Thesis Proposal

Residency requirements post-proposal differ by programs in IC. Please find each program requirement below.

Program	Post-Proposal Residence Requirement
CS PhD	One-term post proposal residence requirement
HCC PhD	A gap is not required
ROBO PhD	Minimum of 6 months post-proposal requirement
ML PhD	Minimum of 6 months post-proposal requirement

GT Thesis and Dissertation Policy: Thesis and Dissertation Policy < Georgia Tech (gatech.edu)

• Students must be enrolled full-time during the semester in which they propose.

The PhD. Thesis proposal consists of:

1. A proposal document written by the student in which he/she will propose the research work to be undertaken as part of his/her doctoral work and a schedule for completion
2. An oral defense of the proposal document

Committee

PhD. proposal will be administered by the student's thesis advisory committee (the advisor plus at least two other faculty members), chosen jointly by the student and the advisor. A majority of the members of the advisory committee must hold their primary appointments in the College of Computing faculty. It is a good practice to have all members (including the external committee member) of your dissertation defense committee in your proposal committee.

Proposal Announcement

The proposal must be announced publicly to the College at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral defense.

• MUST HAVE: gotten permission from advisor 5 weeks ahead

• MUST HAVE: gotten permission from committee 3 weeks ahead

Email Announcement Template

From: You Sent: Date To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: your advisor, committee, program coordinator (Theresa Nash)

Subject: Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Announcement

Title

YOUR NAME Ph.D. Student in Human-centered Computing School of Interactive Computing Georgia Institute of Technology Insert url

Date: Time: Location: Committee: X (Advisor) - School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology [committee members] Abstract Meeting Details

Thanks, YOUR NAME

Format

There is no fixed format for the oral defense. The advisor, as the chair of the committee, conducts the examination. Here is a typical way in which it may be run:

1. The student will make a presentation to the committee and others present.
2. After the presentation there is a question and answer period. The chair then asks everyone other than the committee members and Georgia Tech faculty to leave. The committee members then have an opportunity to ask more questions. Then the student is asked to leave.
3. The committee deliberates and then decides whether the student has passed the proposal defense. They give feedback to the student on the proposal either individually or through the advisor.

A student must have passed the qualifying examination to do a PhD. proposal. A student who has passed the proposal defense and has also completed all course requirements (except the minor), maintaining a satisfactory scholastic record, has achieved PhD. candidacy and should submit the Candidacy form.

HCC Proposal Timing

The goal is to have an extended time to meet where 25% of the time is the student's presentation and 75% of the time is for discussion and committee deliberation.

3-hour block Standard

• 45 minutes for presentation

  • Half or more should be spent on PROPOSED work

• 135 minutes for discussion and deliberation

2-hour block*

*at the discretion of the advisor must be cleared with HCC Program Director and HCC faculty

• 30-minute student presentation

  • Half or more should be spent on PROPOSED work

• 90 minutes for committee discussion & deliberation

Q&A

Q: Does a student have to be enrolled during their proposal semester?

A: A proposal is an exam / part of the curriculum and as such students must be enrolled to take it. If a student is completing a part-time internship, they may enroll in 3 credits of PhD Research.

Sub-pages

• HCC Specifications