Doctoral Programs
INTRODUCTION
The Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced study and scholarship. Educational studies is defined at Lesley University as an interdisciplinary area of inquiry that includes the examination of the individual and social processes of learning and teaching in institutional and social contexts. Study also involves integrating the study of cognition, learning, and human development with the study of institutions, organizations, and cultures.
The Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies builds on Lesley University's commitment to scholarship and generation of new knowledge. It encourages interdisciplinary study and recognizes the value of relating theory to practice. The program also maximizes the opportunity for individually designed study in a domain of study structured by the student under the supervision of a senior faculty advisor. The Doctoral Program at Lesley University is intended to promote scholarly inquiry throughout the lifespan, and consequently seeks experienced professionals who wish to make an intellectual contribution to their fields of interest.
In 1986, Lesley University received approval from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education to grant the Ph.D. degree. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges has also accredited Lesley at the Ph.D. degree level.
The Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies is a 45-credit, post-master's degree in which students move through three phases of doctoral study--development of an individualized Doctoral Study Plan (Phase I), Doctoral Study (Phase II), and Dissertation (Phase III). For more information, contact Karen Shea, the assistant director for academic advising for the Ph.D. programs.
2006-2007 DOCTORAL PROGRAM HANDBOOK
The 2006-2007 Doctoral Program Handbook is available here in pdf format. There are sections for program description, dissertation guidelines, faculty roles and responsibilities, the Advanced Graduate Council, registration, course descriptions, academic policies, and general information. It also has forms, contact information, and brief descriptions of each doctoral program faculty and staff. Some institutional policies and services are duplicated in this handbook for your convenience. All policies are subject to change.
Please consult the Lesley University Graduate and Adult Bachelor's Programs Student Handbook, or see http://www.lesley.edu/soe/soe-policies.html for complete information on school policies and procedures.
Program Description
Policies effective as of June 1, 2005.
Phase I
Phase I of the Doctoral Program requires that a student complete a minimum of fifteen (15) credits of advanced graduate study. This study requires courses in research methodology and participation in a yearlong interdisciplinary seminar.
Specific Requirements for Phase I
1. Completion of 15 credits of Advanced Graduate Study (including 4 required courses).
2. Completion of the Doctoral Study Plan (DSP) for submission to and approval of the Advanced Graduate Council.
3. Participation in Human Subjects Protection Training
4. Fulfillment of Phase I Residency Requirement
Required Courses
- EAGSR 7101 Quantitative Methods I: Statistics for Research, 3 credits
- EAGSR 7103 Qualitative Research Methods, 3 credits
- EAGSR 8102 Interdisciplinary Seminar I, 3 credits
- EAGSR 8104 Interdisciplinary Seminar II, 3 credits
- EAGSR 9151, Doctoral Study, 0 credits
ALL doctoral students must register EVERY SEMESTER for EAGSR 9151 - Doctoral Study.
Students will be automatically registered for EAGSR 9151 during early registration. The Bursar will determine whether to charge the matriculation fee (for the first eight semesters) or the continuation fee (all following semesters until graduation). There is no tuition for this zero (0) credit course. Required courses and electives, including Independent Studies, may be added by the student using a registration form. (See Registration, Courses, and Credits section for more information on EAGSR 9151.)
Electives
Students are required to earn 15 credits during Phase I. All electives must be approved in the doctoral study plan. The doctoral program offers a number of electives:
- GAGSR 6003 Program Evaluation, 3 credits
- EAGSR 7004 Adult Learning and Development, 3 credits
- EAGSR 7102 Quantitative Methods II: Research Design, 3 credits
- EAGSR 7104 Qualitative Research Methods II, 3 credits
Students may design independent study courses with their senior advisor or other Lesley faculty member.
- EAGSR 7999 Independent Study, 1-6 credits
Students may arrange to take advantage of an activity outside of Lesley University by designing an independent study. (See Registration, Courses, and Credits section describing independent study courses in detail.)
- EAGSR 7500 Independent Study: Outside Activity, 1-12 credits
(See Course Descriptions for descriptions of doctoral program electives and required courses.)
In addition, students may register for 7000- or 8000-level courses in other Lesley University divisions for doctoral credit.
Finally, students may take courses at other colleges and universities and transfer elective credits to Lesley University. (See Registration, Courses, and Credits section for transfer policies.)
New Course Sequence for Phase I
Beginning in Fall, 2005, Phase I students are advised to follow this course sequence:
FALL I:
-Register for Interdisciplinary Seminar I, plus elective(s)*
-Participate in Doctoral Study Seminar (residency requirement)
-Work on Doctoral Study Plan
SPRING I:
-Register for Interdisciplinary Seminar II, plus Qualitative Research Methods
-Participate in Doctoral Study Seminar (residency requirement)
-Work on Doctoral Study Plan**
FALL II:
-Register for Quantitative Methods/Statistics, plus elective(s)*
-Submit Doctoral Study Plan by end of 3rd semester, if not before.**
*We strongly recommend that one of the electives be a course or an independent study with the senior advisor.
**Students who plan to register for more than two courses and earn more than six credits per semester, and/or students who plan to transfer in credits earned prior to matriculating in the doctoral program, will be affected by the Credit Limit Policy (below) in Phase I.
Credit Limit Policy
Effective June 1, 2005, the Advanced Graduate Council approved a new policy limiting the number of credits students may earn prior to submission of the Doctoral Study Plan.
RATIONALE: We have noted that completion of a significant portion of credits (including transfer credits) before approval of the DSP creates several difficulties for students:
- a student risks that a number of credits that they would like to apply to their doctoral study will not be approved (other than required courses, no credits count toward the doctoral degree until the DSP is approved.
- The DSP is intended to be a road map to doctoral study, not an evaluation of what a student may learn in doctoral study as may occur in qualifying examinations or a proposal for dissertation research.
The policy states:
Currently, the specific requirements for Phase I of the doctoral program are completion of 15 credits of advanced graduate study, including four required courses, completion of the doctoral study plan, and its approval by the AGC. In order to ensure that a student has an approved DSP at an appropriate time within their doctoral study (within three semesters of matriculation into the program), students will not be allowed to register for more than 18 credits of work after matriculation into the program (including any required courses completed before matriculation into the program) until the DSP is approved.
This means that at a maximum, a student may complete 30 credits at the time he or she submits a DSP (including a maximum of 12 transfer credits completed within five years of matriculation and approved in the DSP). Note: a student who may be able to apply 24 credits of work earned before matriculation (those students who have completed 12 credits of required courses and have 12 transfer credits) will be allowed to work on only six credits of additional work before submitting a DSP. Any students entering the program with this status will be carefully advised about the need to submit a DSP as soon as possible.
For the class of 2006, for example: If you are an alum with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) from Lesley earned within the last five years, you may be hoping to transfer in the maximum number of credits--12 credits of post-master's work plus 12 credits of the required doctoral courses. If so, you could register for a maximum of 6 credits before submitting a doctoral study plan. (The math: 24 credits of transfer earned in the CAGS, plus 6 new credits equals 30 credits).
Another example: If you are a student who has 12 credits of post-master's work earned within the last five years, you may be hoping to transfer in the maximum number of credits (12). If so, you could register for a maximum of 18 credits before submitting a doctoral study plan. (The math: 12 credits of transfer earned prior to matriculation plus 18 credits equals 30 credits).
For all current, continuing students who have not submitted a doctoral study plan: you will be affected by this new policy and should make plans to complete the DSP as soon as possible.
Rationale
A residency requirement is usually used in doctoral programs to insure that students participate in the academic community on a full-time basis for some period of time. Originally, our policy required that students be full time (9 credits per semester) for two consecutive semesters. While we believe that the idea of participation in the academic community is still warranted, we do not believe that an effective measure of this participation is full-time study as measured by credits.
Residency Policy (new policy in effect for students entering after June 1, 2005)
We require students to meet the residency requirement by:
- Participation in the Doctoral Study Seminar I (entitled Entering the Doctoral Study Community) during Phase I;
- A public presentation to an appropriate academic audience of work completed in the qualifying examination papers; for example, in a conference or in the Doctoral Study Seminar II (entitled Building a Knowledge Base for Educational Studies) during Phase II; and
- A public presentation of the Ph.D. dissertation in Phase III.
For the class of 2005 and forward, this policy means that we will not require full time study (for doctoral students this is 9 credits) at any point in the program. The policy that Phase I and Phase II must be completed within four years does not change.
Students entering prior to 2005 have the option of choosing the new residency requirement or participating under the old policy. So, for example, students who have already met the residency requirement (two consecutive semesters of nine credits), may elect not to follow the new guidelines, thus opting out of both the requirement to attend the doctoral study seminar in Phase I and the requirement to present their qualifying paperwork to an appropriate academic audience during Phase II. The public presentation of the dissertation in Phase III has always been a requirement, and remains a requirement, for graduation.
An essential feature of Phase I is the student's responsibility, under the supervision of a senior advisor, to complete a doctoral study plan--a detailed description of the study that a student will undertake in a domain of interdisciplinary educational studies. The purpose of the doctoral study plan is to insure that a student has conceptualized a domain of educational studies, the main focus of the doctoral study, and has identified a range of scholarly activities that can lead to mastery of that domain at the doctoral level.
Students prepare a written plan, which identifies the domain of doctoral study to be undertaken and the manner in which such a study will be completed. We expect that the study or work can be organized or divided into different areas of study, which are not necessarily disciplines in the traditional sense but are necessary for mastery of the domain. The doctoral study plan should consist of five sections: 1) a narrative personal statement, 2) the definition of the domain of study, 3) a discussion of the sociocultural factors that will be addressed in the coursework, as well as 4) a bibliography, and 5) several attachments. The Doctoral Study Plan is submitted to the Advanced Graduate Council for approval.
The doctoral study plan should be written using APA style (except in the rare instance that the student's field requires another established style), and should include the following:
- Section I: a narrative personal statement (3-5 pages) that provides a context for the issues, questions, or learning goals that are the foundation for the proposed study.
- Section II: a definition of the domain of study, including:
A. A brief introduction that names the domain of study.
B. Identification of the areas of study that will address questions, issues, or learning goals.
1. Under one area of study, the student must discuss how some of the basic literature and research within that area of study relates to the study, and how some of the content of the anticipated study will help to address learning goals (7-10 pages).
2. A brief (1-2 pages) description of each of the other areas of study not described in detail above.
3. In addition, for each area of study, a list of courses, institutes, internships, and independent studies. Previous courses that a student wishes to transfer into the program should briefly described.
C. The four required courses, the Interdisciplinary Seminars, and the research courses do not need to be described within the areas of study. While the interdisciplinary seminars may give insights into the domain, they were designed to assist all students in delineating their doctoral studies. In addition, we expect all students to develop research skills. Research does not have to be described as an area of study. Students may wish to discuss research questions that may emerge from their study. In the context of those research questions, students may wish to discuss additional studies to hone skills in specific research methodologies that they may use in their thesis work.
- Section III: A discussion of the sociocultural factors that impact on educational studies and the student's profession. A description of how the student plans to develop knowledge further in his or her studies, following the Sociocultural Perspective Standard.
- Section IV: A bibliography of books, journals, and other references that form a preliminary foundation for the work, in APA style. It may also be necessary to provide references for citations within the DSP.
- Section V: Eight attachments:
- a chronological timeline of courses by semester, listing course number, title, number of credits, school, and professor; please include the four required courses;
- a second listing of courses by area of study, listing course number, title, number of credits, school, and professor, and including a section for "required courses;"
- transcripts with a description of credit equivalency, other supporting documents, and rationales for requested transfer courses;
- a description of how any non-doctoral level courses will be or have been upgraded to be included in the doctoral study; at Lesley, all 5000- and most 6000-level courses are considered master's degree level courses and not appropriate for doctoral study;
- a list of proposed doctoral study committee members: two Lesley core faculty members and one off-campus committee member
- curriculum vitae for all committee members who are not core Lesley faculty;
- student's curriculum vita or resume
- protection of human research subjects--certification of completion of training
NOTE: Revisions to Sections I and II were approved by the Advanced Graduate Council and became effective as of June 1, 2005. This policy affects all entering students beginning with the class of 2005. Students who entered prior to 2005 who have not submitted a doctoral study plan will be requested to follow the new guidelines. Please read the new companion policy on credit limits for students submitting the DSP.
The Advanced Graduate Council reviews the plan to ensure that:
- the plan is well organized and written clearly, using an academic style presenting a well-reasoned, convincing argument for the program of study;
- a relevant domain of educational studies has been identified in Sections I and II (narrative and definition);
- a reasonable course of study that leads to a students mastery of the domain at the doctoral level has been identified in Section II (definition of the domain);
- the plan meets a sociocultural perspective standard in Section III;
- the plan is written using APA format and contains a supporting bibliography in section IV;
- the course of study meets all degree requirements (excluding the dissertation) as identified in the attachments of Section V;
- a doctoral study committee has been suggested, with members who have the expertise to guide, advise, and evaluate a student's academic progress through the qualifying paper as identified in the attachments of Section V.
The Advanced Graduate Council expects a plan of study of approximately 15 pages in length, plus attachments.
Guidelines for Doctoral Study Plans
1. It is a plan, not a dissertation proposal. The DSP is written near the beginning of the student's period of study, and is not a dissertation proposal. While it may contain broad questions that a student would like to be able to answer through doctoral study, it does not have to contain a discussion of the particular question(s) that will form the focus of the final research project.
The Doctoral Study Plan must be submitted to the Advanced Graduate Council for approval by the end of the student's third semester of study within the program.
2. Sooner is better.
In order to ensure that a student has an approved DSP at an appropriate time within their doctoral study (within three semesters of matriculation into the program), students will not be allowed to register for more than 18 credits of work after matriculation into the program (including any required courses completed before matriculation) until the DSP is approved.
3. Explicitly state the domain of study. The DSP should explicitly state the domain of educational studies for mastery at the doctoral level. In broad terms, educational studies is defined at Lesley University as an interdisciplinary area of inquiry that includes the examination of the individual and social processes of learning and teaching in institutional and social contexts. Study also involves integrating the study of cognition, learning, and human development with the study of institutions, organizations, and cultures. The student must refine this definition to fit his or her particular interests in a DSP.
4. We recommend a first-year independent study. We recommend that students take a 3-credit Independent Study with the senior advisor in the fall or spring semester of the first year, on a topic close to the domain of study or one of the anticipated areas of study. This helps to establish the senior advisor/student relationship and can help to identify one area of study for the DSP.
5. Electives require approval in the DSP. All electives taken prior to the approval of the DSP should have content close to the student's major area of study.
6. Record the number of credits with all courses. The number of credits per course should be listed in addition to the assigned course numbers and course titles. (Credits earned at institutions that use a quarter system do not have the same value as credits earned at institutions that use a semester system. Please attach credit equivalency information (usually found on the back of the transcript) to verify the value of any credits earned outside Lesley University. A standard conversion is: one quarter-credit equals .66 semester credits. Lesley does not transfer partial credits.)
7. Do not take inappropriate courses. Lesley University courses at the 5000 level are not acceptable for doctoral level study. Courses at the 6000 level are only acceptable if an appropriate rationale is provided (see number 8, below).
8. Appropriate courses and rationale for 6000-level course. Doctoral-level courses at Lesley are numbered 7000, 8000, or 9000. For any course taken at Lesley that is not clearly at the doctoral level and for which the student wishes to receive credit toward the doctoral degree, the following needs to be provided:
- a rationale indicating why the course is appropriate for this specific study plan
- what additional work will be included to make it a doctoral level course; and
- documentation of the type of evaluation standards used to make the course an appropriate doctoral-level experience for the student (typically, a student will place such a course activity within an independent study course contract [EAGSR 7999] and specify within the contract the additional work or evaluation standard that will be applied to make the course appropriate for doctoral study).
9. Elective suggestions. The doctoral program has developed or identified a number of elective courses to meet common needs of doctoral students:
- Program Evaluation, for educators whose practice includes evaluation and report writing; this course is often taken early in the doctoral study phase to supplement the required research courses;
- Adult Learning and Development, offered in the spring semester;
- Qualitative Research Methods II or Quantitative Research Methods II, for students who need more in-depth knowledge in preparation for their chosen research.
10. Transfer credits. For courses taken at other institutions, verification of the doctoral level of the course should be provided, since numbering systems at academic institutions vary considerably.
11. Doctoral Study Committee members. Proposed DSC members must agree to serve before the plan is submitted to the Advanced Graduate Council. The Committee is formally appointed with the plan is approved. Soon after the plan is approved, the DSC meets with the student to discuss the study plan in detail.
12. Senior Advisor. The senior advisor is invited to attend the Advanced Graduate Council meeting at which the student's doctoral study plan is reviewed. Attendance is optional. (AGC minutes, 3/22/05)
Criteria for Completing Phase I
- The student completes 15 credits, including the 4 required courses, with a grade of B+ or better (EAGSR 7101, EAGSR 7103, EAGSR 8104, and one elective);
- The student defines an adequate domain of study to be undertaken, and submits to the Advanced Graduate Council a reasonable plan in which to complete his/her doctoral studies (see Criteria and Standards for Evaluation of the Doctoral Study Plan, above);
- The student meets the Residency Requirement (above) for Phase I;
- The Advanced Graduate Council informs the director of the Ph.D. program that the student has successfully completed the Doctoral Study Plan;
- The director of the Ph.D. program notifies the student in writing that she/he has met all requirements of phase I and moves her/him to Phase II.
SOCIOCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE STANDARD POLICY
(effective as of June 1, 2005)
Rationale
Traditionally, doctoral programs have required the study of language. The intent of this requirement was to insure that students had access to knowledge important for their field of study that required the ability to read or speak another language. While this idea is still relevant, we believe that language skills are a reflection of a broader area of study that all students working toward a Ph.D. in Educational Studies should address.
Language is a social and cultural phenomenon, reflecting, in a broader context, a history of inquiry that is social and cultural in nature. How this social and cultural experience enters into and impacts our attempts to inquire is itself an important arena of study. For example, from the point of view of understanding ourselves as knowers, we might argue that our identities reflect social and cultural experiences, in which factors such as race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, history, geography, and religion shape how we view "reality." Or, from the point of view of understanding the "discourse" of a discipline, or what is the specialized language, practice, and accepted knowledge of those who work in disciplines, we might argue that it is important to understand different or competing epistemological and philosophical foundations about what can be know. In addition, in either of these perspectives, we might want to consider how both inclusion and exclusion of different social and cultural phenomena either alters the "knowers" (possibly privileging some points of view over others) and the "discourse" they produce. Broadly, we expect students to think critically about how social and cultural phenomena shape our identities, and the context in which knowledge is constructed and reflected in our research questions and methodologies.
How Students Can Meet the Standard
The standard can be met through an examination of: the epistemological foundations of different academic disciplines and approaches to research; the impact of culture and varied personal backgrounds upon academic inquiry and professional practice; the study of a second language; the psychological view of the many other variables that influence how people create knowledge and professional values and transmit their understanding to others; the problems and challenges encountered by marginalized individuals and groups; and a combination of these approaches.
Students must:
- describe, in the doctoral study plan, the aspects or factors they believe impact their work and how they will examine these factors; students may want to identify courses that might contribute to their engagement in critical thinking about socio-cultural issues related to their study
- indicate how they have met the requirement before advancing to Phase II of doctoral study.
Since the doctoral program does not prescribe a single way of addressing the Sociocultural Perspective Standards, students are given the freedom to explore these issues in creative and critical ways that emanate from their personal values and educational goals.
RESEARCH ETHICS AND POLICIES
Human Subjects Protection Training
The principles of protection of human participants in research were established in the Belmont Report in 1979, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and summarized in the basic ethical principles of the Federal Regulations on Human Subjects (Title 45, Part 46, 45CFR46). This report identified three principles of ethical conduct of research with human subjects: respect, beneficence, and justice. These principles form the foundation for conducting research, including guidelines for obtaining informed consent, respect for privacy and confidentiality, and risk/benefit assessment. The Lesley University Human Subjects Policy requires all researchers to fulfill ethical obligations to protect the rights of human subjects.
The National Institute of Health has a computer-based training option available 24 hours a day at no cost. Upon completion of the self-guided study and test, a certificate can be printed. Students may access this website at http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticipant-protections.asp.
Human Subjects in Research Policy
The Lesley University Human Subjects policy can be found at: http://www.lesley.edu/policies/catalog/human_subjects.html. This will also provide you with a Worksheet for Consideration of Exempt Research, a guide to preparation of letters of informed consent, and a link to the Human Subjects Application. Each student applies for Exempt, Expedited, or Full review.
Additional resources:
Belmont Report: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.htm; http://www.nihtraining.com/ohsrsite/guidelines/belmont.html
Code of Federal Regulations - Title 45: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm
Phase II
In Phase II of the Ph.D. Program the student completes the major academic requirements of the degree. In this phase a student must complete course work and study identified in the Doctoral Study Plan. This work can involve appropriate courses offered at Lesley University, Independent Study with Lesley University faculty and courses at other institutions, conferences, work with consultants, workshops, etc. In addition, students in Phase II must demonstrate that they have met the sociocultural perspective standard. The culminating experience in Phase II is completion of a written qualifying paper.
Specific Requirements for Phase II
1. Completion of the 45 credits of post masters degree study through:
- Appropriate post-master's courses taken at other institutions within 5 years prior to acceptance or taken after matriculation into the doctoral program, and which have been approved within the context of the Doctoral Study Plan. (See: Transfer Credit)
- Appropriate courses at Lesley University (with a minimum grade average of 3.0 quality points based on a 4.0 scale).
- Lesley University independent study courses arranged with Lesley faculty. For each course proposed, the student fills out an individual Independent Study Course Contract with a faculty member and registers for EAGSR 7999 Independent Study.
- Other scholarly activities (including independent study courses, workshops, conferences, seminars and institutes) at settings other than Lesley University. The activities must be approved within the Doctoral Study Plan and supervised and evaluated by a student's Senior Advisor or chair of the Doctoral Study Committee. For each activity proposed, the student fills out an individual Independent Study Course Contract with a faculty member and registers for EAGSR 7500 Independent Study: Outside Activity
All credits taken outside Lesley University must be transferred before the end of Phase II doctoral study.
2. Satisfactory fulfillment of the Sociocultural Perspective Standard as described in the Doctoral Study Plan that may include the study of foreign languages, or American sign language. (Refer to the section describing the Sociocultural Perspective Standard.
3. Completion of the Qualifying Paper. This paper is the culminating activity in Phase II. A student is expected to demonstrate a mastery of their defined domain of study and readiness to undertake the final phase of doctoral study -- the doctoral dissertation. (See the section on the Qualifying Paper.) A student should devote the major portion of one semester, but no more than two semesters, to complete the qualifying paper.
4. The Residency Requirement must be met by the end of Phase II.
Doctoral students have a total of four (4) years to complete Phase I and Phase II of their program of study.
Criteria and Process for Completion of Phase II
1. Committee Letter to the Director
The Doctoral Study Committee informs the Director of the Program in writing that the student has:
- Adequately completed the course work (with a minimum grade average of 3.0 quality points out of a 4.0 scale), other scholarly activities, and research defined in the doctoral study plan,
- Completed the qualifying paper by demonstrating knowledge achieved in the domain of study and mastery of the scholarship of the domain,
- Satisfactorily fulfilled the sociocultural perspective standard as described in the Doctoral Study Plan, and
- Met the residency requirement, and recommends that the student be advanced to Phase III study.
2. Written Notification to Student - The Director of the Program concurs with the Doctoral Studies Committee's recommendation, and the student is notified in writing about this decision.
3. Submitting the QPs - The student submits a copy of the approved Qualifying Examination paper(s) to the Program Office.
4. Submitting the Names of the Dissertation Committee - The student also submits the names of the proposed Dissertation Committee for Phase III, noting changes, if any, from the Doctoral Study Committee.
5. Requesting an Extension - A student who has not completed the qualifying paper within the four (4) year limit for completion of study for Phase I and Phase II, must petition the Advanced Graduate Council for an extension to complete the qualifying paper. The student's Doctoral Study Committee should support a recommendation for extension.
The Doctoral Study Plan can be revised during the course of the student's program by mutual agreement of the Doctoral Study Committee and the student. Such revisions must be justified and provide for equivalent activity and have the written approval of the Doctoral Study Committee. Please submit a copy of the approved revision to the Program Office.
Phase III
Upon successful completion of Phase II, a student is advanced to dissertation status, or Phase III of the program.
In this final phase a student undertakes the writing of a doctoral dissertation which represents an original contribution to the field of Educational Studies. (A Dissertation Handbook is available through the program office.) This work is completed under the guidance of a Dissertation Committee. Phase III requires approval of the doctoral thesis by the faculty members of the dissertation committee and an oral defense of the dissertation. In addition, the program requires that each student participate in a public presentation of the dissertation research before graduating.
Criteria and Process for Completion of Phase III
1. Dissertation Prospectus is written, submitted and approved by Dissertation Committee within six months of moving to Phase III.
2. Dissertation is completed. The Dissertation Committee meets a final time and signs off on completed dissertation. Chair informs the Director that the student has successfully completed his/her dissertation by demonstrating:
- The use of appropriate research methodologies;
- Originality in responding to the research questions posed in the dissertation; and
- Clarity and coherence of evidence used in evaluating research hypotheses or used in making a logical analytic argument.
3. The student makes a public presentation of the dissertation research to the Lesley Community.
4. The Director of the Ph.D. in Educational Studies Program recommends to the Dean of the School of Education that the student has successfully completed all of the degree requirements for the Ph.D. in Educational Studies.
5. The Dean of the School of Education recommends conferral of the degree.
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