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Stanford Engineering
Computer Science
Engineering

PhD | Thesis Proposal

Overview

The thesis proposal allows students to obtain formative feedback from their reading committee to guide them to a successful, high-quality dissertation. The thesis proposal (a private session only with the student's advisor/co-advisor and reading committee members) should allow time for discussion with the reading committee about the direction of the thesis research.

Thesis Proposal

The student must present an oral thesis proposal and submit the form to their full reading committee by the Spring quarter of their fourth year. The Thesis Proposal form must be filled out, signed, and approved by all committee members. Submit the PDF form to CS PhD Student Services (phdstudentservices@cs.stanford.edu). 

The suggested format for the Thesis Proposal presentation should include:

  • A description of the research problem and its significance.
  • A description of previous work in the area and the "state of the art" before the student's work. 
  • A description of preliminary work the student has done on the problem and any research results of that work.
  • An outline of the remaining work to be done and a timeline for accomplishing it.