At the TRAC meeting, the student must present:

1. A draft of the dissertation abstract
2. An outline of the dissertation, including a detailed outline of the Introduction and Discussion
3. A summary of published work that will be included in the dissertation
4. Any data that are unpublished or previously unseen by the TRAC, that will be included in the dissertation. These data should be presented in publication-ready form.
5. A proposed date range for the dissertation defense
6. A proposed list of external examiners

The TRAC will Approve or Defer to a later timeline. 

Approval of the student’s proposed dissertation timeline indicates that:

1. The student is not required to complete additional research or data analysis
2. There are no outstanding obligations defined as required by the thesis advisor or the TRAC, that would prevent the student from focusing entirely on dissertation completion
3. The student has presented a draft of the dissertation abstract and a detailed outline, and the TRAC has provided feedback
4. The student has identified potential external examiners, and the TRAC has deemed these appropriate

If the TRAC Approves, the student must return the completed TRAC approval of proposed dissertation timeline form (GSBS70) to the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences office as soon as approval has been granted. Providing the form to the office will NOT initiate any actionable deadlines.

If the TRAC Defers to a later date, the TRAC must communicate the expectations for completion to the student, including research or analyses that remain to be completed, and the expected status (submitted or accepted) of publications authored by the student before the defense timeline can be set. The TRAC may recommend an expected timeline. The TRAC must also communicate to the student whether a TRAC meeting will be required for approval of the revised timeline, whether approval can be achieved via email, or whether a meeting with the TRAC chair is sufficient.

The student should submit a regular TRAC Meeting report (GSBS07) with a brief post meeting report that outlines the TRAC’s expectations for completion. When the student has completed the assigned work and approval from the TRAC is obtained, the student must submit a TRAC approval of proposed dissertation timeline form (GSBS70).

An External Examiner must be selected and approved by the TRAC and the Dean. The purpose of the External examiner is to represent the academic community at large in upholding the standards of the PhD degree. Therefore, the External Examiner must:

1. Hold a doctoral degree
2. Be currently engaged in research in the field
3. Be primarily appointed as a faculty member at a PhD-granting institution or appointed at a government or other non-profit institution with a secondary appointment at a PhD-granting institution. 

Co-authorships and Conflict of Interest exclusions

1. The DEC may consist of no more than two members who are current or intended future co-authors with the student.
2. Neither the DEC Chair nor the External Examiner can be a current or intended future co-author with the student regardless of whether the coauthored work is related to the dissertation.
3. No DEC member can be the current or former spouse or a relative of the student or the dissertation advisor. 
4. Post-qualifying students who move to a different institution with their advisors may not choose a DEC member who is affiliated with the new institution.

Pass: A student earns an outcome of Pass when the DEC unanimously decides that the defense examination is satisfactory, and the written dissertation is acceptable as presented.

In Progress - Minor Revisions: A student earns an outcome of Minor Revisions when a majority of the DEC decides that the defense examination is satisfactory, and the written dissertation requires only minor revisions that do not materially affect the content of the dissertation. 

In Progress - Major Revisions: A student earns an outcome of Major Revisions when a majority of the DEC decides that the defense examination is satisfactory, and the written dissertation requires substantial revisions to the text. Major revisions include any revisions that materially affect the content of the dissertation, including the addition of significant content to the Introduction or the Discussion.

In Progress – Retest: A student earns an outcome of Retest when a majority of the DEC decides that the oral examination is unsatisfactory. The dissertation may be acceptable or may require minor or major revisions. Only one retest is permitted.

Fail: A student earns an outcome of Fail when the DEC unanimously decides that the defense examination and/or written dissertation is unacceptable and cannot be improved to the point where the DEC could find both acceptable.

Upon approval of the DEC, a student who has failed the dissertation examination will change programs to the MS exit pathway and may submit the written dissertation in partial fulfillment for the degree of MS.