Online and In-country programs
With the consent of their program, doctoral students, in programs delivered online or in country, are permitted to attend their oral comprehensive examination and dissertation/capstone proposal hearing electronically provided the doctoral research committee has, in advance of the hearing, received all necessary and relevant documents, visuals and or materials. Doctoral students, in online programs must attend the final dissertation defense, in person, on the main campus to allow attendance by members of the academic community. Doctoral students whose programs are delivered in country will defend their dissertation/capstone at a location determined by the doctoral program and Dean of the Graduate School.
Main campus programs: Consistent with the delivery method of their programs doctoral students enrolled in main campus programs must attend their oral comprehensives, proposal hearing and final dissertation/capstone defense, in person, on the main campus. In rare cases, doctoral students, with the support of their research advisor, may petition the Graduate School to be exempted from this policy to be permitted to attend either the oral comprehensive examination or the proposal hearing electronically. Doctoral students enrolled in main campus programs must attend their final dissertation defense in person, no exceptions.
Research Advisor/Co-Research Advisor for a student in online or main campus doctoral programs is expected to attend an advisee’s oral comprehensives, proposal hearing and final dissertation/capstone defense, in person, on the main campus. The Graduate School (or designee) will consider a petition for exemption from this policy in limited circumstances (e.g., the Research Advisor is out of town on sabbatical leave). If the Research Advisor/Co-Research Advisor cannot be present in person on the main campus for an advisee’s examination or defense, the Graduate School will, in most cases, require the examination or defense to be rescheduled.