To be eligible for the Doctor of Education degree, the candidate shall have completed a program of study, including a qualifying examination and a dissertation, that is both consistent with the requirements specified within the CSU policy and approved by the appropriate campus authority.
1. The qualifying examination shall include a rigorous written assessment of student knowledge; the examination must be passed prior to the student’s advancement to candidacy.
2. The dissertation proposal examination shall evaluate the candidate’s readiness to proceed with the dissertation research. Passing this examination shall constitute formal approval for the candidate to proceed with the proposed dissertation research, subject to Institutional Review Board approval as necessary.
3. The dissertation shall be the written product of systematic, rigorous research on a significant educational issue.
4. The final examination shall be an oral defense of the candidate’s dissertation.
Dissertation Proposal
A student shall submit a dissertation proposal for approval, following the procedures and format established by the Ed.D. program faculty and the campus. The dissertation proposal shall contain, at a minimum, a description of the problem, a review of the relevant literature, a statement of the research question, and a description of the research methodology. The proposal shall contain either:
a. human subjects research documents that have been submitted to the Institutional
Review Board regarding the proposed dissertation research or
b. required materials pertaining to human subjects research that have been completed
but not yet submitted to the Institutional Review Board.
Dissertation
a. The dissertation shall be the written product of systematic, rigorous research on a significant educational issue. The dissertation is expected to contribute to an improvement in public P-12 or community college professional practices or policy, generally or in the context of a particular educational institution. It shall evidence originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale for the research problem examined.
b. The dissertation shall identify the research problem and question(s), state the major theoretical perspectives, explain the significance of the undertaking, relate it to the relevant scholarly and professional literature, set forth the appropriate sources for and methods of gathering and analyzing the data, and offer a conclusion or recommendation. It shall include a written abstract that summarizes the significance of the work, objectives, methodology, and a conclusion or recommendation.
c. Opportunities for students to complete work in support of the dissertation shall be embedded throughout the Ed.D. curriculum.
For more details about qualifying examination, dissertation committee, dissertation proposal examination, and final examination, please refer to the Ed.D. program handbook.
Student Support for Dissertation Writing
Trained professional tutors at the Writing & Multiliteracy Center (WMC) provide writing and communication support. WMC provides one-on-one tutoring for graduate students working on dissertations including literature reviews, project reports, research presentations, and posters. In addition, students can use the WMC’s multimedia studio to edit and record videos and other multimedia projects.