Description and Definitions related to the above graphic:

TL 710 Doctoral Seminar:   This course bridges your pre-dissertation course work (45 credits) to the courses involved in writing the dissertation (TL 901-904).    The Doctoral Seminar is taught by different members of DA core faculty as is needed. 

Capstone Essay:   A deliverable from the Doctoral Seminar (TL 710).   You’ll learn about this from your faculty instructor for TL 710. 

Draft of Dissertation Proposal:  A deliverable from the Doctoral Seminar (TL 710).   This draft will become your finished Dissertation Proposal during TL 901 which is the next required course in writing your dissertation.  Your faculty instructor for TL 710 will guide you in creating this draft. 

IRB (Institutional Review Board):   In the Doctoral Seminar you will become familiar with the function of the Franklin Pierce Graduate Institutional Review Board.   It may be necessary for you to submit a plan for research you propose to conduct for review (especially concerning human subjects).

The Capstone Essay, Draft of the Dissertation Proposal, and a grasp of the IRB requirements need to migrate to your Faculty Advisor.

Faculty Advisor:   Your Faculty Advisor is assigned when you enter the DA program.   It’s expected that you will develop a working relationship and significant common understandings with this person during your pre-dissertation course work.

TL 901 Dissertation Writing:   You will register for this course while you are still taking the Doctoral Seminar (TL 710).    Your Faculty Advisor will supervise TL 901.   You must have this understanding with your Faculty Advisor when you register.

Review Capstone Essay:   The Capstone Essay is reviewed by core faculty in the DA.  The review process is facilitated by your Faculty Advisor after you finish TL 710.  Your Faculty Advisor will help you consolidate and respond to feedback from the core faculty. 

Review Credits:   You will schedule a meeting with your Faculty Advisor to review all your pre-dissertation credit course work.  All course requirements (under the catalog you were admitted) must be completely fulfilled in order to move ahead.

Dissertation Chair:   During the term you take TL 901 with your Faculty Advisor you will decide who from among the core faculty would make a good Dissertation Chair for your dissertation.   This person can be your Faculty Advisor.  But this is not a requirement.   Your Dissertation Chair will be the principal member of the core faculty guiding the writing of your dissertation.

IRB Review (if required):  Your Faculty Advisor and Dissertation Chair will help you decide if you need to submit and have your research plan for the dissertation approved by the FPU Graduate Institutional Review Board.   It may be that a previous review (for another course or research project) will satisfy this requirement or that no review is necessary at all.

Dissertation Committee:    By the end of TL 901, together with your Faculty Advisor, you will have formed a Dissertation Committee that will review and give feedback on your dissertation proposal.   This committee is usually formed of three people.   The Dissertation Chair and one of the other two Committee members must come from the core faculty.  One of the Committee Members may come from outside the core faculty.   Beyond the Chair, the other two Committee Members are called “first” and “second” readers.   The entire committee must approve the Dissertation Proposal before it is presented to the core faculty.   At this point your work needs to migrate from your Faculty Advisor to your Dissertation Chair.

Proposal Interview:    Your Dissertation Chair will help you distribute your proposal to the entire core faculty of the DA.   Your Dissertation Chair will also help you set up a Proposal Interview with the core faculty at which you will orally lead the faculty through your proposal and respond to questions, observations and issues they may raise.  The outcome of this interview is permission to move forward in registering for additional dissertation writing courses.

TL  902-904 Dissertation Writing:   You will register for these courses with your Dissertation Chair supervising the work you do.    Throughout the process your progress is shared with the other committee members by arrangement with your Chair and the committee members.    It’s a process that should keep everyone involved up-to-date.

Review of Dissertation DRAFT:   The entire Dissertation Committee reads and reviews your Dissertation DRAFT.  The object is to have everyone’s approval to move to the next phase which is the:

Dissertation Defense:  At a time that you and your Dissertation Committee agree upon, you can schedule your Dissertation Defense.    The Dissertation Defense is open to the entire core faculty.   You will review and explain your final work.    The end result of the Dissertation Defense is that the content and ideas in your work are approved.   Final formatting of the dissertation is another process with very exacting requirements.  Your Dissertation Chair will help you meet these requirements. 

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