Outstanding Dissertation Awards

To be eligible for the award, the dissertation must meet one of the following criteria:

• It will be submitted in final form to the Graduate School by April 24, 2026, for a degree to be awarded in May 2026.
• It was submitted for a degree awarded in August 2025 or December 2025.
• It was submitted by April 25, 2025, for a degree awarded in May 2025.

These dates align with the Graduate School’s deadlines for final paperwork and graduation applications.

Nominees for the award must be submitted through the Graduate School's dedicated online awards system. The application process entails the nominator filling out the application with the necessary details about the nominee.

Eligible nominators include: GSC faculty, department graduate adviser, department graduate coordinator, GSC chair or program graduate school award administrator.

To successfully complete the online application, please gather the following documents:

1. Nomination Letter: A letter from the chairperson of the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) that succinctly outlines the reasons for selecting the dissertation as the program's nominee.
2. Two Letters of Support: Obtain letters of support from two of the following individuals:
   • The dissertation supervisor
   • The graduate adviser
   • The department chair
   • A committee member
3. Dissertation Copy: Include one copy of the complete dissertation, along with the abstract.

Ensure all components are compiled and submitted through the Graduate School's online awards system to facilitate a thorough and efficient nomination process.

The faculty review committees will consider both the methodological and substantive aspects of the dissertations, including the:

• Importance/impact of the subject;
• Originality/creativity of the work;
• Quality of the scholarship;
• Potential for publishing;
• Organization of the dissertation;
• Quality of the writing; and
• Other appropriate factors that denote excellence.

Individuals writing letters of support should be encouraged to keep these criteria in mind as they comment on the significance/major contribution of the dissertation and the particular aspects of the dissertation that distinguish it.