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Doctoral Program Research Pathways

Westcliff University offers two distinct pathways for doctoral students to fulfill their research requirements to complete their degree:

  • Dissertation (DOC 901-904) – for doctoral candidates seeking to contribute new theoretical knowledge to their field.
  • Doctoral Research Project (DRP 901-904) – for doctoral candidates aiming to apply research to address real-world, practical challenges.

Doctoral students are introduced to the research pathway options in the DOC 700 Doctoral Foundations course and will choose their research pathway in the DOC 715 Prospectus course.

Doctoral Course Resources and Templates
(DOC 700 Course Series)

Dissertation

A dissertation is a substantial, formal research project required for the completion of a doctoral degree. It involves identifying a significant problem or question within a field of study, conducting a thorough review of existing literature, designing and executing original research, analyzing findings, and presenting conclusions. The purpose of a dissertation is to demonstrate the student’s ability to contribute new knowledge, insights, or applications to their discipline through independent, scholarly inquiry.

Dissertation Course Block (DOC 901-904)

In the Dissertation Course Block (DOC 901-904), students will progress through four courses and ten milestones. To earn credit for a course, students must successfully complete all milestones associated with each course.

Dissertation Milestones

  • DOC 901: Dissertation I (3 units)
    • 1. Chapter One: Introduction
    • 2. Chapter Two: Literature Review
  • DOC 902: Dissertation II (3 units)
    • 3. Chapter Three: Methodology
    • 4. Proposal Review
  • DOC 903: Dissertation III (3 units)
    • 5. Preliminary Defense
    • 6. CITI/IRB Application
    • 7. Chapter Four: Results
  • DOC 904: Dissertation IV (3 units)
    • 8. Chapter Five: Conclusions
    • 9. Final Defense
    • 10. Final Dissertation

Dissertation Templates and Resources

Doctoral Research Project

A Doctoral Research Project (DRP) is a rigorous, research-based project designed to solve a real-world, practical problem in a specific professional context. Unlike a traditional dissertation, which focuses on generating new theoretical knowledge, the DRP emphasizes applied research and evidence-based solutions for localized or sector-specific issues.

Doctoral Research Project Course Block (DRP 901-904)

In the Doctoral Research Project Course Block (DRP 901-904), students will progress through four courses and ten milestones. To earn credit for a course, students must successfully complete all milestones associated with each course.

Doctoral Research Project Milestones (DRP 901-904)

  • DRP 901: Doctoral Research Project I (3 units)
    • 1. Prospectus
    • 2. Section 1 Project Description
    • 3. Section 1 Literature Review
  • DRP 902: Doctoral Research Project II (3 units)
    • 4. Section 2 Process
    • 5. CITI/IRB Application
  • DRP 903: Doctoral Research Project III (3 units)
    • 6. Section 3 Data Collection and Analysis
  • DRP 904: Doctoral Research Project IV (3 units)
    • 7. Section 4 Findings, Application, Conclusion
    • 8. Abstract and Formatting Review
    • 9. Final Project
    • 10. Final Presentation

Doctoral Research Project Templates and Resources