Cinema Studies PhD Handbook

Fall Semester

• Registration: 3 courses to total 12 points

  • One course must be CINE-GT 2601 PhD Research Methodologies

• Master’s degree must be confirmed or transferred in from another institution.

  • Students with M.A. degrees from another institution must submit a request letter to the department together with a completed M.A. transcript with the official seal of the institution. Students should contact Melanie Daly-Castilla regarding submissions and approval.

  • If the degree has not yet been conferred, students earning an M.A. from NYU must ensure that the degree is conferred this semester.

• Students should expect to receive the Doctoral Review Sheet in late September.

  • The Doctoral Review Sheet is a required form that asks the student to answer many relevant questions.  The department will request that each student update the form every fall semester until graduation.

Spring Semester

• Registration: 2 courses to total 8 points

  • Students must also claim full-time equivalency at time of registration

• Students must register to take the first of their 3 qualifying exams.  Registration forms with semester specific exam offerings and deadlines are available throughout the year on the department’s website.

Summer Semester

• Registration: No coursework.

• Students must register to take the second of their 3 qualifying exams.

• It is strongly recommended that students needing to fulfill the language requirement with an exam make arrangements to do so.  If the student plans on completing the department exam, Ken Sweeney must be contacted at least 30 days prior to the desired exam date.

  • If you have already completed the Language requirement through previous coursework, contact Melanie Daly-Castilla to insure proper fulfillment paperwork is submitted.

Fall Semester

• Registration: 2 courses to total 8 points

  • One course must be CINE-GT 3907 Directed Reading in the student’s dissertation topic area supervised by the student’s anticipated dissertation advisor or appropriate substitute

  • Students must also claim full-time equivalency at time of registration

• Students should expect to receive the Doctoral Review Sheet in late September.

Spring Semester

• Registration: 2 courses to total 8 points

  • One  course must be CINE-GT 3902 Dissertation Seminar.  The Dissertation Seminar will serve to develop and complete the dissertation proposal.   The proposal must be completed by the deadline established by the seminar to determine the final grade.

  • Students must also claim full-time equivalency at time of registration

• Students will be assigned an appointment for an oral exam and defense of their dissertation proposal. This meeting will serve as the third and final qualifying examination with questions posed to the student that draw from the proposal and related directed reading. Students must pass the exam and successfully defend their proposal as well as complete all course work, language and exam requirements in order to be eligible to receive the 3rd year of the Corrigan fellowship award. (See Dissertation Proposal Oral Defense).

• Once the Defense is passed, a copy of the dissertation proposal, with all appropriate signatures, must be filed in the department.

 Summer Semester

• Registration: Coursework must now be complete.  

• If necessary, use this time to finish any outstanding coursework or revisions to proposal if required.

Following a degree audit, ensuring the 72 credit, comprehensive exam, language and dissertation proposal requirements are fulfilled, PhD candidates are eligible for the Master of Philosophy Degree (MPhil) as they proceed with completion of the Doctoral Degree (PhD).

Fall Semester

• Registration:  Maintenance of Matriculation (See Maintenance of Matriculation)

• Students should expect to receive the Doctoral Review Sheet in late September.

Spring Semester

• Registration:  Maintenance of Matriculation

• An evaluation of at least one complete chapter of the dissertation will be scheduled and conducted by a faculty committee in July. The student may be questioned on the work and on plans for continued research and writing. Chapters must be submitted on July 1 and results of the faculty review will be conveyed to the students no later than August 1.  Students must successfully pass this evaluation in order to be eligible to receive the 4th year of the Corrigan fellowship award.

Fall Semester

• Registration: Maintenance of Matriculation

• Students should expect to receive the Doctoral Review Sheet in late September

Spring Semester

• Registration:  Maintenance of Matriculation

• An evaluation of a second chapter of the dissertation will be scheduled and conducted by a faculty committee in July. The student may be questioned on the work and on plans for continued research and writing.  Chapters must be submitted on July 1 and results of the faculty review will be conveyed to the students no later than August 1. Students must successfully pass this evaluation in order to receive the 5th year of the Corrigan fellowship award.

All students are required to be continuously enrollment from time of entry to the final semester before graduation. Please consult the departmental and university calendars for individual registration periods for each semester.

Fall Semester

• Registration:  Maintenance of Matriculation

Spring Semester

• Registration: Maintenance of Matriculation

Students are required to provide an updated CV and turn in the Doctoral Review sheet at the beginning of each academic year.

Doctoral candidates must complete all requirements no later than 10 years from matriculation into the NYU Cinema Studies master's program, or 7 years from the time of his or her initial matriculation if the candidate holds a master's degree from another department or institution.

Students who have not completed degree requirements or not ready to defend their dissertation by their expected Time to Degree will be placed on academic probation and will need to seek permission for an Extension of Time to Degree.  (See Extension of Time to Degree)

A student wishing to conduct independent research for credit must obtain approval from a full-time faculty member in the Department of Cinema Studies who will supervise an independent study for up to 4 credits. This semester-long study is a project of special interest to the student who, with the supervising faculty member, agrees on a course of study and requirements. The proposed topic for an Independent Study project should not duplicate topics taught in departmental courses.

To register, you must submit an Independent Study Form. Once the information from your form is verified by your faculty supervisor, you will receive a permission code.

All students are assessed a fee for all CINE-GT courses. The fee is based on the number of points for which the student registers and is subject to a yearly increase. At the time of the most recent update of this handbook, the fee for 2025/2026 is $29 per point.

Research Emphasis

• 20 points of tuition remission (12 points in the fall semester and 8 points in the spring semester) and a living stipend of approximately $36,000.

• $1,000 Dean’s Supplementary Fellowship Grant for educational expenses

• $2,000 Housing subsidy

• Cost of student health insurance

Teaching Emphasis

• 16 points of tuition remission (8 points in the fall semester and 8 points in the spring semester) and a living stipend of approximately $36,000 plus the yearly incremental percentage increase adjustment.

• Cost of student health insurance

• While not directly part of the Corrigan funding package, the department assigns each Corrigan recipient fall and spring semester appointments as teaching and course assistants for an undergraduate Tier 1 and Tier 3 course. These are student employee positions and will be paid set salaries.

After a successful defense of the dissertation proposal and a degree audit that shows the student has fulfilled all coursework, exam and language requirements, a stipend of approximately $36,000 plus the yearly incremental percentage increase adjustment will be awarded in the third year.

The costs of Maintaining Matriculation and student health insurance will also be covered by the fellowship.

Depending on availability of positions, the chair is often able to recommend 3rd Year students for teaching positions in the College Core Curriculum (CORE-UA) or other University departments.

After a successful review of a chapter of the dissertation, a stipend of approximately $36,000 plus the yearly incremental percentage increase adjustment will be awarded in the fourth year.

The costs of Maintaining Matriculation and student health insurance will also be covered by the fellowship.

If positions become available, the chair is able to recommend ABDs to teach in the department, in other NYU departments or at outside institutions.

After a successful review of a second chapter of the dissertation, a stipend of approximately $36,000 plus the yearly incremental percentage increase adjustment will be awarded in the fifth year.

The costs of Maintaining Matriculation and student health insurance will also be covered by the fellowship.

If positions become available, the chair is able to recommend ABDs to teach in the department, in other NYU departments or at outside institutions.

The costs of Maintenance of Matriculation and student health insurance will be covered by the fellowship.

If positions become available, the chair is able to recommend ABDs to teach in the department, in other NYU departments or at outside institutions.

Students pursuing the Certificate must fulfill all of the requirements (30 points) in the following curriculum:

• CINE-GT1402 [4 pts] // Culture & Media I: History & Theory of Ethnographic Documentary
• CINE-GT1403 [4 pts] //Culture & Media II: Ethnography of Media or approved substitute
• CINE-GT1999 [6 pts] //Language of Sight & Sound: Documentary (summer only)
• CINE-GT2001 [4 pts] //Cultural Theory & the Documentary
• ANTH-GA1010 [4 pts] //Social Anthropology Theory & Practice or approved ANTH-GA substitute
• CINE-GT1995 [4 pts] //Video Production Seminar I
• CINE-GT 1996 [4 pts] //Video Production Seminar II

In order to obtain a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies with an Advanced Certificate in Culture & Media, students must complete a minimum of 80 points of coursework, including the above advanced certificate courses.

Students intending to complete the advanced certificate must:

• Indicate their interest upon application to and entry into the graduate program.

• Enroll in CINE-GT 1402 Culture & Media I in the fall term of their first year and earn a grade of B+ or better.

• Meet with the Cinema Studies co-director of the Advanced Certificate Program in their first fall term.

Upon completion of these steps, approved students will be formally enrolled in the Advanced Certificate Program, typically in the spring of the first year. Upon admission, students will be able to register for the summer production course (CINE-GT 1999 Language of Sight & Sound: Documentary) and may be eligible for funding to cover their remaining points in the advanced certificate.

Students must then:

• Make plans to complete all advanced certificate requirements in the appropriate time frame:

• For Ph.D. students, by the end of their third year.

• Maintain a B average or better in Cinema Studies courses, and a B+ average in core courses.

• Meet each term with the Cinema Studies co-director for advising.

All students are required to complete an independent, original ethnographic film or video project; this will be completed in the second semester of the Video Production sequence, which the student will take in the fall and spring semester of their second year of study. Information about student projects from previous years can be found on the Anthropology website.

Students intending to graduate with the Advanced Certificate are responsible for ensuring, in consultation with the Cinema Studies co-director, that they have met all requirements for graduation, and that they have filed for graduation with the Advanced Certificate in their final semester. Students are responsible for filing for graduation, applying to do so via Albert.

Toby Lee
Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies
Co-director of the Certificate Program
721 Broadway, Rm 628
tobylee@nyu.edu
212 998 1821

Grades are assigned the following "weights":

A            = 4.000
A-           = 3.667
B+          = 3.333
B            = 3.000
B-           = 2.667
C+          = 2.333
C            = 2.000
C-           = 1.667
D+          = 1.333
D            = 1.000
F             = 0.000

Graduate students are required to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 and must have successfully completed 66 percent of credits attempted while at NYU (not including the current semester) to remain in good standing.  Courses with grades of I, W, and F are not considered successfully completed. Except for W and Pass, all grades for graduate courses taken for credit at any division of NYU are computed in your GPA, beginning with those earned during your first term of registration. Grades for courses taken at other colleges and universities are not computed in your cumulative GPA.

If a student repeats a non-repeatable course, the second grade will be computed in the grade point average.  However, the student will only receive credit toward the overall credits once. Please note that a notation will appear on the transcript indicating that the course was repeated. Transcripts cannot be changed for any reason after the student has graduated.

Students are expected to complete all coursework by the end of each semester. If, for compelling reasons, such as illness or a family emergency, a student is unable to complete coursework by the end of the semester, they may request a grade of Incomplete. To do so,the student must fill out an Incomplete Request Form, which can be obtained online at https://tisch.nyu.edu/student-affairs/forms and obtain instructor approval before the last day of classes. The awarding of a grade of Incomplete is at the discretion of the instructor and is not guaranteed. If the instructor agrees that a grade of Incomplete is warranted, they will specify the deadline by which outstanding work must be completed, not to exceed the end of the semester following the course, as well as the final grade the student will receive if the outstanding work is not completed by the deadline.

If the incomplete work is not completed within the designated period, the grade will lapse to the final grade indicated by the instructor. If no lapse grade has been noted by the professor, the grade will automatically lapse to an F after one semester. Final grades cannot be changed except in cases of faculty or administrative error.

If a student has good reason for not being able to complete the outstanding work in the specified period, they may apply for an extension by the instructor. In order to receive an extension, the student must fill out an Extension on Completion of Work Outstanding form, available online at https://tisch.nyu.edu/student-affairs/forms after obtaining approval from the instructor to grant the extension. Requests for further extensions must receive the approval of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Please remember that it is the student’s responsibility to request the grade of Incomplete and that instructors are not obliged to grant an Incomplete. Note that outstanding grades of Incomplete do not count as earned credit hours and therefore may affect registration time and/or eligibility for financial aid. Students with more than one grade of Incomplete in a semester may be placed on academic probation.

The letter W represents official withdrawal from the course. A grade of "W" will be issued beginning the 1st calendar day of the start of the 3rd week of classes.  Any tuition refund will be in accordance with the refund schedule for that semester. Check the Bursar’s website for tuition refund deadlines.

A change of grade is only granted to students who have either made up previous coursework or successfully appealed a permanent grade.  The student must make arrangements for the instructor to submit a Change of Grade online.

If the Change of Grade is approved by both the Chair of the department and the Dean of Student Affairs, it is then electronically sent to the University Registrar for final approval.  The grade is typically posted within 1-2 business days from departmental approval.

Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and achieve a GPA of 3.0 in each semester in order to remain in good academic standing. Students in departments that grade on a Pass/Fail basis must receive grades of Pass in all courses to remain in good standing. In addition, students must earn at least half of their attempted credit hours in a given semester - that is, receive final, passing grades, excluding grades of I or W.

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation with a graduate degree. Student records are reviewed following the fall and spring semesters. Any student whose record falls below the academic standards enumerated above may be placed on academic probation.

Graduate students on academic probation must receive a grade of B or better in all courses and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to be restored to good academic standing. Graduate students on academic probation are not eligible for grades of I. Students who fail to meet these standards are subject to dismissal.

Student(s) on probation are not eligible for extensions of time to degree, waivers of Maintenance of Matriculation Fees, or extensions of incomplete grades.

Students will also be placed on probation if they have exceeded their 7 or 10 year time limit.

If the student does not meet the probationary criteria within the time limit, they will be formally terminated from the graduate program. Students may apply for readmission no sooner than one year following termination.

Students have the right to appeal termination, a probation decision, or the criteria set for the reversal of probation within one month of the date of the letter announcing the assignment of termination or probation. Students may file a written appeal with the departmental Director of Graduate Studies and should receive a hearing within two weeks and a written final determination within four weeks of the date of the letter of appeal. If the department’s response is not satisfactory, a written appeal can be filed with the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. The appeal must be submitted within two weeks of the date of the response from the department. A hearing with the Associate Dean must be held within two weeks of receipt of the letter of appeal and the Associate Dean must provide a written final determination within two weeks of the hearing. If the student wishes to challenge the finding of the Associate Dean, they may file a grievance with the University Judicial Board through the Office of Executive Assistant to the President.

Ph.D. students can transfer up to 4 points toward their degrees with the approval of both the Chair and the TSOA Director of Graduate Admissions. These credits can come from graduate courses previously taken at NYU or other universities.  Students requesting the transfer of outside credit, must do so during the first year of attendance.

Points applied to a previously completed graduate degree cannot be applied to the Ph.D. program in Cinema Studies.  Official transcripts must show whether the credits in question have been applied to other degrees. No transfer credit can be processed without an official transcript; only grades of B or better will be transferred.  To request credit transfers, please contact Melanie Daly-Castilla.

Since 72 cumulative points are required for the Ph.D., a blanket transfer of credit is 36 points (earned as an M.A. graduate of a prior institution) that are applied towards the Cinema Studies Ph.D. Students who have completed their M.A. degree from another university must transfer that degree during the first semester of attendance at NYU.  These students should submit a letter requesting the blanket transfer of credit and the final transcript (from the prior institution) conferring the degree to Melanie Daly-Castilla.

Students who wish to be out of attendance from the Tisch School of the Arts for one semester or one academic year may apply for an official leave of absence. Because a leave interrupts progress toward the degree and may interrupt professional training, it is granted only for good cause. A leave of absence maintains a student's status as accepted and matriculated toward the degree. Being absent from school without an official leave, even for one semester, has the effect of invalidating acceptance towards the degree, forcing the student to re-apply for admission. There are two kinds of leaves: medical leave of absence, and leave of absence for personal or financial reasons.

For more information, see Tisch Student Affairs' site here: https://tisch.nyu.edu/student-affairs/leave-of-absence-faq and the Tisch Policies and Procedures handbook here: https://tisch.nyu.edu/student-affairs/important-resources/tisch-policies-and-handbooks

Registrar Services at StudentLink, 383 Lafayette Street, issues all official transcripts and records address and name changes.

Students should always notify both the Cinema Studies department and  Registrar Services of any change in your mailing address and telephone number. A student can also update their address and telephone number by using ALBERT; yet, in this case, should still contact the department with their change.

Official copies of the transcript can be requested on ALBERT.  While there is no charge for paper transcripts, there is a fee for eTranscripts.

Students can check on ALBERT for final grades at the conclusion of each semester. Due to University procedure, final grades are usually posted within three (3) days from the conclusion of the semester.

The University requires that all students have continuous enrollment from time of entry to the final semester before graduation.  Students who have completed coursework must register for Maintenance of Matriculation (MAINT-GA 4747.003) for each fall and spring semester until completion of degree. Registration for Maintenance of Matriculation is handled through the department during the registration period of each semester.

As of Fall 2025, the per semester cost of Maintenance of Matriculation is $572 plus registration and service fees of $602 for U.S. citizens and $717 for international students. Payment of this fee entitles students to use the library and research facilities, participate in select University activities, purchase student health insurance, and use the University’s Health Services. There is also a special membership rate at NYU Athletic Centers for students maintaining matriculation.

A Ph.D. candidate who originally matriculated in Cinema Studies with an existing M.A. (for which transfer credit is given towards the Ph.D.) must complete all requirements for the degree within seven (7) years of initial registration. This means if a student begins in Fall of 2025 the student must graduate by August of 2031.

A Ph.D. candidate who originally matriculated in Cinema Studies without an M.A. and started coursework as an M.A. student, must complete all requirements for both the M.A. and Ph.D. within ten (10) years of initial registration.

Students who exceed the time limit will be issued a probation letter from the department and will be required to work out a realistic schedule for completion with the Chair or DGS.

The school will consider requests for extension of time to degree as endorsed by the department beyond the limits stated above for students who are making clear progress toward the degree. Typically only one request for extension of time to degree per student will be considered. This request must include a detailed plan for the completion of the degree with tangible goals which the student must meet during each semester of extension requested. Should the student not meet one or more of these goals, the student will be terminated from his or her program. While TSOA expects that any such extension should not exceed one year, extensions for a longer period will be considered as long as the department includes reasonable justification for the need of the additional time.

No requests for extension of time to degree will be considered if the student has outstanding incomplete grades. No requests for extension of time to degree will be granted by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs until after the department has issued the student a probation letter that outlines the timetable of completion that has been agreed upon between the student and the Chair or DGS of their department.

Students receiving certain kinds of financial aid and all international students on J-1 or F-1 visas must have full-time status. The University considers a full-time program of study to be 9 to 12  points per semester; a half-time program is considered 5-11 points per semester. In order to claim full-time equivalency, you must register for at least 8 points and fill out the department’s equivalency form at the time of registration. If you want to claim half-time equivalency, you must register for at least 4 points and fill out the department’s equivalency form. You can also claim full-time equivalency if you register to maintain matriculation (MAINT-GA 4747.003).  A Ph.D. student can claim full-time status, including the years taking courses, for only six (6) semesters.

The department cannot certify your equivalency if you are not an active student.  This means you must either be registered for coursework or Maintenance of Matriculation.

Applicants must be matriculated students in good academic standing in a graduate program. Doctoral students must be within seven years of their first term of enrollment in their graduate program (eligibility may be extended beyond the seventh year if a student was off campus for approved fieldwork, or if there are extenuating academic circumstances).

Applicants must be presenting a paper at a scholarly or professional conference. Attendance only cannot be funded; presentations at graduate student conferences cannot be funded.

Applicants must be invited or accepted to present a paper; however, applications can and should be submitted prior to receiving confirmation of acceptance.

Funding is limited for graduate student travel. Therefore, deadlines will be strictly enforced.

Receipts are required in order to receive funds from the department.

Ph.D. students may receive only one grant per academic year based on the 3 travel periods established by GSAS. Ph.D. students may receive up to five grants maximum during their academic career at NYU.

Effective with Fall 2011, Period I, the maximum number of awards that Ph.D. students may receive through GSAS is two. The Department will continue to allow up to five grants during the Ph.D. career, but please note that this count includes any and all GSAS awards. All departmental grants are subject to budget availability.

It is the responsibility of each student to keep track of the number of grants received through GSAS and the subsequent eligibility.

Departmental grants are generally assigned on a first come basis until the department’s budget is depleted; however, students who have received grants in prior years may be deprioritized to allow opportunities for first-time applicants.

Grants are awarded three times per year for student travel.

GSAS applications can be submitted through the online form. Departmental applications for those students not eligible for GSAS grants can be requested via email from Administrative Aide Gordon Leary.

Students are encouraged to apply while awaiting confirmation of acceptance from conference organizers; however, no grant disbursements will be issued without the receipt of this documentation.

Early, incomplete, or late applications will not be accepted. Deadlines are strictly enforced.

Students may apply for only one conference per period and can be granted only one grant per academic year.

All applications must be received by both GSAS and the Department by the final day of the application period. Late applications, regardless of the date sent or reason for lateness, will not be accepted. It is the applicant's sole responsibility to submit the application by the deadline.

Students who apply and are accepted to a conference after the application dates for a travel period have passed may submit an application for consideration in the immediately-following travel period.

International students whose countries do not have a tax treaty with the U.S. will be taxed at 8% or 14% of the GSAS grant, depending on their visa type.

Student Travel Grant funds may be used as the student sees fit to cover travel expenses related to the conference presentation. Grant recipients must make their own arrangements for travel and accommodations, including any passports, visas, and tickets.

Notification of award is sent via email.

Be sure to keep a copy of the completed application for yourself.

Departmental grants are processed as reimbursements. Therefore, all receipts must be retained and submitted to the Department of Cinema Studies within 2 weeks of the completion of travel. Full instructions for submitting your receipts to the Department will be included in your grant award letter.

Please be advised that any meals for which reimbursement is requested must be fully itemized.

Please note: It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain the GSAS portion of their grant directly. The Cinema Studies Department will send information about any supplemental or alternate funding under separate cover if applicable.

The Department of Cinema Studies now provides limited funds to PhD students for dissertation research travel. Funding is linked to the GSAS Fellowship process in which students are nominated by the Department for Predoctoral Summer Fellowships. Those students who are nominated by the Department but do not receive the GSAS award are eligible for but are not guaranteed departmental funding. Budgets are limited. Students will be notified of Departmental Research Travel Funding separately once GSAS awards are announced. Research travel funding may be used for travel, lodging, and related expenses and will be disbursed as a reimbursement once travel is completed. Information about GSAS Summer Fellowships can be found on the GSAS website. Deadline information and protocols for submitting materials to the Department for potential nomination are usually sent in early Spring.

After successfully completing requirements for candidacy, the department strongly encourages all PhD students to submit course proposals for undergraduate courses for the academic year and summer semester.  There are two (2) periods in which we solicit student proposals:

Mid-September

• Proposals due for the following SUMMER academic semester.

• Please note that summer courses in the department do not reflect the same curricular needs (i.e. Areas I, II, and III) as courses taught during the academic year. The summer term attracts students from other colleges and universities across the country; we are looking for lecture courses with general appeal that will entice the widest variety of these students.

Mid-January

• Proposals due for the following FALL and SPRING academic semesters for our undergraduate Area II and Area III courses.

• The Call for Proposals is sent typically one month before the due date of proposals.

The department regularly receives both e-mails and postings for teaching positions both in and outside of NYC.

When possible, these e-mails are forwarded to Ph.D. students on the departmental mailing list.  If you have not received e-mails from this list, please reconfirm your e-mail address with the department.

Students must inform the department when they accept any outside teaching positions.

Ph.D. students are advised by the director of graduate studies or chair of the department until such time as they select their dissertation advisor. Ph.D. students should select their dissertation advisor by the end of the third semester of Ph.D. course work.

Each student must select two faculty members to serve as members of the core committee alongside his or her adviser. Students must select two additional readers for the examining committee soon after their core committee is in place. The examining committee consists of five members: the student’s core committee and two additional readers. At least three members of the examining committee must be graduate faculty of New York University. Advance approval by the dissertation adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies is necessary for any non-NYU member.

No student should begin the final draft of the dissertation until he or she has consulted (in person, except in extraordinary circumstances) with all three of the core members of his or her dissertation committee. Where possible, core members should receive a copy of each chapter of the dissertation as it is drafted.

All Ph.D. students must take the Dissertation Seminar (CINE-GT 3902) in their fourth semester of Ph.D. course work. This seminar is used to develop the dissertation proposal that will be defended in the Ph.D. oral defense. The dissertation proposal consists of a document of at least 30-35 pages that outlines in detail the candidate’s proposed area of study. It should include (1) an outline of the research to be undertaken; (2) a statement of the project’s contribution to the field in context of a brief review of the literature; (3) an outline of the method to be used; (4) a statement of how the candidate intends to complete the research; (5) a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of project; and (6) a bibliography.

At the end of their fourth semester, students sit for an oral defense conducted by a faculty committee comprised of their dissertation advisor, the department chair, and the Director of Graduate Studies. In the case when the dissertation advisor is also department chair or DGS, another faculty member, preferably the associate chair or dissertation seminar leader, will be assigned to the committee by the department chair.   

The purpose of the oral defense is to take stock in your intellectual and academic progress at the crucial moment of transition between completion of your coursework and beginning the major work of scholarship that will become your dissertation.  In this defense, students are questioned on their third area examination and their dissertation proposal. If a student fails the oral defense, they must reschedule another examination to take place the following semester.  The oral defense must be successfully completed before a student may begin writing the dissertation and in order for a student to be eligible to receive the third year of the Corrigan Fellowship.

All students must have their dissertation proposal approved by their advisor and two oral defense committee members to be eligible to receive the third year Corrigan award. Approval should be certified by having the three individuals sign and date the front page of the proposal. This process usually takes place at the conclusion of the proposal oral defense. The signed copy should then be submitted to the department office to be filed.

When the final draft of the dissertation has been submitted to the core committee and approved by the adviser, the student works with her/his advisor and Department Coordinator Melanie Daly-Castilla to establish a date for the dissertation defense and submits the final draft to the additional examining readers.

Students must submit a draft of the dissertation to their advisor and the core members of their committee three months before the proposed dissertation defense date. Their advisor and the core committee have one month to review the dissertation, give feedback on unread portions, and approve the dissertation for defense. If a committee member does not respond in this period, it will be assumed that they are in agreement with the advisor's decision on whether or not the dissertation is defensible and what, if any, changes need to be made. Students will then have one month to complete final revisions of the dissertation prior to submission of the final defense copy to all five members of the committee. Outside readers require a minimum of three weeks prior to the defense date to read the dissertation.

Note: In practice the advisor will be reading the dissertation as the chapters are written. The core committee members are expected to do likewise. Therefore, while the whole dissertation is due three months in advance, most of it should have already been read and reviewed by the advisor and core members beforehand.

The defense is an open event attended by interested NYU faculty and students as well as invited associates.  Following the defense, the examining committee votes on whether or not to accept the dissertation; the committee has the option of passing the dissertation “with distinction”.  (See section on final graduation requirements for additional information.)

It is strongly recommended that all Ph.D. students attend several dissertation defenses in the department in years prior to their own defense.

• Submit final draft of dissertation to core committee members at least 3 months prior to the defense date.

  • If approved for defense, submit final draft to remaining members.

  • If not approved for defense, continue working on doctoral dissertation.

• Obtain Defense Scheduling Form from department administrator

• Schedule dissertation defense with committee and Study Center (for room and date availability)

• Return completed Defense Scheduling Form to department administrator

• If applicable, submit most recent C.V.(s) for committee members outside of NYU to department administrator for approval from DGS.

• Apply for graduation via ALBERT.

• Check the GSAS website for the Ph.D. Dissertation Submission Guidelines which contains all necessary University policies/procedures/forms for submission and publication of the doctoral dissertation. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and follow the GSAS procedures and deadlines.

• If attending graduation ceremonies, confirm RSVP with TSOA Office of Student Affairs and/or GSAS Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

• By the deadline indicated in the guidelines, submit preliminary draft of dissertation online and supporting materials to GSAS Office of Academic and Student Affairs 6 Washington Square North, 2nd Floor.

• Reconfirm Dissertation Defense date with committee and department administration.

• Defend Doctoral Dissertation.

• By the deadline indicated on guidelines, submit final draft of dissertation online and supporting materials to GSAS Office of Academic and Student Affairs 6 Washington Square North, 2nd Floor.

Students are not automatically graduated upon completion of degree requirements.   

At the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate, it is their responsibility to apply for graduation via ALBERT.  Application periods are listed on NYU’s Registrar’s website. If a student does not apply within the scheduled period, they can apply for the next semester’s graduation list.

Students who have applied for graduation must check their degree progress to ensure all coursework will be completed. Graduation Services may contact students if any degree requirements are listed as “not satisfied.” If there’s a discrepancy between your records and the degree progress report, contact Melanie Daly-Castilla immediately. If you still haven’t met all requirements after resolving the issue, you must register for the next semester’s graduation list.

In March of each academic year, information will be sent regarding TSOA Salute, NYU Commencement, and University-wide graduation festivities to: A) students who have had their degrees conferred the previous August and January and B) students who have applied for May graduation.  These ceremonies take place at the conclusion of each Spring semester throughout the University. PLEASE NOTE: All require the strict application of deadlines for tickets, academic attire and other graduation materials. We ask that all students meet these deadlines because extensions are rarely given.

All materials are sent to the student’s local address on file with the Registrar.  Students who have not received this information may not have changed their address with Student Services, or applied for graduation within the application period. These students should contact Melanie Daly-Castilla for more information as soon as possible.

If the Registrar finds that you have not met all criteria for graduation, you will be sent an email stating that you have been deleted from graduation and the reason for your deletion.  The email is sent after the actual day of degree conferral because of the strict schedule that the registrar must adhere to; grades are submitted only days before graduation exercises, and the final evaluation of the completion of all degree requirements occurs at the same time as graduation exercises.  All correspondence regarding your degree requirements are sent to your NYU email address. If you are deleted from graduation, you must reapply for the next graduation cycle. You must also contact the Registrar if you change your address at any point during the graduation process.