FAQ

Students take their comprehensive exams when they are in their final semester of coursework, before the final two stand-alone dissertation courses. 

Review all of your core and specialty/concentration notes, and papers.  Review recent literature on your specialty/concentration so you will have recent content knowledge.  Contact your academic department for a link or access to any current study guide resources for your degree program. 

Approximately 4 hours

You formally submit your committee member names during DRST930.   

Be prepared to orally defend your dissertation.  You will discuss your findings, implications, and methodology.  Be prepared to answer your committee’s questions related to their feedback and guidance through the process. Dissertation Defenses are completed virtually, students will need to have a microphone and camera-enabled access. 

No. Dissertation Defenses are hosted virtually, so you can attend from anywhere.

This is the Institutional Review Board.  In iLearn, you can access the IRB and Research organization for forms, documentation, and guidance on the IRB process. 

Resources like Grammarly are great! You can find access to Grammarly and other writing resources through the Writing Center – they can help you too! www.ucumberlands.edu/learningcommons

Though different academic areas have different types of research focus the overall format is the same. The Graduate School is staffed with dissertation professionals who will lead you through the process regardless of the research path you take.   

Once a dissertation has been approved by committee members and the academic department a doctoral candidate will be contacted by the Graduate School to schedule the time and date for your defense. 

Each dissertation course is a prerequisite for the next course.