PHDAT 901 - Dissertation I

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The doctoral dissertation is designed to contribute to a student’s knowledge, skills, and values in scholarship and its importance to the practice of clinical art therapy. The student will engage in in-depth scholarship and research on an important issue in the field of art therapy. The research is student-directed conducted in consultation with a doctoral committee and advisor on a topic of study relevant to the theory and the profession. Dissertations should span a broad range of interests and methodologies within the field of art therapy. The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to engage in in-depth scholarship on an important issue in the field; it provides students the venue to demonstrate their skills in advanced research. Doctoral candidates are strongly encouraged in their dissertation research to utilize an art based and/or other emergent methodology/paradigm. Research will be expected to make an original contribution to the field that demonstrates the candidate’s mastery in a chosen specialization grounded in the candidate’s own interest and talents. The dissertation is a student-directed research project conducted in consultation with a doctoral committee on a topic of quantitative or qualitative study relevant to the theory and practice of art therapy. The dissertation demonstrates an integration of science, practice, critical thinking skills, ethical and cultural awareness required for a socially responsible practitioner in the field of art therapy. Doctoral candidates will work on the dissertation for three consecutive semesters. This course will focus on the completion of the dissertation proposal. Students are unable to enroll in further dissertation courses until the proposal is completed and accepted. Dissertations must represent substantial research that contributes to the field, including a comprehensive discussion of implications for the field. Preparation and completion of the dissertation proposal, including the first three chapters: introduction, literature review, and methodology are required. Once this proposal document has been deemed ready by the dissertation chair for review, the student will submit the document to the entire committee for formal review. The doctoral student will defend the proposal in an oral presentation to the dissertation committee. With the approval of the committee, the student may then register for Dissertation II. If the proposal is denied, the student must work with the Chair to revise the original proposal or submit a new proposal, continuously enrolling in Dissertation I until the proposal has been successfully defended.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Students must complete PHDAT-820, PHDAT-821, PHDAT-822, PHDAT-823, PHDAT-824, PHDAT-825, PHDAT-826, PHDAT-827, PHDAT-828, PHDAT-829, PHDAT-830, PHDAT-831, PHDAT-832, PHDAT-850, PHDAT-851, PHDAT-900 prior to registering for this course.