Culminating
Events:
Culminating event for the degree program
Dissertation
Dissertation Advising Committee Information
The Doctoral Advisory Committee consists of a minimum of three graduate faculty members. Two of these faculty members, including the chairperson, must be from the Educational Psychology program. The third member must be from one of the other programs in the College or University. Dissertation Advisory Committees differing from this rule must be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Education and by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Doctoral Advisory Committee oversees all aspects of the student’s dissertation, from the proposal to the oral defense. Complete details about the entire dissertation process are available in the College of Education Dissertation Handbook, from the department of Psychological Studies in Education.
Dissertation Examining Committee Information
The Dissertation Examination Committee consists of the three members of the Advisory Committee plus two additional faculty members. One of these additional faculty members must be from a program outside of Educational Psychology. In addition, the College’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies will assign one of the members of the Examining Committee. The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student’s dissertation and oral defense.
Advisor/Committee Information
A student may change an advisor or a member of the advisory committee by petitioning, in writing, for this change. This petition must be approved by the Chairperson of the Department of Psychological Studies in Education and by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies.
Preliminary Exam Description
In Educational Psychology, the Preliminary Exam is called the “Major Area Exam.” The purpose of this exam is for the student to demonstrate mastery of a specific curricular area within the general field of educational psychology. In general, this field will encompass the area in which the student intends to complete his or her dissertation. The exam consists of a written portion followed, after a period of one to two weeks, by an oral defense. A three-member committee monitors the exam. This committee approves the content of the exam, writes the questions, and evaluates the student’s performance.
Subject Areas/Major Components of the Preliminary Examination
Within the content area chosen, the content of the exam is divided into three sections: theory, methodology, and application. Students are given two questions in each of these three areas; the student, for the written portion of the exam, chooses one of these questions from each of the three areas. The oral defense will focus on the written part of the exam, but may include the alternative questions not chosen for the written section.
At what point in the program is the student expected to take the preliminary examination
Students take the Major Area Exam when most of the coursework has been completed. Typically, this is prior to writing the proposal for the dissertation. It is expected that a minimum of one year will pass between the Major Area Exam and the dissertation oral defense.
Writing the Questions for the Preliminary Examination
While any three faculty members may constitute the committee to write and evaluate the Major Area Exam, these three faculty members are typically the same as the Dissertation Advisory Committee. Moreover, the chairperson of the committee is usually the student’s academic adviser.
Evaluating the Preliminary Examination
The three members of the committee vote on the outcome of the exam at the end of the oral defense.
Criterion for Passing the Preliminary Examination.
Students must demonstrate a thorough grasp of the area they have chosen and must be able to articulate the core issues in this area. By choosing a specific content field as the “major area,” the student is indicating that he or she is an expert in this content. It is expected that the student’s level of understanding of the issues in this area be on a par with a faculty member who is an active researcher in this field.
Administering, Scheduling, and Proctoring the Preliminary Examination
Each Major Area Exam is scheduled on an individual basis. Students work out a time period in conjunction with the three-member committee that evaluates the exam. In general, students should not expect to schedule this exam during the summer, or during other times when most faculty members are not on campus.
Dissertation/Monograph Philosophy
The doctoral dissertation is an original piece of scholarship that makes a significant contribution to the field of educational psychology. A majority of the dissertations in the program are empirical, typically using statistical analysis as the means of completing the data collection process. Other types of scholarship, however (e.g., utilizing more qualitative approaches, or employing theoretical or philosophical analyses of educational issues), are acceptable. It is expected that a successful dissertation should be publishable in a refereed journal.
Philosophy of the Proposal
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student’s knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. Minimally, the proposal should contain: (a) the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; (b) a survey and review of literature which, though it may not be exhaustive, is at least sufficient to provide the reader with enough information to understand why the research is being conducted; (3) a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem; and (4) a proposed timeline to complete the dissertation. The Dissertation Advisory Committee must initially approve the student’s proposal. In addition, all proposals from students in the College of Education must be approved by the College’s Proposal Review Committee.
Criterion for Passing the Dissertation and the Defense.
The Dissertation Examining Committee will evaluate the dissertation and the student’s ability to defend it. The Committee will vote to pass or fail the dissertation at the conclusion of the oral defense. The outcome of the defense is determined by a majority vote.
Dissertation Defense Scheduling
Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation must confirm a date and time with the dissertation examining committee. Notification of this date and time must then be submitted on the appropriate College form to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies no less than three weeks prior to the oral defense. This notification will then be sent to the Graduate School and posted in the Office of Student Services.
Announcing the Dissertation Defense
The announcement of the oral defense will be sent to the Graduate School by the Associate Dean no less than 10 days prior to the defense. A copy of this announcement will be sent to each member of the Examining Committee and will be posted on the bulletin board in the Office of Student Services.
