The Chicago School Library: Dissertation & Research Project Hub: Dissertation Basics

Dissertation Basics

On this page, you'll find the Chicago School Dissertation Manual, Forms, Templates, and Checklists, including links to program specific resources.

More detailed information on The Chicago School Dissertation documents are posted throughout this site.

Dissertation Manuals

The quality of the dissertation is a reflection of doctoral students’ personal and professional reputation, and a representation of their cumulative work achieved at The Chicago School. Doctoral students embarking on the dissertation process are required to read the dissertation manual to better understand the philosophy that drives The Chicago School engaged practitioner model. This understanding will enable students to advance and create research that reflects the values of The Chicago School Model of Education.

In addition to this manual, students must consult their program’s Departmental Dissertation Supplement , for department-specific requirements and procedures.

The Chicago School Dissertation Manual
Provides an overview of The Chicago School's institutional policies and procedures for the completion of doctoral dissertations. It is a framework for understanding the expectations of scholarship that reflect The Chicago School mission and provides guidance to students and The Chicago School departments.
Program Guidebooks
Program Guidebooks are supplemental documents specific to each academic program. Students are required to consult these in addition the Dissertation Manual to find program specific policies, and information about training, dissertation or thesis, and academic advising.

Dissertation Forms

Form A: Dissertation Committee Request
Form A formally documents the committee Chair and Reader(s).
Form B: Dissertation Project Goals
Students and Chairs complete Form B at the beginning of each term to document the plan for dissertation progress during a given term, and goals must be the result of mutual agreement between students and Chairs.
Form C: Proposal Review
Form C formally documents the committee’s decision with respect to approval of the proposal. If revisions are required, then students must submit Form C again to the committee after revisions have been made. A proposal cannot be considered successfully defended until all members of the committee are in agreement that the proposal has passed.
Form D: Dissertation Review
Form D formally documents the committee’s decision with respect to approval of the final dissertation. If revisions are required, then students must submit Form D again to the committee after revisions have been made. A manuscript cannot be considered successfully defended until all members of the dissertation committee are in agreement that the manuscript has passed. The manuscript is scored along four dimensions on a scale of 1-5. A minimum score of 3.0 is needed in each dimension for it to pass. (See Dissertation Rubric below)
Form E: Oral Defense
Form E formally documents the committee’s decision with respect to approval of the oral defense, if an oral defense is a requirement of the academic program. If the oral defense is not passed, then students must submit Form E again to the committee. An oral defense cannot be considered successful until all members of the committee are in agreement that the oral defense has passed. The oral defense is scored along four dimensions on a scale of 1-5. A minimum score of 3.0 is needed in each category for the oral defense to pass.

Dissertation Templates

General Dissertation Templates:

General Oral Defense Template:

OralPresentationTemplate_2024.pptx

Formatting Checklist

The Chicago School Fomatting Checklist
The Office of Manuscript Preparation Formatting Manual and Checklist, Includes guidelines and requirements for all manuscripts published at The Chicago School.