EdD Culminating Study

Evidence of Practice, Portfolio, and Defense Forum

The first step is to complete the approved arts-based research study. Typically, the student works closely with the chair and doctoral committee while completing the study and preparing the Portfolio.  

Evidence of Practice

If the Culminating Study includes a practice-based component (performance, curriculum implementation, etc.), the committee members and the two outside readers must have access to that event, either by invitation to attend/observe or they must be provided with a recording of the event for review prior to the Defense Forum.

Portfolio

The Culminating Study Portfolio begins with an explanatory preface, offering candidates a brief opportunity to reflect on the research process and introduce the contributions to policy and/or practice that the Portfolio represents. The Doctoral Proposal follows, allowing the committee and outside readers access to the epistemology and literature review that supports the study and the intended methodology. This is followed by the Project Report which provides analysis and reflection on the Culminating Study, including how the candidate will share the work with a wider academic and/or professional community and her or his next steps. The report will include reflections on both process and product. The fourth component is one or more dissemination documents (e.g., dramatic work or other arts-based composition, journal article, book chapter, policy brief, curriculum design). Finally, the candidate provides an appendix including the Candidacy Statement, the CV, and any supplemental materials that support the work presented in the portfolio.

Outline for the Portfolio:

1.      An explanatory preface/reflection on the entire portfolio (3-5 pages)

2.      Doctoral Proposal

3.      Project Report (50 pages + bibliography and appendices)

4.      One or more dissemination documents 

5.      Appendices

The candidate’s chair and committee must approve the Portfolio before it can be submitted for defense at the Defense Forum.

Defense Forum

Once the committee approves the Portfolio, the Educational Theatre faculty will schedule a joint Defense Forum for all students who have completed this stage of the process. At the defense forum, the candidates for the EdD present their research and answer questions from their committee, two outside readers, other members of the Educational Theatre faculty, and other guests. Upon successful completion of the Defense Forum, candidates are certified to the appropriate university officials as having completed all academic requirements for the EdD degree.

Information on submission dates and the processes for filing for defense, rules governing defense outcomes, format, and publishing are available on the Steinhardt Dissertation Policies Website.