Doctorate Dissertation

A Doctorate Dissertation is part of pursuing a doctoral degree, and it includes completion and defense. The dissertation process involves building a detailed dissertation outline, looking at the big picture, and coming into the program with a topic in mind. Students are advised to use relatively simple language, be descriptive about the problem or what the study addresses, and identify how and why the study is being done.

The process emphasizes setting objectives and narrowing focus, with DBA students receiving a checklist to guide steps of the dissertation process. Guidance also covers keeping the dissertation purpose on finding the answer to a question, stating facts and avoiding opinion, and using committee input to reduce personal bias. Students should communicate often with their dissertation committee or chair, and understand Institutional Review Board (IRB) restrictions that can affect who can be surveyed.