Applied Doctoral Project I: Submission

PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of 54 hours of required curriculum and a passing grade on the Oral Comprehensive Exam.

Students will submit and defend the proposed ADP. This course guides students through Chapters 1–3 of an applied project: introduction to the problem (Chapter 1), review of relevant literature and background (Chapter 2), and research design/methodology (Chapter 3).

Please note: The distinctions between course competencies at the Master’s and Doctoral levels reflect the differing expectations for depth and breadth of knowledge required in each program.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Articulating a problem of practice situated within a professional/organizational context.
• Justifying the importance and feasibility of the problem, including scope, stakeholders, and anticipated impact.
• Formulating a focused purpose statement that aligns with the identified problem.
• Developing clear, researchable questions or project objectives that are logically connected to the problem and purpose.
• Conducting systematic searches using relevant databases and key terms.
• Selecting and evaluating high-quality, recent, and relevant scholarly and professional sources.
• Synthesizing literature into coherent themes that illuminate the problem of practice.
• Identifying gaps or needs in the literature that the applied project will address.
• Articulating a conceptual or theoretical frame that underpins the project, where appropriate.
• Selecting and justifying an appropriate applied research or project design (e.g., case study, action research, program implementation, evaluation).
• Demonstrating alignment between design, research questions/objectives, and intended outcomes.
• Identifying and justifying appropriate data sources (e.g., surveys, interviews, documents, institutional data, performance metrics).
• Developing data collection instruments (e.g., protocols, surveys, rubrics, checklists) aligned with project aims.
• Specifying clear, step-by-step procedures for data collection or project implementation.
• Proposing appropriate analytic strategies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed; or performance metrics for applied interventions).
• Identifying potential ethical issues related to the project (e.g., confidentiality, consent, data security, organizational risk).
• Describing how institutional/organizational approvals and, where applicable, IRB or equivalent processes will be addressed.
• Delivering a concise, well-organized presentation of the applied project proposal tailored to academic and practitioner audiences.

Important Documents:

Applied Doctoral Project Handbook

Doctoral Program – Student Handbook