Doctoral Writing Center

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Doctoral Writing Center

Westcliff University Doctoral Writing Center’s mission is to collaborate with and guide doctoral students of all disciplines in the curation and completion of their dissertations. The Doctoral Writing Center offers comprehensive resources to support the process of designing and planning the dissertation, programs to facilitate the development and productivity of chapter completions, and consultations with doctoral writing specialists to guide the clarity and cohesion of the work.

Services We Provide

Writing Consultations

Doctoral Writing Specialists are available to meet with students in one-on-one consultation sessions at any point in the dissertation process. Students can discuss the organization, cohesion, flow, or mechanics of their work with a trained Doctoral Writing Specialist.

Writing Support Groups

In a writing support group, you can join a group of up to five peers who are all working on various phases of their dissertations. Based on your availability and preferences, we will connect you with a writing support group to ensure you remain motivated, consistent, and are continuously making progress.

Dissertation Boot Camps

After the completion of RES751, graduate students are eligible to join a dissertation boot camp. The dissertation boot camp is focused on helping students make significant progress quickly on their dissertation projects.

Student Reviews: Doctoral Writing Center

I was generally frustrated with the direction my research was going and similar to many researchers, it was hard to narrow down the research objectives and questions. Booking the one-on-one consultation helped to provide clarity for my research. My doctoral writing specialist was able to provide a lot of helpful information, useful tools, and templates that have continuously made my life easier as a researcher. She also went the extra mile to connect me with professors or experts to answer my questions and further provide clarity. After the session, I gained more confidence in my research skills and ability. I would highly recommend that every student and aspiring researcher at Westcliff University book at least one session to help strengthen their research skills.

– Aladenika Bisola

I am in my final year of the doctorate program at Westcliff University. I recently contacted the Doctoral Writing Center. I was struggling to understand how to even begin by choosing one topic amongst many, and how to choose a research methodology. My doctoral writing specialist was very perceptive in understanding my issues. She offered one-on-one consultation sessions where I could discuss my research ideas, how to narrow down to one, how to find gaps, and advice on what steps to follow in order to prepare a good piece of writing. This helped me tremendously. I also shared my experience with another friend at Westcliff, and she also benefited a lot from her discussions. I recommend that all students who feel lost or do not know where to start their research contact the Doctoral Writing Center. They literally hold your hand and help you with information that can help you make informed decisions!

– Sanchari Mahapatra

I had never taken help from the Writing Center before, but with the recommendation and suggestion from my fellow classmate, I decided to consult the Doctoral Writing Center for my dissertation (prospectus) as I had some horror elements. When I expressed my concerns and struggles, my doctoral writing specialist responded in a positive way, giving me constructive feedback and encouraged me to do better. She gave me great insight and peer reviewed my paper with suggestions. She explained to me the dos and don’ts. Every session with her has been valuable. Thank you to my doctoral writing specialist and the Doctoral Writing Center.

– Deepa Diddee

Resources We Provide

Process: Anything from the overview of the dissertation from start to finish, selecting committee members, reviewing the handbook, and preparing your defenses can be found here for the DBA and here for the Ed.D.

Creation: See our doctoral resources which walk students through where to start, how to write each chapter, checklists to ensure all elements have been covered in each chapter, how to design your research, how to collect your data, and even how to analyze it.

Publication: Resources include information on what to do with your dissertation after it has been completed, awareness of your rights in publication pursuits, and how to extend your discoverability.