EDU 7000 Dissertation Seminar: Part I
The dissertation will be part one in the culmination of doctoral study. The dissertation seminar will be taken after the completion of all required coursework and successfully passing the comprehensive exam. This series of seminars will provide the opportunity for the student to develop and refine the dissertation. Students will propose original research and develop their doctoral thesis proposals. Having completed drafts of the Research Prospectus (Chapter 1) and Proposed Methodology (Chapter 3) in the "Dissertation Research Design" course, the students will complete the first three chapters of their dissertation. Proposal defense will be completed by the end of the course and students move to candidacy status. Students will be expected to define acceptable questions for study, determine an appropriate research design based on the questions asked, and develop methodically acceptable analytic procedures. Accordingly, the seminars will not focus on a specific content area but instead are designed to provide students with an overview of the requirements for completing a doctoral dissertation, and a forum for discussing dissertation-related concerns and issues with other students. In particular, the seminar will emphasize the development of the conceptual and research skills necessary for the completion of the doctoral dissertation, including the formulation of the dissertation proposal (selection of an area and topic, formulation of appropriate research questions/hypotheses, rationales etc.), the development of the skills necessary for identifying and critically evaluating published research relevant to the chosen dissertation topic, as well as an appropriate research methodology for empirically evaluating the hypotheses proposed. Ethical issues in the conduct of research and in the preparation of a written dissertation proposal will also be discussed. Throughout the seminars, exercises and assignments will be geared towards helping the students to identify their own area of research; to critically evaluate relevant empirical research; to develop a workable research question and set of hypotheses; and to select appropriate methodological approaches relevant to the questions/hypotheses generated.
Distribution
Education