5 credits

This five-credit course is focused specifically on the process of writing the dissertation prospectus. Students can use their preliminary research plan, developed previously, and develop a problem statement to be used in the dissertation. They can further refine the problem statement and carry out the planning and the library research that will bring them to the formulation of a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus is a brief paper, typically 15–20 pages in length, that lays out the background for the problem statement, the problem statement itself, a survey of the relevant literature, typically 25–75 references, and a research, implementation, and evaluation plan for the solution of the problem. This course is provided in-residence, which means that students divide their time between online activities and activities completed in-residence, with the majority of the instruction occurring face-to-face during the in-residence class meetings.