A student who wants to earn his Ph.D. typically takes about 45 credit hours. The doctorate is a research degree, so all programs have a research component, according to Dr. Smith. A doctorate is concerned with the theoretical, although some programs are considered applied, in that they contain information that is practical and can be used in industry or commerce. The next part of the program relates to depth and breadth. It would include such studies as research methods, philosophy and statistics.
Typically, a group of four graduate school faculty members gives the oral exam. Some schools allow the student to choose the members. Each person prepares a question based on area of study. These questions are given over a one- or two-day period. The candidate receives one question and writes for four hours. He takes a break and repeats the process. Faculty members review the responses and then meet face-to-face with the candidate. The faculty can deviate from the questions they asked, delving into any area they feel needs exploration.
The candidate forms a committee of three or four faculty members and designates one as the chair. Members aren't necessarily the same as those on the oral exam committee. The chair becomes the point person who coaches the student on the merits of the research problem that will be the dissertation. A competent chair knows which topics will fly and which ones won't. However, Dr. Smith says it is ultimately up to the candidate to find a fertile topic that no one else has examined.
Each university sets its own standards in regard to formatting the dissertation. The guidelines are rigid, and the graduate school will not allow anyone to deviate from them. A title page, table of contents and bibliography of references is included. Chapters of the dissertation incorporate the proposal, literary review, the current study, results and evaluation. The chair is the candidate's go-to person, according to Dr. Smith. She handles quality-control, giving harsh and necessary guidance on where the research or writing is weak
The candidate ultimately must defend his work. A dissertation defense is similar to the kind of presentation that is given at an academic conference, according to Smith. The candidate talks about the research questions and the previous research or "literary review." He describes the research methodology and summarizes his findings, using charts, statistics and models. Smith says committee members like to see how the findings can be understood in a visual model such as a spectrum, quadrants or spirals. This is the time for proving worthiness as an intellectual scholar.