Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies,
Candidacy Guidelines
December 19, 2006
Admission to Candidacy:
The Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies perceives advancement to candidacy as a critical point in the program for it is designed to reaffirm the appropriateness of the program relative to the needs and abilities of the students. Application to candidacy is made upon successful completion of the core courses: Leadership Theory (DPLS 700), Organizational Theory (DPLS 701), Policy and Global Systems (DPLS 703), and Principles of Research (DPLS 720). Application for candidacy is to be made before completing 22 credits in the Doctoral Program. The student must be advanced to candidacy before completing 28 credits or the student can expect to be blocked from taking classes until candidacy is completed. When a student is advanced to candidacy, it means they are a candidate for the Ph.D., signifying the Doctoral Faculty’s confidence in the student’s ability to successfully complete the program, including the dissertation.
The method of achieving candidacy is the written response on a topic that is determined jointly by the student and his or her pre-candidacy advisor. The candidacy topic is to align with the core curriculum framework. One or more of the program dimensions—personal, organizational, or global systems—is to provide the conceptual framework for the paper. The paper must be of the quality acceptable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The paper is to be submitted to the journal for review, although advancement to candidacy is not contingent upon the paper being accepted. However, proof that the paper was submitted to a peer-reviewed journal will be required to enroll in DPLS 730: Proposal Seminar. The journal to be used as a reference point is selected by the student and approved by the pre-candidacy advisor.
To apply for candidacy, the student must (a) determine a topic suitable for the candidacy paper, (b) obtain approval of the topic from his or her pre-candidacy advisor, and (c) identify at least one peer-reviewed journal for submission of the paper. An outline or other description of the paper, the journal(s) identified and the publication guidelines must be on file to begin the candidacy process. The receipt of these materials constitutes application for candidacy and initiates the candidacy timeline, detailed next.
Upon receipt of the candidacy application, the student has up to three months to submit two copies of the paper to the pre-candidacy advisor. The maximum length of the paper is 20 pages, double-spaced (including the reference list). A title page and abstract of no more than 150 words needs to be included but are not part of the 20 page limit. Note: a template for the candidacy paper is provided on the doctoral website.
For each round of candidacy, the student must submit two copies of the following: (a) the paper, (b) the outline or other description of the paper agreed upon with the Pre-Candidacy Advisor, (c) the journal(s) identified and the publication guidelines, and (d) comments from previous rounds.
The pre-candidacy advisor and one other doctoral faculty member will review the paper. The two readers will make a determination. If the candidacy paper is found to be unacceptable, the student will be asked to rewrite the paper and resubmit it within two months, usually with a minimum of 30 days before resubmission. If this revised paper is also found to be unacceptable, the student will be asked to rewrite the paper again and resubmit within two months. If the two readers find it unacceptable, all Doctoral Faculty will review the paper and make a determination. Failure to pass the third attempt at writing this paper will result in the student's termination from the program, a decision made by the Program.
When the determination to advance or not advance the student to candidacy is made, the student will receive a written notice of advancement or non-advancement to candidacy. The Doctoral Faculty makes the final determination of advancement to candidacy. The initial Advancement to Candidacy is conditional: the student will receive official notice of Advancement to Candidacy upon receipt of the final paper that goes in the file. Just as at the “sign off” for the dissertation, while the committee may pass the dissertation, the work is not done. Minor revisions may have to be made and the degree is not officially conferred until the final copy of the dissertation is submitted. Thus, to receive official notice of Advancement to Candidacy, a final copy of the paper must be submitted and be on file.
To help assess the paper, the Candidacy Paper Rubric will be used. Criteria used will focus on Thought and Expression (thoughtfulness of analysis and clarity of expression) and Technicalities (grammar, punctuation, APA style, etc.). A copy of the Rubric is available on the doctoral website.
The candidacy paper must be submitted to one peer-reviewed journal. While the paper does not have to be accepted for publication, the student must provide proof of its submission to a peer-reviewed journal in order to receive permission to enroll in DPLS 730: Proposal Seminar. The process of submitting a paper that is peer-reviewed and then receiving feedback from the reviewers helps to prepare for what will be experienced in the dissertation phase. Additional pre-requisites for DPLS 730: (a) student must be Advanced to Candidacy, (b) complete DPLS 722 and 723, (c) submit a petition (guidelines are on the doctoral website) to their dissertation chair and the DPLS 730 instructor 60 days in advance of the course start date. Because Proposal Seminar is one of the last classes taken, most students will have about a year to submit the candidacy paper to a journal before seeking enrollment in Proposal Seminar.
Timelines to keep in mind:
12-22 credits: students may apply for candidacy upon completion of the core courses and must apply before completing 22 credits.
22 credits: students who have not applied for candidacy by the time 22 credits are completed can expect to be blocked from taking additional classes until application is made.
28 credits: students who have not been advanced to candidacy by the time 28 credits are completed can expect to be blocked from taking additional classes until a determination of advancement or non-advancement to candidacy is made.
Timeline for the Candidacy Process:
Upon receipt of application for candidacy, the student has up to 3 months to write the paper. When submitted, the student can expect to receive feedback in a minimum of two weeks, depending on the time of year submitted. (Round One)
Round two: Student has up to 2 months to revise the paper. When submitted for a second time, the student can expect to receive feedback in a minimum of two weeks, depending on the time of year submitted.
Round three: Student has up to 2 months to revise the paper. The third round is the final round. When submitted, the student can expect to receive notice of conditional Advancement to Candidacy or Non-Advancement to Candidacy in a minimum of three weeks, depending on the time of year submitted.
Based on the above, if the Candidacy Paper goes through three rounds, this process can take up to one year. Typically, the paper goes through two rounds of submission before Advancement to Candidacy is recommended. Two rounds on the Candidacy Paper will take approximately six months to complete if the student uses the full 3 months for Round One and the full 2 months for revision in Round Two.
Faculty Availability Reminder:
During certain times of the year, Doctoral Faculty are not available. These times generally are: Mid-May until the beginning of the 6-week Summer Session; the first three weeks in August; and between the end of the Fall semester and beginning of the Spring semester. These times coincide with breaks in the schedule for students. During these breaks, Doctoral Faculty engage in professional development and personal renewal. It is important to keep these times in mind for the Candidacy process. For example, if a student submits their Candidacy Paper at the end of the Summer Session, he or she should not expect feedback until early in the Fall Semester.
The above Timelines should be taken into consideration in course planning and program completion.
Bookmark & Share
