Letter to Students from the Morgridge College of Education Faculty: 

Dear Student,

The final step leading to completion of your doctoral degree in the Morgridge College of Education is preparation of a dissertation and successful defense.  Some students have prepared and defended Master's theses and some have had major involvement in other research projects before beginning their dissertation.  But, for the majority of students, preparation of a dissertation will be a new experience in which you assume responsibility for a major project.  Preparing a dissertation is a learning experience guided by your advisor(s) and committee in which all aspects of the doctoral program are brought together.  That is, material from your content areas, your work in the area of research strategies and design fundamentals, your skill in writing in a professional style, and your ability to locate and critically evaluate professional literature are all integrated into one project that you carry out independently, with faculty guidance.  Your motivation and commitment to the project are the impetus to finishing the dissertation in a timely manner.  This leads to graduation and your professional career.

Articles and books have been written describing the intensity of the experience.  Problems that students encounter in preparing a dissertation vary widely, but accounts of the success experiences of the majority of graduates seldom surface. The material in these guidelines is intended to provide you with direction for positive experiences and success with your dissertation.

Although initiation of the task has on occasion been viewed as vague and difficult to grasp, there is an organizational pattern to it.  It may be helpful to look at completed dissertations in Room 201 of the Ammi Hyde Building.  Feel free to read the dissertations, but do not remove them from the reading room.  The structure varies from study to study; each one is unique. The structure for your own study will become clear after you identify a problem and develop a design to implement it.  Your advisor(s) and committee will guide you through this process.  They are your personal consultants throughout your study but your own initiative is the most important component.

The purpose of the MCE guidelines is to describe the process for completing the dissertation in the Morgridge College of Education.  Our goal is for you to have a successful experience with your study and to produce a manuscript that you will be proud of. Consult with faculty as needed, but your own initiative and resourcefulness will facilitate completion.  Finally, as you begin your dissertation, download a copy of the MCE Doctoral Dissertation Handbook and follow it closely.  It has important information that can help you avoid having to redo sections of the dissertation at the last minute. 

Good luck,
The MCE Faculty