After coursework and Qualifying Year work, students formally begin work on their dissertations. To aid in this transition, the Thesis Proposal Requirement requires students to produce a thesis proposal or outline to present at the September meeting of the student and their dissertation committee (the September immediately following satisfaction of the Qualifying Year Requirement).
The proposal can take many forms — for example, by indicating chapters, problems, and literature, and/or theses that will organize, be discussed, or be argued for in the dissertation. Committees will then give feedback on the overall plan. The length of the proposal will vary depending on the committee, but as a rough guideline, the proposal may comprise a document of three to five pages. The Thesis Proposal Requirement is satisfied at the end of the September meeting.