pennsylvania state university phd thesis

written at Virginia Tech [Pang, 2002]. In viewing this sample thesis and all thesis excerpts on this page, please be aware that different universities have different format guidelines.

, which is for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at Virginia Tech.

that shows where these sections typically occur in the document. ). In the words of Albert Einstein, you should be "as simple as possible, but no simpler."

is appropriate (in other words, write , not .) Also, many committees frown upon the use of contractions, such as or that would be readily accepted in a less formal document such as an e-mail. Another word that many committees frown upon, because of its informality, is the word While this word is appropriate for instructions and correspondence, it is seldom, if ever, appropriate in theses or dissertations (note that the implied is certainly acceptable in clauses such as ). In regard to the first person pronouns or , judicious use is widely accepted, especially to make the writing more active (see Chapter 6 of ) or to assume responsibility for assumptions or actions. Be forewarned, though, that despite its acceptance by most committees (and journals), an occasional committee remains opposed to use of the first person, even when that use is judicious.

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Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Many of the doctoral dissertations and master's theses published since 2008 and listed below are available for download free of charge. Click on the title of the dissertation or thesis to go to the corresponding record in Penn State's eTD (electronic thesis and dissertation) database , which is searchable by author, year, degree, program, and committee members.

Doctoral Dissertations in Kinesiology

Zachary Papalia	erformance	Melissa J. Bopp (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Emily Southmayd		Mary Jane De Souza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Justin Wager		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Billie Alba		Lacy M. Alexander (Dissertation Advisor); W. Larry Kenney (Committee Chair)
Ali Falaki		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jarrod Jonsrud		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jay Lieberman		Nancy I. Williams (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Sasha Reschechtko		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Sakdapong Chavanaves		Robert B. Eckhardt and Stephen J. Piazza (Dissertation Co-Advisors and Committee Co-Chairs)
Daniel Craighead		Lacy M. Alexander (Dissertation Advisor); W. Larry Kenney (Committee Chair)
Moé Kishida		Steriani Elavsky (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Thomas Newman		William E. Buckley (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Chih Hsiang Yang		David E. Conroy (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Adam Berg		Mark Dyreson (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Aviroop Dutt-Mazumder		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Hang Jin Jo		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Andrew Linden		Jessica Schultz (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Dangaia Sims		Melissa Bopp (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Colleen English		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Tsung-Yu Hsieh		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Curtis Kindel		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jessica Kutz		Lacy M. Alexander (Dissertation Advisor); W. Larry Kenney (Committee Chair)
Jaclyn Maher		David E. Conroy (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Alicia Montalvo		William E. Buckley (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Tao Zhou		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Ji Hyun Ko		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Ryan Rosendale		William E. Buckley (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Alek Rothenberg-Cunningham		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Anna Stanhewicz		Lacy M. Alexander (Dissertation Advisor); W. Larry Kenney (Committee Chair)
Herman van Werkhoven		Stephen J. Piazza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Benjamin Webb		Melissa Bopp (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Yen-Hsun Wu		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Yang Xu		Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Kai Zhang		Semyon Slobounov (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Rebecca Bruning		Lacy M. Alexander (Dissertation Advisor); W. Larry Kenney (Committee Chair)
Daniel Gales		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Michael Gay		Semyon Slobounov (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jenna Gibbs		Mary Jane De Souza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Amanda Hyde		David Conroy (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Brian Johnson		Semyon Slobounov (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Adam King		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Rebecca Mallinson		Mary Jane De Souza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Saandeep Mani		Robert L. Sainburg (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Erica Rauff		Danielle Symons Downs (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Riley Sheehan		Jinger S. Gottschall (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Zheng Wang		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Josh Baxter		Stephen J. Piazza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Joel Martin		Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jennifer Reed		Nancy I. Williams (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Brian Richardson		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jennifer Scheid		Mary Jane De Souza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Tarkeshwar Singh		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Varadhan Srinivasan KariyaMaanikam		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Tucker Tomlinson		Robert L. Sainburg (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Giampietro (John) Vairo		William E. Buckley (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Stephen Yang		Melissa Bopp (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Jennifer DiNallo		Danielle Symons Downs (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair )
John Gleaves		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair )
Douglas Haladay		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair )
Xiaogang Hu		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair )
Mei-Hua Lee		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair )

Chad Carlson		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Benjamin Infantolino		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
James Lang		W. Larry Kenney (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Matthew Llewellyn		Mark Dyreson (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Xun Niu		Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Abbey Bower		Neil A. Sharkey (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Cheng Cao		Semyon Slobounov (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Stacey Gorniak		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Eric James		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Sara Jarvis		James A. Pawelczyk (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Yatin Kirane		Neil A. Sharkey and April D. Armstrong (Dissertation Co-Advisors and Committee Co-Chairs)
Adam Kuperavage		Robert B. Eckhardt (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Sabrina Lee		Stephen J. Piazza (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Pratik Mutha		Robert L. Sainburg (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Holly Preston		Teresa C. Lang and Neil A. Sharkey (Dissertation Co-Advisors and Committee Co-Chairs)
Rajiv Ranganathan		Karl M. Newell (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Lindsay Baker		W. Larry Kenney (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Alessander Dos Santos		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Kelly Dougherty		W. Larry Kenney (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Michael Duffey		John H. Challis (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Miranda Kaye		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Douglas McLaughlin		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Halla Olafsdottir		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Beth Parker		David N. Proctor (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Sydney Schaefer		Robert L. Sainburg (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Jeremy Smith		Philip E. Martin (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Gregg Twietmeyer		R. Scott Kretchmar (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)
Wei Zhang		Mark L. Latash (Dissertation Advisor and Committee Chair)

Master's Theses in Kinesiology

Zachary Hobson

John Vairo (Thesis Advisor)

Matthew Armistead		John Vairo (Thesis Advisor)
Bruin Armwald		Sayers John Miller III (Thesis Advisor)
Nishat Bhuiyan		Scherezade K. Mama (Thesis Advisor)
Megan Clarke		W. Larry Kenney (Thesis Advisor)
Candice Maenza		Robert L. Sainburg (Thesis Advisor)
Gautum Srinivasan		Robert L. Sainburg (Thesis Advisor)

Alexandra Dunn		Robert L. Sainburg (Thesis Advisor)
Clara Etter		Nancy I. Williams (Thesis Advisor)
Stacey Glumm		Sayers John Miller III (Thesis Advisor)
Krista Leonard		Danielle Symons Downs (Thesis Advisor)
Alexa Walter		Semyon Slobounov (Thesis Advisor)
Peiyuan Wang		Kristina A. Neely (Thesis Advisor)

Megan Barrett		David N. Proctor (Thesis Advisor)
Joanna Colgan		Melissa Bopp (Thesis Advisor)
Adam Copeland		Francisco Javier López Frias (Thesis Advisor)
Abbis Jaffri		Sayers John Miller III (Thesis Advisor)
Christopher Matarazzo		Neil A. Sharkey (Thesis Advisor)
Jacob Schaffer		Robert L. Sainburg (Thesis Advisor)
Behnoosh Parsa		Mark L. Latash (Thesis Advisor)

Courtenay Devlin		Danielle Symons Downs (Thesis Advisor)
Amy Dykes		Sayers John Miller III (Thesis Advisor)
Samuel Masters		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)
Laura Mendez		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)
Bailey Petersen		Jinger S. Gottschall (Thesis Advisor)
Sasha Reschechtko		Mark L. Latash (Thesis Advisor)
Kara Saylor		William E. Buckley (Thesis Advisor)
Justin Wager		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)

Rosalie Cook		Jinger S. Gottschall (Thesis Advisor)
Valdez Crouse		Sayers John Miller III (Thesis Advisor)
Moé Kishida		Steriani Elavsky (Thesis Advisor)
Charley Lafe		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)
Scott Rosenthal		Semyon Slobounov (Thesis Advisor)
Andrew Valantine		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)
Itsuko Yamaguchi		William E. Buckley (Thesis Advisor)

Kirk Adams		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)
Scott Fisher		Melissa Bopp (Thesis Advisor)
Brian Johnson		Semyon Slobounov (Thesis Advisor)
David Maurer		David N. Proctor (Thesis Advisor)
Elizabeth Teel		Semyon Slobounov (Thesis Advisor)
Alex Weller		Robert B. Eckhardt (Thesis Advisor)
Luke Wilhelm		Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (Thesis Advisor)

Adam Berg		Mark Dyreson (Thesis Advisor)
Brittany Howse		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)
Justin Jones		Jinger S. Gottschall (Thesis Advisor)
Jaclyn Maher		David E. Conroy (Thesis Advisor)
Sara Roser-Jones		Jessica Schultz (Thesis Advisor)
Dane Sutton		John H. Challis (Thesis Advisor)
Ping Yu		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)

Cory Hofmann	Evidence of Isometric Function of the Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus during the Stance Phase of Gait	Neil A. Sharkey (Thesis Advisor)
Yao Sun	Prehension Synergies during Smooth Changes of the External Load or Torque: Time and History Effect on Multi-digit Coordination	Mark L. Latash (Thesis Advisor)

Maggie Corr		Nancy I. Williams (Thesis Advisor)
Amanda Hyde		David E. Conroy (Thesis Advisor)
Shweta Kapur		Mark L. Latash (Thesis Advisor)
Terran Palmer-Angell		R. Scott Kretchmar (Thesis Advisor)
Erica Rauff		Danielle Symons Downs (Thesis Advisor)
Ryan Rosendale		Cynthia J. Bartok (Thesis Advisor)
Alek Rothenberg-Cunningham		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)
Riley Sheehan		Jinger S. Gottschall (Thesis Advisor)
Keith Stern		Jinger S. Gottschall (Thesis Advisor)
Jared Treece		George Graham (Thesis Advisor)
Wan-Ting Tseng		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)

Niharika Jaiswal		Semyon Slobounov (Thesis Advisor)
Adam King		Karl M. Newell (Thesis Advisor)
Joel Martin		Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (Thesis Advisor)
Justin Swartzwelder		Steriani Elavsky (Thesis Advisor)

Xiaogang Hu		Dagmar Sternad (Thesis Advisor)
Sun Kim		Mark L. Latash (Thesis Advisor)
Daniel Peterson		Philip Martin (Thesis Advisor)
Herman van Werkhoven		Philip Martin (Thesis Advisor)

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John and Willie Leone Family

Department of energy and mineral engineering, graduate student theses & dissertations.

For a list of previous EME graduate student theses and dissertations, visit the Graduate School's list of Electronic Theses and Dissertations .

For additional information and theses and dissertations prior to 2009 please contact Penn State University Libraries .

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Doctoral Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Requirements and residency.

There are no formal course requirements for the doctoral degree beyond the colloquium requirements. Course requirements are established solely by the doctoral committee. Typically, a doctoral degree requires 30 or more course credits beyond the M.S. degree.

You must spend at least two consecutive semesters in a twelve-month period as a full-time registered student, during which time you are engaged in full-time academic work at the Penn State University Park campus, before taking your comprehensive exam.

Ph.D. Candidacy

You must be approved for qualifying by the graduate faculty, based partly on the results of an exam given to assess your potential to excel in Ph.D. studies and conduct high-level research.

The Graduate School requirements for the candidacy examination are:

The examination must be taken within three semesters of entry into the doctoral program, not including summer sessions.
You must be registered as a full-time or part-time degree student for the semester in which the examination is taken.
You are required to demonstrate a high level of competence in the use of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking.

We strongly encourage you to take your qualifying exams as early as possible. The exam will be administered each fall and spring semester. The Graduate Programs Office will email dates to all graduate students.

The qualifying exam will consist of three sections. Each section will include a written and an oral exam, in the same topic area. Students may select topic areas for the three sections from these topics: Solid Mechanics, Rigid Body Mechanics, System Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Fundamentals of Engineering Analysis, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam should cover the specific areas of mechanical engineering, designated by your Ph.D. committee, which relate to your program. The comprehensive exam will consist of an oral examination, administered by your doctoral committee, including a presentation of a proposal related to thesis research and a structured oral examination.

The comprehensive examination will also require a written proposal related to your planned research, which should contain:

Statement of the research problem
Literature review
Preliminary results, if available
Work plan describing methods of analysis and/or experimentation
Most significant results expected from the research and their impact on the current state of the art in the main research area
Time schedule

A written exam may also be given at the discretion of the committee.

Dissertation Defense

The purpose of this examination is for students to defend their Ph.D. dissertation. In the interim between successful completion of the comprehensive examination and the final oral examination, the following regulations apply:

Requests for scheduling the dissertation defense should be made in writing by your doctoral committee chair to the associate head of graduate programs. The Graduate Programs Office will then request the exam be scheduled through the Graduate School.
You must be continuously registered and maintain your student status until you pass the final oral examination and your thesis is accepted by your doctoral committee. ME 601 and ME 611 are for Ph.D. thesis preparation and are full-time, non-credit courses. Students may register for one or more credits of ME 600 to satisfy this requirement.
If a period of more than five years has elapsed between passing of the comprehensive examination and the completion of your program, you are required to pass a second comprehensive examination before the final oral examination can be scheduled.
The final oral examination may not be scheduled until at least three months have elapsed after the comprehensive examination was passed, although the department head may grant a waiver in the case of an outstanding student.
The final oral examination will be administered by your entire doctoral committee and will be a defense of your dissertation. The final oral exam will be publicized, and members of the academic community are encouraged to attend.

Mechanical Program Overview

Resident Degrees

M.S. in Additive Manufacturing and Design
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Online Degree

M. Eng. in Additive Manufacturing and Design

The Sound Perception and Room Acoustics Laboratory

A research group from the graduate program in acoustics at penn state, theses and dissertations.

del Solar Dorrego, F.M. (2022) “ Investigating single value frequency average measures to predict reverberance, clarity and preference using higher order Ambisonic Reproduction .” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
Neal, M. (2019) “ A Spherical Microphone and Compact Loudspeaker Array Measurement Database for the Study of Concert Hall Preference .” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
Lawless, M. (2018). “ Assessing the Auditory and Reward Responses to Room Acoustics and Music Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging .” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
Moriarty, P. (2017). “ The Acoustics of Emotion: Creation and Characterization of an Emotional Speech Database. ” M.S. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.
Dick, D. (2017). “ A New Metric to Predict Listener Envelopment Based on Spherical Microphone Array Measurements and Higher Order Ambisonic Reproductions .” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University.
Neal, M. (2015). “ Investigating the sense of listener envelopment in concert halls using third-order Ambisonic reproduction over a loudspeaker array and a hybrid room acoustics simulation method .” M.S. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.

See also: Peer-Reviewed Publications ● Conference Proceedings ● Conference Presentations

PhD Program

The Ph.D. is expected to take four years beyond the M.A. to complete. According to Graduate School regulations, all requirements must be met within eight years, though the department reserves the right to stipulate that a student fulfill remaining requirements within a shorter period. Those interested in completing a dual-title degree should review the English partners and The Graduate School’s dual-title degree policy .

Requirements for the Degree

There is no fixed number of courses or credits required for the PhD degree; however, students must fulfill the minimal course requirements listed below. These requirements may be met by 3-credit graduate courses taken either at the M.A. or the PhD level. Upon entry into the PhD program, students will consult with a designated member of the faculty to decide which of these requirements have been fulfilled at the M.A. level and which have yet to be completed. Students may not count Penn State 400-level courses or equivalent undergraduate courses from elsewhere toward distribution requirements. PhD students entering from another institution will need to consult with their prospective committee to determine if more preparation is needed in areas outside the areas of specialization.

one course in methods, materials, and contexts of literary study (ENGL 501 or the equivalent)
one course in literary theory or rhetoric
two courses in literature in English prior to 1800
two courses in literature in English after 1800

Courses which overlap the divisions listed above may be used to fulfill requirements in one or the other area, but no one course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement.

Proseminars

Proseminars are designed to introduce master’s and beginning doctoral students to areas in which they lack sufficient breadth to enable them to perform well in specialized seminars. Their function is both to introduce students to primary texts in multiple genres and to map out the historical and critical territories surrounding those texts. Proseminars carry a heavier reading load and a lighter writing load than do seminars. While proseminars are most appropriate for master’s level students, doctoral students may also find them useful. Doctoral level students should consult with their advisers on these and other courses before registration.

Candidacy Review

Near the end of their second semester in the program, all PhD students will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee. As part of its review, the Committee will consider the candidate’s first semester grades and instructors’ comments and will also seek the views of each candidate’s second semester instructors.

Ph.D. Minor Field

For an official minor, the student must take at least 15 credits in the minor field. (For additional information on the official minor, consult the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin .) With the approval of a student’s doctoral committee, the area of the candidate’s minor may be added to the comprehensive examinations.

Foreign Language Requirement

A student is required to demonstrate reading knowledge of one of the following languages: Chinese, Classical Greek, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian, Spanish, or any other language approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Additional languages needed for individual students programs will be determined by their doctoral committees. (See the section on the language requirement for the M.A. for information on procedures for fulfilling the language requirement.)

Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

Purpose of comprehensive exam.

The comprehensive exam is designed to encourage students to identify the areas of expertise that will support their research and teaching. It requires them to build reading lists for each of three areas described below in consultation with advisor(s) and committee members. In the exam itself, students will demonstrate a broad knowledge of primary texts, historical periods, methodologies, theoretical approaches, and scholarly conversations.

Examination Format

The comprehensive exam has written and oral components. The written component consists of three discrete take-home exams, each of which is to be completed within twenty-four hours. Please note that students are not meant to stay awake for 24 hours and are therefore asked to observe an upper page limit of 10-12 pages or 2500-3000 words for each exam. All three written exams will be completed within a week’s time. The oral component is designed to allow committee members to engage substantively with the answers provided in the written component, to consider the student’s understanding of relevant theory and methods, to request clarification or elaboration of assertions made in the written component, and to discuss the viability of the student’s plans for the dissertation. The two-hour oral component will stand as the Graduate School’s official record of the comprehensive exam. The date, time, and location for the oral component must be agreed upon by the entire committee and scheduled through the graduate office at the same time as the written exam is arranged.

The written component of the exam consists of three parts:

Major Area The Major area exam encompasses a range of issues and scholarly conversations within a recognized field, broadly construed. Examples include but are not limited to: Early Modern Literature, 19th-20th Century American Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, African American Literature, Visual Culture.
Theory and Methods The Theory and Methods exam allows students to engage a set of theoretical texts and tools, an area of interdisciplinary inquiry, or a particular set of methods. Examples include but are not limited to: science studies, historiography, feminist theory, digital studies, environmental humanities, critical theory, ethnographic methods.
Special Topic The Special topic exam asks students to engage with a focused body of work. This topic is open and may encompass a secondary subfield. It may also engage a set of questions relevant to the student’s plans for a dissertation. The written examinations will form the basis for the two-hour oral examination.

Exam Preparation

In the fall of the second year in the Ph.D. program, students will form a doctoral committee consisting of at least three members of the English graduate faculty and, in accordance with Graduate School regulations, at least one graduate faculty member from another department. The student must file a form in the Graduate Office establishing the committee by the end of their second semester in the Ph.D. program. The student should meet periodically with the advisor and with members of the committee in order to develop a list for each of the three exam areas. Each reading list should be accompanied by brief (250-word) rationales for the list design and purpose. Exam reading lists and rationales need to reach final form no later than one month prior to the exam. The number of items on the lists should range between 150-200 works total.

Scheduling the Exam

Steps for planning and scheduling the comprehensive examination:

Meet with the examination committee to determine three exam areas.
Check with the graduate office to make sure you have no missing or incomplete grades (students must be in registered status and have all missing or incomplete grades resolved before taking exams).
Select date to complete the written component of the comprehensive examination.
Schedule oral examination date, time, and place with your committee. Consult with the graduate office for help reserving a room. The oral exam date should allow at least two weeks for committee members to read and consider written material.
Two weeks prior to the beginning of the exam, notify the graduate office of the dates for the written component, and specify date, time, and location for the oral component. The date, time, and location for the oral component must be agreed upon by the entire committee, because it becomes the Graduate School’s official record of the exam.

Recommended steps for advisors:

Meet regularly with graduate students to discuss examination areas and rationale.
Review lists and rationale; make sure the student is consulting with committee members about lists and rationales.
Hold an organizational meeting for committee and graduate students. This meeting will provide an opportunity for the committee to organize itself around the exam, to collaborate on questions and design.
Gather questions from the committee and create the exam with clear instructions. Consider offering choices of questions, and please consider asking students to answer only one or two questions for each area exam.
One week before the written exam is scheduled to take place, send exam questions to the staff assistant in the graduate office as an email attachment. Make sure it is clear which exam is to be given on which date.

At the end of the oral examination, the committee will deliberate about the student’s performance on both components of the exam. Committee members will offer feedback to the advisor, who will then offer an overview of the feedback to the student. Each committee member will also rate the candidate’s knowledge of the field and preparedness to embark on the dissertation research according to the evaluative categories that appear on the Graduate School’s “report on the doctoral comprehensive examination” form:

4 (Superior) 3 (Above Average) 2 (Average ) 1 (Below Average) 0 (Fail)

A favorable (passing) vote of at least two-thirds of the committee members is required for passing.

Ph.D. Thesis

Candidates should have selected a thesis topic by the time of their comprehensive exams and should submit a detailed thesis proposal after the completion of comprehensive exams (proposal forms are available upon request in the graduate office). After the proposal has been approved by all members of the student’s committee, it should be sent to the Director of Graduate Studies for final approval on the basis of the committee’s assessment. The dissertation proposal needs to be completed and approved by ninety (90) days after the completion of the comprehensive examination.

The doctoral thesis committee will consist of the chairperson (who must be a member of the English graduate faculty), at least two members of the English graduate faculty whose special fields of interest bear some relation to the topic of the thesis, and one member of the graduate faculty from outside the department. Please note that dual title degree programs have additional requirements for committee composition. (For additional information on the membership of the doctoral thesis committee, consult the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin .)

Students should make sure that every member of the committee is involved in each stage of the project–from the initial proposal to the final oral defense. Students should consult with their advisers to decide whether to convene the entire committee for periodic conferences as the thesis develops.

Upon completion of the thesis but before it is in final typed form, an oral defense should be scheduled by the committee chair, in consultation with the student and the Director of Graduate Studies, at least two weeks in advance with the Graduate Secretary (using an Exam Request Form which is also filed with The Graduate School). Before the oral defense is scheduled, all members of the thesis committee must agree that the thesis is complete and ready to be defended. After a successful defense, a clean copy of the thesis should be delivered to the department head for his or her signature.

It is the responsibility of the chair of the thesis committee to make sure that changes and recommendations agreed upon during the oral defense are carried out by the student. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the copies of the thesis submitted to the Graduate School and to the English Graduate Office are absolutely clean and free of error.

Oral Defense

This examination is taken after the thesis has been submitted to the thesis committee, but before the thesis has been typed in final form. The thesis committee acts as the examining committee. Satisfactory performance in this exam is necessary for acceptance of the thesis. The examination is oral and open to the public. Please note the following Graduate School policy in regard to the final oral examination:

The State of the Doctoral Thesis at the Time of the Final Oral Examination

Both the thesis director and the student are responsible for assuring the completion of a draft of the thesis and for adequate consultation with members of the thesis committee well in advance of the oral examination. Major revisions to the thesis should be completed before this examination. The dissertation should be in its final draft, with appropriate notes, bibliography, tables, etc., in place at the time of the oral examination; both the content and style should be correct and polished when this final draft is in the hands of the committee. Again, there should be an adequate period of time (at least two weeks) between the delivery of the final draft of the thesis to committee members and the scheduled oral examination.

Graduate School Requirements for Residency and Credits

There is no required minimum of credits or semesters of study, but over some twelve-month period during the interval between admission to candidacy and completion of the PhD program the candidate must spend at least two semesters (which may include the semester in which the candidacy examination is taken) as a registered full-time student.

After a student has passed the comprehensive examination and met the two-semester residence requirement, no further registration for credit will be required by the Graduate School. However, status as a student must be maintained by registering continuously (for each semester, beginning with the first semester after both of the requirements mentioned above have been met) until the thesis is accepted by the doctoral committee. This registration may be for noncredit ENGL 601 or 611, with payment of the special thesis preparation fee; students who want to combine course work with thesis preparation must register for ENGL 600 or 611 (not 601 which is full-time thesis preparation ) plus course registration at the regular per-credit fee.

ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR KNOWING THESE REQUIREMENTS, THE REGULATIONS AND PERTINENT PROCEDURES OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AS SET FORTH IN THE GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS BULLETIN, THE THESIS INFORMATION BULLETIN , AND THE GRADUATE HANDBOOK OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. NOTHING IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD TO SUPERSEDE ANY REGULATIONS OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL.

Guidelines for Doctoral Committees

The doctoral committee serves several functions: 1) to advise the student on all matters relating to his or her program; 2) to administer the comprehensive examination; and 3) to supervise and approve the doctoral dissertation. Every entering PhD student assembles a doctoral committee upon formal admission to candidacy (by passing the candidacy review). The committee bears the principal responsibility for guiding and assessing the student’s progress through the program.

The Guidelines for Doctoral Committees is designed to help faculty and students adjust to the department’s policy of establishing doctoral committees early in the PhD program. It should be read in conjunction with the Graduate School’s regulations concerning doctoral committees ( Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin ) and the English department’s general requirements and procedures for the PhD program.

I. Establishing the Committee

Every entering student should begin to consider the field or combination of fields on which he or she wishes to focus. Soon after admission to the program, the student should arrange to meet with the graduate director or associate director to identify areas of interest and faculty who work in these areas. Penn State M.A.s are encouraged to begin this process as soon as they are admitted to the PhD; M.A.s from other institutions will begin the process early in the second semester in the program.
By the end of the first year of the program, the student should have his or her doctoral committee assembled and one member of the committee identified as the chair. A committee consists of at least three members of the Department of English, and in accordance with Graduate School regulations, at least one graduate faculty member from another department. If the student is pursuing a PhD minor field, then the external member must be from that field. All students must file a form in the English Graduate Office establishing their committee by the end of their second semester in the PhD program. After choosing a committee, the student should then meet with committee members to develop a specific course of study leading to the comprehensive examination and subsequent research. Committees should meet together at least once–preferably more often–before the student takes the comprehensive examination.
Changes in the committee membership should be done in consultation with the committee chair. If a student wishes to change the chair of the committee, he or she should consult with the Graduate Director.

II. Comprehensive Examinations

Every student should work with the doctoral committee to develop a coherent program of study that looks forward to the comprehensive examination and beyond to the doctoral dissertation and other professional research. The student should consult with individual committee members on a regular basis and arrange periodic meetings of the entire committee.
By the beginning of the second year, students should have selected their examination areas. The committee may tailor readings and exams to the student’s individual needs, but should follow some general guidelines: a) no examination area should be a mere subset of another area–for example, if Renaissance is the major field and poetry a secondary field, the latter should not be confined to Renaissance poetry; b) the examination area should not be defined too narrowly–for instance, readings in a historical period should cover the range of genres, and genre preparation in all areas should include not only primary texts but also acquaintance with the relevant historical contexts and current critical debates. If the committee decides that its existing membership is not fully qualified to guide the student in a particular area, then it may consider adding an additional member for the purpose of the examination.
Full-time students are expected to take the comprehensive examination no later than the end of the second year in the program. Any extension beyond that point requires a petition with full justification to the Graduate Studies Committee. All curricular requirements for the degree must be fulfilled by the end of the semester in which the student is taking the exam. The student, in agreement with the doctoral committee, sets the precise date, but the exam must be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the last day of classes for the semester. The English Graduate Office must be notified by the student at least two weeks prior to the exam in order to process Graduate School forms. The student must be registered for at least 1 credit in the semester during which the exam is taken. Summer session is included if exams are scheduled during this time.
The structure of the examination is laid out in the Graduate Student Handbook . Individual members of the committee may be responsible for preparing specific areas of the examination, but the entire committee should review the exam before it is administered, and should read all of the student’s work once it is completed.
After the examination the committee chair should notify the English Graduate Office of the results. In the event that the student fails one or more parts of the exam, the doctoral committee will decide whether the student should retake the exam in its entirety or only those parts that he or she has failed. It may also recommend against retaking the exam and ask the graduate studies committee to review the student’s overall performance in the program.

III. Doctoral Dissertation

After passing the comprehensive examination, the student may modify committee membership to suit the specific needs of thesis research. Such changes should be made as quickly as possible.
Students who have passed the comprehensive exam should turn immediately to the doctoral dissertation. Thesis proposal forms are available upon request from the Graduate Office and proposals must be approved by the doctoral committee and submitted to the graduate office no later than ninety (90) days after the completion of the comprehensive exams.
Guidelines for writing the thesis and taking the final oral examination appear on pp. 8-9 of the graduate handbook.

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The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School's policies are formally approved guiding and governing principles that assist in the conduct of graduate education. Learn more about the Structure and organization of Graduate Education Policies .

Specific phrases and words are highlighted with definitions within policies. See also: All Graduate Education policy definitions .

Academic Policies

Academic policies are directly concerned with the pedagogical mission of the Fox Graduate School, and are enacted by Graduate Council as the representative body of Graduate Faculty. Recent actions of Graduate Council .

GCAC-101 Graduate Faculty Membership
GCAC-102 Evaluation of Graduate Faculty Teaching
GCAC-201 Scholarly and Professional Goals for All Graduate Degree Students
GCAC-203 Graduate Course Designations
GCAC-204 Graduate Course Definitions - 500- vs. 800-Level Courses
GCAC-205 Concurrent Offering of Graduate and Non-Graduate Courses
GCAC-206 Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-207 Degree Program Options
GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs
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GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs
GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs
GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs
GCAC-213 Residency and Related Policies for Off-Campus Degree Programs
GCAC-214 Collaborative Graduate Education Programs with Institutions Outside of the United States
GCAC-215 Common Course Numbers
GCAC-217 Degree Titles
GCAC-301 Qualifications for Admission
GCAC-302 Classification of Students
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GCAC-304 Nondegree Admission
GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students
GCAC-307 Concurrent or Second Doctorates
GCAC-309 Transfer Credit
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GCAC-403 Corrected Grades
GCAC-404 Satisfactory Scholarship
GCAC-405 Credit by Examination
GCAC-501 Credit Load
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GCAC-508 Change of Degree or Program
GCAC-510 University Employee Credit Status
GCAC-513 Registration
GCAC-514 Continuity of Registration and Resume Study
GCAC-515 Registration Requirements When Course Work Has Been Completed
GCAC-516 Registration for Work Done Away from Campus
GCAC-601 Residency Requirement - Research Doctorate
GCAC-602 Ph.D. Committee Formation, Composition, and Review - Research Doctorate
GCAC-603 Ph.D. Committee Responsibilities - Research Doctorate
GCAC-604 Qualifying Examination - Research Doctorate
GCAC-605 English Competence - Research Doctorate
GCAC-606 Comprehensive Examination - Research Doctorate
GCAC-607 Dissertation - Research Doctorate
GCAC-608 Final Oral Examination - Research Doctorate
GCAC-610 Time Limitation - Research Doctorate
GCAC-611 Minor - Research Doctorate
GCAC-630 Admission - Research Master's
GCAC-631 Degree Requirements - Research Master's
GCAC-632 Time Limitation - Research Master's
GCAC-641 Minor - Research Master's
GCAC-642 Culminating Experience - Research Master's
GCAC-700 Degree Requirements - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-701 Residency Requirement - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-702 Professional Doctoral Committee Composition - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-703 Professional Doctoral Committee Responsibilities - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-704 Qualifying Examination - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-705 English Competence - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-706 Comprehensive Examination - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-707 Professional Doctoral Culminating Experience – Professional Doctorate
GCAC-708 Time Limitation - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-709 Minor – Professional Doctorate
GCAC-730 Admission - Professional Master's
GCAC-731 Degree Requirements - Professional Master's
GCAC-732 Time Limitation - Professional Master's
GCAC-741 Minor - Professional Master's
GCAC-742 Culminating Experience - Professional Master's
GCAC-801 Conduct
GCAC-802 Procedures for Resolution of Problems
GCAC-803 Procedures for Termination of the Degree Program of a Graduate Student for Unsatisfactory Scholarship
GCAC-804 Termination of Assistantships Due to Inadequate Performance
GCAC-902 Student Instructional Assistants in Graduate Courses

Administrative Policies

Administrative policies are enacted by the Fox Graduate School. They set operational standards and behavior expectations, and communicate policy roles and responsibilities to ensure that all policies are operationalized, enacted, and enforced. Recent actions of the Fox Graduate School .

GSAD-202 Joint Degree Programs Administrative Policy
GSAD-204 Schreyer Honors College Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Degree Programs
GSAD-205 Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs
GSAD-206 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
GSAD-301 Course Abbreviations Used for Transfer Credit
GSAD-501 Credit Loads and Academic Status for Graduate Assistants
GSAD-502 Credit Loads for International Students
GSAD-503 World Campus Course Registration for Graduate Assistants, Graduate Fellows, and Graduate Trainees and STAP Recipients
GSAD-504 Withdrawal
GSAD-506 Credit Loads for Graduate Students Utilizing Department of Veterans Affairs Education Benefits
GSAD-510 Thesis Submission
GSAD-511 Graduation
GSAD-520 Postdoctoral Fellows, Scholars, and Guests of the University Attending Graduate Classes
GSAD-901 Graduate Assistants (formerly PR06)
GSAD-903 Assistantships and Employment for International Students
GSAD-904 Graduate Assistantships for Students in Joint Degree Programs
GSAD-905 Summer Graduate Lecturer/Researcher (formerly PR17)
GSAD-906 Graduate Student Leave of Absence
GSAD-907 Graduate Fellows and Graduate Trainees (formerly PR03)
GSAD-920 Graduate Student Policy for International Travel
GSAD-930 Exceptions to Graduate Council Academic Requirements

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Ph.D. Degree in Higher Education

The higher education phd is now education policy and leadership phd with a higher education emphasis, please follow this link to the new program: https://ed.psu.edu/academics/departments/department-education-policy-studies/education-policy-and-leadership .

As of Fall 2024, the PhD in Higher Education is no longer offered at Penn State and is now called Education Policy and Leadership Phd with an emphasis in either Educational Theory and Policy, Educational Leadership or Higher Educatio. The information below is only relevant to the cohorts admitted Fall 2023 and prior. You may still apply for the DEd program.

The doctoral programs in Higher Education at Penn State are rated among the best in the country every year. Not only is this the result of compelling and diverse coursework, but due to the exceptional caliber of the program’s faculty; they are leading scholars in the field (please refer to faculty pages for additional information). In addition, exemplary doctoral programs have exemplary alumni, and the graduates of Penn State’s doctoral programs are second to none. Positions of graduates range, for example, from Director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education to a faculty member in the University of Michigan’s Higher Education Program, to Chair of the Educational Leadership Department at Florida State University. Our graduates are college presidents, top administrators in state-wide coordinating agencies, and vice presidents and deans of colleges and universities. Others are involved in national foundations and associations. Additionally, the publication activity of our graduates is noteworthy and extensive, and more than a few are leading scholars in areas of higher education.

Current students are encouraged to pursue academic work through core and specialized higher education courses, as well as via a minor (or cognate) within other academic fields at Penn State, including policy analysis, marketing, organizational behavior, sociology, educational psychology, women’s studies, and the like. A majority of doctoral students are also involved directly in extant research efforts being conducted by faculty members on a variety of topics. All of these connections emerge at the intersection of students’ interests and faculty members’ tutelage, and contribute to a robust and engaging educational experience.

Both Ph.D. and D.Ed. degrees in higher education at Penn State require students to develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Both programs of study engage students in a breadth of relevant theoretical and empirical knowledge, including the contributions of other disciplines/fields to further and more fully understand the complex issues within colleges and universities. Through coursework, individualized research, collegial networks, and more, Ph.D. and D.Ed. students alike gain a deeper understanding of a particular area of inquiry through thoughtful, rigorous engagement. In addition, regardless of the doctoral degree that a student pursues, all higher education doctoral students are eligible for university funding.

While the Ph.D. and D.Ed. doctoral programs have much in common, there are differences as well:

The Ph.D. degree (in any field) is a competency-based degree, whereas the D.Ed. is a credit-based degree. That is, the D.Ed. requires students to complete a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond a master’s degree, or a minimum of 90 credit hours if a master’s degree has not already been earned. This includes a minimum of 15 credit hours of dissertation research. In contrast, the Ph.D. requires that students fulfill a residency requirement of two consecutive semesters of fully time study, maintain continuous enrollment during the dissertation phase, and successfully demonstrate particular research competencies, most notably in their dissertations.

The Ph.D. degree, compared to the D.Ed., includes more research methodology coursework in the interest of developing research competencies in both cases (i.e., a minimum of 6 courses compared to a minimum of 4 courses, respectively)

Ph.D. dissertations typically seek to produce generalizable knowledge of a particular aspect of higher education that may have particular relevance and significance for discovery-scholarship audiences, whereas D.Ed. dissertations typically uncover knowledge regarding particular practices of colleges and universities that may have relevance and significance for higher education practitioner audiences.

By identifying such differences between Ph.D. and D.Ed. doctoral programs at Penn State, we do not mean to suggest that Ph.D. recipients cannot be academic or student affairs administrators, or that D.Ed. recipients cannot be faculty members with external funding and robust research agendas. At the same time, however, our best advice is that candidates most oriented towards higher education practice do well to consider a D.Ed. degree, and that candidates most oriented towards higher education research do well to consider a Ph.D. degree. Faculty members in the program stand ready to assist students in discerning which doctoral degree may be a better fit.

HIED Doctoral Program Curriculum

Distinguish various aspects of higher education--including perspectives on its past, present, and future.

Interpret and communicate knowledge of higher education that informs research, policy, and professional practice.

Demonstrate competence in designing, conducting, and communicating (including written form) research that generates new knowledge.

Identify and address ways in which power operates in higher education, and has been differentially distributed by race and by other marginalized social identities.

Utilize concepts, theories, and frameworks from education and other fields of inquiry in exploring and critically analyzing topics in higher education.

Evaluate required competencies, needed preparation, and potential rewards relative to pursuing a range of career opportunities in all sectors of academia.

The Higher Education doctoral program, whether a Ph.D. or D.Ed. degree, consists of three phases below.

The initial phase stresses the integration of the academic disciplines with the professional study of higher education in the “core” areas of study of the program. The four courses and areas examined are: (1) Foundations of Higher Education; (2) College Students; (3) Administration and Organization in Higher Education; (4) and Equity and Diversity in Higher Education. In most cases this phase culminates with the student sitting for their graduate candidacy (qualifying) examination.

The second phase involves an increased emphasis upon the more specialized studies and experiences related to the student's identified area of study concentration and professional emphasis. This phase consists of various sequences of advanced courses and seminars, independent study, practicums, internships, and related research activities, which usually include the exploration and identification of probable topics for doctoral research. This phase emphasizes the student's use of appropriate methodologies and the development of a variety of techniques for studying a wide range of problems. These might include comparative studies of institutions, interdisciplinary investigations of programs and instructional procedures, historical case studies, analyses of the dynamics of program and organizational reform and innovation, and the construction and testing of theoretical models. This phase includes a formal program review with several faculty members, and the completion of a dissertation proposal course in which a dissertation proposal is begun. This phase eventually culminates with the student sitting for the graduate comprehensive examination (i.e., dissertation proposal defense).

In the final phase , the doctoral student concentrates on research and writing of a doctoral dissertation related to the student's area of specialization, theoretical/conceptual focus, and professional interest. The student and his/her doctoral committee determines the subject and focus of this research undertaking, utilizing an appropriate set of theoretical constructs, data-gathering methodologies, and analytical techniques. All students are required to defend their dissertation in order to graduate.

Please note: The length of time to complete a doctoral degree depends on the student’s status (i.e., full-time or part-time), area of study, and other individualized circumstances.

Development Testing

Application Deadline:

Fall Admission - December 1

Professor in Charge

Associate Professor of Education

405B Rackley Building , University Park, PA, 16802

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (814) 863-2655

Academic Program Assistant

Residential/World Campus Higher Education

400 Rackley Building , University Park, PA, 16802

Phone: (814) 863-2690

Ph.D. Program in French and Francophone Studies

Program description.

The Department of French and Francophone Studies offers a Ph.D. degree with specializations in culture & society and literature as well as dual degrees in French and Francophone Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, in French and Francophone Studies and African Studies and in French and Francophone Studies and Visual Studies. Graduate students accepted into the Department’s Ph.D. program are expected to acquire a broad factual and theoretical background in French Studies, advanced proficiency in oral and writing skills, and a thorough grasp of research and teaching methodologies. Students select one specialization and may add other subspecialties. Many of our graduate students also pursue Minors, such as the Social Thought minor.

Admission Requirements

Students interested in the Ph.D. program in French may apply for admission directly into one of the two specializations (Culture & Society or Literature) or under general status with the specialization to be determined after arrival at Penn State. No admissions preference is given to either category of students; all prospective students are judged according to the admissions criteria outlined in the handbook the student receives when he or she begins graduate studies in French at Penn State.

Requirements for All Specializations

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements stated in the DEGREE REQUIREMENTS section of the Graduate Bulletin .

Students must earn a minimum of 33 to 36 credits (or equivalent) beyond the Master’s degree in French.

The Ph.D. degree prepares candidates for careers in teaching and research at the college or university level. Between 33 and 36 credits beyond the M.A. in French (or equivalent) is required in course work at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level. Candidates who have not taken these courses while completing their M.A. at Penn State must take FR 571 French Literacy Theory and Criticism (3), FR 580 Approaches to French Civilization (3), FR 581 Theory and Techniques of Teaching French (1-6), FR 501A Pro-Seminar in French Studies I (1.5), and FR 501B Pro-Seminar in French Studies II (1.5). Credits must be distributed in one of two areas of specialization: culture & society or literature.

A maximum of 12 credits may be earned in teaching methodology (French 581) and in supervised teaching (French 602). Such credits are supplementary to the 33 to 36 credits required for a doctoral specialization, except in applied linguistics where FR 581 is required for the specialization.

Occasionally, the acceleration of course work is possible where a student has a significant academic background in a designated area. Acceleration should be requested by the student’s advisor in consultation with the student’s graduate committee. Acceleration requires the approval of the director of graduate studies and the department head. Candidates whose prior training does not include courses prerequisite to one of the doctoral specializations are required to complete such courses.

The Chair of the Committee responsible for the specialization, in consultation with other members of the Graduate Faculty and the Department Head, evaluates the graduate training and teaching experience completed at other institutions. A record of any credit to be transferred or of course equivalencies is placed in the candidate’s file, with a copy to the candidate. Waiver of any coursework can only be granted with the approval of the advisor, the instructor of the course being waived, and the Department Head.

All students are required to take the Pro-Seminars in French Studies, FR 501A and FR 501B, within the first two years of entering the program whether at the M.A. or the Ph.D. level. (The Pro-Seminar is offered every other year.) Doctoral students who are preparing for the job market are required to take the Pro-Seminar a second time.

Ph.D. Committee and Examinations

All doctoral students must pass a Candidacy examination and a Comprehensive examination.

Examinations will be written and defended in French. Exceptions are occasionally made for dual-title Ph.D.s, if serious efforts to find outside members who can read and comprehend French fail, and the DGS, Head and advisor are convinced the student does not need to prove their ability to write or speak French. If outside members know only some French, the exam will be written in French but the oral exam will be bilingual. Every effort should be made to locate outside and special members with some knowledge of French.

The Ph.D. Thesis

The thesis (also called “Ph.D. or Doctoral Dissertation”) is a formal demonstration of a student’s ability to conduct high-quality research that poses significant questions and proposes new approaches, implications, and insights. It should represent the culmination of work as a student and, at the same time, demonstrate a student’s expertise to colleagues and peers.

Chapters of the thesis should be submitted to the advisor as they are written. Committee members may prefer to read the thesis chapter by chapter or they may wish to review only the full draft version. This should be decided in consultation between the student and the committee members, preferably at a meeting with the full committee. Both the thesis advisor and the student are responsible for ensuring the completion of a draft of the thesis and for adequate consultation with all committee members well in advance of the oral examination.

Each member of the committee will make any suggestions he or she may have within two weeks of receiving the completed draft. If, at the end of these two weeks, no committee members request major revisions to the thesis (editing suggestions do not qualify), the final oral examination date may be set. The request for examination must be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School for approval at least three weeks prior to the date of the exam.

The Thesis Guide

Students should consult the Graduate School Thesis Guide for the thesis format. This guide, available online, through the Thesis Office or in Pattee Library, contains complete and updated information regarding the thesis format, preparation, appendices, etc. The Graduate School also provides special thesis formatting templates for use on word-processing systems: https://bulletins.psu.edu/graduate/programs/majors/french-francophone-studies/ .

Normally, the thesis defense may not be scheduled until at least three months have elapsed after the completion of the Comprehensive Examination, although the dean of the Graduate School may grant a waiver in some cases.

The final oral exam must take place ten weeks before the end of the Semester. Please check the calendar of deadlines posted every semester by the Graduate School.

Please note that this is a basic outline of the major steps leading to the award of a Ph.D. in French and Francophone Studies. For more details and information, please see the Graduate Handbook .

Penn State University Libraries

Dissertations and theses.

Department name changes
Other Institutions

Dissertations and Theses from Other Institutions

Dissertations & Theses This link opens in a new window Citations and abstracts for doctoral dissertations and some theses from American and Canadian universities, and some international universities. Electronic full text of some works is available. If full text is not available, request a copy through interlibrary loan. more... less... ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world, with more than 2.5 million available in full text PDF.
Dissertations and Theses @ CIC full-text This link opens in a new window Full text of dissertations and theses from CIC member universities are available to Penn State users. more... less... Full-text access to dissertations and theses written by graduates of CIC institutions are available.
LionSearch This link opens in a new window an integrated search of books, e-books, research articles, newspaper articles, and other publications.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window A good tool if you have the title of a specific dissertation. Google Scholar will provide a link to the full text if the work is open access (freely available online). more... less... Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Once you set your institutional preferences, links to full-text, if available at Penn State, should appear.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) This link opens in a new window Links to repositories of open access theses and dissertations from around the world, organized by country. more... less... The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog will serve as a repository of rich graduate educational material contributed by a number of member institutions worldwide. The hope is that this project will increase the availability of student research for scholars, empower students to convey a richer message through the use of multimedia and hypermedia technologies and advance digital library technology worldwide.
EBSCO Open Dissertations This link opens in a new window A free database that includes more than 172,000 theses and dissertations from 1902 to the present and a link to full text when available. Previously called "American Doctoral Dissertations". more... less... Ebsco Open Dissertations (previously “American Doctoral Dissertations”), is an open-access database built to assist researchers in locating both historic and contemporary dissertations and theses. Created with the generous support of the H.W. Wilson Foundation and the Congregational Library & Archives in Boston, it incorporates EBSCO’s previously released American Doctoral Dissertations, and features additional dissertation metadata contributed by select colleges and universities from around the world. Providing researchers with citations to graduate research across a span of time, from the early 20th century to the present, this database will continue to grow through regular updates and new partnerships with graduate degree-granting institutions.
Center for Research Libraries Catalog This link opens in a new window Search the online catalog for dissertations from around the world by keyword, author, title or subject, and limit by country. more... less... The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is a consortium of North American universities, colleges, and independent research libraries. The consortium acquires and preserves newspapers, journals, documents, archives, and other traditional and digital resources for research and teaching and makes them available to member institutions through interlibrary loan and electronic delivery.
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Last Updated: Dec 11, 2023 9:55 AM
URL: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/dissertations

Princeton University Library

Phd dissertation and master's thesis submission guidelines.

The Princeton University Archives at the Mudd Manuscript Library is the repository for Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses. The Princeton University Archives partners with ProQuest to publish and distribute Princeton University dissertations beyond the campus community.

Below you will find instructions on the submission process and the formatting requirements for your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis. If you have questions about this process, please use our Ask Us form or visit the Mudd Manuscript Library during our open hours.

Ph.D Dissertation Submission Process

The first step is for the student to prepare their dissertation according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements . Near the time of the final public oral examination (FPO) (shortly before or immediately after) the student must complete the online submission of their dissertation via the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website . Students are required to upload a PDF of their dissertation, choose publishing options, enter subject categories and keywords, and make payment to ProQuest (if fees apply). This step will take roughly 20-25 minutes.

After the FPO the student should log on to TigerHub and complete the checkout process. When this step is complete, Mudd Library will be notified for processing. This step will occur M-F during business hours. The Mudd Library staff member will review, apply the embargo (when applicable), and approve the dissertation submission in ProQuest. You will receive an email notification of the approval from ProQuest when it has been approved or needs revisions.

The vast majority of students will not be required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the library. Only students who have removed content from the PDF to avoid copyright infringement are required to submit a bound copy to the library. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements , and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

ProQuest Publishing Options

When you submit your dissertation to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, you will be given two options: Traditional Publishing or Open Access Publishing Plus. ProQuest compares the two options in their Open Access Overview document . Full details will be presented in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.

Traditional Publishing

No fee is paid to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text to subscribing institutions only through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global ; If you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing or purchase through the subscription database during the embargo period.

Open Access Publishing Plus

$95 fee to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text through the Internet to anyone via the ProQuest Database ; if you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing through the open access database during the embargo period.

Optional Service: Copyright Registration

$75 fee to ProQuest; ProQuest offers the optional service of registering your copyright on your behalf. The dissertation author owns the copyright to their dissertation regardless of copyright registration. Registering your copyright makes a public record of your copyright claim and may entitle you to additional compensation should your copyright be infringed upon. For a full discussion of your dissertation and copyright, see ProQuest’s Copyright and Your Dissertation .

If you have questions regarding the ProQuest publishing options, contact their Author and School Relations team at 1-800-521-0600 ext. 77020 or via email at [email protected] .

Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace

Each Princeton University dissertation is deposited in Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace . Dissertations will be freely available on the Internet except during an embargo period. If your dissertation is embargoed, the PDF will be completely restricted during the embargo period. The bound copy, however, will be available for viewing in the Mudd Manuscript Library reading room during the embargo.

According to the Graduate School’s embargo policy , students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition. If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace . Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved for a shorter embargo period. Students must apply for the embargo during the Advanced Degree Application process . More information can be found on the Graduate School's Ph.D. Publication, Access and Embargoing webpage .

Those who have been approved for the embargo can choose "Traditional Publishing" or "Open Access Plus" publishing when they complete their online submission to ProQuest. Mudd Manuscript Library staff will apply the embargo in the ProQuest ETD system at the time of submission of materials to the Library. In the case of Open Access Plus, the dissertation would become freely available on the ProQuest open access site when the embargo expires. The embargo in ProQuest will also apply to the embargo in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace

Those who wish to request a renewal of an existing embargo must email Assistant Dean Geoffrey Hill and provide the reason for the extension. An embargo renewal must be requested in writing at least one month before the original embargo has expired, but may not be requested more than three months prior to the embargo expiration date. Embargoes cannot be reinstituted after having expired. Embargoes are set to expire two years from the date on which the Ph.D. was awarded (degrees are awarded five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings); this date will coincide with the degree date (month and year) on the title page of your dissertation. Please note: You, the student, are responsible for keeping track of the embargo period--notifications will not be sent.

To find the exact date of an embargo expiration, individuals can find their dissertation in DataSpace , and view the box at the bottom of the record, which will indicate the embargo expiration date.
The Graduate School will inform the Mudd Library of all renewals and Mudd Library staff will institute the extensions in ProQuest and DataSpace .
Princeton University Archives' Dissertation Formatting Requirements (PDF download) document provides detailed information on how to prepare the dissertation PDF and bound volume (if you are required to submit a bound volume). Please take special note of how to format the title page (a title page example is downloadable from the upper-right-hand side of this webpage). The title page must list your adviser’s name.
ProQuest's Preparing Your Manuscript guide offers additional information on formatting the PDF. Where there are discrepancies with the Princeton University Archives Dissertation Formatting Requirements document, the Princeton University Archives requirements should be followed. Special consideration should be paid to embedding fonts in the PDF.
ProQuest ETD Administrator Resources and Guidelines web page offers several guides to assist you in preparing your PDF, choosing publishing options, learning about copyright considerations, and more.
ProQuest's Support and Training Department can assist with issues related to creating and uploading PDFs and any questions regarding technical issues with the online submission site.

Whether a student pays fees to ProQuest in the ETD Administrator Site depends on the publishing option they choose, and if they opt to register their copyright (if a student selects Traditional Publishing, and does not register their copyright, no charges are incurred). Fees are to be submitted via the UMI ETD Administrator Site. Publishing and copyright registration fees are payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and a small service tax may be added to the total. The options listed below will be fully explained in the ETD Administrator site.

Traditional without copyright registration: $0 to ProQuest (online)
Traditional with copyright registration: $75 to ProQuest (online)
Open Access without copyright registration: $95 to ProQuest (online)
Open Access ($95) with copyright registration ($55): $150 to ProQuest (online)

Degrees are granted five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings. Deadlines for materials to be submitted to the Mudd Manuscript Library are set by the Office of the Graduate School . The title page of your dissertation must state the month and year of the board meeting at which you will be granted your degree, for example “April 2023.”

Academic Year 2024-2025

Friday, August 30, 2024, degree date "September 2024"
Thursday, October 31, 2024, degree date "November 2024"
Tuesday, December 31, 2024, degree date "January 2025"
Friday, February 28, 2025, degree date "March 2025"
Thursday, May 8, 2025, degree date "May 2025"

Please note: If a student is granted an extension for submission of their materials after a deadline has passed, the Mudd Manuscript Library must have written confirmation of the extension from the Office of the Graduate School in the form of an email to [email protected] .

One non-circulating , bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives. For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating , bound copy of each dissertation may also be available. Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's catalog .

Electronic Copy (PDF) in ProQuest

ProQuest Dissertation Publishing distributes Princeton University dissertations. Members of the Princeton University community can access most dissertations through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database, which is made available through the Princeton University Library. For students that choose "Open Access Plus publishing," their dissertations are available freely on the internet via ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . Dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest Dissertation Express . Once the dissertation has been accepted by the Mudd Library it will be released to ProQuest following the Board of Trustee meeting on which your degree is conferred. Bound copies ordered from ProQuest will be printed following release. Please note, dissertations under embargo are not available in full text through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database or for sale via ProQuest Dissertation Express during the embargo period.

Electronic Copy (PDF) in Princeton's Institutional Repository, DataSpace

Beginning in the fall of 2011, dissertations will be available through the internet in full-text via Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace . (Embargoed dissertations become available to the world once the embargo expires.)

Interlibrary Loan

Dissertations that have bound copies and are not under embargo are available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to libraries in the United States and Canada, either through hard copy or PDF. If PDFs are available, they can be sent internationally.

Master's Thesis Submission Process

Students who are enrolled in a thesis-based Master’s degree program must upload a PDF of their thesis to Princeton's ETD Administrator site (ProQuest) just prior to completing the final paperwork for the Graduate School. These programs currently include:

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (M.S.E.)
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S.E.)
The Department of Computer Science (M.S.E.)
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (M.S.E.)
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (M.S.E.)
The Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (M.S.E.)
The Department of Near Eastern Studies (M.A.)

The PDF should be formatted according to our Dissertation Formatting Requirements (PDF download). The Mudd Library will review and approve the submission upon notification from the Graduate School that your final paperwork is ready for this step. Bound copies are no longer required or accepted for Master's theses.

Students who are not in a thesis-based Master's degree program do not need to make a submission to the library upon graduation. If you have questions, please complete the form on the Ask Special Collections page.

Dissertation Formatting Requirements

COMMENTS

Theses and Dissertations
Office of Theses and Dissertations. The Office of Theses and Dissertations is the unit of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School responsible for certifying that theses and dissertations have been prepared in accordance with formatting requirements established by the Fox Graduate School, the University Libraries, and the graduate faculty of Penn State.
Penn State Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Penn State Electronic Theses and Dissertations. This is an Open Access resource. Libraries Home. Libraries Intranet (Employees Only) Accessibility Help. Website Feedback. Policies and Guidelines. Acknowledgement of Land. (814) 865-6368.
Library Guides: Dissertations and Theses: Penn State
Includes a small number of Penn State master's theses. Enter Pennsylvania State University in the box for University/institution. Search by author, title, subject, or advisor's name ... Full text of doctoral dissertations and master's theses from about 2009 to date. Browse by author or department, or search the full text by keywords. Some ...
Pennsylvania State University
Graduate Program: Physiology Keywords: protein synthesis mTOR knockdown lentivirus shRNA sepsis disuse atrophy File: Download Final_Abid_Kazi_Dissertation_07182011-library-COPY.pdf Committee Members: Charles H Lang, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Charles H Lang, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Scot R Kimball, Committee Member Lisa M Shantz, Committee ...
Dissertations and Theses
With more than 2 million entries, PQD&T is the single, central, authoritative resource for information about doctoral dissertations and master's theses. Includes dissertations from England and Ireland.
Theses and Dissertations
In engineering and science, a thesis or dissertation is the culmination of a master's or Ph.D. degree. A thesis or dissertation presents the research that the student performed for that degree. From the student's perspective, the primary purpose of a thesis or dissertation is to persuade the student's committee that he or she has performed and ...
Dissertations & Theses
Texas Digital Library offers over 6,000 ETDs from several large research universities in the state. Theses Canada Portal. Over 50,000 ETD's are available from the Library and Archives Canada's collection. For full-text, select "Electronic Theses" on the search screen. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
The Internationalization of Higher Education: a Case Study of The
and focuses on the internationalization of The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), a large, public, land-grant research institution in the northeastern region of the United States. This dissertation contributes to the literature by building upon research about organizational culture at the institutional level.
eTD Explore
Electronic thesis and dissertations (eTDs) expand the creative possibilities open to students and empower students to convey a richer message by permitting video, sound, and color images to be integrated into their work. Submitting and archiving eTDs helps students to understand electronic publishing issues and provides greater access to ...
Research
Researcher Publications. Visit our publications to access diverse research and works by our library employees. Subject GuidesAccess the top resources for specific subject areas.Electronic Theses and DissertationsSubmit & preserve or search graduate student theses & dissertations.
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
Many of the doctoral dissertations and master's theses published since 2008 and listed below are available for download free of charge. Click on the title of the dissertation or thesis to go to the corresponding record in Penn State's eTD (electronic thesis and dissertation) database, which is searchable by author, year, degree, program, and ...
Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations
Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations. For a list of previous EME graduate student theses and dissertations, visit the Graduate School's list of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. For additional information and theses and dissertations prior to 2009 please contact Penn State University Libraries . About.
Academic Dates and Deadlines
Pass doctoral defense. Nov 1. Submit final thesis or dissertation and supporting materials. Nov 1. Pass final performance (DMA students only) Nov 1. Pass final oral presentation (DNP, DEng, D.B.A., and Dr.P.H. students only) Nov 8. Committee members to approve final thesis/dissertation.
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
The comprehensive exam should cover the specific areas of mechanical engineering, designated by your Ph.D. committee, which relate to your program. The comprehensive exam will consist of an oral examination, administered by your doctoral committee, including a presentation of a proposal related to thesis research and a structured oral examination.
Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations. del Solar Dorrego, F.M. (2022) " Investigating single value frequency average measures to predict reverberance, clarity and preference using higher order Ambisonic Reproduction .". Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University. Neal, M. (2019) " A Spherical Microphone and Compact Loudspeaker Array ...
PhD Program
The thesis committee acts as the examining committee. Satisfactory performance in this exam is necessary for acceptance of the thesis. The examination is oral and open to the public. Please note the following Graduate School policy in regard to the final oral examination: The State of the Doctoral Thesis at the Time of the Final Oral Examination
eTD Explore
Graduate Program: Workforce Education and Development Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Document Type: Dissertation Date of Defense: June 04, 2020 Committee Members: William J Rothwell, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor William J Rothwell, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Judith Ann Kolb, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Wesley Edward Donahue, Committee Member
Graduate Education Policies
GCAC-400 Assessment Policies. GCAC-500 Registration and Graduation Policies. GCAC-507 Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses. GCAC-514 Continuity of Registration and Resume Study. GCAC-515 Registration Requirements When Course Work Has Been Completed. GCAC-516 Registration for Work Done Away from Campus.
Dissertations & Theses
Dissertations & Theses. Libraries Home. Libraries Intranet (Employees Only) Accessibility Help. Website Feedback. Policies and Guidelines. Acknowledgement of Land. (814) 865-6368. Hotline.
Ph.D. Degree in Higher Education
The Higher Education doctoral program, whether a Ph.D. or D.Ed. degree, consists of three phases below.. The initial phase stresses the integration of the academic disciplines with the professional study of higher education in the "core" areas of study of the program. The four courses and areas examined are: (1) Foundations of Higher Education; (2) College Students; (3) Administration and ...
Ph.D. Program in French and Francophone Studies
Students must earn a minimum of 33 to 36 credits (or equivalent) beyond the Master's degree in French. The Ph.D. degree prepares candidates for careers in teaching and research at the college or university level. Between 33 and 36 credits beyond the M.A. in French (or equivalent) is required in course work at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level.
A Phenomenological Study of The Influence of Teambuilding Activities on
The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School . A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF TEAMBUILDING ACTIVITIES ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT . A Dissertation in Workforce Education and Development by Matthew R Raup Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy . August 2020
Other Institutions
Dissertations and Theses from Other Institutions. Citations and abstracts for doctoral dissertations and some theses from American and Canadian universities, and some international universities. Electronic full text of some works is available. If full text is not available, request a copy through interlibrary loan.
PhD Dissertation and Master's Thesis Submission Guidelines
Bound Copy. One non-circulating, bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives.For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating, bound copy of each dissertation may also be available.Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's catalog.
MS in Advanced Biotherapeutics: Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs
Temple University School of Pharmacy offers the Master of Science (MS) in Advanced Biotherapeutics: Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs (ABMRA) in collaboration with the Thomas Jefferson University's Institute of Bioprocessing (JIB).. While global companies continue to discover new, small-molecule therapeutic agents, an important paradigm shift to large-molecule, biopharmaceutical products ...