UC Graduate School Dissertation Handbook 2019-2020 DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 2 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Doctoral Program and Dissertation Process 3 Purpose of Handbook 3 Dissertation Committee 3 Committee Members 3 Choosing committee members 3 Committee chair responsibilities 4 Responsibilities of other committee members 5 Candidate responsibilities 5 Dissertation Guidelines 6 Choosing a Research Topic 6 Dissertation Timeline 6 Dissertation Style 7 Quantitative Dissertations 7 Qualitative Dissertations 8 Final Document 9 Dissertation Research Approval Process 9 Oral Defense 10 Graduation 11 Appendix A: Quantitative Dissertation Information 12 Appendix B: Qualitative Dissertation Information 14 Appendix C: Dissertation Defense Rubric 19 Appendix D: Reporting Statistical Tests 20 DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 3 Introduction Doctoral Program and Dissertation Process The Graduate School at the University of the Cumberlands offers Doctor of Business Administration, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The doctoral dissertation, designed to evaluate the candidate’s capabilities as a scholar, is the final academic requirement of the DBA, EdD, and PhD programs. Candidates complete the dissertation during professional research courses (LEAR 736, 839, 930, 931), which are the last four courses taken during the program. This handbook sets forth the guidelines for completing the dissertation process. Purpose of Handbook The purpose of this handbook is to guide candidates through the dissertation process including writing, defense, and final document submission. Candidate and committee member responsibilities are outlined, writing guidelines are detailed and examples provided, required sections for each chapter, and printing guidelines for the final dissertation document are included. The handbook is to be used by instructors, dissertation chairs, and committee members to ensure maintenance of high standards related to the form and appearance of dissertations. Dissertation Committee Dissertation committees are made up of three members; the dissertation chair and two committee members. Each member has specific responsibilities as outlined below. Committee Members Choosing committee members. While enrolled in LEAR 930, the candidate and dissertation chair will identify instructors to serve on his/her dissertation committee. The dissertation course instructor will serve as the dissertation chair. Other members are to be instructors teaching at the DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 4 graduate level at University of the Cumberlands. These members should be chosen based on dissertation topic expertise ...

1. UC Graduate School
Dissertation Handbook
2019-2020
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 2
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Doctoral Program and Dissertation Process 3
Purpose of Handbook 3
Dissertation Committee 3
Committee Members 3

2. Choosing committee members 3
Committee chair responsibilities 4
Responsibilities of other committee members 5
Candidate responsibilities 5
Dissertation Guidelines 6
Choosing a Research Topic 6
Dissertation Timeline 6
Dissertation Style 7
Quantitative Dissertations 7
Qualitative Dissertations 8
Final Document 9
Dissertation Research Approval Process 9
Oral Defense 10
Graduation 11
Appendix A: Quantitative Dissertation Information 12
Appendix B: Qualitative Dissertation Information 14
Appendix C: Dissertation Defense Rubric 19
Appendix D: Reporting Statistical Tests 20

3. DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 3
Introduction
Doctoral Program and Dissertation Process
The Graduate School at the University of the Cumberlands
offers Doctor of Business
Administration, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy
degrees. The doctoral
dissertation, designed to evaluate the candidate’s capabilities as
a scholar, is the final academic
requirement of the DBA, EdD, and PhD programs. Candidates
complete the dissertation during
professional research courses (LEAR 736, 839, 930, 931), which
are the last four courses taken
during the program. This handbook sets forth the guidelines for
completing the dissertation
process.
Purpose of Handbook

4. The purpose of this handbook is to guide candidates through
the dissertation process
including writing, defense, and final document submission.
Candidate and committee member
responsibilities are outlined, writing guidelines are detailed and
examples provided, required
sections for each chapter, and printing guidelines for the final
dissertation document are
included. The handbook is to be used by instructors,
dissertation chairs, and committee members
to ensure maintenance of high standards related to the form and
appearance of dissertations.
Dissertation Committee
Dissertation committees are made up of three members; the
dissertation chair and two
committee members. Each member has specific responsibilities
as outlined below.
Committee Members
Choosing committee members. While enrolled in LEAR 930,
the candidate and dissertation
chair will identify instructors to serve on his/her dissertation
committee. The dissertation course
instructor will serve as the dissertation chair. Other members

5. are to be instructors teaching at the
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 4
graduate level at University of the Cumberlands. These
members should be chosen based on
dissertation topic expertise and candidate needs. Dissertation
chairs will provide candidates with
a list of instructors available to serve on committees.
Committee chair responsibilities. Responsibilities of the
committee chair include:
ess.
committee members.
of the dissertation.
process.
e candidate in achieving a high level of technical
and ethical quality in the
dissertation research.
methods/procedures for data collection and

6. analysis.
committee and communicate
such with committee members. The candidate should avoid
consulting the full committee
for feedback without prior approval of the chair.
preparation for the dissertation
defense.
of all dissertation defense
meetings.
members to the department chair
in a timely manner after the defense.
-ready copy of the dissertation to the
department chair prior to the
anticipated graduation date of the candidate.
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 5

7. Responsibilities of other committee members. Responsibilities
of other committee members
include:
or candidate.
clarification and resolution of
methodological issues during the dissertation process.
major flaws that are likely
to result in a candidate’s unsuccessful defense are identified.
nature page of the dissertation in a timely
manner.
Candidate Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the dissertation candidate include:
select committee
members based on expertise
in the dissertation topic area. The candidate is encouraged to
select at least one member
with expertise in data collection and analysis.

8. before collecting data.
the chair, preparing
adequately for consultations, and communicating on a regular
basis with the chair.
in
personal or professional
situation which may interfere with program completion.
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 6
-free, print-ready copy of dissertation as a
pdf document to the
dissertation chair and the Graduate School office in a timely
manner after a successful
defense.
-sided copies using white, 24
lb. résumé paper.
to program office prior to the
end of the semester.

9. Dissertation Guidelines
Choosing a Research Topic
Candidates begin thinking about dissertation topics when
applying for admission to the program.
The dissertation topics must be grounded in theory, related to
program goals, and have specific
implications for practitioners. Candidates are encouraged to
choose research topics of personal
relevance and significance. When opportunities arise in
coursework, candidates should begin
researching these topics in the form of literature reviews and
other assignments that allow for
research. The research topic will be narrowed to a research
study and approved by the
department chair/director when candidates enroll in the first
dissertation course, LEAR 736. The
link for topic approval is provided through the Graduate School.
Dissertation Timeline
The dissertation topic is approved by the Graduate School and
department when candidates are
enrolled in LEAR 736. The review of literature is completed
while enrolled in LEAR 736, and
Chapter Two of the dissertation is written. This is a

10. requirement for enrolling in LEAR 839.
While enrolled in LEAR 839, candidates complete Chapter One,
the introduction to the study,
and Chapter Three, the methodology section. Candidates must
get approval for their research
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 7
from the Institutional Review Board while enrolled in LEAR
839, before collecting any data. A
completed Chapter One and Chapter Three and IRB approval are
required before candidates
enroll in LEAR 930. Candidates complete Chapter Four, which
presents their research findings,
while enrolled in LEAR 930. Once enrolled in LEAR 931,
candidates complete Chapter Five.
In Chapter Five, candidates interpret their findings, discuss
implications of those findings,
present recommendations for further study and action, and
discuss how their study fills a gap in
the literature and contributes to leadership. The final step in
the dissertation process is the oral
defense, which is completed in LEAR 931-935. Once the study
is successfully defended,

11. candidates submit printed copies of the dissertation to the
department chair. At that time, the
department chair recommends the candidate for graduation.
The DBA, EdD, and PhD programs are designed for
dissertations to be completed in four
courses. Candidates needing additional time may enroll in
additional courses providing the total
time in the program does not exceed five years. Enrollment in
courses beyond LEAR 931 must
be approved by the department chair.
Dissertation Style
The dissertation, a scholarly document, is written for
professionals in the field. The
dissertation may include a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed
methods study.
Quantitative Dissertations
While there is no set number of pages, a dissertation typically
includes approximately
100 pages for quantitative studies. The quantitative dissertation
follows a five chapter format
and deductive approach (see Appendix A). The sixth edition of
the Publication Manual of the

12. DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 8
American Psychological Association (APA) is the style manual
to be used in writing the
dissertation. All APA guidelines should be followed.
Qualitative Dissertations
Unlike the EdD and Quantitative PhD dissertations, which
follow a five-chapter format,
the qualitative dissertation is not bound by those requirements.
Rather, the qualitative
dissertation should be approximately 45,000 words. This word
requirement applies to the text of
the dissertation only; it does not cover the title page,
acknowledgements, table of contents, or
other non-content related pages. Thus, with a small indulgence
in tautology, the dissertation,
should be as long as it needs to be, as long it meets the
minimum word requirement.
The Graduate School requires the use of footnotes (when
necessary), citations, and references for
all qualitative dissertations. All qualitative dissertations should
be double-spaced, typed in 12pt,

13. Times New Roman with 1” margins. Footnotes must be in 10pt
Times New Roman with a
double space between notes, but a single space inside the note
itself. The acknowledgements and
other non-textual pages at the beginning of the dissertation
should be in roman numerals at the
bottom-center of the page, and they should be continuous. The
title page does not have a page
number. When quoting, place punctuation marks inside the
quotation marks. For visual examples
of the title page, bibliography, and general formatting, please
refer to the Chicago Manual of
Style, 17th Edition and Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers
of Research Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations (8th ed.).
Final Document
The final dissertation document must be submitted while
enrolled in the last research
course, typically LEAR 931. The final document is submitted
after the successful oral defense is
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 9

14. presented and all committee member recommended edits have
been made. An error-free, print-
ready copy of dissertation is submitted as a pdf document after
a successful defense. The copy is
to be submitted electronically to the dissertation chair and the
Graduate School. Candidates print
a minimum of two one-sided copies using white, 24 lb. resume
paper. Candidates then submit a
minimum of two printed copies of the dissertation to the
program office prior to the designated
semester deadline. After having those copies bound, the UC
Binding Department will return the
two copies to the candidate. If the candidate wishes to keep
more than two bound copies,
he/should submit the number desired. The Binding Department
will bill the student for the
additional copies at a minimal cost per copy.
Dissertation Research Approval Process
Approval for conducting the dissertation research must be
obtained while enrolled in
LEAR 839 and is a pre-requisite to enrolling in LEAR 930. The
Institutional Review Board

15. application to conduct research and all supporting documents
must be submitted in LEAR 839.
The dissertation chair will review the document, and then the
student should submit the
documents to the Department of study (Leadership Studies,
Counseling, Business, or IT).
Candidates will receive an IRB Approval Letter once the
research has been approved. No
research is to be executed until IRB approval is granted and all
necessary consents (adults) and
assents (minors) are secured from participants. The IRB
Approval Letter is to be placed in the
dissertation as Appendix A.
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 10
Oral Defense
While enrolled in the final dissertation course, the candidate
must present an oral defense
of her/his research. This oral defense is presented after the
committee chair and all committee

16. members have given feedback and all edits have been made to
the dissertation document. The
Department of Leadership Studies will schedule the defense
session. All three committee
members must be present for the oral defense. The oral defense
session normally takes 45-60
minutes. The committee members and chair will ask questions
and offer comments. The
candidate will then be dismissed for committee deliberation.
Once the committee and chair have
deliberated and reached a decision, the candidate will be invited
to re-join the group for the
committee decision. The committee will make one of the
following decisions:
ed with recommendation to write a new
dissertation.
If one of the first two decisions is made, the committee chair
will work with the candidate to get
the final document ready to send to the department chair for
review. If the committee decision

17. requires major revisions or a new dissertation, the candidate
will enroll in another research
course to complete the revisions or rewrite.
The defense must be successfully completed by the department
defense deadline for the
semester. The dissertation chair and committee will evaluate
the candidate using the department
rubric (see Appendix C).
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 11
Graduation
Candidates should apply for graduation at the beginning of the
semester in which they
plan to graduate. The application for graduation is located at
https://inside.ucumberlands.edu/academics/registrar/graduation_
application.php. Once the
research has been successfully defended and copies of the
dissertation are received by the
department chair, the department chair will notify the registrar
that the candidate has completed

18. all program requirements and is eligible to graduate.
Graduation exercises are held in May.
Candidates are hooded during the graduation exercise.
https://inside.ucumberlands.edu/academics/registrar/graduation_
application.php
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 12
Appendix A
Quantitative Dissertation Format
Title Page
Signature Page
Acknowledgements
Abstract (150 words maximum)
Table of Contents
List of Tables
Chapter One (Introduction)
Overview
Background and Problem Statement
Purpose of the Study

19. Research Questions
Theoretical Framework
Limitations of the Study
Assumptions
Definitions
Summary
Chapter Two (Review of Literature)
Introduction
Subsections based on a deductive approach
Summary
Chapter Three (Procedures and Methodology)
Introduction
Research Paradigm (qualitative or quantitative)
Research Design
Sampling Procedures and or/
Data Collection Sources (reference Informed Consent and IRB
approval placed in Appendices)
Statistical Tests

20. Summary
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 13
Chapter Four (Research Findings)
Introduction
Participants and Research Setting
Analyses of Research Questions (one at a time)
Supplementary Findings (if any)
Summary
Chapter Five (Summary, Discussion, and Implications)
Introduction
Practical Assessment of Research Question(s)
Limitations of the Study
Implications for Future Study
Summary
References
Appendices (This section contains any tables, figures and
possible data sources that could not

21. be placed in the text of the paper due to its size, as well as
copies of consent forms and IRB
letters.)
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 14
Appendix B
Qualitative Dissertation Information
Title Page
Signature Page
Acknowledgements
Abstract (150 words maximum)
Table of Contents
Introduction (Example):
Title of Your Project
Overview
The introduction is where you will establish for your readers the

22. overall scope of your project. You will
establish the topic, the thesis, and general thesis map. It is in
the Introduction where you “hook” your readers into
wanting to know more about your topic and argument. In many
ways, this your chance to show off your writing,
thinking, and expertise on the subject as the Introduction serves
as your place to show the readers why your project
is important and worthwhile.
Please note several things regarding the format. First, at the
top-center, you note the Introduction, Chapter,
Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, or Dedication, placing a
colon at the end. Second, for the Introduction and
Chapters, you will then space one line down, and place the title
of each chapter. The exceptions are Introduction
where you will place the dissertation’s title and Chapter 1,
which you will title “Literature Review.” From there,
double-space between the chapter title and the start of the text.
Please note: unlike this example, the page number at
the start of the Introduction and each chapter must be bottom-
center.
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 15

23. Despite the open-ended nature of the qualitative dissertation,
each dissertation must start with an
Introduction. In the “Introduction,” the author must present his
or her research project, the overall scope of the work,
and produce the general thesis of the work as well a thesis map
elaborating the sub-topics/extent of each chapter.
The thesis map should logically support the thesis statement.
The introduction of each chapter should be the only
place where an outright thesis statement and map are used. The
thesis can (and probably should) be referred to
throughout the work, but it should be done in a more subtle,
literary style. Allow the introduction to be the place
where you state the thesis in a bold, upfront, and “in your face”
manner.
Chapter One
After the Introductory chapter, Chapter One of the dissertation
should be your Literature Review. Here, you
will elaborate and engage what the secondary literature says
about the general topic you are writing about. You are
expected to discuss and analyze both the seminal works – those
writings which have had an important and lasting
impact on how a topic is understood – on the topic as well
lesser-known contributions. You should make special
note of potential trends, how understanding of the topic has

24. changed over time, and any potential paradigms that
might have emerged and been influential on the writings on
your topic. This does not mean, however, you must
cover everything ever written on the topic or even talk about
them in glowing terms. Remember, be critical and set
your perspective and work apart from the other pieces on the
subject. For many topics, it would take a lifetime or
more to master that literature. Rather, a good-faith effort to
master the literature is what is expected.
After the Introduction and Chapter One, the rest is up to you.
You will spend the next chapters (however
many) elaborating your contribution and understanding of the
topic. These chapters need to be primary source-
driven. The last element of the textual part of the dissertation
must be a Conclusion. In it, you must provide a
general overview of the literature, what your work just argued,
and offer suggestive questions for future researchers
on the topic.
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 16

25. Appendix C
Dissertation Evaluation Rubric
Standard Score 4 3 2 1 Score
I.
Demonstrates
critical and
reflective thinking
capable of
facilitating
institutional,
informational
technology, or
business related
problem-solving or
school/ college
improvement.
Accurately assesses
two issues affecting
an institution’s
effectiveness as well
as offers a

26. convincing
argument for
improvement.
Accurately assesses
two issues affecting
an institution’s
effectiveness.
Accurately assesses
one issue affecting
an institution’s
performance.
No evidence is
presented.
II.
Demonstrates
consideration for the
impact of
leadership,
information
technology, or

27. business on
institutional
constituents.
Shows balance
between the needs
of two or more
constituent groups
while maintaining
organizational goals.
Shows realistic
consideration for the
needs of two or
more constituent
groups.
Shows realistic
consideration for the
needs of one
constituent group.
No evidence is
presented.

28. III. Demonstrates
effective analytical
and communication
skills.
Demonstrates a
professional level of
skills associated
with formatting,
grammar, spelling,
syntax, and use of
numbers.
Demonstrates
acceptable skills
associated with
formatting,
grammar, spelling,
syntax, and use of
numbers.

29. Needs minor
improvement in
skills associated
with formatting,
grammar, spelling,
syntax, and use of
numbers.
Needs significant
improvement in
skills associated
formatting,
grammar, spelling,
syntax, and use of
numbers.
IV.
Demonstrates
knowledge of
genres, paradigms,
theories or trends in

30. business, criminal
justice, education,
English, health
sciences, history,
information
technology, math,
nursing, psychology,
religion, or student
personnel services.
Subject is identified,
realistic, and
grounded in a
recognized genre,
paradigm, theory, or
trend.
Subject is identified
and is realistic, but it
lacks grounding in a
recognized genre,
paradigm, theory, or
trend.
Subject is identified

31. but is not realistic or
grounded in a
recognized genre,
paradigm, theory, or
trend.
Subject area is not
established.
Score
DISSERTATION HANDBOOK 17
Appendix D
Reporting Statistical Tests
For quantitative dissertations, the statistical tests are reported
in the abstract and Chapter
Four. The alpha should be set at .05. Some common examples
of tests used in quantitative
analysis are listed below as examples. All statistical symbols
are italicized. For all tests listed

32. below, report the degrees of freedom (except the Spearman’s rs,
where you report the number of
pairs).
Symbol Report findings Null hypothesis
Chi-Square Test X
2
(X
2
[df, N = ] = result, p < or >
.05)
The variables are independent.
Spearman’s rs rs (rs [number of pairs] = result, p
< or > .05)
There is no relationship between the
ranked data.
t-test
(Independent and
paired samples)
t (t [df] = result, p < or > .05) There is no difference in the
means.

33. ANOVA F F [df] = result, p < or > .05) There is no difference
in the means.
(If the null hypothesis is rejected,
then run post-hoc testing).
Regression or
Pearson Product
moment
correlation
coefficient r
r r [df] = result, p < or > .05) There is no relationship between
the
variables.
*For additional tests, please follow current APA guidelines.