Doctoral Writing Center
Doctoral Writing Workshops
What Are Doctoral Writing Workshops?
Doctoral Writing Workshops are focused sessions designed to support doctoral students as they navigate the writing and research demands of their programs. Each workshop addresses a specific aspect of doctoral writing or dissertation development and provides practical guidance students can apply directly to their work.
Workshops are facilitated by Doctoral Writing Center (DWC) staff and select faculty and include guided instruction, examples, and opportunities to reflect on how concepts apply to participants’ own writing. Sessions are offered online, with recordings available for students unable to attend live.
Why should I participate?
Doctoral writing presents unique challenges as expectations shift from coursework to independent research. Doctoral Writing Workshops provide targeted support at key moments in that process.
By participating, students can:
- Clarify expectations for doctoral-level writing
- Strengthen skills such as synthesis, argument development, and revision
- Learn strategies for responding to faculty feedback
- Make progress on writing tasks and dissertation milestones
Workshops are designed to complement individual writing and research efforts.
Who Can Attend?
All currently enrolled doctoral students are welcome, regardless of program, stage, or dissertation status.
Cost?
FREE
Workshop Schedule
Past Workshops
Synthesis in Doctoral Writing
Develop the skills needed to move beyond summarizing individual sources and write across the literature. This workshop explores how doctoral writers can identify relationships among sources, organize ideas around meaningful themes and conversations, and use synthesis to build clear, evidence-based arguments.
WORKSHOP ASSETS
Developing a Doctoral Research Problem
Learn how to distinguish an evidence-based research problem from a broad topic, an undesirable condition, or a simple lack of research. This workshop examines how doctoral writers can use scholarly and professional evidence to establish what is occurring, who or what is affected, why the problem matters, and what remains insufficiently understood.
WORKSHOP ASSETS
Achieving Research Alignment
Explore how the foundational elements of a doctoral study work together to form a coherent research plan. This workshop helps writers assess and communicate the logical connections among the research problem, purpose, framework, research questions, and methodology throughout the study.
WORKSHOP ASSETS
Advanced APA Style and Template Adherence
Strengthen your ability to apply APA style and institutional formatting requirements consistently across a doctoral manuscript. This workshop examines advanced formatting and presentation concerns, effective use of the doctoral template, and strategies for identifying and correcting common consistency and compliance issues.
Doctoral Writing Workshops
Workshops will be held each term on Tuesdays at 12:00 PM PST and Thursdays at 4:00 PM PST, with each week focusing on a specific area of doctoral writing:
- Week 1: From Summary to Synthesis: Building Scholarly Conversations in Doctoral Writing
→ RSVP here
- Week 2: Defining the Problem: Foundations of Doctoral Research
→ RSVP here
- Week 3: Building an Aligned Study: The Logic of Doctoral Research
→ RSVP here
- Week 4: Understanding the Literature Review: Purpose, Structure, and Scholarly Control
→ RSVP here
- Week 6: Polishing Your Paper: Advanced APA and Template Adherence
→ RSVP here
APA Basic Sessions
Join one of our APA Basics sessions held in Week 2 of each term for an overview of APA style and an opportunity to ask questions.
RSVP here.