The student and his/her advisor must assemble the Candidacy Committee at least one semester prior to that student’s Candidacy Exam.

The responsibilities of this Candidacy Committee are as follows:

• Make recommendations about courses to be taken and assure sufficient depth in the primary and secondary areas of concentration.
• Assist the faculty advisor in evaluating the student’s progress and make recommendations that result from that assessment. (Course work plans may be altered or the program terminated.)

D. Program Plan

The student, with their advisor’s assistance, should create an initial plan of study and complete the plan of study form that is available on the department’s website. This form must be submitted to the graduate coordinator at the end of the student’s second semester.

E. Monitoring of Progress

As the student progresses, the advisor will provide periodic evaluation and, if necessary, make program adjustments.

A Ph.D. student may be denied further registration if they have accumulated at least 100 semester hours of graduate credit and has not taken their Candidacy Examination, or 170 semester hours of graduate credit and has not completed their Final Oral Examination, and it is the judgment of the GSC in its annual evaluation of graduate students that the student is not making reasonable progress.

F. Candidacy Examination

Formal admission to Ph.D. candidacy is achieved through the successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, which is administered by the student’s Candidacy Committee, under the rules of the Graduate School. If at all possible, the Candidacy Examination will not be administered until the student has fulfilled the University’s residency requirements. When a student is ready to take their Candidacy Examination, they should obtain a Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form through Grad Forms. The student should complete the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form via Grad Forms prior to commencing their Candidacy Examination. No time limit for the initiation of the Candidacy Examination is imposed, but it is recommended that it take place within one semester of the completion of program course work. Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree occurs at the end of the semester in which the Candidacy Examination is satisfactorily completed.

The Candidacy Examination is comprised of two parts: A written exam and an oral exam. Within ISE, the written exam entails the student receiving a set of questions from the committee members representing the major area and sets of questions covering topics pertaining to each of the secondary areas of concentration. Students have between two and four weeks to complete the written part of the exam, depending on their area within ISE. The two-hour oral component of the exam is scheduled approximately two weeks after the conclusion of the written exam. Attendance at the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination is limited to the student and members of the Candidacy Examination Committee.

Voting Procedures: The examination committee takes one or two secret ballot votes. The first ballot is a straw vote conducted immediately after the student leaves the room and before any discussion of his/her performance takes place. If the decision is not unanimous pass, a second and final ballot is taken after the student’s performance has been discussed. The student is considered to have successfully completed the candidacy examination when there is no vote of unsatisfactory on the second ballot by the examination committee members

Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, the student’s Candidacy Committee is dissolved.

With reference to the Graduate School Handbook regarding Master’s Degree on the Basis of Candidacy Examination, ISE doctoral students not having a Master’s degree in ISE are not automatically granted a Master’s degree in ISE upon completion of the Candidacy Examination.

Upon completion of the Candidacy Examination, the approval of the Candidacy Examination Report is completed by the committee members via Grad Forms.

G. Dissertation Committee

A dissertation committee will be collectively identified by the advisor and the student. This committee is responsible for guiding the preparation of a research proposal, guiding the progress of the dissertation research and conducting the final oral defense of the research. The committee should be identified as soon as there is consensus on the dissertation topic. It will consist of at least three members (one of which is the advisor), at least two of whom should be faculty in the ISE Graduate Program . The committee must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. This is accomplished by submitting the dissertation committee approval form (available on the website) to the graduate studies chair. If at least two members of the committee are not from ISE, a request for an exception can made with a cover letter along the form explaining the reason for non-compliance. If at any time a change in dissertation committee membership occurs, including a new advisor, approval of the new dissertation committee needs to be obtained from the Graduate Studies Committee via re-submission of the above mentioned form.

H. Research Proposal

The student and the advisor should utilize the other committee members as resources while the student develops the dissertation research proposal. A final written version of the proposal must be presented to the student’s committee for approval. An accompanying oral presentation to the committee is required so there is discussion regarding any outstanding issues. On the basis of the proposal and any comments or concerns raised, the Dissertation Committee shall : a) approve the proposal, b) recommend revision or additional proposal work, or c) reject the proposal. When the proposal is approved, the committee members sign part “B” of the Dissertation Committee Approval/Research Proposal Colloquium form. The process should follow the general process outlined in figure 1.

I. Colloquium

The student will develop a two-page structured abstract describing their dissertation proposal per the template that accompanies the Proposal Colloquium form . This must be submitted electronically to the graduate studies committee chair along with a hardcopy of the Dissertation Research Proposal Colloquium form, signed by all members of the student’s Dissertation Committee certifying that the proposal is acceptable for presentation (Part “B” of the form). The abstract will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee and modified as necessary to obtain approval. Once the Graduate Studies Committee approves the submitted abstract, a 150-word version of the abstract shall be submitted to the graduate studies coordinator for promotional purposes. The student will present the proposed research in a public forum known as the colloquium presentation. This should occur early in the research process. Usually this occurs within the first two semesters following admission to candidacy. This colloquium serves multiple purposes:

• It provides an opportunity for the student to get feedback on their dissertation plans early in the research process.
• It informs the ISE department and other interested individuals about the research being conducted within the department.
• It communicates to future Ph.D. candidates the scope of dissertation research projects conducted within ISE.
• It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to present and discuss research concepts (consistent with program objective number 3).

This colloquium should occur very early in the dissertation work process. Therefore, it must occur at least the semester before, and preferably two semesters before, the final defense. If it does not, a letter requesting an exemption must be submitted and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The graduate studies coordinator will inform the student about potential departmental seminar dates that are available for the student to present their dissertation proposal. There will likely be two or three students presenting during the same departmental seminar session. This means that the total time allocated for each presentation will be 20 to 25 minutes. The student should determine which of the available seminar dates would allow more of their committee members to be in attendance. While it is not required that the student’s committee be in attendance, it is strongly recommended. The student’s advisor or another committee member must attend. Once the best date is determined, the student should confirm the selected date with the graduate studies coordinator.

J. Final Defense

Upon completion of the research and submission of the final draft of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee, the student will defend his/her dissertation according to the rules of the Graduate School.

The Final Oral Exam is open to students, faculty of this University, and other interested parties. The student’s advisor is expected to post the dissertation topic and the date and time of the exam at least one week prior to the exam. Any such persons in attendance, who are not members of the Final Oral Exam Committee, function as observers only. Observer participation is at the discretion of the advisor.

Voting Procedures: the Examination Committee takes one or two secret ballot votes. The first ballot is a straw vote conducted immediately after the student leaves the room and before any discussion of his/her performance takes place. If the decision is not unanimous pass, a second and final ballot is taken after the student’s performance has been discussed. The student is considered to have successfully completed the Final Oral Examination when there is no vote of unsatisfactory on the second ballot by the Final Oral Examination Committee members, including the Graduate School Representative.

Please note that it is our department’s policy that the student shall not provide food and/or refreshments at their dissertation defense.

K. Time Limits

The Ph.D. degree requirements must be completed within five years after being admitted to candidacy.

L. Graduation Semester Requirements

A student must be registered for three graduate credit hours during the semester of graduation.