Within five years following successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student must present a dissertation based on qualitative or quantitative research that has been approved by the student's Dissertation Committee, the Dean of the College of Social Work, and the Dean of the Graduate School. The Doctoral Dissertation should demonstrate student's competence in research. Accordingly, the student should understand and be able to discuss and defend all parts of the dissertation, including and especially, the research methods employed. While a student may obtain assistance, each student should be responsible for informing the Dissertation Committee concerning the nature and extent of such resources. It will be expected that the dissertation will clearly contain a thorough and integrative analysis of the ways that the research informs social work education and contributes to one or more aspects of social work education.

The dissertation must conform to Graduate School specifications (which may be obtained from the Graduate School Office) and be written in acceptable American Psychological Association (APA) style. The "final" draft of the dissertation must be distributed to the members of the Dissertation Committee at least two weeks prior to the Dissertation Evaluation meeting. Approval of the dissertation requires a majority vote of the "final" draft and the signatures of all members of the Committee on the dissertation title sheet. If the "final" draft is not acceptable to the committee, the student must revise the draft in accordance with the recommendations of Committee members and resubmit the revisions for final approval.

During the preparation of the dissertation, any student who wishes to use University facilities or to confer with faculty on dissertation work must be officially enrolled for dissertation credit. Registration for a minimum of twelve credits in Dissertation Research (SOWK 899) is required for all dissertation candidates.

A candidate is required to have dissertations and abstracts reproduced by University Microfilms at a cost of $35.00. A candidate electing to otherwise publish his or her dissertation must submit a copy of the publisher's contract to the Graduate School office. Further information regarding dissertations in contained in the Graduate School's Regulations for Doctoral Dissertations.

The University requires that an approved dissertation be presented to the Graduate School WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF PASSING THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS.

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DISSERTATION COMMITTEE

The Dissertation Committee consists of four persons (one from outside the College of Social Work) who are responsible for the approval and dissertation proposal and final approval of the dissertation and dissertation defense. The Advisory Committee and the Dissertation Committee may be completely different or the Dissertation Committee may be the same as the Advisory Committee, with one exception. The committee member from outside the College of Social Work may, in unusual circumstances, be from a college or university ouside the University of South Carolina if the person is a full-time member of an accredited college or university and teaches graduate level courses. The committee members must be approved by both the College of Social Work Doctoral Committee and the USC Graduate School.

Each student will submit preferences to the Director of the Doctoral Program and members of the Doctoral Committee. Taking into consideration one's dissertation topic, it is suggested that the student consult with one faculty member who may potentially be the Chairperson for the Dissertation. If the student and faculty member arrive at a mutually agreeable topic and plan, and the faculty member agrees to Chair the Dissertation Committee, other Committee member should be approached, usually in consultation with the Chairperson. Student preferences will be given every consideration when Dissertation Committee appointments are made; however, the Dean and the Doctoral Committee will also take into consideration other factors such as faculty workload and balance of expertise on the Committee when making committee appointments.

Once the Committee is approved, it is considered exceptional for its membership to change. A faculty member unable to carry out Committee duties (because of illness or sabbatical leave, for example) may ask to be removed from the Committee. A substitute member would then be obtained in keeping with the procedure for original selection of the Committee.

If a dissertation study is changed substantially, the student may, with the Committee's approval, ask for a dissolution of the Committee. Under these circumstances, a new Committee would be formed and the entire process would resume, beginning with the approval of the dissertation proposal.

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DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

After all required coursework is completed, the student may write the Dissertation Proposal with the guidance of his or her Dissertation Committee. Although there are minor variations on how the Dissertation Proposal should be written, the major common elements of the written proposal will include the following:

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

1. A succinct problem statement.
2. A concise review of the theoretical bases relevant to the study of the identified problem.
3. A concise review of the research relevant to the study of the identified problem.
4. The research question(s) and subsidiary questions.
5. The hypotheses, if relevant.
6. A description of the significance of the study for the field of social work.
7. A description of the significance and relevance of the study for social work education.

RESEARCH METHOD:

1. Research design including the general structure of the study.
2. Specifications of independent, dependant and control variables and their operational definitions, if relevant.
3. Sampling procedures.
4. Methods of data collection.
5. A discussion of instrumentation and copies of instruments or interview schedules to be used.
6. A statement of human subjects protection, including such issues as informed consent, confidentiality procedures, and institutional review.
7. Methods of data analysis.

IMPLICATIONS:

1. Discussion of the expected pattern of results.
2. A discussion of the implications of the research for the profession of social work.
3. A discussion of the implications of the research for social work education.

When the student is ready for the Dissertation Committee to review the Dissertation Proposal, the Proposal should be distributed to Committee members one month prior to the Dissertation Proposal Meeting. During the Dissertation Proposal meeting, the research problem and the proposed methodology for addressing the problem will be discussed. The Committee will then decide whether the Proposal will be approved as written, or, if not, what action(s) should be taken. This should be documented on the Dissertation Proposal Action Form. A signed copy should be given to the Doctoral Program Director. The Chairperson of the Committee is responsible for placing the original Action Form in the student's file. The student and Committee members will sign a statement documenting specific recommendations. This statement will be attached to the Action Form and placed in the student's file, along with the Proposal (or a revised proposal, if necessary).

The Proposal can vary in length depending on the complexity of the problem and procedures undertaken. It is important that the Committee not be convened until the Chairperson and student feel that the Proposal is in proper form. Keep in mind that the Proposal should demonstrate that the student has full command of the area under investigation, that the basis for the research is sound, and that the procedures have been thought out carefully.

A student will have the opportunity to develop a Dissertation Proposal in SOWK894 (Planning and Design of Dissertation). Successful completion of SOWK 894 does not necessarily mean that the Dissertation Proposal will be completely acceptable to the student's Disseration Committee. SOWK 894 is intended as an assist and an opportunity to receive support for Proposal completion. Dissertation Committee members are ultimately responsible for Proposal approval.

The Dissertation Committee should meet no later than two years after the Proposal meeting to review the progress of the student's research. It is the student's responsibility to see that the meeting is convened.

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DISSERTATION DEFENSE

The Dissertation Committee will conduct an oral dissertation defense no less than thirty days before the date on which a candidate expects to receive his or her degree. Dissertation defenses are open to the general public. The student will be responsible for placing a notice indicating time, location, and dissertation title on the bulletin board on the first floor of Harper. The dissertation committee is responsible for examining the candidate, after which comments and questions are invited from the general audience. Following this, the dissertation committee will have a closed discussion of the candidate's defense. A positive vote by at least three members of the committee is required to pass the dissertation defense. Documentation of successful completion of the dissertation defense should be accomplished by completion of an attached Dissertation Defense form. The Chairperson of the student's Dissertation Committee should give the signed copy of this form to the Doctoral Program Director.

In addition, the student is responsible for filing three signed copies of the dissertation and abstract with the Dean of the Graduate School at least twenty days prior to the date on which the degree is expected. One copy of the dissertation should also be provided to the Doctoral Program Director.

A student is also expected to conduct a research colloquium for faculty and students based on his or her dissertation. The colloquium should be scheduled with the help of the Chairperson of his or her Dissertation Committee.

DISSERTATION COVER SHEET

Click here to see an example of a disseration cover sheet (in Adobe Acrobat)