Course Description
Course will help students who have recently passed comprehensive exams to successfully create and defend a dissertation prospectus.
Athena Title
Prospectus Workshop
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
Participation: You will not pass this class if you do not participate, and participation involves more than attending class. When you speak up in class, you enhance the experience of other students in the course. Asking questions can lead to valuable conversations that would not have come about otherwise. Your participation will be particularly important in the second half of the semester during the practice prospectus defenses. Creation of Draft Prospectus: You are required to upload a draft prospectus to eLC during or before Spring Break in PDF format. We will talk in detail about the content a prospectus should include in Week 3. Your prospectus draft should be between 10 and 20 pages, inclusive of the bibliography. Practice Prospectus Defense: In the weeks after Spring Break, each student will defend their prospectus in front of the class. The class will play the role of the student’s dissertation committee.
Topical Outline
WEEK 1 Welcome and Introductions WEEK 2 Coming Up With a Dissertation Idea WEEK 3 What Should a Prospectus Entail? WEEK 4 Applying for External Support WEEK 5 Collecting and Analyzing Data WEEK 6 What Does a Prospectus Defense Entail? WEEK 7 Guest Lecture from Advanced Graduate Student Who Has Defended Their Prospectus WEEK 8 Guest Lecture from Advanced Graduate Student Who Is About to Defend Their Dissertation WEEK 9 Spring Break WEEK 10 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 11 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 12 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 13 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 14 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 15 Practice Prospectus Defense(s) WEEK 16 Guest Lecture from Junior Faculty Member Who Recently Defended Their Dissertation
Syllabus
Public CV