SOE PhD in Education Program Handbook by VCU School of Education

Revised May 2024

SchoolofEducation Ph.D.inEducationProgram

Student/FacultyHandbook

TableofContents

Foreword

Ph.D.inEducationConcentrations

Foreword

Forconcentration-specificissues,recommendationsaremadebytheconcentrationcoordinator onbehalfoftheconcentration.TheirrecommendationisforwardedtotheDirectorofPh.D. ProgramswhobringsthatrecommendationforwardtotheAdvisoryBoard.Atthediscretionof theboard,anopenforummaybeheldonconcentration-specificissuesduringanAdvisoryBoard meeting.

Forchangesthatimpactallconcentrations,theDirectorofPh.D.Programswillappointanad hoccommitteetoinvestigatetheissueandmakearecommendationforchangestobeadopted program-widewhichisbroughttotheAdvisoryBoardfordiscussionandavote.

StudentsandfacultywillbenotifiedofchangesmadetopoliciesandproceduresinthePh.D.in Educationprogramthroughemail.

Ph.D.inEducationConcentrations

ThePh.D.inEducationprogramhaseightconcentrationsthatallowstudentstospecializeina particularareabytakingprescribedconcentrationcourses.Specificcoursesforeach concentrationarelistedbyconcentrationintheVCUGraduateBulletin

ArtEducation TheArtEducationconcentrationallowsstudentstoconnectcontemporaryart andeducationtheoriesandphilosophies,practicalandprofessionalexperiences,andimpactful researchtodevelopanareaofexpertiserelevanttothefieldofarteducation.Theprogram distinguishesitselfbyintegratingurbancommunityengagement,digitalandemergingmedia, andresearchandassessmentindiversesettings.Graduateswillbehighlyqualifiedtoservein teaching,research,andleadershippositionsatuniversitiesandinartsandeducation organizations.

CounselorEducation&Supervision.Thecounseloreducationandsupervisionconcentrationis designedtoprepareexperienced,research-orientedmaster’s-levelcounselorsforacademic positionsfocusedonresearch,service,teachingandcounseloreducation.Doctoralstudentswill integratetheory,researchandpracticeinareasofcounselorsupervisionandtraining,counselor educationandteaching,advancedcounseling,diversityandmulticulturalism,leadership, advocacy,andsocialjustice.

Curriculum,Culture&Change.Thecurriculum,cultureandchangeconcentrationoffersa rigorousdoctoral-levellearningexperienceincurriculumandinstruction,teachereducation,and advocacyforsocialjustice.Theconcentrationpreparescurriculumandinstructionleadersfor positionsinschoolsystemsatthebuildinglevelandabove,aswellasscholarswithawiderange ofinterests philosophicalandsocioculturalfoundationsofeducation,urbaneducation, linguisticallydiversegroups,criticalandculturallyrelevantpedagogy,anti-oppressiveeducation, criticalyouthstudiesetc.Inadditiontoadeepgroundingintheoretical,practicaland methodologicalapproachestocurriculumandinstruction,theconcentrationprepares instructionalleaderstoadvocateforchangeacrossawiderangeofinstitutions,systemsand contexts.Theconcentrationofferschallenginglearningexperiencesinthefieldofcurriculum andinstruction.Itsexpressedsocialjusticevaluesallowframingofcoursesinwaysthatprovide criticalanalysesofcontemporaryschoolingandgroundstudentsinthephilosophicaland historicalrootsofschoolchange.Theprogramwelcomesstudentswithinterestsinall institutionalsettingsservingstudentsacrossthelifespan(earlychildhoodthroughadulthood)as wellasinformalandnonformalcontexts.Italsoallowsfordiscipline-specificinquiryinfields includingbutnotlimitedtoSTEM,technology,historyandliteracy.

Theconcentrationdistinguishesitselfbypreparingcurriculumandinstructionleaderstobe changeagentscapableofworkinginschoolsystems,highereducationandadvocacy organizations.Itreflectsanactiviststancetowardtheeducationprofession onethatviews schoolingasnotonlyshapedbysocietybutalsoasanactiveforceforequityandmeaningful societalchange.Itwillappealtoawiderangeofstudents:thosewhoareseekingtobecome instructionalleadersinschoolsystems,thosepreparingtoteachintheacademyandallthose desiringastrongfoundationineducationalreform.

EducationalLeadership,Policy&Justice.Theeducationalleadership,policyandjustice concentrationisdesignedtocultivateeducationalscholarsandleaderswhowilladvance scholarship,policyandpracticerelatedtoequityandsocialjustice.Drawingonan interdisciplinarystudyofleadershipandpolicy,theprogrampromotesanunderstandingofthe manysocietalandorganizationalimpedimentstoequaleducationalopportunity This concentrationisdirectednotonlytowardidentifyingandanalyzingthoseinjustices,butalso towardimagining,researchingandcreatingmoreequitable,inclusiveschools,organizationsand societiesthroughleadershipandpolicy.Thedissertationisarigorousculminatingtoolfor research,advocacyandchangewithineducationalorganizationsandendeavors.Graduateswill bepreparedtoleadforequityinK-12organizations,highereducation,researchandpolicythink tanksorlocal,stateandfederalpolicymakinginstitutions.

EducationalPsychology.Theeducationalpsychologyconcentrationisdesignedtotrain research-orienteddoctoralstudentswhowanttopromotethesuccessofstudentsineducational environments.Doctoralstudentswillintegratetheoryandresearchintheareasofdevelopmental psychology,cognition,socialpsychology,motivation,assessmentanddiversitytobetterstudy learninginschoolsorschool-likesettings.Thisdoctoralprogramisidealforstudentswhowant tospecializeinscholarshiprelatedtocognitive,motivational,socialandenvironmentalfactors thatshapeteachingandstudents’learning.

Research,Assessment&Evaluation Theresearch,assessmentandevaluationconcentrationis designedforindividualswhowanttodevelopskillstoundertake,useandteachresearch, assessmentandevaluation.Emphasisisplacedondevelopingproficiencyinquantitative, qualitativeandmixedmethodsmodesofinquiryandprovidingstudentswithexpertisetostudy variededucationalandsocialresearchquestions.Studentsselectafocusineitherresearchor evaluation.

UrbanServicesLeadership–AdultLearning Theurbanservicesleadershipconcentrationis designedtopreparefutureresearchers,facultyandpractitionersforleadershiprolesinacademic, government(local,state,nationalandinternational)andcommunitybasedfor-profitand nonprofitorganizations.Doctoralstudentswillutilizeamultidisciplinaryapproachtodevelopa broadunderstandingofthecriticalissuesandchallengesinadultlearningandsubsequently applythatunderstandingtotheplanning,implementationandevaluationofadultlearningand educationalprogramsandinitiatives.

Applicantsareexpectedtohaveexperienceworkingwithadultlearnersinorganizational, community,government,highereducation,healthcareornonprofitsettings,orwithinthe communityinrolesasfaculty,facultydevelopers,trainers,humanresourcedevelopmentand organizationaldevelopmentprofessionals,adultliteracyeducators,orotherrolesinwhichthey areactivelyinvolvedintheteachingandtrainingofadultlearners.

LinkstoConcentration-SpecificHandbooks

● ArtEducation(handbookcomingsoon)

● CounselorEducation&Supervision

● Curriculum,Culture&Change

● EducationalLeadership,Policy&Justice

● EducationalPsychology

● Research,Assessment&Evaluation

TransferCredits

Transfercreditsrefertograduatecoursestakenaftertheawardingofamaster'sdegreeandprior toadmissiontothisprogram,whethertakenatVCUoranotheraccreditedcollegeoruniversity.

Torequestcreditstobetransferredtoyourprogramcoursework,youmustsubmitthefollowing totheOfficeofGraduateStudies:

1. Writtenrequesttotransfercredits

2. Statementofsupportfromadvisor

3. CompletedandsignedTransferEquivalencyForm

ThetransferequivalencyformcanbeaccessedthroughtheGraduateSchoolresourcespage.The OfficeofGraduateStudieswillforwardthosematerialstotheAssociateDeanofAcademic AffairsforapprovalandthentotheGraduateSchoolforapprovalandprocessing.

Inmakingarequesttotransfercreditstothisprogram,beawarethat:

1. ThePh.D.inEducationprogramisnotasflexibleastheGraduateSchoolregardingthe numberoftransfercreditsallowedinthePh.D.inEducationprogram.Eachcasewillbe evaluatedandapprovedonanindividualbasisbytheadvisorandAssociateDeanof AcademicAffairsandGraduateStudies.

2. Youmaynotapplycreditsearnedtowardanotherdegree(VCUoroutsideinstitution).

3. Youmusthavereceivedagradeof"B"oraboveineachcourseforwhichyouare requestingtransfer.

4. Acoursefromanotherinstitutionrequestedtobetransferredmustbeequivalenttoa VCUcourseincontent.VCUcoursedescriptionscanbefoundontheVCUwebsiteat http://bulletin.vcu.edu/azcourses/

5. Transfercreditscannotbemorethaneightyearsoldattimeofcompletionofall requirementsforawardingofthePh.D.inEducationdegree.

Forcreditsearnedatanotherinstitutionduringtheprogram:Ifyouhavealreadybegunthe programandwanttotakeacourseatanotheruniversityforthepurposesoftransferringcredits, youwillneedtofirstrequestpermissionfromyouradvisor.

Yourrequestshouldinclude:

1. thenameoftheschool

2. coursedescriptionofrequestedcourse

3. VCUcoursetobesubstituted-mustrelatetoconcentrationarea

4. statementofsupportfromyouradvisor

SubmitrequestwithitemslistedabovetotheOfficeofGraduateStudiesforapprovalbythe AssociateDeanofAcademicAffairs.Aftertakingcourse(s),youmustsubmitofficialtranscripts alongwiththetransferequivalencyformsignedbyyouradvisortotheOfficeofGraduate Studies.TheOfficeofGraduateStudieswillforwardthosematerialstotheAssociateDeanof AcademicAffairsforapprovalandsubmitalongwithaspecialactionrequestformtotheVCU GraduateSchoolforprocessing.

ToaccesstheGraduateSchoolpolicyontransfercreditsgoto: http://bulletin.vcu.edu/academic-regs/grad/transfer-credit/.

ContinualEnrollment

Studentswhocommittodoctoralstudyareexpectedtomakeprogresstowardtheirdegreeeach semester TheSchoolofEducationrequiresthatstudentsadmittedintotheprogrammust completecreditsasfollows:

● 0-36Creditsearned:9credithourspereach12-monthperiodcommencingwiththefirst semesterinwhichthestudentenrollsforcoursework,untildidacticcourseworkis complete.

● 36Creditsearned&Pre-Prospectus/DegreeCandidacy:3creditspersemesterduringthe fallandspringsemesters.

● PostProspectus/DegreeCandidacy:3creditsofdissertationresearch(EDUC899)per semesterduringthefallandspringsemestersuntil6creditminimumrequirementfor dissertationcreditscompleted.Afterthe6creditminimum,studentscanenrollin1credit ofEDUC899persemester.

Studentsareexpectedtoenrollthemselvesintheappropriatenumberofcreditsafterconsultation withtheiradvisor/dissertationchair Itisimportanttonotethatifduringanyparticular semester,includingsummer,astudentplanstodefendtheirdissertation,graduate,or otherwiseaccessuniversityresources,thestudentmustenrollinEDUC899.Continual enrollmentisbothaSchoolofEducationandGraduateSchoolpolicy Studentswhodonot followthispolicywillbeconsideredfordismissalfromtheprogramforlackofsatisfactory progresstowardthedegree.

Thegraduateschoolpolicyonattendanceandenrollmentcanbefoundhere: http://bulletin.vcu.edu/academic-regs/grad/registration-policies/.

Grades

Withinthedoctoralprogram,coursegradesprovideanimportantevaluativetoolforstudents,as wellasguidanceforadvisors.Thoughperformanceinindividualcourseswithspecificcontent andexpectationscanvarywidely,averagedoctoralworkshouldbeata"B"levelorhigher. StudentsinthePh.D.inEducationProgrammusthaveaminimumcumulativeGPAof3.2to graduate.

MoreinformationaboutgradingpoliciescanbefoundontheGraduateSchoolwebsite.

ConcentrationTransfer

Intheeventthatastudentwouldliketotransferfromoneconcentrationtoanother,thestudent submitsawrittenrequesttotheiradvisorandcurrentconcentrationcoordinatoraswellasthe concentrationcoordinatoroftheconcentrationtheywishtotransferto.Student’sadmission materialsandprogramdocumentswillbereviewed.Studentsmayneedtocompleteaninterview orsubmitawritingsampleiftheconcentrationcoordinatorrequests.

Itisimportanttonotethatachangeinconcentrationsmaynecessitatethestudenttaking additionalcoursework.Whenastudentisconsideringarequestforachangeinprogram concentration,itisrecommendedthattheytalkwiththeircurrentconcentrationcoordinatorand concentrationcoordinatoroftheconcentrationtheywishtotransfertowhocanprovidemore detailsabouttheexpertiseoffacultyandthecoursesthatarepartoftheconcentration.

Afterboththecurrentandrequestedconcentrationcoordinatorshavereviewedthetransfer request,theywillnotifyboththestudentandOfficeofGraduateStudiesoftheirdecisionbased onthebestinterestofthestudent.Iftheconcentrationtransferrequestisapproved,theOfficeof GraduateStudieswillsubmitaspecialactionformtotheGraduateSchool.

DismissalfromProgram

Thefollowingaretheconditionsunderwhichastudentcouldbedismissedorreviewedfor dismissalfromtheprogram:

1. Reviewedforpossibledismissal

a. "C"orbeloworthegradeof"U"(Unsatisfactory)onrequiredgraduatecourse work

b. ConcernsraisedduringtheQualifyingAssessment

c. Failuretomaintaincontinualenrollment

2. Dismissal

a. Unprofessionalconduct(seeVCUCodeofConduct)

b. ViolationoftheVCUHonorSystem(seeVCUHonorCode)

c. Threegradesof"C"orlowerwhileenrolledinthedoctoralprogram

d. Two"U"gradesoran"F"atanytimeintheprogram

Pre-CandidacyGuide

Aminimumof60creditswillberequiredtoearnthePh.D.inEducationfromtheSchoolof EducationatVirginiaCommonwealthUniversity.Thesecoursesincludeprogramrequirements

aswellasconcentrationrequirementsandelectiveschosenwithintheSchoolofEducationor throughouttheuniversity Inadditiontotherequiredcredithours,studentsarerequiredtoengage inco-curricularactivitieswithoneormorefacultymentorstoincreaseskillsandgainexperience relatedtotheirlongrangecareergoalsandscholarlyinterests.

Allprogramcoursework(excludingthedissertation)musttotalaminimumof51credithours.Of thosecredits,nomorethan12credithourscanbeatthe500level.Studentsareencouragedto takeaminimumofthreecreditsoutsideoftheSchoolofEducation(thiscanbeacoursethat meetsotherprogramrequirementssuchastheresearchelective).

InadditiontotheformalrequirementsrelatedtothePh.D.inEducationprogram,studentsare encouragedtoprepareinotherwaysforthedissertation.Studentsshouldfocusonbothgeneral, longterm,andmoreimmediateandspecificpreparationinthefollowingareas:

1.Evolvingascholarlyknowledgeofabroadarealeadingtodissertationresearch.Asthe studentprogressesthroughtheprogram,theyshouldselectelectivesandcourseworkthat willfocusonpromisingandinterestingareasfordissertationresearch.Ingeneral,the morethoroughthescholarlyunderstandingofrelevantareas,thesmoothertheprocessof dissertationdevelopment.Topicareascanbediscarded,refined,orexploredfurther Specificresearchquestionscanbegenerated.

2.Developingorrefiningthetoolsthatcanenhanceandsupportthedevelopmentofa prospectusanddissertation.Aworkingknowledgeofresourcesthatwillfacilitate research,writing,andmanuscriptpreparationcanensureclear,accuratecommunication aboutthedissertationtopic.Awarenessofandexperienceinusingthereferencetools, primarysources,organizations,andotherresearchtoolsinthetopicalareaarecritical skillsforsuccessfuldissertationpreparation.Courseexperiencesinselectingresearch design,analyzingdata,summarizingstudies,andcritiquingreportsshouldbeappliedand practicedwheneverpossible.Inaddition,theuseofwordprocessing,referencing software,andothertechnologytocompletecourseassignmentsandresearchpapers throughoutthedoctoralprogramcanincreasethequalityandspeedofdissertation preparation.

3.Forgethescholarlyandcollegiallinksthatcanfosterdirectionandsupportduringthe dissertationdevelopmentprocess.Lookforfacultywhoareconductingresearchontopics orusingmethodologythatwouldbeusefulforyourdissertationstudyandworkwith themasoneofyourco-curricularactivities.Courseinstructors,externshipplacement contacts,workshoppresenters,andfacultymemberswithinandoutsidetheSOEand VCUprovidevitalavenuesfornetworkingthatcan,inturn,contributedepthandbreadth asthedissertationcommitteeisdeterminedandasthedissertationevolves.The individualinterestsandtalentsofeachmentorcanprovidefurthersourcesandresources, bothformalandinformal,duringvariousphasesofdissertationdevelopment.

FoundationComponent(6hoursminimum)

Thiscomponentintroducesstudentstotheoreticalandepistemologicaldebatesandrelated scholarlytraditionsineducationalresearch.Itisinterdisciplinaryinnatureandspanstwo

semesters.Thefirstcourseprovidesabaselineunderstandingofinfluentialphilosophiesof researchaswellastheessentialstepsofanyinquiryproject.Thesecondcoursebuildsupon, broadensanddeepensthisunderstanding.Bothcoursesalsoemphasizestudents'acculturation intodoctoralstudies.Thecoursesincludedinthiscomponentare:

EDUS702:FoundationsofEducationalResearch&DoctoralScholarshipI

EDUS703:FoundationsofEducationalResearch&DoctoralScholarshipII

ResearchComponent(15hoursminimum)

Thiscomponentemphasizestheskillsessentialtodesigning,conducting,interpreting,and reportingresearch.Studentsarerequiredtodemonstratecompetencyinareasofresearch methodologyandstatisticsappropriatetodoctorallevelstudyandmustobtainagradeofBor betterinEDUS660andSTAT508ortheequivalent,priortoenrollingforcoursesinthis component.Thecoursesincludedinthiscomponentarethefollowing:

EDUS608:EducationalStatistics

EDUC697:CollaborativeScholarship(orequivalent)

EDUS710:QuantitativeResearchDesign

EDUS711:QualitativeMethodsandAnalysis AdvancedResearchElective

*Thefoundationandresearchcoursesmentionedaboveshouldbecompletedinthebeginningof theprograminpreparationfortheQualifyingAssessment.

ConcentrationComponent(27hoursminimum)

Thiscomponentisdesignedtoallowthestudenttopursueaseriesofcoursesthatprovidea specificfocusandserveasthestudent'sprimarydiscipline.Thesecoursesareexpectedto developthein-depthknowledgeandskillsinanidentifiableareathatiscongruentwiththe student'scurrentorprojectedcareerfield.

Co-curricularActivities

Althoughnotacredit-earningpartoftheprogram,co-curricularactivitiesareessentialtohelp preparedoctoralcandidatesfortheirfuturerolesasresearchers,universityfaculty, administrators,andinotherleadershippositions.Studentswillworkwiththeiradvisorsto determinespecificco-curricularactivities,whicharechoseninlightofconcentration requirements,studentexperience,andgoalsfortheindividualstudent’sprofessional development.Examplesofco-curricularactivitiesincludeconductingresearch,teachingatthe universitylevel,participationinpreparingaproposalforagrant-fundedproject,presentationata stateornationalprofessionalconference,writingamanuscriptforpublication,andparticipation inleadershippositions.Participationintheseactivitieswillbemonitoredanddocumentedbythe student’sadvisor Studentsmustcompleteatleastoneco-curricularactivityandcompletea co-curricularactivityform,andobtainapprovalandsignaturefromadvisorandsubmitittothe OfficeofGraduateStudiesbeforebeginningtheco-curricularactivity.

IndependentStudy

Atotalofsixcredithoursofindependentstudycanbeappliedtowardstheminimum60credits requiredforthedoctoralprogram.Studentsandtheiradvisorsmustcompleteandsubmitthe

independentstudyformwithsignaturestotheOfficeofGraduateStudiespriortobeginningthe independentstudy IndependentStudiesshouldbecompletedwithinthestartandenddateofa semester,whichcanbeviewedontheVCUacademiccalendar.

Externship(3hoursminimum)

Theexternshipisasemester-longexperiencedesignedtoenhancethestudent'sprogram,career goals,andprofessionaldevelopment.Theexternshipsiteistypicallyanoff-campusplanned experience,outsidethesettinginwhichthestudentiscurrentlyemployed,andideallyina differentbutrelatedcareerareainwhichthestudenthashadnoorlimitedpriorworkexperience. Itisimportantthatstudentsdiscusstheirideasfortheexternshipwiththeiradvisorand/or concentrationcoordinatorasconcentrationsmayhavespecificrequirementsand/orguidelinesfor thisexperience.

Studentsmaynotregisterfortheexternshipuntiltheyhavesuccessfullycompletedthe QualifyingAssessmentandbeenawardedContinuingDoctoralStatus.Theexternship applicationmustbesigned,approvedandsubmittedtotheOfficeofGraduateStudiespriorto beginningtheexternship.Externshipsshouldbecompletedwithinthestartandenddateofa semester.

Additionaldetailsregardingtheexternship:

● ApplicationforExternship.Inconsultationwiththeiradvisor,thestudentpreparesand submitsastatementoutliningtheproposedexternship.Withtheapprovaloftheadvisor andconcentrationcoordinator,thestudentcompletestheexternshipapplicationformand forwardstotheOfficeofGraduateStudieswithrequiredsignatures.Deadlinesfor applyingareonoraboutthefollowingdates:December1stforspringsemester,July 15thforfallsemester,andApril15thforsummersession.

● TheExternshipSite.Itisthestudent’sresponsibilitytoidentifyasitefortheexternship; however,thestudent’sadvisormustapprovetheproposedsite.

● StudentExternshipResponsibilities

○ TimingandSetting.Thestudentisresponsibleforconsultingwiththeiradvisor todeterminetheappropriatetimingoftheexternshipandtodevelopan understandingofappropriatetypesofsettingsconsistentwiththestudent's experience,program,andprofessionalgoals.Basedonthisinformationandthe requirementsoftheexternshipapplicationstatement,thestudentinitiatescontacts andconsultswithpersonnelinpossibleexternshipsettings.Oncethestudentand advisoragreeonasetting,thestudent,inconsultationwiththeproposedon-site supervisor,completesthewrittenportionoftheapplication.Duringtheexternship experience,thestudentworksasaprofessionalunderthedirectionoftheon-site supervisorandisresponsiblefordecisionsmadeandtasksassignedwithinthe settingduringtheexternshipperiod.Thestudentmaintainstherecordsand materialsrequiredfortheexternship,preparesthefinalwrittensummaryreport, andsubmitsallneededmaterialstotheiradvisorwithingradingdeadlines.

○ Log.Thestudentmaintainsalogofallhoursspentonandoff-site,includinga

briefdescriptionofthetypeoftasksandrelatedexperiencescompletedduringthe timeframe.Thelogshoulddocumentwhichhourswerespenton-siteandwhich off-site.Additionaltimebeyondthe120hoursthatisspentinrelated,butoff-site tasksmaybereportedforinformation.Thelogmustbesubmittedtotheadvisor, whowillreviewitaspartoftheexternshipgradingprocess.

○ Product.Thestudentisrequiredtodevelopandsubmittotheiradvisoraproduct fromtheexternshipexperience.Duringdevelopmentoftheexternshipexperience, thestudentdiscusseswiththeiradvisorandproposedon-sitesupervisorthe generalnatureoftheexpectedproductorproducts,e.g.,aninstrument,manual, booklet,publishablearticle,bibliography,resourcelist,workshopkit,orsimilar material.Anychangeinthetypeofproducttobedevelopedmustbeapprovedin writingbytheadvisor Theproduct(s)mustbesubmittedtotheadvisor,whowill includeagradeontheproduct(s)aspartofthegradefortheexternship.

○ FinalReport.Thestudentwillalsosubmitafinalsummaryreporttotheirhis/her advisor.Ataminimum,thesummaryreportmustincludethenameandaddressof theagencyinwhichtheexternshipwasconducted,themajorserviceorproducts oftheagency,thenameoftheon-sitesupervisor,thetimelog,andabriefreview ofthepurposesoftheexternship.Thesummaryreportmustalsoincludeevidence ofhowthefivegoalsandthefivespecificmeasurableobjectivespresentedinthe ExternshipApplicationweremet.Thesummaryreportisreviewedbytheadvisor aspartofthegradefortheexternship.

● UniversityAdvisorExternshipResponsibilities

○ Oversight.Thestudent'sadvisorworkswiththestudenttodeterminethe schedulingoftheexternshipwithinthedoctoralcoursesequence,developideas forappropriatetypesofexperience,andapprovethesiteselectedbythestudent. Whenthestudenthascompletedtheexternshipapplication,whichspecifiesthe site,theon-sitesupervisor,andsuchspecificsastime,experiences,andproducts; theadvisorreviewstheapplication,recommendsanyneededchanges,andgives approvalinwriting.Theadvisorsubmitstheapprovedapplicationtothe concentrationcoordinatorforapproval.Duringtheexternshipexperience,the universityadvisorservesasliaisonbetweentheon-sitesupervisorandthe university,asneeded.

Attheendoftheexternshipexperience,theadvisorreviewstheapplication,log, product,on-sitesupervisor'sevaluation,andthestudent'ssummaryreportand determinesthestudent'sexternshipgrade.Thestudent’sadvisoralsosubmitsthe gradetothelistedinstructorforentryintoBanner.

● TheOn-SiteSupervisorExternshipResponsibilities

○ Guidanceandsupervision.Thetermon-sitesupervisorreferstothepersonat theexternshipsitewhoprovidesguidanceandsupervisionofthestudent,while alsoservingasliaisonbetweentheagencyorinstitutionandthestudent's universityadvisor Theon-sitesupervisorprovidesprofessionaldirectiontothe studentwhileinthehostagencybyorientingthestudenttothesetting; acquaintingthestudentwithagencytasksandtimelines;overseeingtheworkof

thestudent;andprovidingawrittensummativeevaluationofthestudent's performance.

EDUS890:DissertationSeminar

Thiscourseisdesignedtohelpstudentsdevelopadissertationresearchconceptintothe componentsofadissertationprospectus.Studentswhohavenothadtheopportunityto participateinco-curricularactivities,coursework,orresearchprojectsunderthedirectionofa facultymentorresultinginacriticalreviewoftheliteratureintheareaoftheirdissertation shouldplantotakethiscourse.Thecourseoffersstudentsstructureandsupporttoconceptualize anddrafttheprospectus.

Allstudentsshouldworkcloselywiththeirdoctoraladvisor/dissertationchairtoplanfor integratingtheseminarintheirprogramofstudy.Ideally,allrequiredprogram courseworkandtheComprehensiveAssessmentwillbecompletedpriortoenrollmentin EDUS890.Studentsshouldhavecompletedallresearchmethodscoursesandbeenrolled intheirlastsemesterofrequireddidacticcourseworkatthetimeofenrollmentinEDUS 890.

ToensuremaximumbenefitfromtheDissertationSeminar,thestudentisrequiredtowritea conceptpapersoitisclearthatthetopicisaviableone.Theconceptpaperisdistinctand separatefromthedoctoralComprehensiveAssessment(seetheConceptPaperGuidelinesand Resources).TobeenrolledinEDUS890,studentsmustsubmittheConceptPaperApproval Form.

Alternatively,astudentwhohassufficientresearchexperience,orhasconductedanextensive criticalreviewoftheliteratureintheareaofthedissertation,andiswellalongindraftingthe prospectus,may,withtheadvisor’sapproval,optoutofEDUS890andworkindependentlywith theirdissertationchairandcommitteetocompletetheprospectus.

ProgramPlanning

Advisor

a. RoleoftheAdvisor

i. Meetsregularlywiththeadvisee(studentsareresponsibleforinitiating correspondencewiththeirdesignatedadvisors); ii. Providesappropriateadvice,support,andmentoring; iii. Providesresearchandpublicationmentorship;

iv Assistswithplanningprogramofstudyandmonitorsadvisee'sprogressinthe program;

v Identifiesandevaluatesappropriateco-curricularexperiences;and

vi. Assiststhestudentincompletingrequiredforms.

b. RequesttoChangeAdvisor

Thestudentmaymaintaintheiroriginallyassignedadvisorforthedurationofthe programorchangetheiradvisorthroughmutualagreementwithandconsentoftheir currentadvisor,therequestedadvisor,andtheconcentrationcoordinator.Ifastudent

requestsanadvisoroutsideoftheirconcentration,theconcentrationcoordinatorforthe chosenadvisormustreviewandapprovetherequest.

AstudentmustcompleteandsubmittheChangeofAdvisorformwithrequired signaturestotheOfficeofGraduateStudiestobeaddedtothestudent’srecord.

c. AdvisorasDissertationChair

Theadvisormaybecomethechairofthestudent'sdissertationcommitteeorthestudent andtheadvisormay,uponmutualagreement,opttoinviteanotherfacultymembertobe thechair.Ifastudentoptstoinviteanotherfacultymembertochairtheirdissertation committee,theywilltakeoveracademicadvisingdutiesandaChangeofAdvisorform shouldbecompleted.

DegreeworksandProgramofStudy

StudentsareresponsibleforregularlyreviewingDegreeworksandtheirprogramofstudywith theiradvisor.Itistheexpectationthatstudentswilldiscusstheirschedulepriortoenrollingin classeseachsemestertoassurethetimelycompletionofrequiredcourses.

StudentEvaluationandFeedback

Admissiontothedoctoralprogramisbaseduponanassessmentofthestudent'sacademic strengths,researchreadiness,professionalexperience,andleadershippotential—allofwhich affecttheprobabilityofsuccessfullycompletingthedoctoralprogram.Suchsuccessisdependent uponthedoctoralstudent'scontinuinggrowthinknowledgeacquisition,conceptsynthesis,and integrativeapplication.

Thus,periodicstudentevaluationwhileenrolledinthedoctoralprogramisimportantinthree ways:(1)itisbeneficialtothestudentinassessingtheirprogress;(2)itisessentialin determiningthestudent'sprobabilityofsuccessfulprogramcompletion;and(3)itiscriticalto themaintenanceofprogramintegrity.

QualifyingAssessment

ThepurposeoftheQualifyingAssessmentisto:

1. Ensurethatstudentshavetheappropriatefoundationalknowledgeandskillsnecessaryto progressthroughthedoctoralprogram

2. Identifystudentswhoneedfurtherreviewanddetermineappropriateremediation

3. Allowearlyidentificationofstudentswhomaynotbesufficientlycompetenttocontinue intheprogram

PleaseseeAppendixBandConcentrationHandbooksforthecontentoftheQualifying Assessment.Studentsmustmeetwiththeiradvisortodiscussmaterialstobesubmitted,items reviewed,andtimelineforcompletingtheQualifyingAssessmentincompliancewithSOE policy.Tocontinuetoenrollinadditionalcourses,theQualifyingAssessmentmustbecompleted anddocumentedpriortothestudentcompleting30creditsintheprogram.Studentsare responsibleforcontactingtheiradvisortocoordinatecompletionoftheQualifyingAssessment.

WhenastudentcompletestheQualifyingAssessment,afollow-upmeetingmustbeheld betweenthestudentandtheadvisorto:

1. DiscusstheresultofQualifyingAssessment.

2. DiscussanyremediationplansorstepstobetakenasaresultoftheQualifying Assessment.

3. CompletethePost-QualifyingAssessmentAdvisingMeetingformforContinuing DoctoralStatusapproval.

ContinuingDoctoralStatus

StudentswhohavesuccessfullycompletedtheQualifyingAssessmentandwhohaveearneda minimumcumulativeGPAof3.0attimeofsuccessfulcompletionofQualifyingAssessmentwill beawardedContinuingDoctoralStatus.Nogradesbelow"C"willbeacceptedforContinuing DoctoralStatus.

ComprehensiveAssessment

TheComprehensiveAssessmentseekstoensurethateachdegreecandidatecandemonstratethe abilitytoconceptualize,apply,andcommunicateinformationatanadvanced,doctorallevel.

Thedevelopment,administrationandgradingoftheComprehensiveAssessmentforaspecific concentrationiscoordinatedbythefacultyoftheconcentration.Foranoverviewofeach concentration’spolicyseeAppendixCandConcentrationHandbooks.

Studentsneedtomeetandconsultwiththeiradvisorthesemesterpriortowhentheyintendto completetheComprehensiveAssessment.Studentsmustbeenrolledthesemesterinwhichthe ComprehensiveAssessmentwillbecompleted,andtheComprehensiveAssessmentshouldbe successfullycompletedpriortoenrollmentinEDUS890orEDUC899.Studentsmust successfullycompletetheComprehensiveAssessmenttoavoiddisruptionintheircompletionof theprogram.TheComprehensiveAssessmentReportFormmustbecompletedfollowingthe successfulcompletionoftheassessment.

TheDissertationandAdvancementtoCandidacy

Prospectus

AftercompletingtheQualifyingAssessment,co-curricularactivities,externship,alldidactic coursework,andtheComprehensiveAssessmentthedoctoralstudentbeginstheformalprocess ofcompletingtheirprospectusandadvancementtocandidacy.Thefirststepiswritinga prospectusforastudythatisacontributiontothestudent’sdisciplineliteratureandisacceptable tothedissertationcommittee.Tosupportandguideprospectuswriting,EDUS890:Dissertation Seminarisstronglyrecommended.

SelectingaDissertationTopic

Adoctoraldissertationstudyshouldbeanoriginalstudy,designedtoaddtothebodyof knowledgeinthestudent’sdiscipline.Itshouldbechosencarefully;beinglargeenoughtoserve asafoundationforafutureresearchagenda(particularlyfordoctoralcandidateswhoplanto pursueatenure-trackpositionatauniversity),buttargetedenoughtoassurethatitcanbe accomplishedwithinareasonabletimeframe.Thestudentproceedstoconductacarefulreview

oftheliteraturetoidentifytheresearchquestion(s).Formanystudentsthiswillbereflectedin theconceptpaperwhichissubmittedpriortoenrollinginEDUS890:DissertationSeminar

FormatfortheProspectusandDissertation

Theprospectusisadetailedplanofthestudent’sdissertation.Assuch,itshouldconformtothe guidelinesintheVCUThesisandDissertationManual,aswellasSchoolofEducation requirements(seeAppendixD).VCUThesisandDissertationManualcanbefoundonthe GraduateSchoolwebsite.

TheDissertationCommittee

AfterthestudenthasbeenawardedContinuingDoctoralStatusandpriortocompletingEDUS 890,thestudentshouldmeetwiththeiradvisortoselectadissertationcommittee.

Selecting the Dissertation Committee

ThecommitteemustbeselectedandnamessubmittedforapprovaltotheOfficeofGraduate StudiesbytheendofthesemesterinwhichthestudentcompletesEDUS890:Dissertation Seminar.Itishighlyrecommendedthatstudentschoosedissertationcommitteemembers prior tobeginningEDUS890.Processshouldbeasfollows:

1. Withintheabovestatedtimeframeandthestudenthasaclearideaoftheir dissertationtopic,studentsmeetwiththeiradvisortoagreeonaDissertationChair Thereisnoexpectationthattheadvisorwillnecessarilychairthestudent's dissertationcommittee.Ifastudentandtheiradvisordodecidetoinviteanother facultymembertochairtheirdissertationcommittee,thatfacultymembertakesover academicadvisingdutiesforthestudent.

2. WiththeDissertationChair,thestudentidentifiesfacultymemberswithexpertisein thedissertationarea.Membersshouldbechosenbasedontheirknowledgeofthe contentand/ormethodologyofthedissertationstudy.Onemembermustbeanexpert inmethodology,althoughtheredoesnotnecessarilyneedtobeaseparate methodologist(thatis,themethodologistcouldalsobethechair,orVCUfaculty outsidetheSchoolofEducation).Thestudentcontactsthoseindividualstodetermine theirinterestandwillingnesstoserve.Ifanypersondeclinestoserve,thestudentand thedissertationchairselectareplacement.Thisprocedureisfolloweduntilall selectedcommitteemembershaveagreedtoserve.

SeetheResponsibilitiesofDissertationCommitteeMemberssectionofthishandbook formoredetailedexplanationoftheresponsibilitiesofthestudent,committeechair, andcommitteemembers.Thefinalcommitteemusthaveaminimumoffour members.Threeofthemembers,includingthechair,mustbegraduatefacultyin theSchoolofEducation(withtheexceptionoftheArtEducationconcentration). ThefourthmembermustbeaVCUgraduatefacultymemberoutsideofthe SchoolofEducation.

ForstudentsintheArtEducationconcentration,thecommitteeshouldincludefour membersincludingtwograduatefacultymembersintheSchooloftheArtsandone

graduatefacultymemberintheSchoolofEducation.Thefourthmembercanbea SOEgraduatefacultymemberorVCUgraduatefacultyoutsideoftheSchoolofthe ArtsandSchoolofEducation.

Ifastudentwishestohaveacommitteememberfromoutsidetheuniversityor additionalSOEcommitteememberserveontheircommittee,thismustbeapproved bytheiradvisor,concentrationcoordinatoranddepartmentchair

3. Allmembersofadissertationcommitteemusthavegraduatefacultystatusoraffiliate graduatefacultystatus.

StudentsmustchecktheGraduateSchoolwebsitetomakesuretheirselected dissertationcommitteemembersarelistedandhavegraduatefacultystatus priortosubmittingdissertationcommitteeagreementformtoSOEOfficeof GraduateStudies.StudentscanalsocheckwiththeGraduateSchooldirectlyat gradschool@vcu.eduor804-828-2233toconfirmacommitteemember’sfaculty status.Ifastudentchoosesanindividualfortheircommitteethatdoesnothave graduatefacultystatusoraffiliategraduatefacultystatuswithVCU,theycanobtain facultystatusbysubmittingaGraduate/AffiliateFacultyStatusAppointmentRequest formtotheOfficeofGraduateStudiesalongwithcopyoftheCVoftherequested committeemember

PleaseNote:Nopersonmayserveonadissertationcommitteeifsuchservicewould createtheappearanceofconflictofinterest.Forexample,astudentworkingwithan agencyorcommercialorganizationmaynothavetheirsupervisorserveonthe committee.

4. Onceallcommitteemembershaveagreedtoserveonthecommittee,thestudent submitsaDissertationCommitteeAgreementForm(alongwithanyneededfaculty statusrequests)totheOfficeofGraduateStudies.TheOfficeofGraduateStudieswill reviewtheproposedmembersandwillapprovethecandidatessubmittedormay rejectcandidateswhoappeartohaveaconflictofinterest.

PleaseNote:Barringresignations,membersofadissertationcommitteecontinuetoserveuntil thecandidate'sresearchiscompletedandsuccessfullydefended.Ifchangesaremadetoa student’sdissertationcommittee,thenanewDissertationCommitteeFormmustbesubmittedto theOfficeofGraduateStudies.Ifacommitteememberleavestheuniversitypriortodissertation defenseandstillwishestoserveonthecommittee,thenafacultystatusrequestformmustbe submitted.Anaffiliatefacultymembercannotserveaschaironthecommittee.

ResponsibilitiesoftheCandidate,DissertationChair,andCommitteeMembers

Candidate

Thedissertationisthecandidate'sresearch,butitisthecandidate'sresponsibilitytoseekoutand actuponguidancefromthedissertationchairandeachcommitteemember Atthesametime,the candidateshouldrecognizethatfacultyworkloadsvaryduringtheyear,sothatcontactinga

committeemember,schedulinganappointment,critiquingawrittendraft,andsimilaractivities mayunavoidablyrequireextratimeinsomeinstances.Maintainingcontact,however,will facilitatethegoodcommunicationthathelpsmakethedissertationdevelopmentprocessa rewardingexperienceforall(seeVCUDissertationCompacthere).Earlyinthedissertation process,thestudentshouldmeetwiththechairtoestablisharealistictimelineforcompletingthe dissertation.Studentsshouldbeawarethattimelinesoftenshiftduringthecourseofthe dissertationprocess(duetoIRB,delayswithaccessingsites,datacollectiondelays,etc...).

CandidateResponsibilities:

● Selectadissertationchair,orco-chairs,withguidancefromtheiradvisor.

● Nominatecommitteememberswithguidancefromthedissertationchair(s)andsubmit DissertationCommitteeApprovalform.

● Establishattainableresearchgoals,withtheapprovalofthedissertationchairand committeemembers.

● Developaformalwrittenprospectusandprepareformalwrittenmaterialsinanaccurate andscholarlyformby:

○ followingthe VCU Thesis and Dissertation Manual andthe American Psychological Association (APA) Manual 7th Edition forbothprospectusand dissertation

○ ensuringcompliancewithacademicintegrityandresearchethics(fordetailssee VCUOfficeofResearchandVCUHonorSystem)

● Meetrequireddeadlinesforsubmissionofwrittenmaterialsby:

○ Distributingcopiesofthecompletedprospectustothedissertationchair,each committeemember,andtheOfficeofGraduateStudies,atleast14calendar dayspriortothedateoftheprospectusreview

○ Distributingcopiesofthecompleteddissertationtothedissertationchair,each committeemember,andtheOfficeofGraduateStudies,atleast14calendar dayspriortothedateofthedissertationdefense.

● SubmittheappropriateapplicationtotheVCUInstitutionalReviewBoardandseekIRB approvalbeforemakinganychangestotheresearchprotocol.

● ReceiveformalcommitteeapprovaloftheprospectusandIRBapprovalbeforebeginning datacollection.Understandthatwhentheprospectusisapprovedbythedissertation committeeattheprospectushearing,itbecomesanagreeduponplanbetweenthe candidateandcommittee.Substantialchangesintheapprovedprospectusmustbe discussedwiththecommitteeandapprovedinwritingbythecommittee.

● Consultwithandbeguidedbythedissertationchairandcommitteemembersthroughout theresearchprocess.Althoughthespecificinteractionbetweenthecandidateand committeemayvary,thecandidateisexpectedtomakeappointmentsand,when requested,submitwrittendraftsatleast7calendardayspriortomeetingwiththe dissertationchairorcommitteemembers.

● Understandandbepreparedtodefendallaspectsofthedissertation(e.g.,research methodsanddataanalyses).

● Assumeresponsibilitywiththedissertationchairforthefinalproofreadingofthe dissertation.

● SubmitacopyoftheapprovedfinaldissertationelectronicallytotheOfficeofGraduate Studiesandcompleteexitforms.

● SubmittheapprovedfinalelectronicdissertationtoVCUScholarsCompass.See guidelinesattheGraduateSchoolwebsite

Dissertation Chair

Servingasadissertationchairconstitutesamajorresponsibilitytothecandidate,theSchoolof Education,andthePh.D.Program.Forthedissertationchair,thedissertationprocessrequires extendedinvolvementwithboththecandidateandcommitteemembers.Itistime-consuming and,attimes,demanding.Atthesametime,itprovidesanintellectualchallengeunlikeanyother Universityresponsibility Throughsuccessfulguidanceofacompleteddissertation,thechairnot onlycontributestotheexpansionofknowledgeinagivenfield,butalsobecomesanintegralpart ofthatcontributionasthedissertationbecomesabasisforfutureresearch.

DissertationChairResponsibilities:

● Guidesthecandidatein:

○ Developingascholarly,researchablequestion.

○ Preparingthewrittenoutlineorsummaryoftheproblemstatement,research question,andmethodology.

○ Selectingandutilizinginstrumentationandanalysescongruentwiththe methodologyandresearchdesign.

● EnsuringacademicintegrityandVCUhonorssystemarefollowed.

● Establishestimeswhenavailabletoguidethecandidatewithprospectusanddissertation drafts.

● Establishes,withthecandidate,attainableresearchgoalsandareasonabletimeframefor completingthestepsinthedissertationprocess.

● Clarifiesforthecandidateandcommitteememberstheroleofthecandidate,chair, co-chair(whereappropriate),andcommittee;andsuggestswaysinwhicheachcan contributemosteffectivelytothedissertationdevelopmentprocess.

● Advisesthecandidatewhenmaterialsareatanappropriatelevelofcompletenesstoshare withcommitteemembers,aswellaswhentocommunicateprogressorproblems.

● AssiststhecandidateinpreparingtheapplicationfortheVCUInstitutionalReview Board.ForIRBpurposes,thechairistheprincipalinvestigatorfortheresearch.

● Guidesthecandidateindevelopingcontentandformat,aswellasinusingappropriate grammarandstyle;andassuresthatthefinaldocumentiswithouterrorandsuitablefor publication.

● Supervisesthepreparationofandapprovesboththeprospectusandthedissertationprior totheformalreviewandthedefense.

● Assistsasneededwithschedulingthecandidate'sprospectushearinganddissertation defensethroughtheOfficeofGraduateStudies.

● Maintainsaclimatethatfacilitatesconstructivediscussionduringtheprospectushearing.

● Guidesthestudentinenrollingintheappropriatenumberofcredithourseachsemesterof EDUC899:DissertationResearchandsubmitsagradeofSatisfactory,Unsatisfactory,or Failfordissertationcreditduringeachsemesterinwhichthecandidateisenrolledin EDUC899.

● Maintainsaclimateconducivetoafairreviewofthecandidate'sdissertationresearch duringthedissertationdefense.

● Ensuresthatallcommitteememberssigntheappropriateformsrelatedtothedefense.

Co-chair

Becauseoftheneedforspecialexpertisefromagivencommitteemember,itmaybeappropriate toappointapersononthecommitteetoserveasco-chair.Itisanticipatedthatthispersonwould, comparativelyspeaking,providemoreconsultationthananyothercommitteememberexceptthe chair.

Co-ChairResponsibilities:

● Conferswiththedissertationchairontheirroleonthecommittee.

● Providesneededin-depthreviewoftheareasofthedissertationthataretheirareaof expertise.

● Guidesthecandidateinareasofthedissertationresearchinwhichtheyhaveexpertise.

● Participatesintheprospectusreviewanddissertationdefense.

Dissertation Committee Members

Theexpertiseofeachcommitteememberisessentialtothedevelopmentofthecandidate's dissertationresearch,andassuch,willbereflectedinthequalityofthefinalproduct.The contributionsandsupportofeachcommitteememberhelpsassurethatthecandidatewill completeaqualitydissertation.

CommitteeMemberResponsibilities:

● Assistthecandidateby:

○ Critiquingallwrittenmaterialssubmittedbythecandidate.

○ Conferringintheselectionofinstrumentationandstatisticalorqualitative analysescongruentwiththeresearchdesign.

○ Providingcontent,methodological,and/orstatisticalexpertiserelatedtothe researchproblemunderstudy

○ Presentsconcernsandsuggestionstothedissertationchairandcandidateduring theprospectusdevelopmentprocess.

○ Recommendsadditionalcommitteemeetingstothedissertationchairwhen needed.

○ Participatesintheprospectusreviewanddissertationdefense.

ProspectusHearing

Thedissertationchairisresponsibleforreviewingcontentanddeterminingthataprospectus meetsuniversityandSchoolofEducationguidelinesandisreadyforformalreview When,in theopinionofthedissertationchair,theprospectusisreadyforcriticalreview,andthestudent hascompletedallrequiredcoursework,co-curriculars,andtheComprehensiveAssessment,a prospectushearingisscheduled.

Toscheduleaprospectushearing,astudentmust:

1. Getapprovalfromthedissertationchair(afterreviewofgradesandprogram requirements)toscheduleprospectushearing.

2. Consultcommitteeandselectdatetoholdprospectushearingviazoom

3. EmailOfficeofGraduateStudiesatwinnkb@vcu.eduforprospectushearing requestformthatmustbecompletedandreturned.

4. Submitprospectushearingrequestform2weekspriortoprospectushearingwith zoommeetinginformation.

5. SubmitelectroniccopyofprospectustocommitteeandtotheSOEOfficeof GraduateStudies2weekspriortohearing.CopiesmustbesenttotheOfficeof GraduateStudiesatwinnkb@vcu.edu.TheProspectusmustmeetthe requirementsofthe VCU Thesis and Dissertation manual beforesubmission.

EmailingtheOfficeofGraduateStudiesisessentialfortimelyannouncementtotheSchoolof Education.

*Prospectushearingmustbeheldwithinthefirstandlastdayofclassofasemester.

ProspectusApprovalProcess

Uponcompletionoftheprospectushearing,thecommitteereachesaconclusionaboutmoving forwardwithdatacollection.Aminimumofthreepositivevotesisrequiredforapproval.The committeemaydecideto:

a) approvetheprospectuswithoutchanges

b) approvewithspecifiedchanges,

c) disapprovetheprospectusaltogether

Thecommitteewillsharetheirdecisionwiththestudent.Thedissertationchairmustnotifythe OfficeofGraduateStudiesofthecommittee’sdecisiontoinitiaterequireddocumentstobe signedviaDocuSign.TheseformsincludetheProspectusReviewReportandVCU AdvancementtoCandidacyForm.

Iftheprospectusisapprovedwithoutchanges,thedissertationchairwillnotifytheOfficeof GraduateStudiesandformstobesignedwillbeinitiated.Iftheprospectusisapprovedwith specifiedchanges,thedissertationchairneedstoprovidedocumentationofchangestobemade tothestudentandtotheOfficeofGraduateStudies.Ifrequiredchangesareminor,formsfor prospectusapprovalcanstillbecompleted.

Iftheprospectusisnotapproved,thecommitteeexplicitlyidentifiesinwritingchangestobe madeandstepstobetakenforapprovalandprovidesacopytothestudentandtheOfficeof GraduateStudiesandtheProspectusReviewReportwillbecompleted.Studentsshouldsubmit requiredchangestothecommitteewithin5daysofhearingandthecommitteeshould reviewandapprovechangeswithin5daysofreceipt.

Whenrequiredchangesarecompletedandtheprospectusisapproved,theCommitteeChairmust alerttheOfficeofGraduateStudiessotheVCUAdvancementtoCandidacyFormcanbe completed.Iftheprospectusisstillnotapprovedaftersubmittedchangesthenameetingwiththe student,dissertationchair,departmentchairandAssociateDeanofAcademicAffairsisheldto determinenextstepsthestudentmusttake.

DegreeCandidacywillbeawardedaftersuccessfulcompletionofprospectusandcompletionand submissionoftheProspectusReviewReportandtheAdvancementtoDegreeCandidacyform

VCUInstitutionalReviewBoard

VCU’sInstitutionalReviewBoard(IRB)reviewsallproposedresearchstudiesthatinvolve humansubjects.Priortoprospectushearing,thecandidatewiththeiradviserdetermineswhether thestudymeetstherequirementsforexempt,expedited,orfullboardreview.Ifthestudy requiresIRBapproval,theapprovalprocessmustbeinitiatedpriortoprospectushearing.

VCUrequiresallresearchpersonnelonastudytocompletetheCollaborativeIRBTraining Initiative(CITI)BasicCoursebeforebeginninghumansubjectsresearch.Moreinformation aboutVCUIRBcanbefoundontheHumanSubjectsResearchwebsiteWhensubmittingthe researchprotocolthroughVCURAMS-IRB,pleaseselecttheDepartmentChairasthePIfor reviewandapproval.

Whilethedissertationchairistheprincipalinvestigatorforalldissertationresearchstudies,itis thestudents’responsibilitytoensurethatIRBapprovalhasbeenobtainedbefore beginninganydatacollectionactivities.Studentsusingsecondarydatamustcontactand receiveformalapprovalfromIRBbeforetheuseofanydata.

AdvancementtoCandidacy

AstudentbecomesaPh.D.candidateafterhavingcompletedallcourseworkrequiredforthe degree,includingEDUS890(unlessthestudenthasoptedout),passedtheComprehensive Assessment,andsuccessfullydefendedtheprospectus.Studentswhohavefulfilledallofthese requirementsmustalerttheOfficeofGraduateStudiestohaveAdvancementtoCandidacyform completed.PleaseseetheGraduateBulletinformoreinformationaboutdegreecandidacy.

DoctoralCandidacyandDissertation

Thestudentisrequiredtomaintaincontinualenrollmentduringthedissertationprocessandis requiredtoregisterfordissertationcreditseachsemesterthattheyareusinguniversityresources, includingconsultingwiththedissertationcommittee.

Thestudentisrequiredtoconsultwiththeirdissertationchaireachsemesterpriortoregistering fordissertationresearchhours.ThereisnolimittothenumberofEDUS899creditsastudent maytakewhilepursuingcompletionofthedegree,thoughdegreecompletionlimitsarerequired bytheVCUGraduateSchool.Ifthedissertationchairisnotthelistedinstructorforthestudent’s EDUC899course,theymustsubmitthegradeearnedtothelistedinstructorpriortothegrade submissiondeadline.

SchedulingtheDissertationDefense

Toschedulethedissertationdefense,astudentmust:

1. Getapprovalfromdissertationchair(afterreviewofgradesandprogramrequirements)to scheduledissertationdefense

2. Consultcommitteeandselectdatetoholddissertationdefense

3. EmailOfficeofGraduateStudiesatwinnkb@vcu.edufordissertationdefenserequest formthatmustbecompletedandreturned

4. Submitdissertationdefenserequestform2weekspriortodefenseSubmitelectroniccopy ofdissertationtocommitteeandtotheOfficeofGraduateStudies2weekspriorto defense.CopiesmustbesenttotheOfficeofGraduateStudiesatwinnkb@vcu.edu.

EmailingtheOfficeofGraduateStudiesisessentialfortimelyannouncementtotheSchoolof Education.

Dissertationdefensesmustbeheldnolaterthan10calendardayspriortotheGraduateSchool’s deadlineforsubmissionoffinalandapproveddissertationtothedigitalarchives.TheGraduate School’sdeadlineforsubmissiontotheVCUScholarsCompasscanbefoundontheVCU AcademicCalendar.

ApprovaloftheDissertation

Followingthedissertationdefense,thecommitteedeliberatesandmakesadecisiononapproval. Thecommitteemaydecideto:

1. approvethedissertationaswritten

2. approvedissertationwithminorchanges

3. requestthecandidatetomakespecificchangesbeforeapproval

Ifminorchanges(spelling,typographical,orsyntactical)areneeded,approvalformscanstillbe completed.Thecommitteemayempowerthedissertationchairtoactonitsbehalfinsupervising thecorrections.Requestedchangesneedtobesubmittedtothecommitteewithin5calendar daysofdissertationdefenseandthecommitteemustreviewandapprovechangeswithin5 calendardaysofreceiptandnotifytheOfficeofGraduateStudiesofitsdecision.

Ifmajorchanges(definedasconceptual,factual,orinterpretivechanges)areneeded,asecond meetingmustbescheduled,atwhichtimethedissertationcommitteereviewsandactsonthe revisions.Thesecondmeetingshouldbescheduledwithin10calendardaysoforiginal defenseunlessconflictwithgettingchangessubmittedandapprovedpriortotheuniversity Thesis/Dissertationapprovaldeadline,inwhichcasethemeetingshouldbeheldsooner.

Aminimumofthreepositivevotesisrequiredforapproval.Oncethedissertationisfully approved,thedissertationchairnotifiestheOfficeofGraduateStudiesofthecommittee’s decisiontoinitiaterequiredpaperworktobecompleted.TheseformsincludetheSOE DissertationDefenseFormandtheElectronicThesis/Dissertation(ETD)Approvalform,which isinitiatedbytheOfficeofGraduateStudiesthroughDocuSign.

Ifthedissertationdefenseisstillnotapprovedafterthesecondmeeting,thenameetingwiththe student,committee,departmentchairandAssociateDeanofAcademicAffairsneedstobeheld todeterminenextsteps.

SubmissionoftheApprovedDissertation GuidelinesregardingdissertationsubmissionareavailableattheVCUScholarsCompass website.FinaldissertationsneedtobeuploadedtotheVCUScholarsCompassbythe designateddeadlineontheuniversityacademiccalendar.VCUalsorequiresthatstudents completetheSurveyofEarnedDoctorates.

Graduation

Duringthesemesterinwhichastudentintendstograduate,theymustcompleteandsubmitthe graduationapplicationthroughVCUe-servicesatthebeginningofthesemesterbytheVCU designateddeadline.Studentswillbenotifiedofgraduationapplicationdeadlinesand instructionsviaVCUemail.

Studentsaretocompletegraduationcheckoutthroughe-servicesandhavetheiradvisorcomplete preliminaryapprovalthroughdegreeworks.

StudentsmayvisittheVCUCommencementwebsiteforadditionalcommencementdetails.

ContentfortheQualifyingAssessmentportfolioinyourconcentrationwillconsistofitemsand materialsdesignatedbythefacultyinyourconcentration(concentration-specificinformation here)andperformanceandcompletionofthefollowingfourcourses:

EDUS608EducationalStatisticsThepurposeofthiscourseistofacilitatestudents' developmentoftheskillsrequiredtocome upwitharesearchhypothesisandanalyzedatatoconfirmordenysaidhypothesis.Students willspecificallyconsiderthedevelopmentoftheoreticallygroundedhypothesesandtheuseof avarietyofstatisticaltechniquestoenabletheirtesting.Theclasswillfocusinparticularon multipleregressionwithtwoormoreindependentvariablesandthepsychometricanalysisof measurementscalesintendedtotapvariablesusedinthemodelsdeveloped.Studentswillalso considercurvilinearrelationships,factoranalysisandpoweranalysis.Studentswho successfullycompletethecourseshouldhavetheabilitytoanalyzecomplexdatasetsand constructmeasuresthatenablethetestingofhypothesesthatadvancetheory,researchand practiceinthefieldofeducation.

EDUS702:FoundationsofEducationalResearchandDoctoralScholarshipPartI

1. AcclimatebeginningPh.D.studentsintotherealmofdoctoralstudies

2. Encouragestudentstoreflectontheirplaceintheirprogram/concentrationandonthewider contextswithinwhichtheirprograms/disciplinesaresituated

3. Familiarizestudentswillkeycomponentsoftheinquiryprocess,suchasunderstanding inquiryaslearning,buildingconceptualframeworks,anddevelopingclarityonknowledge use

4. Exposeparticipantstothefieldofepistemology,orthestudyofknowledge—particularlyas itappliestoeducationalresearch

5. Exposestudentstodiversephilosophiesofresearch(suchasinterpretivism,criticaltheory, arts-basedresearch)

6. Analyzeethicalissuesinresearchandintroducestudentstothehistoryandpurposesas wellasconventionsandrulesoftheIRBprocess

7. Provideinterdisciplinaryexposurebygivingstudentsopportunitiestoworkwithstudents fromotherconcentrations

EDUS703:FoundationsofEducationalResearchandDoctoralScholarshipPartII

1. AssistPh.D.studentswithnavigatingdoctoralstudies

2. ContinuetosupportPh.D.students’explorationoftheirplaceintheir program/concentrationandthewidercontextswithinwhichtheirprograms/disciplinesare situated

3. Equipstudentswithunderstandingofhistory,purpose,andgoalsoftheoryinsocialscience research,particularlycriticaltheory

4. Developstudents’foundationalknowledgenecessaryforbuildingscholarlyargumentsand engagesocialtheoryintheirownwriting

5. Provideasettingwheredoctoralstudentsdevelopheightenedsensitivitytothecomplex natureofcontemporaryeducation,especiallyurbanandglobalissuesineducation (diversity,race,class,gender).

6. Deepeninterdisciplinaryexposurebygivingstudentsopportunitiestoworkwithstudents fromotherconcentrations

EDUS710:EducationalResearchDesign

Thepurposeofthiscourseistoexaminecomplexquantitativedesignsandconceptsthatare commonlyencounteredinconductingquantitativeresearchinappliedsocialsettings.Thecourse assumesknowledgeoffundamentalprinciplesofresearch,suchasidentifyingresearchproblems orquestions,reviewingliterature,sampling,choosingappropriateassessmenttechniquesto gatherinformation,simpleresearchdesigns,internalandexternalvalidity,typesofresearch, descriptiveandinferentialstatistics,andaworkingknowledgeofSPSSdataanalysissoftware. Thesebasicprinciplesandskillsareextendedtothemorecomplexsituationsthatarefrequently encounteredinappliedsettings.Thecourseisdesignedfordoctoralstudents.Animportantgoal ofthecourseistoenablestudentstobecomecriticallyreflectiveintheuseofquantitativedata fordecision-making.Morespecifically,theobjectivesincludestudentunderstandingand applicationof:

1. theeffectsofsamplingonnon-experimentalandexperimentaldesigns

2. dataentryandSPSSsoftwarefordataanalysis

3. advancedprinciplesofmeasurementasrelatedtoresearchdesign

4. statistical,internal,construct,andexternalexperimentalvalidity

5. surveyandnon-experimentaldesigns

6. experimentalandquasi-experimentaldesigns,includingsingleandmultiplefactor designs

7. multivariateresearchdesigns

8. factoranalysis

9. statisticalanalysesforsinglefactorandmultiplefactordesigns

10.nestedexperimentaldesignsrequiringHLManalyses

11. differencesbetweenstatisticalsignificanceandeffectsize

Studentsareresponsibleforconsultingtheiradvisorandconcentrationcoordinator regardingpreparationandcompletionoftheQualifyingAssessmentaftercompletionof18 credithoursintheprogram.

CESN CCC

Eligibility Completionof alldidactic coursework, notincluding EDUS890

Completionofall didactic coursework,not includingEDUS 890

AppendixC:ComprehensiveAssessmentPolicyOverview (concentration-specificinformationhere)

EDLP EDPS RAE USL ArtEd

Completionofall didactic coursework,not includingEDUS 890 (Semesteroflast classwillbe allowed,semester afterlastclassis preferred)

Administration Fall,Springor Summer* (*pending chair availability)

Format Individualized take-home questionsin4 contentareas andanoral defense Pleasesee CES handbookfor details

Preparation

Studentwill consultwith advisorabout exam preparation

Fall/Spring Fall,Springor Summer. 6weekstocomplete theexam,common startdate. Submittedto coordinatoratend ofcoursework

Literature Review

Completionofall didactic coursework,not includingEDUS 890&priorto EDUC700

Completionofall didactic coursework,not includingEDUS 890

(Semesteroffinal courseworkmay beallowed)

Fall,Spring, Summer* (*pendingchair availability)

PleaseseeCCC handbookfor details

Take-homeproject thatincludes competenciesin dataanalysis

LiteratureReview Pleaseseethe EDPSHandbook fordetails

Individualized take-home questionsfora 20-pagepaperand anoralexam

Completionof aldidactic coursework,not includingEDUS 890

Completionofall didacticcoursework, notincludingEDUS 890

Studentstocompile/ coordinateany artifactsoflearning inadvance.Students encouragedto collaboratewith otherstakingthe exam.Coordinator isavailablefor questionsduringthe 6weeks

Studentsmeetw/ theiradvisorbythe firstweekofthe semesterinwhich theexamisto occurtodetermine thetopicandscope oftheliterature review

Studentsreceive questions1week prior.Take-home questionsrequire ~25-30hoursof preparation

AL=Timed computer-based examoncampus

Consult advisor/concentratio ncoordinator

Exammustbe scheduled1-2 monthsin advance.30-45 daysinadvance studentsmay meetwith coordinator. Questionsnot providedin advance

Consultadvisor/ coordinator

Grading Inthecaseofacomputer-basedexam,two-threeSOEfacultyreaderswillevaluatetheexamandtwowillneedtoassignaratingof“pass”or“passwith honors”inorderforthestudenttohavesuccessfullypassedtheComprehensiveAssessment StudentscanexpecttheirComprehensiveAssessment resultswithin4to6weeksoftestadministration Astudentwhofailsoneormorequestionswillbeallowedtoretaketheexamonce Allquestionswill begradedHonors,Pass,orFail UntilastudenthaspassedallcomponentsoftheComprehensiveAssessment,agradeofI(incomplete)willberecorded onthestudent’stranscript

Forotherexamformats,pleaseconsultwiththeconcentrationcoordinators.

AppendixD:FormatfortheProspectusandDissertationGuidelines

ThemostrecentAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(APA)Manual7theditionisthestyleof choicefordissertationscompletedbystudentsinthePh.D.inEducationprogram.Astudentmay petitiontheconcentrationcoordinatorforanexceptiontotheuseoftheAPAstyle.Studentsare encouragedtobecomefamiliarwiththeAPAManualandtheVCUGraduateSchoolThesisand DissertationManualasguidesforthetechnicalpreparationoftheirdissertation.

Ingeneral,followAPAstylefordeterminingthelevelsofheadings,resolvingstyleissues, particularlywithregardtoexpressingnumbersandstatistics,usinggenderneutrallanguage, constructingtablesandfigures,creditingsourcesandconstructingthereferencelist.TheVCU GraduateSchoolThesisandDissertationManualmustbefollowedfornon-contentformatting requirements(e.g.,fonts,margins,pagination,constructingtheabstract,labelingthetablesand figuresinthebodyofthetext,developingtheListofTables,ListofFigures,andtheTableof Contents).Italsohasinformationaboutarrangingthecontentsofyourdissertationforuploadto theVCUScholarsCompass.PleaseseetheStudentChecklistOfGeneralProgramRequirements (AppendixE).

Itisalsorecognizedthatforsomedissertations,theformatoutlinedheremaynotbeappropriate. AlternativestotheformatspresentedinthisAppendixmaybeapproved.Studentsshouldconsult withtheirChairregardingformatsfordissertationsandwillneedtoobtainapprovalfromtheir Chairontheformatchosen.

TraditionalFormat

A.TraditionalProspectusFormat

TheProspectusisaplanthecandidatedevelopstoserveasaguideincompletingtheir dissertationresearch.Itisexpectedthattheplanshouldbeconcise,well-articulated,and representthecandidate'sbestthinkingandinquiryonaresearchabletopic.

Sincetheprospectusisadetailedplanofthecandidate'sdissertation,itreflectsthedissertation format.Thebodyoftheprospectusiscomposedofthreemajorparts,roughlyequivalenttothe firstthreechaptersofthefinaldissertation,aswellassomeotherfeaturestypicalofamajor scholarlywork.Therelativelengthanddepthofeachsectionmayvarysomewhat,butitis expectedthateachsectionwillbeincludedintheprospectus.

Thefirstpart,Introduction,includesthestatementoftheproblemanditssignificance,the rationaleforthestudy,asummaryoftheliteraturereviewandmethodology,andalistingof specificresearchquestions.Inessence,theIntroductionshouldprovideabriefoverviewand understandingofwhatwillbestudied,whyitisofimportance,andhowitwillbeaccomplished.

Thesecondpartoftheprospectus,theReviewofLiterature,describesanddocumentsthe theoretical,historical,experiential,and/orexperimentalbackgroundoftheproposedstudy.The reviewshouldbecarefullyorganizedtoclarifythevariousconceptualandinterdisciplinaryroots fromwhichtheproposedstudyhasemergedandilluminatethewayinwhichthestudywill expandupon,ratherthanduplicate,pastknowledge.Thus,itincludesathoroughreviewofthe literatureandresearchrelevanttothedissertationquestion,althoughitmaynotprovidethe exhaustivereviewofsupportiveandrelatedareasthatwillbefoundinthefinaldissertation.In addition,thispartusuallyincludesasubsectionlistingthetermsanddefinitionsthatarecritical tothestudy.

Thethirdpart,Methodology,presentsthedetailedproceduresthatwillbefollowedinconducting theresearch.Itisusuallywritteninthefuturetense.Dependingonthespecificmethodologyto beemployedinthestudy,suchcomponentsasthepopulation,participants,instrumentation, procedures,researchdesign,dataanalysissteps,andotherinformationneededtounderstandthe studyshouldbeincludedanddescribedindetail.Inmostinstances,thelimitationsofthestudy arealsodelineatedinthispartoftheprospectus.TheJournalArticleReportingStandardsinthe appendixoftheAPAManualgivesgoodguidanceastowhatshouldbeincludedinthe Methodologychapter

Althoughthecontentofthesefirstthreepartshasbeencarefullydevelopedtoprovidebotha clearoverviewofanddetailedplanforconductingthedissertationstudy,placementoftwo specificcomponentsmayvary.Dependingupontheareaofinquiryandthenatureofthestudy, thedefinitionoftermsmaybeplacedinthefirstorsecondpartandthelimitationsand/or delimitationsofthestudymaybelocatedinthefirstorthirdpartoftheprospectus.Insuch situations,clearguidanceshouldbesoughtfromthedoctoralCommittee.

Inadditiontothethreebasicpartsofthewrittenprospectus,pleasefollowtheVCUThesisand DissertationManualforformattingoftheTitlePageandTableofContents,marginsand pagination,etc.Abibliography,whichlistsallsourcescited,butnoadditionalsupporting references,followstheMethodologypartoftheprospectus.Appendicesshouldalsobeusedas appropriate,toincludeanydocuments,suchasletters,permissions,datagatheringinstruments, orotherexhibitsthatwillbeusedinconductingthedissertationresearch.(SeeSample ProspectusContentsforanoutlineofthisinformation).

B.TraditionalDissertationFormat

Althoughthedissertationfollowstheformatalreadyusedfortheapprovedprospectus,minor revisionsmustbemadeastheprospectuspartsaredevelopedintodissertationchapters.Two additionalmajorcomponentsandsomenewspecificpagesmustalsobepreparedandincludedin

thefinaldissertation.Thethreeprospectuspartsbecomethefirstthreechaptersofthe dissertationandadditionalchapterstitled"IV.Findings"and"V.Discussion,Conclusionsand Recommendations"completethewrittenrecordofthecandidate'sstudy.

Chapter1mayberevisedasanexecutivesummaryandincludeadiscussionoftheanalysisand conclusionsoritmaystandasorganizedfortheprospectus.OftentheReviewofLiteratureis expandedtoincludegreaterinformationaboutareasthatsupportorrelatetothedissertation questionunderstudyortoincludemorecurrentliterature.ThepartonMethodologyinthe prospectusmustberevisedfromfuturetopasttense.Anychangesintheproceduresor difficultieswhichdevelopedincarryingoutthemethodologyarealsoreported.

Thequantitativeand/orqualitativeresultsofthestudy,whereappropriate,arereportedinthe Findingschapter.Inadditiontodatadescribingtheactualpopulationusedintheresearch,both tablesandexplanatoryclarificationoftheactualdatacollectedinthecourseofthestudyare presentedinthefirstsectionofthechapter Narrativeanalysisofthedataandanytrends observedarediscussedinafinalsectionofthesamechapter

TheDiscussion,ConclusionsandRecommendationschapterusesthedataalreadyreportedand relatesthosefindingstothespecificresearchproblemandquestionsdelineatedinthe Introductionandeachsubsequentchapter Therefore,thechaptermustbecarefullycraftedto reflecttheactualcontentoftheprecedingfourchapters,aswellastoprovidelogicalextensions ofthatcontent.Itisinthischapterthattheimplicationsofthefindingsandhowtheyimpact policyshouldbedemonstrated.

Therecommendations,whicharehighlydependentuponthenatureofthedissertationproblem, attempttoputthedissertationresearchintopracticalterms.Thus,therecommendationswhich emerge,inpart,formthebasisforfurtherresearch.

C.SampleContentsoftheTraditionalFormatDissertationProspectus

*[TitlePage]

*[TableofContents]

Listof

Tables…………………………………………………………………………………………

Listof

Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………

I.INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................

StatementofProblem.....................................................................................

RationaleforStudyofProblem.....................................................................

StatementofPurpose

Literature/ResearchBackground

ResearchQuestions

Design Definitionofterms.........................................................................................

II.REVIEWOFLITERATURE

OverviewofRelatedAreas

*[Organizedreviewofliterature/research]

III.METHODOLOGY

Design............................................................................................................

Sample...............................................................................................

DataSources................................................................................

Procedures.......................................................................................................

DataAnalysis.................................................................................................

Limitations.....................................................................................................

REFERENCES......................................................................................................................

APPENDICES.......................................................................................................................

D.SampleContentsoftheTraditionalFormatDissertation

*[TitlePageinmandatoryformat]

Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………………...

*[TableofContents]………………………………………………………………………….

ListofTables…………………………………………………………………………………….

ListofFigures…………………………………………………………………………………...

*[AbstractinMandatoryformat]……………………………………………………………….

I.INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................

StatementofProblem................................................................................................

RationaleforStudyofProblem...............................................................................

StatementofPurpose..................................................................................................

Literature/ResearchBackground/TheoreticalFramework

ResearchQuestions

Summary

Definitionofterms.....................................................................................................

II.REVIEWOFLITERATURE

OverviewofRelatedAreas

*[Organizedreviewofliterature/research]

III.METHODOLOGY

Sample.......................................................................................

DataSources.........................................................................

Procedures.......................................................................................................

DataAnalysis.................................................................................................

Limitations.....................................................................................................

I.FINDINGS...................................................................................................................

*[DescriptiveFindings(asappropriate)]………………………………….

*[Findingsforeachresearchquestion]

II.DISCUSSION,CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDATIONS...................................

REFERENCES......................................................................................................................

APPENDICES.......................................................................................................................

VITA

*Bracketedportionsindicatethatprospectus/dissertationspecificinformation,ratherthanthe indicatedheading,shouldbeprovidedintheactualprospectus

Three-PaperFormat

Thethree-paperformatisformedbythreeconceptuallyand/orempiricallylinkedpaperswitha briefnarrativethatdescribeshowthepapersarerelatedtoathemeorresearcharea.Eachofthe threepapersneedstobestandalonemeaningtheycouldbesubmittedforpublication independently.Theexpectationisthatthepaperseitherhavebeenpublishedorareofsufficient qualitythattheywillbesubmittedforpublication(e.g.,literaturereviewsubmittedaspartofthe ComprehensiveAssessment).

Thestudentmustbelistedeitherasthesoleauthororthefirstco-authorofeacharticle.Assuch, studentsareresponsibleforleadingtheprojectinmostways.Theseincludedevelopmentand articulationofaconceptorideaforresearch,developmentofaproposaltopursuethisidea, developmentofaresearchdesign,conductingresearchandanalysis,writingmajorportionsofa manuscript,designinganinterventionorassessment(ifrelevant),andinterpretingfindings.A guidelinefordeterminingcontributiontomanuscriptscanbefoundhere: https://www.cell.com/pb/assets/raw/shared/guidelines/CRediT-taxonomy.pdf Coauthorsmustbe identifiedatthestudent’sproposaldefense.Thearticleandtheroleofthecoauthorsmustbe presentedtoandapprovedbyallmembersofthedissertationcommittee.Anychangesin co-authorshipmustbeapprovedbythestudent’scommittee.

Thedissertationcommitteemustagreethateacharticlecanbesubmittedforpublication;thus, theinclusionofarticlesalreadypublishedbeforeacommitteeisconstitutedisatthediscretionof thecommittee.Ifapreviouslypublishedarticleisapprovedbythecommittee,thestudentwillbe responsibleforsecuringnecessarypermissionsfromthecopyrightholderandotherauthors. Doingsowillallowstudentspracticeinnavigatingauthorshipissuesandwillensurethatall authorsareawareofhowtheirworkisbeingused.

Inaddition,thegeneralformattingrequirementslistedabovealsoapplytoarticlesusedas chapters.ThestudentMUSTapplyaconsistentstyleinfont,headings,subheadings,tablesand figuresthroughouttheentiredocument(e.g.,eacharticleusedasachapter).

Forathree-paperdissertation,theprospectusdefenseanddissertationdefenseslooksomewhat different.Fortheprospectusdefense,anoverallvisionofthethreepapers(whichcaninclude papersalreadywritten),articulationofhowtheyareconceptuallyand/orempiricallylinked,clear timeline,datacollection,analyses,andpublicationplanswithaccompanyingrationaleforeach choicemustbereviewedandsignedoffbythecommittee.Forthedissertationdefense,the papersshouldbecompletedalongwithabriefnarrativethatdescribeshowthepapersarerelated toanoverarchingthemeorresearchquestion.Thecandidatemustclearlydefendeachpaperin additiontodemonstratinghowtheyarerelatedtothetheme/researchquestion.

A.SampleContentsoftheThree-PaperFormatDissertation

*[TitlePageinmandatoryformat]

Acknowledgement

*[TableofContents]

*[AbstractinMandatoryformat]

I.LINKINGDOCUMENT……………………………………………………………………….. Synthesisacrossthethreepapers………………………………………………………. Significanceofthebodyofwork……………………………………………………….

I.TITLEOFFIRSTMANUSCRIPT..........................................................................................

BodyofArticle……………………………………………………………………………. References……………………………………………………………………………….

II.TITLEOFSECONDMANUSCRIPT

III.TITLEOFTHIRDMANUSCRIPT

BodyofArticle……………………………………………………………………………. References………………………………………………………………………………. APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………..

*Bracketedportionsindicatethatprospectus/dissertationspecificinformation,ratherthanthe indicatedheading,shouldbeprovidedintheactualprospectus

Studentsareresponsibleformakingsurerequiredformsarecompleted.

❑ QualifyingAssessment StudentsmustcompleteQualifyingAssessmentafter completionof18(andpriortocompleting30)credits,includingfourcoursesin researchandeducationalfoundations(EDUS608,702,703,and710).

❑ Post-QualifyingAssessmentSummaryForm.Completedbyadvisortosummarize thegoalsandobjectivesofthestudentafterreviewingQualifyingAssessmentresults, coursegradesandanysupplementalcoursework.Anyremediationrequiredtoaddress deficienciesidentifiedduringthisreviewarespecifiedonthisformincluding timelinesforcompletionand/orotherrecommendedaction.

❑ ContinuingDoctoralStatus.Awardedoncethestudenthassuccessfullycompleted QualifyingAssessment,andcompletedanyremedialplan.

❑ Co-curricularActivityForm.Completedbythestudentandadvisortooutlinethe specificsofco-curricularactivitiesdeterminedtoassistthestudentingaining professionalexperiencesimportantforlong-termcareergoalsinresearch,teaching, leadership,and/orservicetothefield.

❑ ExternshipApplication.Completedbythestudent,advisor,andon-sitesupervisorin thesemesterpriortotheExternshipexperience.

❑ ComprehensiveAssessment Inconsultationwiththeadvisor,thestudentfollows concentration-specificinstructionsforregistration,preparation,andcompletionofthe ComprehensiveAssessment.

❑ DissertationCommitteeAgreementForm.Inconsultationwiththestudent,the advisorsubmitsadissertationcommitteeagreementformtotheOfficeofGraduate Studiesrequestingcommitteemembershipnolaterthantheendofthesemesterin whichEDUS890:DissertationSeminariscompleted.

❑ ProspectusHearing.Thestudentisallowedtoschedulethiswiththeagreementof thedissertationchairandcommitteemembers.Thestudentschedulestheprospectus hearingwiththeircommitteetwoweekspriortothedesireddateandemails winnkb@vcu.eduforinstructionsandinformationforthehearingannouncement.At thesametime,thestudentforwardsacopyoftheprospectustotheircommitteeand winnkb@vcu.edu.Thestudentisresponsibleforensuringcompletionofrequired documentspriortoandfollowingprospectushearing.

❑ AdmissiontoDoctoralDegreeCandidacyForm.Completedaftersuccessful prospectushearing.

❑ GraduationApplication.Submittedatthebeginningofthesemesterinwhichthe studentexpectstograduate.Thestudent’sadvisor/chairmustthoroughlyreviewthe application.Thestudent,advisor,programdirector,andAssociateDeanofAcademic Affairsmustapprovethroughe-services/degreeworks.

❑ DissertationDefense.Thestudentisallowedtoschedulethiswiththeagreementof thedissertationchairandcommitteemembers.Thestudentschedulesthedissertation defensewiththeircommitteetwoweekspriortothedesireddateandemails winnkb@vcu.eduforinstructionsandprovidesinformationforthedefense announcement.Atthesametime,thestudentforwardstheirdissertationtotheir committeeandwinnkb@vcu.edu.Thestudentisresponsibleformakingsure documentsrequiredbeforeandfollowingthedissertationdefensearecompleted.

❑ FinalEdits.Oncethedissertationisapproved,thestudentmustmakeanyfinaledits andrevisionsrecommendedbythecommitteewithin5calendardaysofthedefense date.Thecommitteehas5calendardaystoapproverevisionsuponreceipt.

❑ UploadDissertation.StudentuploadsfinaldissertationtoVCUScholarsCompass byGraduateSchooldeadline.SeetheElectronicThesesandDissertationsfor specificsat:https://graduate.vcu.edu/student/thesis.html