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The dissertation is the culminating project of the doctoral program. The successful completion of the dissertation and its defense is the last step before being awarded the doctoral degree.
The dissertation is a representation of a student’s mastery of a topical area of interest related to the student’s career objectives, within the realm of leadership. The dissertation is a scholarly work that adds to the body of knowledge within a specific field of inquiry. As such, each dissertation is an independent endeavor that reflects the highest standards of academic research and exploration.
Although the majority of the independent work on the dissertation occurs during the third year of the program, the development of the topic and the research plan begins during the first two years of the program, as both are integrated into two research courses as well as LLC discussions. This integrated approach will help ensure that the project is completed within the three-year program of study.
The dissertation provides candidates with the opportunity to conduct original, in-depth research on a topic relevant to their field of study and professional goals. Candidates will identify a significant problem or question, review and analyze relevant literature, design and implement a rigorous research study, and present their findings in a formal written document. The completed dissertation must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to contribute new knowledge or insights to the discipline, meet scholarly standards for publication, and be defended successfully before the dissertation committee.
Dissertation Committee. Each candidate must select a three-member dissertation committee to help guide the process. The committee includes a chairperson who will work closely with the student through the duration of the project, and two readers who will offer advice and counsel at key junctures as the project develops. The committee must be selected and approved by the program director during the summer of year 2. All of the dissertation options above comport to the three-member committee structure.
