Ph.D. Prospectus and Dissertation

1. Prospectus and dissertation committee: Each student’s dissertation work is overseen by a five-member committee, and supervised by one member as chair. At least three members of the committee, including the chair, must be School of Criminal Justice faculty. The student and committee chair will consult about membership on the committee; the dean must approve the committee composition after members have agreed to serve. The student is expected to work with the members of his/her committee in the initial development and written articulation of the prospectus and the dissertation.
2. The prospectus: The presentation and defense of a dissertation prospectus is a formal step toward Ph.D. candidacy. The written prospectus should detail the research methods and techniques to be used in conducting the dissertation topic. It also should address the relevance of the dissertation topic to the field of criminal justice, describe the conceptual and research content in which the proposed study is located, specify the originality or uniqueness of the proposal, and review, in bibliographic form, the research and other literature relevant to the topic.
3. The dissertation: The dissertation is the culmination of the program of advanced study leading to a doctoral degree. It is expected that the dissertation report in accepted scholarly style an investigation of a problem of significance, and make a unique contribution to the field of study. It must demonstrate independent research and analysis, scholarly reporting, and a high degree of scholarly competence.