Prospectus guidelines pdf

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Table of Contents. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Related Articles. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Designed and Developed by universityonlineapplication. You are required to evaluate critically and synthesize literature; identify a research problem, including the purpose of the study; craft arguments regarding the importance of your study; and describe the background of your topic and the research problem.

Further, you are required to identify a theoretical framework; develop research questions; describe the nature of the study in terms of the research design and methodology; describe ethical research; and identify possible types and sources of information or data. Finally, you are required to identify possible analytical strategies and explain the significance of the potential study and implications for positive social change.

Knowing how to do each well is critical to being a scholar and to completing your proposal and then your dissertation. Two of the most important components of the dissertation process are the prospectus, beginning with the premise, and the proposal, which comprises the first three chapters of five in your dissertation. This preliminary table of contents provides prospective titles for each chapter or part as well as brief descriptive paragraphs fleshing out their content.

Exam Process: To prepare for the prospectus exam the student submits the written prospectus to at least two GSD faculty members and to a third person that may or may not be from outside the GSD at least one week ahead of the actual exam date.

The examining committee consists of these three individuals, of which two have to be GSD faculty. The actual exam usually begins with a presentation of the prospectus by the student, followed by questions and discussions. The overall length normally does not exceed two hours, it is not public and its results will not be publicly available.

At the end the student withdraws and the examining committee determines the outcome. Possible options are:. Failure is extremely rare because only students with a coherent and plausible prospectus are invited to take the exam. The thesis committee is officially established after the successful passing of the prospectus. It consists of at least three individuals, of which two have to be current GSD faculty. The primary advisor becomes chair of the committee.

Committee members are obliged to meet at least once each semester as a group with the student, but individual interactions between DDes candidates which is what doctoral students are called after successful passing of the GE and prospectus exam and the advisors are expected. Prospectus The aim of the prospectus is to provide a clear and well-organized presentation of the dissertation project.

Thesis Title Even a preliminary title can be important as it sets the tone for your research project. It will most likely change over the course of the thesis work. Thesis Abstract The thesis statement is arguably the most important part of the prospectus, as it is the first statement that those who are not acquainted with your project will read.

The thesis statement is akin to a brief abstract. In one to three paragraphs, it should present as concisely and coherently as possible the research problem you are treating, characterize its significance, and provide a statement about what your expected findings and conclusions are likely to be. Research Area and Topic This sections is both explanatory and justificatory, it is an expanded introduction to your thesis.

Outline your broader research area, thus the field of study your specific topic is part of, or embedded in. Then articulate your specific topic.

Why is the knowledge you are proposing to produce relevant? For whom? This discussion normally reflects the organization of the literature review as discussed earlier General Exam. At times this section also includes a concise background review, other times this overview is provided later on in the prospectus see section eight. What are research problems? The answers will differ depending on the research area, but often research problems are generalized problems either derived from a series of practical problems typical for technology research , or they are generated by the lack of scholarly knowledge in certain important areas of study.

Research problems always relate to a body of theory, they are relevant to a broader community of scholars, design professionals, or others, and they address certain researchable issues with great specificity.