Dissertations

The Dissertation Progress Report is a tool that is used to track your progress from the time you are admitted to candidacy until you submit your dissertation.

Your initial DPR will be created when you are admitted to candidacy. You will be required to complete a new progress report on April 1^st of each year until you submit your dissertation.

Upon submission of your DPR, you adviser(s) will receive an email notifying them that you have submitted a DPR for their review. Your DGS will also be notified once your adviser has completed their review.

You can email your adviser or your department registrar and request they return your DPR to you for modifications.

Upon successful submission, your DPR status will change from Requires Student Input to Pending Adviser Review.

Log back into DPR. The Report Status column shows the status of your DPR.

Assess Your Reasons for Change - Before initiating the change, it is important to clearly understand and articulate your reasons for wanting to change your dissertation advisor. This could be due to differences in research interests, lack of support, or other personal or professional reasons.

Consult with Your Current Adviser - It is generally advisable to have an open and honest conversation with your current adviser about your concerns. This discussion may provide clarity on whether the issues can be resolved or if a change is indeed necessary.

Identify a New Adviser - Once you have decided to proceed with changing advisers, identify potential new advisors whose research aligns more closely with your interests. It may be beneficial to approach them informally first to gauge their willingness and availability to take on a new student.

Formal Request for Change - After securing agreement from a new advisor, you will need to formally request the change through your department’s administrative processes. This often involves filling out specific forms or submitting a written request detailing the reasons for the change.

Departmental Approval - The request will typically require approval from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in your department. They may want to discuss the situation further before granting approval.

Update Notification of Readers (NOR) - If approved, ensure that you update any necessary documentation related to your dissertation committee, including the Notification of Readers (NOR), which lists all members involved in evaluating your dissertation.

Follow Up - After completing these steps, it’s important to follow up with both your new advisor and any administrative offices involved in processing this change to ensure everything is updated correctly.

Documentation - Keep copies of all correspondence and documentation related to this process for your records.

Contact your department registrar and ask that your adviser be updated.

You will receive an email notification upon approval of you DPR.

Yes, you can log back into the DPR at any time to see reports that have been submitted. Click on the report year and a Report History block will pop-up. Click on the type of report you want to view, Student, Adviser, or DGS to see each report.

From your DPR home page you can see both Pending Report and Prior Report. Click on the report year to see previous assessments.