What Happens After Submitting Your Dissertation

Once you’ve submitted your dissertation, the work is far from over. Here’s what typically happens in the post-submission process:

1. Submission Confirmation

After you submit your dissertation, you will usually receive a confirmation from your university or department acknowledging that they have received your work. This is often done via email or through an online portal.
Confirmation of Formatting: In some cases, your university may check if the dissertation meets formatting requirements before it’s forwarded to your committee.

2. Preliminary Review

Initial Review by Your Advisor: Your dissertation may undergo a preliminary review by your dissertation advisor or committee members. They might check for basic requirements and readability.
Minor Adjustments: If the dissertation needs minor revisions (such as formatting or referencing issues), you may be asked to make quick changes before the defense or final submission.

3. Defense Scheduling

Once your dissertation is accepted for review, you’ll typically be asked to schedule a defense date. This is the opportunity for you to present your research to your committee and defend your findings.

4. Dissertation Defense

Presentation of Your Work: At your defense, you will present your research and findings to your committee. You’ll discuss your methodology, results, and conclusions.
Questions and Discussion: Your committee will ask questions about your work, challenging your research assumptions, methodology, and conclusions. Be prepared for in-depth discussion and critique.

5. Post-Defense Revisions

Committee Feedback: After your defense, the committee may request revisions to certain sections of your dissertation. These revisions could be structural, content-based, or minor corrections (e.g., formatting errors).
Time for Revisions: Your committee will give you a timeline for making the necessary changes. The time frame for revisions varies depending on the nature of the changes.

6. Final Approval

After revisions, your committee will review the changes and provide final approval. If all changes are satisfactory, they will formally approve your dissertation for submission to the graduate school.

7. Final Submission

Once your dissertation is approved, you will submit the final version, often including a signed approval form from your committee. Some institutions may require both an electronic and a printed copy of your dissertation.

8. Graduation and Archiving

After submission, your dissertation will be archived in the university’s library or repository. You may also be required to submit it to databases like ProQuest for wider dissemination.
Graduation: With your dissertation submitted and approved, you can move forward with graduation, marking the official completion of your doctoral studies.

Published by oriaku