Dissertation Defense Guide
Dissertation Information
The Doctoral Dissertation is an applied inquiry project that addresses a major issue you face in your workplace setting. The dissertation exemplifies “Research in Action” with you being both the actor (leader of the action) and the researcher.
The dissertation research will be the second (or third, or fourth) in a series of studies conducted over the course of the program. Through successive research projects, you practice and refine research skills in applied settings while making a difference in their local educational communities. The dissertation represents a more sophisticated and complete iteration of a process that is a career-long quest to discover local knowledge, create local change, study the effects, and implement more informed change.
The completed Dissertation will include:
a targeted review and synthesis of relevant literature;
an innovation, selected on the basis of published research, to address the identified problem
a design that includes the collection of data, scheme of analysis, and framework for assessing the effects of the proposed action project;
an analysis of data collected;
a presentation of results and conclusions; and
a discussion of the implications of findings for policy, practice, and research, as well as a discussion of the leadership lessons learned.
The public defense of the dissertation will consist of an oral presentation followed by questions from the candidate’s doctoral dissertation committee.
Dissertation Defense Guide
What You Need to Know to Schedule Your Defense
The Dissertation Defense will be similar in structure and tone to the Dissertation Proposal Defense. According to ASU Graduate Education, defenses are occasions for significant intellectual exchanges; recognition of candidates' research accomplishments; and observation of candidates' research by members of the University community
For the Dissertation Defense to be valid, you and all the members of your Graduate Education-approved Doctoral Dissertation Committee must be present in a room on an ASU campus during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) for students enrolled in the campus-based version of the Ed.D.; a tele/video conference may be done in an emergency. For students in the online version of the Ed.D., your chair and 2nd and 3rd committee members will be able to join via video conference. The event must occur during ASU regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday).
The Dissertation Defense is public. Guests may attend, but room size is limited
The Dissertation Defense is a formal event. Any planned celebrations are to occur off site
Before Your Defense
Consult the ASU Graduate College website and review information related to degree progress and dissertation defenses.
Review the Graduate Education Graduation Deadlines
Apply to Graduate (available via MyASU)
RSVP for the University Graduate Commencement and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Convocation (Via MyASU)
Contact your Chair to schedule the date, time, building and room for your defense. Your Chair will do this through the department
Schedule your Dissertation Defense with ASU Graduate Education
On MyASU review the "Defense Tab" and review "Next Steps"
It is mandatory that you do this at least 10 working days before the defense
Begin Format Review and upload a defense-ready copy of your dissertation for format review no less than 10 days before your event.The document can be in word or .pdf and is uploaded through the "Format" tab of your iPOS.
During Your Defense
Your Dissertation Committee Chair will open the meeting with an informal call to order, extend a welcome, and introduce you and the members of the committee to each other. Your Chair will notify everyone that this is the culminating experience of your doctoral program (it is your final exam, commonly known as the oral defense of the dissertation) then provide an overview of the defense process
Your Chair will invite you to present a 30-minute overview of your professional background and your dissertation study
A handout limited to one or two pages is appropriate
A handout is useful for contextualizing your study briefly and highlighting your findings and conclusions at some length
PowerPoint presentations may be used if they were previously approved
Following your presentation, your Chair will invite each committee member to direct questions and comments to you for your response. Committee members (including your Chair) will ask questions and raise issues until they agree that the important matters have been addressed.
Your chair may invite guests to direct questions and comments to you, also.
When your Chair and other committee members are satisfied that the relevant questions have been asked and answered, the Chair will ask you and any guests to leave the room but remain in the immediate area.
The committee will deliberate in closed session, deciding
Pass
Pass with minor revisions
Pass with major revisions
Fail
The committee will record the outcome of the event electronically on the "Announcement and Report for Doctoral Dissertations Defense" form. The form will be emailed to all committee members using a secure link approximately 1 week prior to the event.
The Chair will invite you back into the room for congratulations and a brief discussion of next steps. Edits and revisions will need to be completed within the time determined by your Chair and Committee.
You and your Chair will see to it that the remaining materials are submitted in a timely manner according to ASU Graduate Education Graduation Deadlines and Procedures.
After Your Defense
Review the Graduate Education Graduation Deadlines
Complete any revisions
Complete any format revisions
Complete any revisions requested by your committee
Submit your dissertation to UMI/ProQuest once directed to do so by the Graduate College Format team. Notification will take place through your iPOS of necessary next steps
Verify your iPOS coursework
Close out your IRB form
Formatting Your Dissertation
Formal papers submitted throughout the program and for the dissertation are to follow the style guide presented in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (latest edition). It is the candidates responsibility to prepare the dissertation manuscript in accordance to the guidelines set by Graduate Education.
Format Manual guidelines and updates: https://graduate.asu.edu/current-students/completing-your-degree/formatting-your-thesis-or-dissertation
ASU dissertation format tool instructions: https://graduate.asu.edu/current-students/completing-your-degree/formatting-your-thesis-or-dissertation/asu-graduate-college
ASU dissertation format advising tool: https://graduateapps.asu.edu/formatadvising