The student is expected to accumulate knowledge in a systematic manner and present an appropriate report to the faculty advisor. After exploring prior research and practice, they derive research questions, establish the significance of their research and define the assumptions and limitations of their studies. Students formulate a formal dissertation proposal that includes a draft of all parts of the dissertation that precede data collection. This proposal includes completing the substantiation of the research questions or hypotheses based on prior research and explaining and justifying the methodology for answering the research questions or corroborating the hypotheses. At the conclusion of DPS 891, students should have their dissertation proposals approved before continuing to DPS 892.
Students collect and analyze data following the methodology prescribed in the dissertation proposal.
They also explain the answers to research questions or determine whether hypotheses were corroborated. Students determine the implications of their results for future research, education and practice. In addition, they prepare and revise the dissertation manuscript and obtain approval of the dissertation committee. This grade will be changed upon satisfactory completion of the dissertation and approval by the dissertation committee. Students who do not satisfactorily complete a dissertation seminar will receive a letter grade of I, which must be changed to a pending grade within six weeks.