The Dissertation Prospectus
The Dissertation Prospectus is an extensive research proposal for the dissertation and serves as the basis for the Prospectus Meeting. There is no required format for this prospectus. The typical prospectus begins with an abstract (a succinct statement of the project), includes sections on the background, the current state of knowledge, the proposed research, its method or organization, and its potential contribution to scholarship, and concludes with a research bibliography. In general, fifteen pages (including bibliography) should be sufficient to provide a knowledgeable and detailed description of the project.
The Dissertation Prospectus Meeting
Once the Prospectus is completed, you meet with the dissertation committee in an hour-long informal meeting early in the Fall following your Prelims to discuss the shape, scope, and logic of your dissertation project. This gives you the opportunity to receive immediate and direct feedback at an early stage in the research. The prospectus meeting is intended to promote communication between you and your committee members at the beginning phase of dissertation research. Download and fill out the Prospectus Form and bring it to the meeting. The thesis title on the form is only your working title; it will probably change by the time you get to the Final Oral Exam.
After the prospectus is approved, your advisor(s) will sign the Prospectus Report form which you give to the GPC.