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Important info at the degree completion stage
:: Key deadlines and important paperwork
:: Recommended timetable
:: Scheduling the defense
:: Obtaining the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate
:: Title Page formatting issues for Social Policy
:: Bindery advice
:: Letting family members see this wonderous event
KEY DEADLINES FOR JUNE 2009 DEGREE
- Degree application due: Mar 30, 2009
- Approved dissertation due at the Registrar: May 22, 2009
- Diplomas available: June 4, 2009
Important note
Keep in mind that Social Policy students must apply for the Ph.D. through Social Policy, and not via the Government or Sociology Departments. The degree application form should be submitted to me for the Chair's signature (Bruce Western) and then delivered or mailed to the Registrar's Office by the degree application deadline.
If you are applying for both the A.M. and Ph.D. at the same time (e.g. you never applied for the A.M. degree and you would like to get it now), you will need to file two separate degree application forms: One for the A.M. in Government or Sociology (which should be signed by the Government or Sociology Chair) and one for the Ph.D. via Social Policy
GSAS degree application forms and instructions are available on the main Procedures|forms page.
RECOMMENDED TIMETABLE
It is *strongly* recommended that students submit the final draft of the dissertation to their committee members 8 weeks in advance of the Registrar's submission deadline for approved dissertations. Eight weeks roughly corresponds to the degree application date, which means that June degree recipients should aim for a completed dissertation draft by March 30. This is the commonly expected timetable in GSAS departments, and the stated norm in both Government and Sociology. Of course, individual expectations may vary, and you should consult your committee members for the definitive word on this issue.
The reasoning behind the 8 week time-frame is that your committee members will likely have multiple dissertations requiring their attention and may not be able to offer immediate turnaround on new material. They may also request further revisions before a defense is scheduled. Faculty calendars are likely to be quite full in April and May, which can make coordinating and scheduling a defense unexpectedly difficult. The defense itself needs to take place early enough (at least 2 weeks) for students to accommodate any requested revisions in the final version, get it into the required format, on archival paper, and to the bindery, etc., in order to submit to the Registrar by the required deadline. So be realistic about the final stages and make the most of your time now. **Try to secure a defense date with your committee as soon as you possibly can.**
SCHEDULING THE DEFENSE
Social Policy students may hold the dissertation defense in either the Government/Sociology Department or at the Kennedy School. (It is customary to defer to the Chair's preference). If you are holding it in Government or Sociology, you may coordinate the scheduling logistics with Thom Wall or Christina Doyle, respectively. If you wish to hold it at KSG, contact Pamela Metz to arrange a room reservation and media services.
Wherever it is to be held, the upcoming defense should be announced to Social Policy faculty and students. To do this, please send Pamela Metz an email 2 or more weeks in advance with the exact title of the dissertation and date, time, and location of the defense. (You will probably want to have a similar announcement circulated in Gov or Soc, as well).
OBTAINING THE DISSERTATION ACCEPTANCE CERTIFICATE
Wherever the defense is held, Pamela Metz will need to generate the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate that is signed by your committee members at the conclusion of your defense. This form is what goes in the bound and unbound volumes of the dissertation. In order to ensure that this form is prepared for the defense, please send an email 2 weeks prior to the defense that lists: (1) Your name, exactly as it is to be listed on the degree, (2) the precise dissertation title, (3) your committee member names in the order they are to appear on the form (Chair should be listed first), and (4) the scheduled date of the defense.
TITLE PAGE FORMATTING ISSUES FOR SOCIAL POLICY
The key issue for Social Policy is that the degree program name and subject name provided on the dissertation Title Page must be listed in a specific way: The official program name is "Committee on Higher Degrees in Social Policy". The official subject name is "Government and Social Policy" or "Sociology and Social Policy". The complete formatting guidelines are provided in the GSAS Form of the Dissertation booklet.
The registrar also emphasizes that the information on the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (student's name, title of dissertation, and program name) should match the Title Page of the dissertation "exactly", meaning that once you submit your name and dissertation title as you want them listed on the form (about a week in advance of the defense), the final dissertation should stick to that language. Please also be advised that the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate "should not be folded, stuffed in a pocket, or submitted wet." (!)
The registrar underscores the importance of adhering to the formatting guildelines in the GSAS Form of the Dissertation booklet: "If any part of the dissertation does not conform to these specifications, the student will be asked to redo the dissertation and possibly graduate at a later date." If in doubt, staff in the registrar's office are available to proof dissertations before they’re bound.
BINDERY ADVICE
Three grads have reported back on their experiences. (Please add to the knowledge base when you finish!)
A Social Policy '06 grad (Wells Bindery)
"In the end, though, procuring the paper wasn't that hard. I bought it ...at Gnomon Copy for $20 or so a ream, and I assume other Gnomons would also carry it. [Note: Bob Slate also carries the requisite archival quality paper]
"In terms of binding, there are two binderies, one in Waltham (Wells) and one in Charlestown (Acme). I ended up going with the one in Waltham. They seemed to know more what exactly was required by Harvard, they were cheaper (at least for a 24 hour rush job), and they took credit cards. The Charlestown one requires cash payment. If folks don't have a car, it looks like the 505 bus runs express from Central Square out to Waltham, and the commuter train that goes through Porter Square stops in downtown Waltham."
A Social Policy '07 grad (Wells Bindery)
"Meanwhile, guys, for a "rush" order at Wells, i'm paying $103 without
shipping. It's $113 to ship to Cambridge. I submitted it last friday
(after they closed) and asked for it to be ready by today. Price: $65
for a 48 hour rush (anything less than 7 days counts as a 48 hour rush);
9 cents per page for printing, and $10 for opening the file on the
internet. The good news is that they can ship UPS ground overnight to Cambridge for $10. BTW, its $35 for a 1 week rush order
and $25 regularly. I haven't seen it yet, so I don't
know if they did a good job."
A Social Policy '08 grad (Wells Bindery)
I uploaded my dissertation, ordered a 2-day turn-around online, called the morning of pickup to add an unbound copy to my order, and picked the order up successfully. No real problems at any stage. The online order form leaves a few ambiguities, but Wells knows what the Harvard requirements are.
LETTING YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS SEE THIS BLESSED EVENT
If you plan to participate in the Commencement Exercises, it is VERY important that you submit your ticket request form and any related Commencement paperwork promptly. Space is at a premium and those who submit paperwork late may not be accommodated. Let your significant others see those pink robes in all their unfiltered glory. Look out for the Commencement Info packet, which usually arrives about mid-April. The most recent year's deadline for GSAS students to order tickets was May 7, 2008. See the GSAS commencment information webpage for more information.
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