Students must have a prospectus (dissertation proposal) approved by their committee no later than the beginning of the fifth year of study to remain in good academic standing. Any student not meeting this milestone will be considered not in good standing and therefore will not be eligible for fellowships, traineeships, teaching or research assistantships, and scholarships. Students who do not meet published requirements of satisfactory academic progress may be excluded from TGS. A petition for extension of the prospectus deadline may be approved by The Graduate School under certain circumstances, such as medical or family leave.

The prospectus must be approved by a faculty committee. A minimum of three individuals must serve on the prospectus committee. At least three members of this committee, including the chair, must be members of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty.  Upon formation of the prospectus committee, the student should submit the Ph.D. Prospectus form through TGS Forms in CAESAR.