usc phd dissertation

PhD students in their cardinal robes lead the column of graduates at the USC Commencement Ceremony. Photo by Steve Kohn.

Administration

Elizabeth Graddy, PhD, Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Programs

Meredith Drake-Reitan, PhD, Associate Dean

Laura Yoneda, Associate Dean

Graduate studies had their formal beginnings at the University of Southern California in 1910, and 1923 marked the official constitution of the Graduate School of the university.

The mission of the Graduate School is to promote a distinguished educational experience at the graduate level for an outstanding and diverse student body, to support and celebrate graduate student achievements, and to provide leadership in the establishment and communication of policies, standards, and processes related to graduate education.

The Graduate School awards fellowships to incoming PhD students who show outstanding promise, and provides advanced fellowships on a competitive basis to students who have done outstanding work in their programs at USC. The Graduate School also provides academic professional development activities for students across the university. 

The Vice Provost for Graduate Programs has academic oversight responsibility for all graduate programs at the university. Excellence in graduate and professional education is critically dependent on the exchange of scholarly ideas across a diverse community of faculty and students. The values that characterize these interactions include dedication to excellence, mutual respect, fairness, collegiality, honesty and integrity.

Graduate School Policies and Requirements

Admission to degree or certificate programs in the Graduate School is processed through the USC Office of Graduate Admission, which receives all applications, evaluates credentials and issues notification letters. Admission to the university, under the standards of the Graduate School, is decided by the appropriate academic department or program. With the exception of a few professional and online programs, only a letter from the Office of Graduate Admission grants official admission to a graduate degree objective in the university. The Graduate School establishes and monitors the standards under which students are admitted for study in degree programs. The following are the basic requirements: (1) a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university, comparable in standard to that awarded at USC; (2) for international applicants, a valid score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson Test of English (PTE); (3) intellectual promise, including evaluation of grade point averages (GPA) that indicates an ability to do acceptable graduate work; and (4) strong personal qualifications.

Credentials and academic records for admission must include a complete set of records of all previous college or university work. For applicants whose previous studies were conducted in a language other than English, the official original language academic records will likely be required in addition to full word-for-word English-language translations. These translations should be provided by either the originating institution or a certified translation service. Academic records must be registrar-issued and not marked unofficial or student-generated. 

Applicants are advised that individual departments and programs may establish additional admission standards, such as requiring the submission of the appropriate GRE Subject Test or the submission of academic letters of recommendation directly to the department or program at USC. The applicant should contact the department or program of interest for information on additional required supplementary documents. See the departmental sections of this catalogue or visit the department or program Website.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

Applicants will also be asked to provide satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), unless the program has received an exemption reviewed by the GRE Graduate Task Force and approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. 

Test scores on the GRE that are more than five years old at the start of the intended first term at USC are not accepted. Students are advised to repeat the GRE if they have not taken the test within five years.

Some programs may require other standardized test scores, such as the GMAT. They may also accept alternate test scores appropriate to the area of study, such as the MCAT. This will be advertised on the program’s admissions requirement page.

English Proficiency

Graduate applicants are expected to demonstrate English proficiency as part of the application process. International graduate applicants must submit scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or PTE (Pearson Test of English). USC does not set minimum scores for admission purposes. However, meeting university scoring standards is important for placement purposes, and will determine if an admitted international student is exempt from taking the International Student English (ISE) examination. International applicants are exempt from submitting English proficiency scores under certain circumstances. Please see the Graduate Admission Website for more details. Official scores must be received electronically from the testing service, and tests must be taken no earlier than two years (24 months) prior to the start of the student’s first term at USC.

Deadlines and Notification

The completed application for admission and all required supporting documents should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission based on the published deadline for the program of interest. 

Some departments and programs only admit graduate students to begin study in the fall semester. Departmental and program deadlines are listed on the department or program Websites as well as on the online application for each program. Unless an academic program advertises a different deadline, priority consideration for PhD student funding will be given to those applicants who submit all application materials by December 1. The university will continue to accept and consider graduate applications submitted after December 1.

The Office of Graduate Admission issues all decisions electronically. With the exception of a few professional and online programs, only a letter from the Office of Graduate Admission grants official admission to a degree objective in the university. Correspondence with department chairpersons, program directors or individual faculty members does not constitute admission.

Acceptance with a Degree Objective

Students will be admitted with a specified degree objective. Admission to a degree objective and permission to enroll does not imply that the student is or will be automatically guaranteed the right to continue in a degree program or to be a candidate for an advanced degree.

Exclusions on the Basis of Conduct Violations

Students previously expelled from the university for any reason are barred from re-applying to USC.

Applicants whose applications are found to include false information, falsified documents, and/or fraudulent test scores (collectively, “Fraudulent Applications”) prior to receiving a decision on their application will be summarily denied admission and barred from re-applying to USC. In the case of applicants who are found to have submitted a Fraudulent Application after receiving an offer of admission but prior to the first day of classes, the offer of admission will be revoked and the applicant will be barred from re-applying to USC, regardless of whether or not the applicant has accepted the offer. If the applicant has already paid an enrollment deposit, the deposit will be refunded. In the case of students who have already attended classes at USC, allegations of admissions violations will be reviewed in accordance with the USC Student Handbook.

Classification of Admission Status

Full graduate standing.

Students who have been accepted for admission, have met all the basic admission requirements and filed all relevant documents with the Office of Graduate Admission are considered admitted to full graduate standing. Occasionally, applicants for admission may lack one of the qualifications listed above or may have difficulty producing appropriate documentation; such students may be enrolled with continuing registration requirements.

Continuing Registration Requirement

Students admitted with continuing registration requirements have not yet met all requirements for admission to full graduate status or have not filed all relevant documents with the Office of Graduate Admission. See the Graduate and Professional Education    section for policies governing enrollment as a student with continuing registration requirements. Full graduate student standing is not granted until all registration requirements have been met within the time limit given.

Limited Status Students

Some students may wish to enroll in graduate-level courses for personal satisfaction or professional enhancement without currently seeking a graduate degree. Students may be permitted to enroll with permission from the department or program. Such students should obtain a special Limited Status form from the Office of Academic Records and Registrar at the time of registration. This will permit them to register in the classification of limited status. See the Academic and University Policies    section for policies governing limited status enrollment. Limited status enrollment is not to be construed as admission.

Doctoral Admission with Advanced Standing

Students can be admitted with Advanced Standing (entry with an appropriate completed graduate degree from an accredited institution) to all programs in which the PhD degree is conferred by the Graduate School at USC with approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. See the Transfer of Course Work section under Course Work Taken Elsewhere    in Graduate and Professional Education for more information.

Advancement to Candidacy

Admission to graduate study does not imply advancement to candidacy for an advanced degree and gives no right or claim to be so admitted. Candidacy is determined after the student has demonstrated the ability to do graduate work with originality, excellence and independence at USC.

General Requirements for Graduate Degrees

The foundation for a master’s or doctoral degree is a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent, comparable in standard to that awarded at USC, from a regionally accredited college or university. Many doctoral students will already have received a master’s degree. Select doctoral programs at USC may require students to have a master’s degree as an admission criteria.

University policies governing unit, grade point average and time limit requirements are stated in the Academic and University Policies    section of this catalogue. Graduate students should also consult this section for policies on transfer of credit, concurrent enrollment, continuous enrollment, leaves of absence, readmission, and waiver and substitution of course requirements.

Unit Requirements

The course of study for the master’s degree must include at least 24 units in required and elective courses. In addition, students in a program requiring a thesis must register for 4 units of 594ab Master’s Thesis.

A minimum of 60 units of course work beyond the baccalaureate is required for the PhD degree, including research courses and 4 units of 794ab Doctoral Dissertation. No more than 8 units of 794 may be received or applied toward the degree.

A minimum of 36 units of course work beyond the first graduate degree, exclusive of 794 Doctoral Dissertation, is required for doctoral degree students admitted with Advanced Standing. Additional course work may be required if deemed necessary by the student’s faculty.

Residence is a period of intensive study completed at USC. For the master’s degree a minimum of 20 units of course work applicable toward the degree must be completed on the University Park and/or Health Sciences Campuses and/or at one of the university’s approved off-campus study centers.

For the PhD degree, a minimum of 24 units applicable toward the degree, exclusive of 794 Doctoral Dissertation, must be completed on the University Park and/or Health Sciences Campuses. Internships, fieldwork and other off-campus experiences do not count toward residency.

It is not intended that the PhD degree be conferred as a certificate of residence, however faithful or extended, or as a certificate of the satisfaction of unit requirements, which are to be regarded as largely preliminary. It has been found that the scholastic requirements for the degree cannot be completed in less than the equivalent of three full years of work devoted wholly to graduate study and research with appropriate facilities and under university supervision.

Exception to Graduate School Policy

Exceptions to certain policies and procedures governing Graduate School degree programs will be considered by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs upon the submission of a specific request supported by adequate reasons, information and documentation, if needed. The signatures and recommendation of the faculty adviser or committee chair, the department chair or program director, and, in some cases, the dean of the degree program, are required. Requests must be initiated and submitted on behalf of the student by the department’s or program’s staff adviser. After training on the Graduate School’s online request system, advisers may access the necessary forms through the Graduate School’s Website.

Academic Warning and Dismissal

Faculty advisers and departments and programs take factors other than satisfactory grades and adequate GPAs into consideration in determining a student’s qualifications for an advanced degree. A student’s overall academic performance, specific skills and aptitudes, and faculty evaluations will be considered in departmental or program decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a master’s or doctoral degree program.

Satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree as determined by the faculty is required at all times. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress, will be informed by their department chair, program director, committee chair or school dean. The faculty has the right to recommend at any time after written warning that a student be dismissed from a graduate program for academic reasons or that a student be denied readmission.

General Requirements for Progressive Degree Programs

A progressive degree program enables a USC undergraduate to begin work on a master’s degree while completing requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The degree may be in the same or different department or program but should be in a similar field of study. See the Graduate and Professional Education    section for detailed information.

Departmental Requirements

The requirements and regulations set forth in this portion of the catalogue are to be construed only as minimal requirements established by the Graduate School. In addition, the student is obligated to meet all the requirements established by the individual department or program as described in the departmental sections.

Advisement and Program of Study

Academic advisement of entering graduate students will be provided by a designated faculty member in the student’s home department or program. Ideally, during the first semester of graduate enrollment a formal program of study should be developed and agreed upon in writing. This academic plan should include: (1) the sequence of required and elective courses, with a diversity of faculty instruction and a reasonable balance between course work and directed research appropriate for the degree; (2) evaluation of available transfer credit for application toward the degree; and (3) the schedule and procedures for departmental or program evaluation of the student. The program of study should be on file in the student’s department or program and may be modified in keeping with the student’s progress toward the degree objective. This should become the responsibility of the student’s qualifying exam committee when it has been established.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements

Although the Graduate School does not require a foreign language examination, some departments and programs do have specific language requirements for their graduate programs.

The foreign language requirement is determined by the individual departments, programs or schools, subject to approval by the University Committee on Curriculum. For the PhD student, these requirements should be met well in advance of the qualifying examination.

When proficiency in a foreign language or a research tool is required, the evidence attesting to proficiency may not be more than five years old. This regulation applies regardless of the form of the evidence.

For specific information, see Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirement under the appropriate department and program sections of this catalogue.

General Requirements for the Master’s Degree

Course requirements.

The Graduate School confers the master’s degree upon the satisfactory completion of a carefully planned curriculum. A comprehensive examination or summative experience may replace a thesis in certain departments and programs. A student must enroll in GRSC 810    during the semester in which the comprehensive examination is to be taken if not otherwise enrolled. Consult the appropriate departmental section of this catalogue for specific course requirements.

For those master’s degrees not conferred by the Graduate School, the degree-conferring school determines if a thesis, comprehensive exam or other summative experience is required.

When the summative experience is not a thesis or comprehensive examination, the nature of the summative experience needs to be explicitly defined including the method by which the student’s performance will be assessed and how the results of that assessment will be recorded. The summative experience requirement will often be satisfied by passing a course designed specifically for this purpose.

See Transfer of Course Work in the Course Work Taken Elsewhere    section for the maximum number of units of transferred course work that may be applied toward a master’s degree. Except in formally designated dual degree programs, this same policy regulates the number of credits that may be applied toward a master’s degree from an advanced degree previously completed at USC.

Master’s Committee

The student’s master’s committee directs the student’s program of study and thesis and/or comprehensive examination. The master’s committee consists of at least three and no more than five members. At least two of the members must be full-time faculty in the student’s home program, and may be tenured, tenure track or RTPC (research, teaching, practice, clinical). The committee chair must have an appointment in the student’s program. All committees must have a majority of members from the student’s home program. A member may be another faculty member from the student’s home program, an outside member from another program at USC, or an external member who is either faculty at another institution or a significant practitioner in the field. If a member is external to USC, the external member’s CV must be uploaded with the appointment of committee form.

Application for the Master’s Degree

At least one semester preceding the one in which the student expects to receive the degree and prior to registration in 594a Master’s Thesis, the student should ask the academic department or program to request an online degree check from Degree Progress. Application is made online by the academic department or program and then transmitted to the Degree Progress Department following approval of the program of studies by the student’s home department. Degree Progress will prepare a Degree Audit Report (STARS Report) reflecting course work and requirements completed and those remaining to be met.

Master’s Examinations

A student who fails the master’s examination may be permitted, at the discretion of the faculty, to take it a second time. The retaking of a failed master’s examination must be completed before the end of the second consecutive semester (excluding summer session) following the first examination. Requests for exception must be approved by the department chair or program director. A student may not take the master’s examination more than twice and must be appropriately enrolled at USC during the semester in which such an examination is taken or retaken. A student who fails the master’s examination a second time may not continue in the degree program after the end of the semester in which the second examination was taken. No exceptions are allowed.

Master’s Thesis

The thesis is supervised throughout its preparation by the student’s master’s committee. It is desirable for the student to have a conference with each committee member promptly following the approval of the topic. Thereafter, thesis work is normally under the immediate supervision of the committee chair. Final acceptance is based upon the unanimous recommendation of all members of the committee.

A student who is required to write a thesis must submit a satisfactory outline and comprehensive bibliography for the proposed thesis and demonstrate a mastery of the subject satisfactory to the master’s committee. The student’s thesis or master’s committee is responsible for the content, adherence to departmental formatting requirements, and bibliographical consistency of the thesis.

During the five-year time limit allowed for completion of the degree and following the completion of all course work, the student must enroll in 594 Master’s Thesis for two consecutive semesters and for each semester thereafter, until the thesis has been approved and the approval of the master’s thesis form has been signed by the student’s master’s committee. Registration for the thesis in two semesters is the minimum requirement entitling the student to thesis supervision by the master’s committee. No more than 4 units of credit in 594 may be received regardless of the number of semesters the student may be required to be enrolled. Students may not register for more than 2 units of 594 during a given semester; individual exceptions require the approval of the dean of the degree program.

Leave of Absence

Students who find it necessary to be excused from registration in 594 for a semester must request a leave of absence by petition to the dean of the degree program prior to the beginning of the semester. See Leave of Absence in the Financial Aid for Graduate Students    section. Approval of the committee chair, department chair or program director, and dean of the degree program are required. During a leave of absence students will not be entitled to assistance from the master’s committee or to the use of university facilities. Considerations for approving a leave of absence include the student’s progress to date in meeting the time schedules for the completion of degree requirements.

Final Approval of the Thesis

If a thesis defense is required: After the thesis defense has been completed and after the committee determines that no further changes are required of the thesis manuscript, each committee member electronically certifies on the Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of Master’s Thesis form that: (1) the defense was appropriately rigorous; (2) the student’s thesis is original and represents advanced scholarly work in keeping with the standards of the given field; and (3) the thesis defense process was fair and in keeping with USC’s academic and ethical standards. This includes adherence to departmental formatting requirements. No changes can be made to the manuscript’s content after the Approval to Submit form is complete. The Approval to Submit form is electronically available through Thesis Center , the Graduate School’s online thesis and dissertation processing system.

Master’s Thesis Submission

Master’s thesis manuscripts must be submitted to Thesis Center on the Graduate School Website. Please refer to the Theses and Dissertations  section for information on the submission process.

General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Qualified students will be received as applicants for candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in departments and programs that are adequately equipped with staff, library and laboratory facilities to furnish the necessary training and opportunities for original research.

Screening Procedures

A screening examination or other procedure designated by the department or program is to be administered before the student has taken more than 24 units (including research courses). Passing this procedure is prerequisite to continuation in the doctoral program. Students who fail the screening procedure will be advised that they are not recommended to continue in the PhD program and that any additional work may not be counted toward the degree. Failure to undertake the screening procedure before completion of 24 units of course work may jeopardize additional units. Ideally, a faculty member will be appointed to serve as the student’s adviser until the student establishes an approved qualifying exam committee.

The subject or field of concentration is called a major. The major is usually a departmental major, although several interdepartmental majors have been authorized.

Undergraduate prerequisite and graduate course work will be required in accordance with the regulations of the major department or program and the recommendation of the student’s qualifying exam committee. Consult the appropriate departmental section of this catalogue for specific course requirements.

Appointment of the Qualifying Exam Committee

The qualifying exam committee is responsible for supervising the student’s preparation for the exam and for the fair and timely administration and evaluation of the written and oral parts of the examination. The Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committee form, available on the Graduate School Website, is used to establish the qualifying exam committee. The form requires the signature of each member of the committee, the department chair or program director, and the dean or dean’s designate. The completed form is filed in the student’s home department or program.

Qualifying Exam Committee

The qualifying exam committee is composed of five members. The committee chair and at least two additional members must have an appointment in the student’s program.

Because the goal of USC PhD programs is to create scholars who will shape their fields in a wide range of settings, the university encourages PhD students to take advantage of the full array of faculty expertise available at USC. This includes the expertise of tenured, tenure track and RTPC (research, teaching, practice, clinical) faculty. A USC faculty member from outside the student’s home program is called an “outside member.” The committee may also include a faculty member from an institution other than USC, called an “external member.”

Any faculty member – external, outside, or from the student’s home program – who serves on PhD dissertation and qualifying exam committees must have a professional profile that demonstrates academic impact on the field in significant, measurable ways. The judgment about these qualifications will be made on the basis of hard evidence: for example, peer-reviewed publications in major journals and presses, grant funding, and exceptionally influential practice in a given field, taking into account the person’s total career, current stage of career and any changes in performance in a more recent period.

Faculty who are evaluated on the basis of criteria other than those noted above will not normally be considered appropriate members of PhD and qualifying exam committees, except by explicit permission of the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs acting on the advice of the dean of the school.

For faculty within the student’s home program and external faculty members, qualification to serve will be judged by the dean of the school that houses the student’s PhD program. The CV of the external member must be uploaded along with the Appointment of Committee form to Thesis Center and will become part of the official record.

For outside faculty – faculty outside the student’s program but internal to USC – the judgment of qualification to serve will be made by the dean of the school of the outside faculty member’s primary appointment.

Some schools and programs require “outside members,” and others do not. If an outside or external member is required, this must be specified in the program’s or school’s section in the Catalogue.

Changes in Qualifying Exam Committees

The Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committee form, available on the Graduate School Website, must be completed whenever a change is made in a qualifying exam committee. All such changes must be made in advance of the qualifying examinations. Informal substitutions for either the written or oral parts of the qualifying examination are not permitted. Changes in a qualifying exam committee are not permitted between the written and oral portions of the examination. The examinations must be scheduled at times when it is possible for all members of the committee, including the outside member, to participate. Changes made without the prior approval of the dean of the degree program are not recognized and may result in the invalidation of the examination.

A student may not change committee members after failing the qualifying examination the first time. The student must be reexamined by the same faculty on the same subject matter. If a faculty member is unable to serve on the committee (for example, due to serious illness, retirement or transfer to another institution), the dean of the degree program must be notified in writing in advance of the rescheduled exam in order to approve the change. The faculty replacement must be approved by the dean of the degree program and the student must file a change of committee form well in advance of the exam.

Qualifying Examination

The examination qualifying a student for candidacy for the PhD degree is designed to test the student’s fitness to undertake independent research. It is comprehensive in nature and includes both written and oral parts.

Prior to taking the qualifying examination, the student must have met all of the university’s and program’s requirements for the PhD degree, except the dissertation and successful qualifying exam. The student must have a GPA of at least 3.0 on all USC course work available for graduate credit and the approval of his or her qualifying exam committee to proceed to the exam. Students with a master’s degree in the same or similar field may be approved to take the qualifying examination after the completion of 12 units and successful passage through the screening process. The GPA and qualifying exam committee approval requirements are the same as for students without a prior master’s degree in the field of study. If not otherwise enrolled, a student must enroll in GRSC 800a    and GRSC 800b    Studies for the Qualifying Examination during the semester in which the qualifying examination is to be taken. Students are allowed to enroll in GRSC 800a    and GRSC 800b    Studies for the Qualifying Examination a maximum of three times, first in GRSC 800a   , followed by GRSC 800b    and, only if necessary,  GRSC 800z   .

Because two semesters of preparation for the qualifying examination should suffice in the vast majority of cases, programs with students enrolling in GRSC 800z    will be required to get D-clearance from the Graduate School. In addition, the student’s program will be expected to issue a warning letter laying out academic expectations and a path toward timely completion of the PhD.

The oral portion of the examination must be completed within 60 days of the submission of the completed written portion to the qualifying exam committee. If the student’s written examination is satisfactory, the student may proceed to the oral portion of the exam. If additional material is to be covered in the oral portion, the student should be notified of the content expectations in advance. The oral examination is also administered on campus. For the PhD Qualifying Examination, a maximum of two committee members may participate remotely. Remote participation of a committee member should be indicated in writing on the Report on Qualifying Examination form. If the oral exam is delayed beyond the 60-day limit, the student may need to retake the written exam unless an exception is approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.

There are three possible results of a qualifying exam:

• Pass, and proceed to candidacy based on a positive vote by members of the committee.
• Fail, with the option to retake either specific sections of the exam or the whole exam, at the discretion of the committee. The student may not be required to repeat parts of the qualifying examination that were passed on the first administration. The retaking of a failed qualifying examination or any portion of a qualifying examination must take place between one and six months from the date of the first examination. If not otherwise enrolled, the student must be enrolled in GRSC 800a    and GRSC 800b    Studies for the Qualifying Examination in the term in which any portion of the exam is repeated.
• Fail, with the result of dismissal from the program.

If the committee concludes that the written portion of the exam is so weak that the oral portion cannot counterbalance the poor performance, the student does not proceed to the oral and the exam is failed. The committee may provide the option of a retake, but is not required to do so. If the committee decides that a retake is not warranted, the student is dismissed from the program.

A student who fails the qualifying exam a second time is automatically dismissed from the program.

Report on the PhD Qualifying Exam

At the conclusion of the qualifying exam, each member of the committee is asked to certify on the Report on the PhD Qualifying Examination that: (1) the exam was appropriately rigorous; (2) the student’s performance on the exam was at the doctoral level; and (3) the entire qualifying examination process was fair and in keeping with USC’s academic and ethical standards. The Report on the PhD Qualifying Examination is available to graduate advisers on the Graduate School Website in myGradSchool.

Graduate students are officially advanced to candidacy for the PhD degree when they have completed the residency requirement and passed the written and oral portions of the PhD qualifying examination upon the favorable recommendation of the qualifying exam committee to the Graduate School. 

Application for the PhD

After being advanced to candidacy, students must contact their academic department or program to initiate an online degree check that is transmitted to the Degree Progress Department. Degree Progress counselors prepare a Degree Audit Report (STARS Report) for each student listing any remaining requirements. The requirements will not be checked or the degree conferred if the student has not applied.

Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee is appointed as soon as possible after the qualifying examination has been passed and a dissertation topic approved. The committee should be appointed at least one month before the dissertation defense. The Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committee form, available on the Graduate School Website, is used to establish the dissertation committee. The form requires the signatures of each member of the committee, the department chair or program director, and dean or dean’s designate. The completed form is filed in the student’s home department or program, and a signed copy provided to the student.

The dissertation committee is composed of at least three and no more than five members. The committee chair must have an appointment in the student’s program. All committees must have a majority of members from the student’s home program.

Because the goal of USC PhD programs is to create scholars who will shape their fields in a wide range of settings, the university encourages PhD students to take advantage of the full array of faculty expertise available at USC. This includes the expertise of tenured, tenure track and RTPC (research, teaching, practitioner, clinical) faculty. A USC faculty member from outside the student’s home program is called an “outside member.” The committee may also include a faculty member from an institution other than USC, called an “external member.”

Any faculty member – external, outside, or from the student’s home program – who serves on PhD dissertation and qualifying exam committees must have a professional profile that demonstrates academic impact on the field in significant, measurable ways. The judgment about these qualifications will be made on the basis of hard evidence: for example, peer-reviewed publications in major journals and presses, grant funding, and exceptionally influential practice in a given field, taking into account the person’s total career, current stage of career, and any changes in performance in a more recent period.

For faculty within the student’s home program and external faculty members, qualification to serve will be judged by the dean of the school that houses the student’s PhD program. The CV of the external member must be uploaded along with the appointment of committee form and will become part of the official record.

Final Approval of the Dissertation

After the dissertation defense has been completed, and the committee determines that no further changes are required of the dissertation manuscript, each member of the committee electronically certifies on the Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of Doctoral Dissertation that: (1) the defense was appropriately rigorous; (2) the student’s dissertation makes an original and substantial contribution to its field of study; and (3) the defense process was fair and in keeping with USC’s academic and ethical standards. This includes adherence to departmental formatting requirements. No changes can be made to the manuscript’s content after the Approval to Submit form is complete. The Approval to Submit form is electronically available through Thesis Center, the Graduate School’s online thesis and dissertation processing system.

The committee must unanimously agree in order for the student to pass the defense.

Doctoral Dissertation

A dissertation is an original contribution to current knowledge in the field and a demonstration that the PhD candidate has achieved sufficient mastery in the field to pursue independent research and scholarship. A dissertation represents the individual candidate’s research and writing. In fields where collaborative research has become the norm, the candidate is the sole author of the dissertation. Candidates must specify their contribution to the research and delineate colleagues’ contributions.

Dissertations are expected to be written in English. Exceptions require the approval of the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs or his or her designee prior to beginning the work and will be granted only when there is strong scholarly justification.

The student is expected to be enrolled in 794 Doctoral Dissertation each semester, except summer sessions, after admission to candidacy until all degree requirements are completed. Registration for 794 for the two semesters (excluding summer sessions) immediately following admission to candidacy is the minimum requirement entitling the candidate to dissertation supervision by the dissertation committee. Enrollment in 794 prior to admission to candidacy is not permitted and such registration is invalid. If the dissertation is not completed and accepted within two semesters the candidate must continue to register for 794 each semester thereafter until the dissertation has been approved and the approval of the PhD dissertation has been signed by the dissertation committee. Students are expected to complete and defend their dissertation in less than five semesters of 794. Students may enroll in 794 during one summer session but may not register for more than 2 units of 794 during a given semester; individual exceptions require the approval of the dean of the degree program. No more than 8 units of credit in 794 may be received, regardless of the number of semesters in which the candidate enrolls. Department or program approval is required for registration in 794.

A candidate who finds it necessary to be excused from registration in 794 for a semester must request a leave of absence by petition to the dean of the program of study prior to the beginning of the semester. See Leave of Absence in the Financial Aid for Graduate Students    section. Endorsements from the dissertation committee chair and department chair or program director are required. During a leave of absence the candidate will not be entitled to assistance from the dissertation committee or to the use of university facilities. Considerations for approving a leave of absence include the student’s progress to date in meeting the time schedules for the completion of degree requirements.

See the USC Policy Website for more information about the Student Health Leave of Absence.

Defense of the Dissertation

After passing all required courses and the qualifying examination, and after meeting all other requirements, the candidate must write and defend the dissertation. The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must exemplify the high degree of scholarly advancement and power of investigation demanded by the university for final recommendation to the doctorate. The dissertation defense is the culminating activity in the assessment of whether this standard has been met.

While the oral examination is open to the general university community, only the members of the dissertation committee have the authority to recommend acceptance of the dissertation. Their recommendation must be unanimous. For the dissertation defense, one committee member may participate remotely. The committee chair and the student must be present, unless the relevant dean and the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs provide express written permission for remote participation. Members who participate remotely will be noted on the dissertation Approval to Submit forms.

If the defense is satisfactory, the committee signs the electronic Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of Dissertation form. If additional work is required, the electronic form must be signed only after full completion. Departments and programs differ concerning the time of the defense of the dissertation. The student’s dissertation committee is responsible for the content, adherence to departmental formatting requirements, and bibliographical consistency of the dissertation.

Dissertation Submission

Doctoral dissertation manuscripts must be submitted to Thesis Center on the Graduate School Website. Refer to the Theses and Dissertations  section for more information on the submission process.

Theses and Dissertations

Submission of theses and dissertations.

Required documentation is electronically submitted to the Graduate School through Thesis Center, the Graduate School’s online thesis and dissertation processing system, available on the Graduate School Website. All documentation must be submitted by the deadline date and time. Documents are reviewed by the academic services coordinator. When the documentation is determined to be complete, the candidate is cleared to electronically submit the dissertation manuscript.

Required documentation for doctoral students includes: 1) the electronic “Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of Doctoral Work” form (also called the “Approval to Submit” form); 2) the “Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committee” form and; 3) the electronic Certificate of Completion of the Survey of Earned Doctorates.

For master’s students, required documentation includes: 1) the “Approval to Submit Final Copy of Master’s Thesis” form and 2) the “Appointment or Change of Master’s Committee” form.

The “Appointment or Change of Qualifying Exam or Dissertation Committee” form, and the electronic Certificate of Completion of the Survey of Earned Doctorates, required for doctoral students, are submitted as PDFs. The “Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of Doctoral Work” form is electronically available through Thesis Center.

Thesis/dissertation manuscripts may only be submitted after the required documentation has been submitted and reviewed. Required documentation and thesis/dissertation manuscripts are reviewed in the order received. Students have three months from the date the committee chair signs the “Approval to Submit” form to complete any required formatting corrections to Thesis Center.

Early Submission Option: Students who submit the necessary documentation according to the deadlines on the Thesis Center Website will be exempt from the requirement to register for 594 or 794 in that semester. Otherwise, to maintain continuous enrollment, student must register for 594 or 794. International students considering the Early Submission Option should check with the Office of International Services to ensure the lack of course registration will not affect their visa status.

Acceptance by the University

The university must accept all theses and dissertations in an approved, final and electronic form before the degree can be conferred. The student’s committee must have approved all documents before submission to the Graduate School. The student remains in contact with the Graduate School during the corrections process. Thesis manuscripts must be submitted to the Graduate School through Thesis Center on the Graduate School Website.

At the time of submission, all manuscripts should be formatted and edited according to the style determined by the student’s department or program. 

If the formatting of the manuscript requires corrections, the student makes the corrections and uploads a revised PDF of the manuscript for approval by the academic services coordinator. All revised manuscripts are processed in the order received.

After a manuscript has been approved by the academic services coordinator, the student uploads an identical copy of the final PDF of the manuscript to the USC Libraries.

Schedule of Deadlines

The Graduate School provides a schedule of specific dates for completing the thesis or dissertation submission for the student to qualify for graduation in the corresponding semester. These dates are published on the Graduate School Website. Regardless of the date of submission, students must submit complete documentation and finish all corrections to the manuscript before the degree can be conferred. Upon completion of all requirements, the official USC transcript will serve as evidence of the degree until the diploma is received.

Publication

All theses and dissertations will be made available via the USC Libraries.

Thesis/Dissertation Fees

The doctoral candidate’s fee of $115 covers USC Libraries and Graduate School processing fees. The master’s candidate’s fee of $105 covers USC Libraries and Graduate School processing fees. The fees are assessed by the academic services coordinator after the required documentation has been submitted, and the charges appear on the student’s account.

• •  GRSC 596 Internship for Curricular Practical Training
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• •  GRSC 800b Studies for the Qualifying Examination
• •  GRSC 800z Studies for the Qualifying Examination
• •  GRSC 810 Studies for Master’s Examination
• •  GRSC 850a The Professoriate: Preparing for the Future
• •  GRSC 850b The Professoriate: Preparing for the Future

Doctoral Program in Aerospace Engineering

• exploration technologies
• the art, science, and technology of design and manufacturing
• aerospace / mechanical technologies for improving urban life quality

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• Dynamical Systems and Controls
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Usc graduate application, dissertation topics, phd alumni snapshot, funding & resources, research topics database.

Kyle Russell 

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Kyle Russell PhD in Aerospace Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given is to think of research as a lifestyle rather than "work". To gain mastery over a topic, I have to spend many hours toiling over challenging concepts and problems, constantly looking for ways to better my own understanding. I do not get to mentally clock out in the afternoon and feel good about my productivity if I haven't made any progress towards internalizing a paper's findings or a textbook chapter. On the other hand, I definitely take time away from my studies and research to reset and rest. 

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

Throughout high school and college, I struggled in math. I got fine grades, but math took a majority of my study time and it never felt intuitive to me. In my freshman year of college, I got a B- in multivariable calculus which really made me question whether I was cut out to pursue a STEM degree. Regardless, I pressed on and chipped away at areas that didn't come easy to me. Even in advanced classes, I would regularly go back to review early calculus and linear algebra concepts on YouTube and in old textbooks. By the end of my undergraduate, I was getting A's in graduate level math courses and the material felt natural to me. I began to not only grasp every concept I encountered, but appreciate some of the beauty in it. Although not an individual event or project, my journey through math courses and personal growth is one my proudest achievements. 

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

I had been in the process of building my own computer for months. I spent months coming up with a build, selecting parts, and assembling the hardware. However, COVID in conjunction with a surge in crypto currency mining led to a global shortage of graphics cards. Although not technically an impulse buy, I finally gave in and bought a GPU at a marked up price, but I could not be happier with my decision. 

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I synthesize nanofilms and find connections between microstructural changes and material properties. The synthesis process involves confining an argon plasma against a metal target which is in turn ablated forming a vapor; the metal vapor condenses onto substrates thus allowing for the precise design of nanofilms. I am particularly excited about this research because designing and manufacturing materials on the nanoscale stands to revolutionize entire industries including aerospace, energy, computer science, and space exploration. Furthermore, material science is an interdisciplinary field. I love connecting topics such as diffusion, plasma characteristics, and grain/phase boundary energy back towards my background in physics.

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be? 

In high school, I truly fell in love with ecology. I don't have a particular occupation in mind, but work related to maintaining national parks, coral reefs, or revitalizing land would be a dream come true.

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

I would love to pursue a career in spaceflight technology development. Although not necessary, a PhD certainly helps in pursuing that passion. 

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

1. The beach. Any beach. 2. Try to find some hikes off the beaten path that might not be super popular. There are some great ones north of Malibu. 3. K-town bbq 

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

I will forever cherish the time I get to spend with the rocket propulsion lab out in the desert assembling and testing our rocket systems. Getting the opportunity to work with fantastic people on rocket engineering is something I will cherish long after I graduate.

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I sang at Barack Obama's first inauguration as a member of the San Francisco Boy's Choir.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to pursue a career in spaceflight research and development. 

Hometown (city, country):

Alameda, US

Faculty Advisor:

Andrea Hodge

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The Libraries provide access to dissertations and theses written by graduate students at the University of South Carolina, as well as other institutions.

• Dissertations & Theses @ University of South Carolina This link opens in a new window Find dissertations and theses written by University of South Carolina graduate students
• Dissertations and Theses Global This link opens in a new window Find dissertations and theses written by graduate students primarily in North American institutions
• OpenDissertations This link opens in a new window Find dissertations deposited in institutional repositories
• Scholar Commons This link opens in a new window Locate dissertations and theses or upload your work to Scholar Commons, an institutional repository that preserves, collects, and disseminates the research and scholarship of the University of South Carolina

The Libraries provide resources on research methodologies in a variety of disciplines.

• Sage Research Methods This link opens in a new window Find books, reference works, case studies, videos, and journal articles related to research methodology

Find funding opportunities to support your research or attend conferences.

• Pivot-RP This link opens in a new window Search for funding opportunities and research collaborators in all fields
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• Illinois Database of Grants and Fellowships for Graduate Students Search for grants and fellowships opportunities available for graduate students
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