Academic Programs - Doctoral Program in Educational Theory and Practice (ETAP)
Dissertation
The first step of the dissertation journey is the dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus provides a detailed proposal of the dissertation study that the student intends to complete. The student’s dissertation prospectus meeting will not precede the oral comprehensive exam except under extenuating circumstances approved by the student’s committee. The dissertation itself is a piece of original research carried out by the student that demonstrates the student’s ability for independent investigation and high quality written scholarship. The dissertation process culminates with the submission of the written work along with an oral defense of it. The purpose of the dissertation defense/final oral examination is to clarify and discuss the dissertation study that the student has completed, and for the student to respond to other questions regarding the theoretical framework, literature review, methodology, findings, conclusions, implications, and other relevant information pertaining to the completed research.
