Dissertation Proposal | PhD in Nursing Handbook 2021-2022

The Dissertation Proposal format and defense are College of Nursing procedures not overseen by the Graduate School. The dissertation proposal defense occurs after successful completion of the Candidacy Examination. Students must be enrolled in the term they defend their dissertation proposal. Per university policy, post-candidacy students must be enrolled for a minimum of 3 credits every autumn and spring semester. Students who choose to defend their proposal in the summer term must enroll for a minimum of one credit.

The student, in collaboration with the advisor, selects committee members following guidelines found in the PhD Handbook. The dissertation committee membership must be approved by the PhD Subcommittee (faculty members) prior to the student moving forward with the proposal defense. The Dissertation Committee Approval Form can be found on the StudentWeb.
Once the dissertation committee membership has been approved, the dissertation advisor and student may set the date and time for the dissertation proposal defense. The public presentation and defense of the proposal should not be scheduled before the advisor and committee believe the student is ready to present and defend. The advisor and student should notify the PhD Program Director as soon as a proposal defense date and time are known and should preferably clear the proposal defense date with the Director’s schedule.
1. The dissertation proposal defense cannot be scheduled until after completion of candidacy.
2. The proposal defense includes a public presentation followed by a meeting of the committee with the student. The dissertation proposal defense should be scheduled during standard work hours (9-5, Monday- Friday), in Newton Hall. The proposal defense can be completed on-campus, remotely, or hybrid. If remote or hybrid options are used, all defense participants must be able to see and hear each other during the entire defense.
Scheduling the PhD Proposal Defense:
1. Student Responsibility: In collaboration with the committee members and advisor, the student determines three potential available dates and times of the PhD proposal defense. Once the preferred format and three potential dates and times for the defense are determined, the student must complete the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6hR9lgIKAkQ6Wa1.
  1. Items for the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey: The three preferred dates and times for the Proposal Defense must be approved by the faculty advisor and committee members before completing the survey. The Proposal Defense is required to be completed over the course of two hours, with the first 30 minutes reserved for the public presentation and the last 90 minutes reserved for the private defense with committee members. If the proposal defense will occur on-campus, a larger classroom space may be reserved for the public presentation, with a smaller meeting space or faculty office being used for the private portion of the defense.
    1. 1. Student’s name/email/phone number
      2. Title for the Dissertation Proposal
      3. Names and Ohio State email addresses of Committee Chair and all committee members
      4. Preferred format of the dissertation proposal defense
      5. Three preferred dates and times for the defense
      6. If the on-campus option is selected: In addition to the public presentation classroom space, please indicate if a secondary location is needed for the closed portion OR if an office space has already been designated for the closed portion of the Proposal Defense
      7. If the closed portion of the Proposal Defense will be held in an office space, please list the Newton Hall office number
      8. Please indicate your AV needs
  2. Academic Program Coordinator Responsibility: The results of the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey will be routed to the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will reserve the appropriate classroom space if on-campus format is requested and reserve a Zoom link for the public portion of the Proposal Defense. If rooms are not available during the three preferred dates for on-campus exams, the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will contact the student for three new potential meeting dates.
  3. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will send the Outlook invitation for the proposal defense upon receiving the results of the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey. The calendar invitation will include the room location and Zoom link, formatted using the standard template, and will be sent to the following groups or individuals:
    1. The Graduate Data Manager
    2. The PhD Program Director
    3. The student
    4. All committee members. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all information included in the Outlook invitation is accurate and all committee members have been included on the invitation.
  4. If the defense must be rescheduled, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will cancel the Outlook invitation and the student will be required to resubmit the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey with three new potential times for the rescheduled proposal defense.
Announcing the PhD Proposal Defense: The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will send the first email announcement, formatted using the standard template, on Monday three weeks prior to the first defense. The email announcements will continue to be sent each Monday until all graduate student presentations are completed (both PhD and DNP). The announcement emails will include information for all defenses scheduled for the upcoming three weeks. The email announcements will be sent to the following groups or individuals:
1. 1. All-Faculty distribution list
  2. All-Staff distribution list
  3. PhD student listserv
  4. DNP student listserv
  5. CON-Defense
Prior to the presentation and defense, the student must obtain a copy of the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form from the Student Affairs area of the StudentWeb. NOTE: This is not the same as the Graduate School’s “Application for Final Oral Examination” form or any other paperwork available at gradforms.osu.edu.
The dissertation proposal must be provided in written form to all members of the dissertation committee at least 2 weeks prior to the proposal defense. Members should have reviewed prior drafts and given substantive feedback to the student prior to the final (defense) proposal being distributed.
After discussion, a satisfactory/unsatisfactory decision is reached by means of a vote. Each member of the committee indicates judgment by signing (electronically or otherwise) the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form. The completed form is sent to the Student Data Manager to be archived. An electronic copy of the dissertation proposal with any corrections or updates must also be sent to the Student Data Manager within 2 weeks of the dissertation proposal defense.
Acceptance of the proposal by the student’s dissertation committee indicates agreement that it meets the standards and requirements for dissertation research that will be a scholarly contribution to nursing science.