Choose a topic. You have to identify the focus of your study before choosing an adviser, because you want to select the faculty member that is most qualified to guide your project. You do not have to articulate the thesis or argument of your dissertation at this point, but you should have a general idea of what you want to explore.
Approach a faculty member to advise you on your project. Your adviser will help direct you to sources and references for preliminary research.
Conduct preliminary research to see what sources and information you can access that are related to your dissertation topic. Based on your preliminary research, begin to organize a tentative bibliography, which you will submit with your formal dissertation proposal.
Write a dissertation proposal. Most schools require you to submit the proposal to, and gain approval from, the committee that oversees the writing of your dissertation. (The committee may from the department or the dean's office.) Your adviser will help you revise your proposal before submitting it to the committee. Some schools do not require the proposal to be submitted to the committee; they rely on the adviser to formally approve the proposal.
Research your topic thoroughly before you begin to write your dissertation. It is essential to organize and outline your dissertation before drafting, so that you know exactly how your arguments will unfold. Consider asking your adviser to review your outline.
Write the dissertation according to the outline you have prepared. As you write, document sources according to the format (e.g., MLA, APA or Chicago) specified by your major or department. Whether you use internal citations or footnotes, cite all quotations with page numbers as you draft. You will save a lot of time if you insert the page numbers as you go rather than having to track down page numbers after you have finished writing your dissertation.
Submit the draft to your adviser for feedback. Your adviser will provide comments about style, format and content, which may require minimal or substantive reworking on your part. Address your adviser's comments and concerns adequately, and then, with his approval, submit the dissertation to the designated committee.