Doctoral Alumni Current Doctoral Students Current Masters Students Masters Alumni Visitors
A '0' means that no data is available.
A '1' means that data has been entered, but has not been 'locked' by DWB.
A '2' means that DWB has 'locked' the entry, and only he can change it (that is, without hacking, of course). For example, once submitted the title of a thesis is locked; once graduated, that year is locked.
Group members may use the 'Generate Edit Request' button to access a page from which they can initiate an ediing process. You'll need a password.
Alumni and visitors may change Web pages, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers.
If you want to become 'inactive' and have no data published, please e-mail DWB.
Progress records for all other students are posted.
Doctoral Deadlines - UNL Graduate Studies Paper Trail.
Masters Deadlines -UNL Graduate Studies
All CEHS (College of Education and Human Sciences) graduate services are coordinated through Shari Daehling , Room 118 Henzlik.
Paper Trail. Admission letter, Appointment of Supervisory Committee, Program of Studies, Admission to Candidacy, Application for Advanced Degree, Application for Final Oral Exam, and two forms signed by your committee after passing your orals.
Admission. Two separate organizations need to admit you for a doctoral program. You need to be admitted by UNL, and you need to be admitted by a doctoral program. Currently my students are admitted through doctoral programs in TLTE. There are several requirements for admission including current GRE scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, statements of interest, etc. There is a small fee ($45) for admission to Graduate Studies at UNL.
Hooding. UNL conducts a doctoral hooding ceremony, usually on the afternoon of the day before commencement. At this ceremony, mentors proudly stand by while a member of the graduate deanery places a hood on the candidate. I like this ceremony, and consider it much more important than graduation. I hope that my students will choose to participate, and to permit me to "hood" them.
Supervisory Committee. You need to form a doctoral committee. This is an official process in which names are recommended to the graduate dean and a formal paper is received from the Graduate College. A doctoral committee must have FOUR graduate faculty members. You can have as many committee members as you like, but you must have 4 qualified. Typically your committee will have three members from your program area, and a fourth outside member. This can become a bit complicated because members of specialization areas are treated the same whether or not they are in the same departments.
Choose committee members with great care. Your committee approves your program of studies, contributes to and grades your comprehensive exam, approves your research proposal, approves your dissertation, and ultimately votes on your PhD oral. Do not choose committee members casually. It is wise to seek the counsel of other recent PhD student who have had a person as a committee member.
Committee members can help guide your research, and they can help you find a job.
The official committee formation document looks like this:
Program of Studies. PhD. Your Program of Studies is the list of courses you must complete for your PhD.
There are three stages to the Program of Study: DV, where we develop this program; Cm, where we bring it to your committee; and GC, where we send it to Graduate Studies. It does not count if you don't have it back from GC approved.
This is supposed to be a research degree. I do not favor taking many courses. If you want an academic job, however, you need to think about taking the kinds of courses that you will be expected to teach in your chosen area.
It always is best if you know your research area early in the game. That way you will be able to take appropriate tools courses. In general, I think everyone should think about taking EDUC 800 and at least two specific research tools course (like EDPS 859, EDUC 900D, EDUC 900K). Furthermore, if you know the kind of area you want to specialize in, then you should take a second and possibly third course in that area (like EDPS 860 and EDPS 941 or some such.)
In technology, you should take CURR 859 or be thoroughly conversant with its content. You should consider taking EDPS 854 (human cognition). You might take an advance instructional design course, or a related EDPS seminar. I really don't care what you take.
Your POS should have at least 20 hours of dissertation, and I'll approve taking whatever the maximum is.
You must take two semesters of TEAC 995, but I expect you to attend research seminar regularly whether or not you are taking it for credit.
Fill out the POS using the whatever computer system is available and have it printed properly by our graduate center office. It's a two-page document.
The POS is presented to your committee at the first of three or four committee meetings. Nearly always, the committee suggests some changes in the POS. The outcome of this meeting will be at least two motions by the committee:
1. Move approval of the POs (as amended). 2. Approve the omnibus motion. The omnibus motion empowers the committee chair to do three things: set and arrange for the grading of the comprehensive examination; appoint a dissertation reading committee (two of the committee members); and make minor changes in the POs consistent with the candidates goals and research.
1. Move approval of the POs (as amended).
2. Approve the omnibus motion. The omnibus motion empowers the committee chair to do three things: set and arrange for the grading of the comprehensive examination; appoint a dissertation reading committee (two of the committee members); and make minor changes in the POs consistent with the candidates goals and research.
If you are past the 45 hour limit, there may be a 3rd motion to approve hours past 45. Graduate Studies is not obliged to accept the motion, but they usually do. This depends upon whether the student appears to have been well mentored and goal oriented past that 45 hour mark.
Minutes of this meeting are submitted to the graduate dean along with the POS. The outcome is an approved POs from graduate studies.
Comprehensive Examination. After most or your coursework is completed but before you submit your research proposal, you must take and pass comprehensive examinations.
There are effectively four stages of this process: DV, where I and the members of your committee develop the examination; Wr, where you write the comps; P, where we evaluate your responses (and, hopefully, pass you); and Cand where a form signed by all members of your committee is sent to Graduate Studies to admit you to doctoral candidacy.
Following the lead of my colleague David Beukelman, I try to make the comprehensive an experience that is focused upon preparing for success in research and success in a subsequent career. Passing comprehensive examinations is by no means an automatic thing. Generally speaking, I write 3 or 4 questions and circulate these among the members of the committee. They usually add something permitting me to cut something. We recycle until we reach agreement.
The student usually has about 10 weeks to work on the comprehensive examination.
For the IT/IBE specializations, there is an additional portfolio requirement. in this requirement, the student must demonstrate proficiency with some subskills.
The procedures and portfolio elements are described elsewhere.
Candidacy. After you have passed comprehensives, I write a letter to the graduate office. This leads to cutting another form, Admission to Candidacy. This is an important paper hurdle. For one thing, it sets certain clocks into motion. For another, it represents the last major hurdle before dissertation. Dissertation is a big hurdle with several steps, however.
IRB (Institutional Review Board). It is almost certain that any research you conduct with me as your mentor will require prior approval from the IRB. This is an important step, one than cannot be overlooked. It is likely that you cannot begin your research until your have your IRB approval in hand. In addition, you are required to follow the protocol that the IRB approves.
You must complete IRB training before you may submit a UNL IRB.
After training, there are at least three stages to this process: Wr, where we (you) write the IRB proposal; Sub, where we submit this to the IRB through the local unit review; and App, where we receive approval. The approval is almost always iterative; there nearly always is something found lacking. For some research you may need two or more separate IRB approvals.
Research Proposal. Though not spelled out in the graduate studies requirements, the research proposal is a very important step. A typical research proposal consists of the first three chapters of a dissertation: an introduction (why the problem is worthy), a literature review (what is already known about the problem), and methods (what you will do in your studies). I hold the view that, once approved, the research proposal is like a contract between you and your committee. Once you have completed this work, assuming that you do what the proposal says you are going to do, then you are done -- regardless of what you discovered in your studies. Because of the implied contractual nature of this step, it should be taken very seriously. If your committee wants changes in your proposal, you should make them and resubmit the proposal to them before the letter is sent (to Graduate Studies for your file) indicating that this meeting has been held.
Typically, your proposal will read like and ultimately become the first three chapters of your dissertation: Introduction, Literature Review, and Methods and Procedures.
There are three stages of the research proposal: Wr, where you prepare the proposal; App, where your committee approves that proposal; and an informal GC stage where I write a memo to Graduate Studies indicating that your committee has approved your research proposal.
Application for the Degree. You must apply to receive your degree in the early part of the semester during which you expect to receive your degree.
Dissertation. Preparing a dissertation is a major effort.
Follow the formatting rules (Guidebook) carefully.
I see five stages to the dissertation. After your research is complete, you write (Wr) the dissertation. As often as not, this consists of adding three more chapters to your updated and revised proposal: Results, Discussion, and Summary and Conclusions.
Once written and approved by me, the dissertation goes to your committee, and especially your Reading Committee, two members of your committee who have agreed to serve as your readers. Under no circumstances will I give a Reading Committee less than three weeks to read and approve your dissertation. Generally speaking , there must be at least three weeks between their approval and the scheduling of the final oral defense. So, plan on having your dissertation approved by me at least six weeks before you plan on defending. Typically, I read a dissertation three times before it goes out -- but sometimes it goes out after one reading, and sometimes it takes four or five. I refuse to be pressured about this, but the turnaround time on my readings is usually very prompt, about 48 hours.
So, the remaining stages are Com, Sch (schedule oral), Orl (the oral exam itself), and Dep (depositing the dissertation).
Depositing the dissertation is a big deal. First, there are formatting requirements that are followed scrupulously. Then, there must be copies that are bound. Plan on having at least one bound copy for me and one for each member of your committee.
Oral Examination. One of the nearly final steps in earning a PhD is in defending your dissertation at an oral examination. (This is not the last step. After this, there as signatures, revisions, and deposit of the 'final' copies.) In times past, oral examinations have been major hurdles. It is possible to flunk and oral, but a good dissertations that is reasonably well-defended caries the day. The oral cannot be scheduled until after the reading committee (two members of the supervisory committee other than me) sign off.
Publication(s). Most research you conduct with me should be publishable, and I expect you to attempt to publish it. Because I am an active player in most dissertations, I expect to co-author these publications.
Summary of Procedure for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree (taken from the 2000-2002 UNL Graduate Bulletin).
This summary of procedure should be studied carefully in connection with the Graduate College calendar.
1. Admission to UNL Graduate Studies by the evaluation of official transcripts presented in person or by mail before registration.
2. Registration after consultation with advisers in major and minor departments.
3. Appointment by the Office of Graduate Studies of a supervisory committee on the recommendation of the departmental or area Graduate Committee.
4. Submission to the Office of Graduate Studies of a program approved by the supervisory committee setting forth the complete plan of study for the degree with a minimum of 45 hours exclusive of language and/or research tools remaining to be taken.
5. Satisfactory completion of foreign language or research tool requirements set forth in the approved program and passing of comprehensive examinations in major and minor or related fields when the student’s program of courses is substantially completed.
6. Submission to the Office of Graduate Studies of a report from the supervisory committee on the specific research for the dissertation and progress to date.
7. Admission to Candidacy for the PhD degree by filing a report in the Office of Graduate Studies of the passing of the comprehensive examinations and the completion of language and research tool requirements (at least seven months before the final oral examination). The term of Candidacy is limited to three years.
8. Filing of an application for the degree at the Office of Registration and Records, 107 Canfield Administration Building. This application is effective during the current term only. It must be renewed at the appropriate time if requirements for graduation are not completed until a later term.
9. Presentation of the dissertation and the abstract to the members of the reading committee in sufficient time for review and approval, which must be obtained at least three weeks before the final examination.
10. At least three weeks prior to the date of the oral examination, presentation to the Office of Graduate Studies of the application for final oral examination and a copy of the dissertation and abstract for preliminary review.
11. Passing of any required final oral examination.
12. Deposition of two copies of the dissertation in proper form, three copies of the abstract, and a signed agreement for microfilming the dissertation and publication of the abstract, with the Dean of University Libraries after final approval from the doctoral specialist in graduate studies. Delivery of the certificate of deposit, signed by members of the supervisory committee, the Dean of University Libraries, and the Comptroller, to the Office of Graduate Studies. In addition, one bound copy of the dissertation is to be deposited with the student’s major department.
Masters deadlines.
Paper Trail. The masters paper trail consists of an admission, a Memorandum of Courses, Application for Advanced Degree, and a Final Examination Report. A thesis must be written, defended, revised, bound, and deposited if the thesis path is chosen.
Admission. Two separate organizations need to admit you for a masters program. You need to be admitted by UNL, and you need to be admitted by a masters program. Currently my students are admitted through programs in TLTE. There is a small fee ($45) for admission to Graduate Studies at UNL.
Memorandum of Courses. Your Memorandum of Courses is the list of courses you must complete for your Masters. Graduate Studies.
It is not clear to me that one has an advantage one way or another by doing a thesis. The MEd requirements recently were changed for TLTE, and I prefer not to mentor anyone in this degree area.
Three courses will be required for your degree. In a courses-only program, you must have TEAC 800, TEAC 801, and at least 3 hrs of EITHER masters seminar (TEAC 889) or TEAC 959 (portfolio in instructional technology competencies). If you are creating a product of some type other than a paper, portfolio is a better course for you.
If you are doing a thesis, there will be a defense of the written thesis that will take the place of the capstone experience.
I expect you to attend my research group seminar if you are a thesis student. (Doctoral students will take that for TEAC 995 credit.)
I really don't care what else you take. IF you are interested in a specialization in internet-based education or educational technology, you will need to take one course from each of four of the six course thematic areas stipulated by those programs.
Fill out the MoC using an electronic form. Then, have it printed properly by our graduate center office.
Your MoC must be submitted to and approved by Graduate Studies. This is not a formality. Also, it must be accomplished before your have completed more than half of your program of study.
Summative Work. A course-based masters degree involves the development of a summative work. This boils down to having you develop something that will demonstrate to a committee (me and two others) that you have learned something during your masters program here. The summative work may be a large paper, or a Web site, or a computer program, or a data-based study (like a small doctoral dissertation).
IRB (Institutional Review Board). Any research that you conduct we me as your mentor is likely to require prior approval from the IRB. See above.
Thesis. A master thesis is much like a small dissertation. Students interested in pursuing academic careers often choose the route of writing a thesis. Having a well-written thesis can help with respect to gaining admission into doctoral programs. At UNL, there is no special supervisory masters committee. The mentor and the candidate develop the thesis, and then bring it to an ad hoc committee appointed by Graduate Studies to conduct the final examination.
Oral. The thesis is defended at an oral examination. Members of the committee must have at least three weeks to read the thesis before the exam takes place.
Final Examination Report. There is a piece of paper that must be signed for you to receive your degree. It is called a final exam report form, and it must be passed by two of three examiners. Masters committees are ad hoc and are created at the last moment before a summative work or thesis defense. It doesn't have to be that way, however. you can create a committee early if you think the committee structure will be helpful to you.