Dissertation for Doctor
of Philosophy
The dissertation
culminates the doctoral program and launches your career of
scholarship and inquiry. While the bulk of the work on the dissertation
is completed
during candidacy, it is important to begin thinking of research issues
and questions that
might shape your dissertation early in your program of study. That way,
you can focus
course work, independent study, and professional reading in those areas
throughout your
program.
Shortly after the
qualifying examinations, you should present a concept
paper to your committee. This paper, 2-5 pages in length, presents an
overview of the
research problem, its context, and a way to study it. After the
doctoral committee
concurs, you will submit a full proposal to the committee members.
The purpose of
your proposal is to identify the research problem and
questions, to survey and evaluate literature relevant to the theory and
research
surrounding your topic, and to describe, in detail, a plan for
conducting your study. Once
approved by your committee in a public meeting, called a "defense",
this
proposal becomes a contract between the candidate and the committee.
Thus, it must be
carefully developed and adequately detailed.
For ethical and
legal reasons, all research at USF that involves human
beings must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board for the
Protection of Human
Subjects (IRB). Virtually all dissertations in education are subject to
such review,
although they often fall under "exempted" status, meaning that they
must be
reviewed only by the chair of the IRB. This review takes about a week.
After the
proposal is approved, you will work closely with your major
professor to assure that the study is completed as planned and approved
by the committee.
You must be continuously enrolled in dissertation credit hours during
the time you are
working on the dissertation.
The final
"defense" of the dissertation is held in an open
forum. At this time, the committee questions the candidate about
theoretical
underpinnings, other researches, and the methods and findings related
to the dissertation.
Following the committee's questioning, other faculty who are present
may question the
student as well.
Generally, it is
a good idea to schedule a "pre-defense" meeting with the
doctoral committee so that changes can be discussed prior to the formal
defense of the
document. Such a meeting should occur at least a month prior to the
defense.
After all that,
you actually graduate, but not before you file another
form. You must apply for graduation at the Office of the Registrar (SVC
137) by the
deadline noted for each academic term. That deadline is usually within
the first three
weeks of class. You must be enrolled in graduate credits at the time of
your graduation,
or you must register for one credit hour of doctoral study at the time
you apply for
graduation.
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