Doctoral Comprehensive Assessment: Pre-Candidacy Prospectus

Catalog description

Prerequisites: Completed all foundational, research, and specialization courses as required by program. The doctoral comprehensive assessment is your opportunity to demonstrate your preparation for entering the dissertation phase as a doctoral candidate. Throughout this course, you will synthesize discipline-specific content with scholarly literature as you create a prospectus for a theoretically based research study focused on furthering knowledge in the field of education. Ph.D. research has a focus on contribution to theory, whereas EdD research focuses on addressing a researchable problem that has practical applications. The two are similar in that they both apply the scientific method to collect data, analyze data, and present results. However, the results are given greater emphasis in terms of theory for the Ph.D. In the Ph.D. degree, you will therefore conduct research that contributes to the broader discipline rather than a specific problem rooted in an applied, professional practice. This prospectus will likely become the foundation of your Ph.D. dissertation. Note that you will take this course only after all foundation, specialization, and research courses have been completed.