Dissertation Defense

Dissertation and Thesis Deadlines Once a student is ready to defend, please review the Dissertation and Thesis submission, graduation, and conferral deadlines. 

Special Registration Status Review Special Registration Statuses for Graduate Students. If you use the Graduation Quarter to submit your thesis/dissertation, then you must complete the Petition for Graduation Quarter form by the first day of the term designated as your Graduation Quarter.

CardinalCare If you have CardinalCare, it is for the entire academic year regardless of the quarters you are enrolled. If you leave before the end of the academic year, you will be charged for CardinalCare unless you waive it. Contact Vaden Health Services if you have other arrangements for health insurance (e.g., from your new employer).

Schedule a meeting with the Student Services Manager at the beginning of the quarter student plans to graduate. 

This meeting is to review the Defense process and confirm that all program requirements have been completed. Students can review milestone completion through their My Academic Plan (MAP).

Identify your Chair for your Oral Defense Committee and 5th Examiner. 

• The Chair must be a faculty member outside the Chemistry Department and, if you work for a non-chemistry professor, outside your advisor's department. 
• The 5th Reader could be a faculty member inside or outside of the chemistry department. Please have this person be outside your immediate field (e.g., an organic chemist should get a physical or inorganic chemist). 

If you need help finding a Chair or 5th Reader, please work with your advisor and/or other committee members. 

Your Oral Defense Committee consists of 5 Stanford faculty members:

1. Chair
2. Dissertation Reading Committee 
   1. Principal Dissertation Advisor
   2. Two other readers (Chemistry assigns)
3. 5th Reader

Email your Oral Exam Committee and set a date and time for your oral exam (dissertation defense) that works for everyone. We recommend that you poll your committee with a scheduling tool like when2meet or doodlepoll. 

Room Booking: 

• Chemistry room- Submit CHEM Booking Request
• Registrar-Owned room- (Review 25Live for availability) Contact Patricia (ayalamac@) to book
• Other department rooms- connect with your PI's admin to book 

Once a date, time, and room are confirmed, please complete the Oral Examination Form and please submit it along with your headshot picture, to the Chem Dissertation Defense form a month before your defense. 

Your defense will be publicized in This Week in Chemistry.

• Make sure to complete the Chemistry Alumni Update Form.

Provide a draft of your dissertation to your reading committee at least a month prior to your defense. Be mindful of faculty travel schedules, especially when looking for your readers to sign off on your dissertation! 

Make sure your reading committee is accurately reflected in Axess. If a member has been replaced, you must submit a Change of Dissertation Adviser or Reader Committee form to Patricia. 

Patricia will distribute copies of your oral form and abstract to members of your oral committee. The original will be sent to the chair of your oral committee in a special folder. 

Please ensure you remind your committee of when and where your defense will be held.