How to Write and Defend a Doctoral Dissertation Successfully

Let me ask you question: How would you like to know how faculty members view the process of writing and defending a PhD dissertation? I created How to Write a Dissertation to help PhD and doctoral students from social science disciplines navigate their way through the process.I have experienced the process at both ends - as a PhD student and as a faculty member.

Certain actions result in success. Others result in failure. I want every PhD student to know the difference!

Many PhD students give up because they did not have a rich understanding of what it takes to develop a dissertation project, pitch the idea to their committee, write their PhD dissertation and defend it successfully. It is really not such a mind wrenching experience once you have a clear understanding of what is expected during each step of the process.

In my experience, most PhD students have little or no information about the mysterious process of writing and defending a PhD dissertation successfully.

• What are the fundamental components of a study that must be included in your dissertation proposal to be acceptable to your PhD committee?
  
• What are the most common mistakes PhD students make when formulating and writing their PhD dissertation?
  
• Why do so many PhD students never complete their dissertations?

The process of writing and defending a dissertation leads some PhD students to pull all of their hair out, get divorced or even lose all of their friends. It is a process full of roadblocks, setbacks and repeated requirements to "do it over" or worse, "start over." If you idea is to have some fun, do not choose to earn a PhD degree!

After having served on over 300 dissertation committees as chair, committee member or outside evaluator for a wide diversity of academic disciplines including public policy, public administration, business administration, psychology, sociology, education, journalism, history, library science, sports medicine and political science, I have a keen sense of what it takes to succeed and why students fail.

I also have a rich understanding about why PhD and doctoral students fail to finish their PhD or doctoral dissertations and graduate with their PhD degree in hand. Course work is typically not the road block for most students. Most get stuck in the mud at the dissertation stage.

This course offers you all of my inside tips (from the perspective of a faculty member) for what it really takes to succeed. If you follow my recommendations for what to avoid and what steps to take, you will be very pleased when you earn your PhD.

1. Will it be a lot of work? Yep!
2. Will you get frustrated with the process? Everyone does.
   
3. Will you find yourself angry at your committee members? You betcha.
   
4. Can you succeed? Yes indeed!

Understanding the process you will confront (or are confronting now) will make the difference between writing a PhD dissertation that can be defended successfully and proposing a dissertation that your committee rejects so you never get to first base. My course offers a comprehensive perspective on what you can expect at each step of the process.

I am so proud of my course that enrollment comes with a 30 day full money back guarantee - no questions asked. As one of my students you get to ask me the questions you have about the process. I promise to answer them all.