Our dissertation process moves step by step, with considerable work embedded in a sequence of research modules

At the outset of the program, an introduction to doctoral studies module introduces key concepts related to applied research in the social sciences. In your second and third semesters, you will complete modules introducing the principles and methods of qualitative and quantitative research. You will also explore the analysis of applied data, reporting applied research, and the relationship between applied research and organizational change.

During the pro-seminar modules in applied research, the program introduced the fundamentals of applied research design. You will finalize several dissertation-related tasks in assignments for the proseminar, particularly drafting the first three sections of your dissertation; (1) introduction, significance, and research questions: (2) literature review and conceptual framework; and (3) research design (sample, method, and analysis). These sections comprise the dissertation proposal. Thus, you will have the "front end" of your dissertation drafted within the first ten months of the program.

During the second year of the program, you will collect and analyze your own data and write up your figs. Executive Doctorate coursework for the fourth semester (Summer, Year 2) is concentrated in the international study trip, rather than monthly meetings, to allow for independent site visits and other extended data collection during the summer months. The last several months of the program are devoted to refining the findings chapter of your dissertation, and to completing the conclusions, implications, and recommendations chapter in anticipation of a dissertation defense in the sixth semester.

Dissertation Timeline
The Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management

Summer Year 1

• Identify and explore potential topics.

Fall Year 1

• Finalize topic, develop research questions, and begin literature review.

Spring Year 1

• Complete literature review, develop research design, and write dissertation proposal.

Summer Year 2

• Finalize and defend dissertation proposal. Begin collecting data.

Fall Year 2

• Collect data and conduct analysis.

Spring Year 2

• Finalize conclusions and recommendations and defend dissertation.

Dissertation Topics by Cohort

Cohort 1 – Class of 2003

Structured Pathways to the Presidency: Becoming a Research University President

Understanding and Influencing Fundraising Leadership

Information Technology, the Change Process, and Customer Service in Higher Education Administrative Services

A Comparative Study of Central Cost Allocation Methodologies at Private Research Universities

Master’s Degree Highly Desired: Measuring the Increase in Productivity Due to Master’s Education in the United States Navy

Diversity and Academic Excellence: The Pathway to National Preeminence

The Educational Makeover: How Three Small Colleges Transformed Themselves

The Impact of Financial Reporting on Decision-Making Process by Boards of Trustees: A Case Study at Stanford University

Can Performance Measurement Improve Teaching and Learning Effectiveness? Understanding the Perspectives of Community College Faculty

Succession Planning for Key Administrators at Ivy- Plus Universities

The Relationship of Annual Giving and Endowment Payout to Future Tuition Dependency at Private Master’s Universities

Leadership Enhances the Institutional Impacts of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics: A Case Study of Syracuse University

Reconceptualizing the College Town: Urban Universities and Local Retail Development

The Use of Passive Investment Strategies in the Management of College and University Endowments

The Culinary Institute of America: A History

Swarthmore College: The Evolution of an Institutional Mission

The Influence of Technology on Pedagogy in Higher Education

Managing Institutional Risks: A Framework

Cohort 2: Class of 2004

University and College Presidencies as Political Campaigns

Organizational Culture Change as a Result of a Change in Budgeting Systems

A Tradition of Honor

The Shared Service Center: A Model for University Efficiency?

From Access to Affordability: The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit

Strategic Planning and Capital Structure Links: the Universidad de Monterrey Experience

Institution Leadership and the Senior Student Affairs Officer

Leadership Development in African American Graduates of Predominantly White Women’s Colleges: A Case Study of Barnard College

Creating Constellations of Culture: The Value of Organizational Culture in Confronting Change in Enrollment Management at a Liberal Arts College

The Athletic Arms Race at the University of Southern California

Leadership in Balance: The Role of Collaboration for Leading Change in a Living Organization

Navigating the Waters: A Case Study on the Development of Higher Education Policy Transformation

On the Metacurriculum: Leveraging the College Experience for Lifelong Success

The Impact of the New Economy on the Direction of Higher Education in the 21st Century: Three Case Studies

When the Pot Boils: A Study of the Decline and Turnaround of Drexel University

Higher Education and Congressional Partnership: A Case Study in Tax Legislation

Community University Partnerships in Action: A Case Study of the Louisiana State University – Old South Baton Rouge Partnership

When Worlds Collide: Students Stress and the Student Affairs Understanding, Interpretation and Response

Cohort 3 – Class of 2005

The Utilization of a Market-Driven Strategy for Fund Raising at a Hispanic Serving University

Policymaking and Policy Implementation in a Multi-Campus State University System: The Case of General Education Reform at the State University of New York

A Prompt for Change: Using the National Survey of Student Engagement to Initiate Institutional Change

Competitive Advantages: What Four Prestigious Private School Athletics Departments Do to Compete in Their Elite Division 1A Conferences

Comprehensive Fundraising Campaigns in the Twenty-First Century: Non-Financial Objectives and Outcomes Associated with Major Campaigns at Doctoral Extensive Universities

A Governing Boards Evolution to Effectiveness: A South Dakota Board of Regents Case Study.

Reputation and Prestige in American Research Universities: An Exploration of the History of Rankings and the Increasing Importance of Student Selectivity in Perceptions of Quality in Higher Education

Managing the Introduction of Quality Improvement at Point Park University

Regional Branding by Colleges, Universities and their Community Partners: Expectations and Sustainability of a Market Consortium

How Does USC Football Impact the Strategic Goals of the University of Southern California?

Who Moved My Classroom? Enabling Instructors Performance for 2010s

College and University Responsiveness to Students as Customers: The Reorganization of Service Delivery in the Enrollment Services Arena

“Much Is Required”: Religious Mission and University / Community Partnerships in Urban Settings

John Carroll University: A Review and the Assessment of its Jesuit and Catholic Mission

Navigating in a Building Sea of Change: Successful Growth Strategies of Two Private Higher Education Institutions

Decision Making Processes and Budget Outcomes during State Appropriation Reductions: A Case Study at San Jacinto College

Corporate E- learning: How E-learning is Created in Three Large Corporations

Part-time Education at Johns Hopkins University: An Analysis of Institutional Impact

A University and its Denomination: The Ties that Bind in the 21st Century

Adult Undergraduates in a Traditional Age Environment

Cohort 4: Class of 2006

Moving Beyond Access: Institutionalizing Best Practices for the Inclusion of Underrepresented Faculty and Administrators

Generation Rx: A Study of the Changeover to the Entry-Level PharMD Degree in Pharmacy Education

Leaving the Big Time: A Case Study of Two Universities that Moved their Athletic Programs to Division III

FFELP or Direct Lending: A Comparison of the Decision-Making Process at Two Universities

The Visibility is Clear: Integrated Marketing Makes a Difference in Higher Education

Protecting the Foundation, Building the Future: Perceptions and Expectations for Managing Conflicts in Academic Research

Institutionally-Related Foundation Boards: Processes and Perceptions of Performance

Formulation and Implementation of Policies and Programs Associated with Alcohol on a College Campus: Two Case Studies

Leadership in Context: A Case Study of Presidential Effectiveness in a State University System

The Use of Boundary Objects for Purposeful Change in Higher Education

Organizational Culture: In and Through Campus Planning

The Integration of Mission in the Co-Curriculum: A Case Study of Messiah College

The Impact of Leadership on Institutional Culture and Mission: A Case Study of St. John’s University 1989-2005

“Distinctively Dickinson.” The Evolution of Brand at a Liberal Arts College

Competitive Advantage: The Effect of Market Competition on the Formation of Strategy in Small Business School Higher Education

University-Industry Research Partnerships: Motivations for Collaboration

Administrative Decision Making in Higher Education: How Universities Respond to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Symbolic Communication of College Presidents During Major Institutional Change

K16 and the Art of Soccer Coaching

How NCAA Division III Colleges and Universities use Athletics as Part of their Strategic Enrollment Plan: A Case Study of Three Institutions

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