Doctoral Program Requirements

Conferral of a graduate degree requires at least a B (3.00) grade point average (GPA) plus the required courses for the degree program being pursued. All students in doctoral degree programs must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation for one semester. If their GPA is still below 3.0 at the end of their probationary semester, they will be dismissed from their current graduate program(s). Any further extensions or exceptions require approval of the student’s school/department, their academic college dean, and the Graduate College. The Patton College reserves the right to dismiss/suspend a student with the option to reapply in the future. University regulations prohibit awarding financial assistance to students on probation or who are conditionally admitted to a graduate program.

For doctoral programs in The Patton College, no grade below B- will be accepted on any coursework that is part of a student's program of study, including coursework in Research and Scholarly Tools. If you receive a grade below B-, you must repeat the course or, subject to approval by your doctoral program committee, revise your program of study with a different course substituted for the course carrying the grade below B-. If you repeat a course or substitute it with an approved course, the previously earned grade that was below a B- is not removed from your transcript. The grade remains on the transcript and is used in the calculation of your GPA. Grading System - Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for complete information.

You can only complete a course more than once for credit (repeat) if the course is designated as repeatable. Repeatable courses are designed to be taken multiple times (e.g., dissertation, practicum, and special topics credits). You may not take a course a second or subsequent time if a prior attempt has met degree requirements.

Upon initial admission, you will be assigned a faculty member to serve as your advisor. The initial assignment of the advisor is based on considerations such as student and/or faculty preferences, compatibility of student and faculty research interests, and faculty advising loads. You should contact your advisor to discuss your program’s requirements and to determine which courses to register for. As you become acquainted with additional faculty members within your program, you will form a doctoral committee that will guide you to develop a program of study soon after being admitted. Typically, a program of study approved by your doctoral committee is expected to be on file in The Patton College Office of Graduate Student Affairs within one calendar year of initial enrollment in the doctoral program. The Program of Study is important to complete because it establishes the contractual agreement regarding required courses for the doctoral degree.

If the student or the advisor determines that a different adviser-advisee relationship may better address relevant interests or needs the student or doctoral advisor should notify the PCOE Graduate Records- Student Affairs Office and complete the "Request for Change of Advisor" form.  If the decision to discontinue an advisor-advisee relationship originates with a faculty member – including a faculty member's decision to retire or leave the University – it will be the responsibility of that faculty member to assist the student in identifying and obtaining a new doctoral advisor. If no new doctoral advisor can be identified, the matter will be brought before the program faculty for resolution. If the decision originates with a student, it will be the sole responsibility of the student to seek out and gain the consent of another faculty member to serve as their doctoral advisor.

Students who seek to change advisors do so for a variety of reasons. Often, as students complete coursework in their programs, they learn about the research interests of faculty members other than those of their initial advisor. Alignment of research interests, compatibility of temperaments, and faculty members' availability to provide support for the dissertation are all good reasons for changing advisors. Changing advisors in the middle of the dissertation process occurs much less often than during the program's coursework phase. It is typically a result of a change in the faculty dissertation chair’s status (e.g. medical situation, fellowship leave, or move to another institution). A change in dissertation chair for other reasons must be considered carefully, in consultation with the chair of your department. Such a request requires approval by both the department chair and the Office of the Dean.

The doctoral program committee should be comprised of four faculty members within the program area, should they agree to serve. When there are fewer than four faculty members in the program area, all program faculty who agree to serve should be included. Faculty members outside the program should be included to form a program committee of four members. The doctoral committee will guide you to develop a program of study (POS) soon after being admitted. Typically, a program of study approved by your doctoral committee is expected to be on file in The Patton College Office of Graduate Student Affairs within a calendar year of initial enrollment in the doctoral program. The official approved Program of Study (POS) establishes the contractual agreement regarding required courses for the doctoral degree. It can only be changed by doctoral committee action. A form entitled "Request for Change in Approved Doctoral Program" should be on file in the Patton College Students Affairs Office of Graduate Student Records.

As you develop your POS, it is important to consider your potential dissertation research topic, questions, and research designs because the courses listed in the POS will serve as the content of the comprehensive examination and the foundation for dissertation work. It is important to keep in mind that if the content area, research design, and /or methods selected for the dissertation proposal do not align with the completed POS courses, the dissertation committee is likely to require additional courses as a contingency to a successful proposal defense.

The total number of hours to be taken in a doctoral program varies according to many factors, but every student is required to complete at least 90 semester hours of coursework relevant to the program beyond the bachelor's degree and at least 60 semester hours of coursework beyond the master's degree.

The POS and corresponding form must be filed in the PCOE Graduate Records Office of Student Affairs. 

For all courses required on the approved POS, no grade below B- will be accepted toward graduation.  If you earn a grade below B-, you must repeat the course (noting that the grade for the first attempt remains on the permanent transcript and contributes to the GPA) or make a substitution subject to approval by your doctoral program committee.

You can only complete a course more than once for credit (repeat) if the course is designated as repeatable. Repeatable courses are designed to be taken multiple times (e.g., dissertation, practicum, and special topics credits). You may not take a course a second or subsequent time if a prior attempt has met degree requirements.

To be eligible for transfer, courses must be

1. Designated as graduate credit at the institution where taken,
2. Letter graded B or better,
3. Earned within the past five years,
4. Applicable toward a graduate degree at the institution where taken, and
5. Earned in courses taught by members of that institution’s graduate faculty.

Credits requested for transfer cannot have been used to satisfy requirements for completion of another degree. Courses equivalent to those at Ohio University cannot be transferred for credit and be taken for credit at Ohio University. Credit is not accepted for courses taken by correspondence.

Doctoral students may transfer a limited number of credit hours, subject to the eligibility requirements above and the approval of the doctoral committee. The maximum number of hours eligible for transfer may be no more than one-fourth of the total graded coursework requirements for the degree. Exceptions to this policy may be made by the Dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the student’s department chair or graduate program director and the associate dean of the student’s college. If a student intends to count a transfer course in their program of study, they should designate this arrangement by flagging the course on the program of study with the letter "T."

Any request for transfer of credit must be recommended by your advisor and department chair before final review and acceptance by the dean's office, who forwards the approval to Graduate College. Students must submit an approved Request for Graduate Transfer of Credit form to the Graduate College, 102 Grosvenor Hall.  Before the transfer can be processed, the Graduate College must receive an official transcript from the institution at which the course was completed.

No letter grades will appear on your Ohio University transcript for transferred courses, nor will they be calculated in your GPA. Courses transferred to the DARS are listed as having a "T" grade rather than a letter grade. Only courses counting toward an Ohio University degree are eligible to appear on the Ohio University transcript as transfer credit.

Doctoral students have seven (7) years from the date of admission to complete the degree requirements.  Students who do not complete their requirements within the time limit may continue graduate study at Ohio University only if exceptional circumstances are associated with the delay in progress. The Dean of The Patton College of Education may grant a one-term, one-time extension. The application for such an extension may be found on our forms webpage.

Students who have not completed the degree requirements within the required time limit may apply for readmission to the program for up to two years following the term limit). Applications and guidelines for extension and readmission are available in The Patton College Office of Student Affairs and on our website.

The total number of hours required for the doctoral degree varies by program. The required minimum number of hours is 90 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree and 60 semester hours beyond the master's degree. Some programs in The Patton College require hours beyond the minimum.

At Ohio University doctoral programs must articulate requirements, if any, for students’ on-campus presence, either periodic (as in a hybrid online/on-campus learning model) or continuous. This residency requirement is provided by The Graduate College in The Graduate Catalog under Fees and Ohio Residency.

Patton College Residency Requirement

To receive a doctoral degree in The Patton College, a student must maintain at least two consecutive academic semesters of full-time graduate enrollment (registration for 9 graduate credits for fee-paying students, 12 graduate credits for students receiving a full assistantship, and 12 graduate credits for students receiving a partial assistantship (GRS). Consecutive residency options include Fall-Spring; Spring-Summer; Summer-Fall; and Spring-Fall. The continuous residence requirement applies to the period of graduate study following the completion of the master’s degree or the completion of at least 30 graduate credits.

To request a waiver of the residency requirement, the doctoral student should send an email to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, with a copy to your advisor and department chair, stating your request for a waiver and the reason for the waiver request. Upon approval by the advisor and the Department Chair, the Associate Dean will present the case to The Patton College Research & Graduate Committee, who will make a recommendation. Approved waivers will be processed through the Graduate College Research and Scholarly Tools

Per program requirements and at the discretion of their doctoral committee, a student must demonstrate proficiency in the research and scholarly tools that relate to their total academic program, professional goals, and proposed dissertation. Courses that prepare students with appropriate scholarly tools must be included in the POS.

The doctoral committee may require specific courses that will assist in the proposal preparation and the collection and analysis of data for the dissertation.  For instance where students' plans for dissertation research change after the POS has been approved, additional or different scholarly tools courses may be required. If any changes, including changes to scholarly tools, are deemed necessary, the student must complete a “Doctoral Change in Program of Study” approval form.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is the culmination of the coursework component of the doctoral degree. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate a broad and inclusive knowledge of the core content areas associated with courses in the program of study. The intent is for these courses to support the research to be undertaken for the dissertation.

Comprehensive examinations consist of two phases: written and oral. While both phases are considered one examination, each has distinct components and processes. Students must be enrolled in at least 0.5 graduate credit hours during any term in which the comprehensive examination is underway. In extenuating or special circumstances, and only at the discretion of the committee, a student may have the opportunity to take the comprehensive exam a second time.

Written Portion

The written portion may only be taken with the approval of the doctoral committee and after completion of the majority (minimum 75%) of courses listed on the student’s approved POS, including coursework in research and scholarly tools. Check departmental policies for more specific guidelines. The Doctoral Committee Chair, in consultation with the student and committee member, determines the timeline for undertaking and completing the written portion of the examination. Doctoral committee members constitute the examination committee and recommend questions to represent all the content areas on the student’s POS. While comprehensive exam questions can ask students to design research studies, the examination is not intended to serve as a pre-proposal for the dissertation. With input from all doctoral committee members, the examination is prepared by the program committee chair, and a deadline for completion is conveyed to the student,  The deadline set by the committee is binding; failure to submit the written examination to the program committee chair by the deadline can be reason to require a second examination or face dismissal from the program.

After the student submits the written portion of the examination, a date for the oral portion of the comprehensive exam is confirmed in consultation with the student and the committee members. The oral defense date must be set at least two weeks after the submission of the written component. It is recommended that each committee member evaluate the portions of the exam falling under their purview, identify oral examination questions, and be prepared to provide verbal/written comments to the student (and the chair) during the oral defense. Check departmental policies and guidelines for the comprehensive exam for more information.

Oral Component

The oral comprehensive examination consists of a formal evaluation where the student responds to questions posed by committee members.

Outcomes for the Comprehensive Examination

After the oral examination is concluded, the committee chair is responsible for submitting the “Report of the Results of the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination” to The Patton College Office of Graduate Student Records within one week. The form must be completed in its entirety, with the signatures or approvals of each examiner. The student also endorses or signs the form acknowledging any conditions that might be noted.  When the outcome of the comprehensive exam is unsatisfactory, feedback from all committee members must be used to determine conditions and a resolution plan. This information is included in the Report of the Results of the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination.  Conditions represent the criteria that committee members expect doctoral students to meet when they revise the current comprehensive exam or engage in a subsequent one. A plan for resolution consists of additional requirements (e.g., coursework, workshops, readings, etc.) that a student must take to prepare for a re-examination.  Requirements on the resolution plan must be successfully completed before a comprehensive re-examination.

There are four possible outcomes for the comprehensive examination:

1. Satisfactory; No Conditions. The Doctoral Committee is dissolved, and a Dissertation Committee will need to be formed;
2. Unsatisfactory; minor conditions (these conditions must be delineated on the results form). If conditions are not met to the satisfaction of the committee within 2-4 weeks of the date of the oral component of the comprehensive exam, the outcome of the comprehensive exam becomes Unsatisfactory: Opportunity for Re-examination or Unsatisfactory. Students are encouraged to schedule the comprehensive exam appropriately with these parameters in mind;
3. Unsatisfactory; Opportunity for Re-examination (resolution plan must be described on the form). A date for the re-examination is determined based on the resolution plan and should occur at least 1 semester after the first examination.
4. Unsatisfactory; No Opportunity for Re-examination. Referral to the department for potential dismissal from the program. The Doctoral Committee is dissolved.

Successful completion of the comprehensive examination is an important step in the pathway to admission to doctoral candidacy. Students can appeal the result of the comprehensive examination only in the case of an Unsatisfactory; No Opportunity for Re-examination outcome. Check departmental guidelines for more information about the process and timeline for appeals.

Students can enroll in independent research hours during the semester they take the comprehensive exam to complete requirements for full-time study or continuous enrollment. Dissertation hours will only count toward the minimum dissertation hours required for the doctoral degree beginning the semester following successful completion of the comprehensive examination. In extenuating or special circumstances, and only at the committee's discretion, a student may enroll in dissertation hours before completing the comprehensive exam. A student can sit for the dissertation proposal defense only after successfully completing the comprehensive examination.

Dissertations, and the research leading to their completion, reflect a level of scholarly rigor representative of the candidate’s academic preparation and content mastery. Patton College dissertations are evaluated by the members of the committee and monitored at several distinct points throughout the process (e.g. proposal and final defense). Throughout the dissertation, students should work closely with the committee chair and other committee members. Students are expected to enroll in dissertation credit hours for all terms in which Ohio University faculty guidance and participation are sought.

Faculty members who chair and sit on committees have the obligation to:

• Become familiar with the student’s topic
• Participate in setting a timeline for student work
• Review student work throughout the time of student’s dissertation process
• Provide feedback to the student promptly.

After a doctoral student has completed their comprehensive exams, they should discuss the appointment of a dissertation committee with their doctoral advisor.  Four or five members usually make up this committee, including a Dean's representative, with the minimum being four. Once formed, the dissertation committee becomes the doctoral committee and is responsible for approving any changes to the POS that occur after the completion of the comprehensive exam.

Doctoral committee membership is determined by the student in consultation with proposed members of the committee, who must agree to serve. The first step is to identify a chair of the dissertation committee, who serves as the dissertation director. The chair of the dissertation committee should help the doctoral student select appropriate members. The dissertation chair's role is to coordinate the committee's work and to mentor the doctoral student in their chosen dissertation topic from an expertise perspective. The dissertation chair must be a faculty member  from the student's major program area or have a special appointment by the program area and department in which the student resides. It is possible to select a second member of the dissertation committee to serve as co-chair.

At least three of the committee members must meet the requirements for Graduate Faculty status in their respective departments, as verified by the Chair of the department.  At least two members of the dissertation committee must be full-time faculty members in the student’s department. When appropriate, one member of the dissertation committee may be from outside Ohio University. Committee members must have earned a doctorate or the equivalent, have expertise in the dissertation area, and be approved by the Department Chair and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. The CV of proposed members from outside Ohio University must accompany the committee form.

The Dean's Representative must be a tenured Ohio University faculty member from outside the student’s department who holds full graduate faculty status in their home departments. It is recommended that a Dean’s Representative have previous experience as a dissertation committee member. Appointment of the Dean’s Representative is subject to approval by the Dean of The Patton College (or his/her designee, who is typically the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies). All members of the dissertation committee are subject to approval by the Department Chair. Upon the approval of the Dissertation Committee Information form, the dissertation chair automatically becomes the student's advisor.

The Dean’s representative’s role is to ensure an appropriate and rigorous standard for evaluating the dissertation. The Dean’s representative is expected to function as a contributing member of the dissertation committee like the other members. The Dean’s representative also has the responsibility to objectively monitor the process and rigor of the dissertation development and defense.  The general guideline for selecting the Dean's representative is to identify a faculty member from outside the student’s department whose research expertise fits with the dissertation topic and who is willing to be a contributing member of the committee. The student must identify an individual who is a tenured full member of the graduate faculty in their respective department, currently affiliated with Ohio University, and is not a member of the department in which the student seeks to obtain the degree.

The period after approval of the program of study, and while the student is taking coursework, provides an opportunity to begin consideration of the dissertation topic and the preparation of a dissertation proposal. Although a dissertation topic cannot be formally approved until after completion of the comprehensive examination, the student can save time by communicating directly with various faculty members and beginning to investigate the area in which the dissertation is planned. For this exploratory work, reading and research hours are appropriate, as approved by the committee chair. As a reminder, enrollment in dissertation hours is reserved for students who have completed the comprehensive examination. In extenuating or special circumstances, and only at the committee's discretion, a student may enroll in dissertation hours before completing the comprehensive exam.

Before doctoral students begin their dissertation research, they must prepare a dissertation proposal following guidelines established by each department and/or graduate program area. The student's official dissertation committee reviews and approves the dissertation proposal during a specially scheduled meeting in which the student defends the proposal.

The purpose of the dissertation proposal is to hold a formal evaluation of the student’s plan for dissertation completion. Typically, committee members will expect that students (a) clearly articulate the purpose of their research, presenting hypotheses and/or research questions, (b) fully delineate their planned research design, and (c) present a comprehensive review of the literature supporting their rationale for embarking on the proposed research. Decisions about pursuing a traditional or alternative format for the dissertation must be made with dissertation committee members responsible for approving it. 

In The Patton College, the latest available edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) guides the citation and writing style.  Students and their faculty committee members should make use of APA resources and pay attention to preparing the dissertation proposal and final document in proper APA style.

The student should work closely with the committee chair and consult members of the committee as the proposal is developed. The committee chair has the authority to approve the scheduling of a formal proposal defense. With the committee chair’s approval, the student is responsible for determining a date on which all members are available and scheduling the defense. (See “Proposal Defense Room Reservation Request” if you wish to use the PCOE Dissertation Room).  As a best practice, students should ensure that committee members have the proposal document for review at least two weeks before the scheduled defense meeting.

After the proposal defense, a report titled “Proposal for Dissertation Report” is completed by the committee chair, with approvals or signatures of all committee members and the student, then submitted to The Patton College Office of Graduate Student Records by the committee chair. This report must be submitted immediately after the proposal defense. If the results of the proposal defense warrant conditions or a resolution plan, these must be described in the evaluation report. Conditions represent the criteria that committee members expect doctoral students to meet when they revise the dissertation proposal. A plan for resolution consists of additional requirements (e.g., coursework, workshops, seminars, readings, etc.) that a student must take to prepare for dissertation research and the development of a new or revised dissertation proposal. Requirements on the resolution plan must be completed before starting the dissertation research.

There are four possible outcomes for the dissertation proposal evaluation, as delineated in the report:

1. Satisfactory; Proceed with Dissertation;
2. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Proceed with dissertation after Dissertation Chair approves changes);
3. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Proceed with dissertation after Dissertation Committee approves changes); or
4. Unsatisfactory; with a potential plan for Resolution; Timeline for setting a new Dissertation Proposal Defense depends on the resolution plan.

Upon successful completion of the proposal defense, if the research involves human subjects, Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training must be completed and Ohio University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the research (with the student as the primary investigator) must be secured. IRB approval must occur before any participant recruitment or data collection. The IRB is responsible for reviewing and approving all research involving human subjects by students and faculty at Ohio University.  For more information about the IRB process, visit the IRB website.  

The student is responsible for providing the Office of Student Affairs with a copy of the IRB approval upon receipt. The final dissertation defense cannot be scheduled without an approved IRB on file (See "Approval of Proposal for Dissertation" form). 

The traditional Patton College dissertation format is a five-chapter dissertation. Alternative formats include multi- or three-article dissertations, web applications, and any additional formats approved by individual departments. The alternative dissertation formats, including a multi-article dissertation, are not easier than the traditional five-chapter dissertation. All dissertation formats are subject to the same scholarly and rigorous requirements set by The Patton College and Ohio University. Alternative formats to the traditional dissertation may not be appropriate for all students and topics. For example, multi-article dissertations may be appropriate for students pursuing careers in which publishing articles is important. Decisions about the dissertation format to pursue must be made with the dissertation committee.  

As in the traditional format, students are responsible for the development and articulation of a concept or idea for research, the development of a proposal to pursue this idea, the development of a research design, conducting research and analysis, writing the manuscripts, designing an intervention or assessment (if relevant), and interpreting results. As with a traditional dissertation, the role of committee members is to mentor students, providing feedback and input on conceptualization, research design conversations, and editing/feedback that helps shape the student's work. 

Multi-Article Dissertations 

Each department may have additional guidelines regarding multi-article dissertations and any other department-approved alternative dissertation formats. 

Approval

Approval for pursuing an alternative dissertation format must be obtained at the proposal stage. The proposal process is the same as the traditional, current procedure. All proposed studies must be new at the time of the proposal. The work cannot be done with any other student or faculty member or in a class. Only in special circumstances and with the committee's approval may work started before the proposal or work previously published (no more than one article) be accepted as part of the dissertation.

The proposal should explain the importance and coherence of the collection of articles (how the articles are connected and contribute to the broader topic or theme). It serves as the introduction for the articles (see Organization and Formatting section below). After that, separate literature reviews and methods (including data collection and analysis) for each study will be proposed. The student should seek committee advice on publication outlets, which might include scholarly journals, practitioner journals, edited books, or other venues. The final responsibility for selecting and submitting to outlets lies with the student and must be approved at the dissertation proposal stage.  

While article-based dissertations often include three empirical articles or a literature review followed by two empirical articles, the committee decides on the acceptable number and format considering norms in the student’s field, degree program, and the student’s goals. Examples of article-based dissertation configurations include: 

1. 1 literature review article: 1-2 empirical, philosophical, or methodological articles 
2. 1 literature review article: 1 empirical, philosophical, or methodological article and 1 practitioner article 
3. 1 or 2 empirical, philosophical, or methodological articles  and 1 or 2 practitioner articles 
4. Three empirical, philosophical, or methodological articles 
5. Other formats that committee members agree are acceptable. 

The defense of the multi-article dissertation proposal must parallel that of a traditional dissertation. The three-article dissertation alters the format, but not the content, expected in the dissertation research. The need for three articles (as opposed to just two) should be clear and approved by the dissertation committee. None of the articles can merely represent minor tweaks or elements of a work that would be more appropriately reported in just one or two articles. 

Organization and Formatting

Alternative dissertation formats must adhere to Ohio University and the Patton College requirements for Thesis and Dissertation organization, formatting, and submission. A multi-article dissertation can be organized as follows: 

• An introductory chapter that explains the importance and coherence of the collection of articles (how the articles are connected and contribute to the broader topic). It includes:  
  • A definition or statement of the problem  
  • The importance of the problem, i.e., why it is worth researching, why it matters to the field.  
  • The theoretical foundation (s) supporting the problem/issue. 
  • An overview of the important literature (overview, because each article will have its own unique literature review).  
  • The research questions for each study.  
  • A summary of the methodology to be used to answer those questions for each study. 
• Middle chapters consist of each article presented as a standalone chapter. Each study will have independent and unique literature reviews, methods, findings, and discussion and limitations sections. 
• A concluding chapter which includes:  
  • The dissertation’s major overall findings, discussion, future research, and recommendations.  
  • A presentation and discussion of linkages (i.e., similarities and differences) among the separate manuscripts that are included in the dissertation, striving as much as possible to present the document as representative of a coherent body of work.  
  • Sections that tie everything together and help the reader see how the manuscripts, taken together, contribute to the knowledge base regarding the problem.  
  • a presentation and discussion of research imperatives, or knowledge gaps, not visible when each manuscript is considered individually. It should articulate an agenda for future research on the issues addressed in the dissertation. 
  • References and appendices may be included within each article and/or compiled at the end of the dissertation.  

Coherence and Quality

Alternative formats must demonstrate a coherence and logical connection between all the components of the dissertation. For example, the relationship between articles of a multi-article dissertation must be clear and articulated. The introduction and concluding chapters must make the coherence of the body of work clear. A set of unrelated articles is not acceptable.  

It is expected that articles submitted for the defense will be of publishable quality (submission-ready): all must be conceptually rigorous, methodologically sound, and represent publishable quality writing. 

Authorship and Published Work 

The dissertation is the product of individual students with input and advice from the dissertation committee. The student should be responsible for at least 85-90% of the conceptualization, data analysis, and writing of the articles. The student must be the sole author or lead author of all articles submitted in the dissertation. In situations when co-authorship is considered and approved by the committee for work completed before the proposal, additional contributors and their contributions must be clearly described and acknowledged in the proposal and the dissertation documents.  

Even though published articles can be included in the dissertation, there is no expectation for products to be submitted, in review, in press, or published for dissertation approval. If applicable, students should secure appropriate copyright clearance to use a previously published article as part of their dissertation. Issues related to copyright, permissions, and self-plagiarism must be addressed in the dissertation document. Self-plagiarism - reusing one’s own previously written work or data in a ‘new’ written product without letting the reader know that this material has appeared elsewhere - is prohibited. 

Tips for determining authorship are available from the American Psychological Association.

The process of completing a dissertation is comprehensive and necessarily requires substantial consultation with faculty mentors (dissertation chair, committee members, and sometimes others who offer additional guidance such as with statistics and other assessments). All students embarking on a dissertation should realize that this is a labor-intensive process and one with many checkpoints toward progress.

It is often advisable to hold meetings of the committee before the dissertation proposal and final dissertation defense. Holding one or more pre-proposal and pre-defense meetings is an advisable practice that can enhance the path to successful outcomes.

At the beginning of the dissertation writing process, all students should become familiar with the Ohio University Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation (TAD) website. Additionally, students must ensure that they use the current Patton College template, found on the Thesis and Dissertation (TAD) website, to create and continue to write the dissertation. Students who write over several years must ensure that the current template has been implemented at the time of final defense and submission.

The TAD process has key required checkpoints with which all students need to become familiar. These include initial and post-defense document format reviews and deadlines for the oral defense and final document submission. Current requirements are presented on the TAD website, referenced above.

In The Patton College, the Office of Graduate Student Records maintains a “Procedures Checklist of Completing Thesis/Dissertation Requirements” for the degree. This checklist is published on The Patton College Current Students Forms website page.

The student must notify the PCOE Office of Student Affairs, Graduate Records two weeks before the oral defense to supply information about the confirmed date, time, and location of the defense as well as the current dissertation title and committee membership using the Arrangements for the Final Defense of the Thesis/Dissertation. The Patton College Office of Student Affairs, Graduate Records, gives public notification of the defense.

Official notice of the defense will be sent to the student and dissertation committee, along with the required forms for the dissertation chair and the Dean's representative. In addition, Student Affairs will notify the student of the requirements and guidelines for completing the graduation process. At least two weeks before the oral exam, the student must distribute final draft copies of the dissertation to all members of the dissertation committee along with the TII similarity report.

In The Patton College, the student presentation component of the final defense is open to PCOE faculty and the public for observation.  PCOE faculty can remain for the examination portion of the defense. However, guests/observers must be asked to leave before the examination component unless all committee members agree to their presence before the defense.

After the oral examination, the Dissertation Committee deliberates privately to evaluate the dissertation and, when appropriate, determine necessary conditions or plans for resolution. If the results of the dissertation defense warrant conditions or a resolution plan, these must be delineated in detail (in writing) in the Dissertation Defense Report. Conditions represent the criteria that committee members expect doctoral students to meet when they revise the dissertation. A plan for resolution consists of additional requirements (e.g., coursework, workshops, seminars, readings, etc.) that a student must take to revise the dissertation. Conditions and plans for resolution can also include changes to the dissertation document resulting from the review of the TII similarity report.

There are five possible outcomes for the dissertation defense evaluation, as delineated in the report:

1. Satisfactory;
2. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Changes to be approved by the Dissertation Chair);
3. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Changes to be approved by the Dissertation Committee);
4. Unsatisfactory; with a potential plan for Resolution (Timeline for setting a new Dissertation Defense is dependent on the nature of the resolution plan); or
5. Unsatisfactory; No Conditions for Remediation Offered (Final decision).

After completing their deliberation, committee members vote to approve the dissertation. Up to one dissenting vote is allowed for a Satisfactory outcome. The result of the vote is reported in the Dissertation Defense Report along with the outcome of the evaluation. Once decisions are reached, the committee immediately notifies the student. The Final Defense Report is completed by the committee chair, with approvals or signatures of all committee members and the student.  The Dissertation Chair must also agree that no more revisions are needed based on the TII similarity report results and initial the statement "TII Revisions are Complete."  Then, the Final Defense Report is submitted to The Patton College Office of Graduate Student Records by the committee chair. Students can appeal the result of the Dissertation Defense only in the case of an Unsatisfactory; No Conditions for Remediation Offered. Check departmental guidelines for more information about the process and timeline for appeals.

It should be noted that the Dean's Representative can “veto” the outcome of the final dissertation report based on the appropriateness and rigor of the process, not content and methods. In that case, the Dean’s representative withholds approval or signature and justifies their “veto” recommendation in their report to the PCOE Office of Graduate Student Records. A “veto” recommendation initiates a meeting among the Dissertation Chair, Dean, and Dean’s representative.

The Patton College requires submission of the dissertation document through plagiarism checking software (Turn-it-In).  The doctoral candidate submits the dissertation document to a Turnitin (TII) assignment in their dissertation course (e.g., EDLE 8950, EDRE 8950, EDTE 8950, EDCE 8950, and EDHE 8950). Typically, the dissertation committee chair or co-chair is the instructor of record for this course.  The dissertation document and the resulting TII report are shared with the Dissertation Committee at least 2 weeks before the oral defense meeting.  Using the results of the TII similarity report, committee members might request revisions to the dissertation document.  This process entails identifying any potential plagiarism issues and ensuring that APA style and grammatical issues are completely resolved. This level of review may result in the student needing to make additional post-defense revisions.

When the Dissertation Chair finds that no more revisions are needed, they will initial the statement "TII Revisions are Complete" on the final defense report. 

Once the plagiarism review process is complete and the defense is deemed satisfactory, the Dissertation Chair submits the Oral Defense Report to The Patton College Office of Graduate Records where the report is filed. The Graduate Records manager then sends the approved Final Dissertation Defense Report to TAD. TAD must have the approved Final Dissertation Defense Report for the student to be allowed to upload the dissertation and complete the submission process required for the degree.

Filing the Dissertation through TAD

Please refer to Theses and Dissertation Services (TAD), Graduate College, for deadlines, checklists, guidelines, formatting assistance, filing procedures, and forms. 

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