Dissertations
One of the most important requirements of the Public Policy PhD Program is the completion of a dissertation: an original empirical project that makes a substantive contribution to knowledge about public policy.
The student's dissertation work is supervised by a primary advisor and a doctoral committee who are responsible for approving the research proposal, overseeing the data collection and analysis, and reviewing the written draft of the dissertation. Upon successful completion of the dissertation proposal, a doctoral student achieves candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
The completed dissertation must be approved by the program's doctoral committee and an oral defense must be successfully presented before the PhD degree is conferred.
For titles of completed and in-progress dissertations, please visit our Students and Graduates page.
Dissertation Help
Dissertation resources
For details on how to form a dissertation committee, deadlines and other policies related to your dissertation, please see our Student Handbook. Here are some additional documents that provide assistance with dissertations:
- UMass Boston Style Guidelines
- Sample Dissertation Cover and Signature Pages
- Public Policy Checklist: Timelines and Steps in the Dissertation Process, Graduation Paperwork, Fees and Deadlines
Learning to Build an Equitable Society
Contact us via e-mail at public.policy@umb.edu for more information or see our PhD Program contact page for additional ways to contact us.
.