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The  Dissertation House will be in person at UMBC.

The Dissertation House is based on the successful Scholars’ Retreat at the University of Colorado at Denver, the PROMISE Dissertation House (est. 2006), the UMBC & UMCP Dissertation Houses On-Campus, and Dr. Wendy Carter’s Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished – TADA® books and materials from the ABD Solution Company, LLC.

Dissertation House Application Procedures

Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House activities focus on areas where students typically have difficulty: conceptualizing a topic, writing a literature review, transitioning from a proposal to a dissertation, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, and editing.

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How to Apply

1. 1. Create a single word document with the following settings:
      1. font size 11-12 pt
      2. 1 inch margins
   2. Divide it into 2 sections – Part 1 and Part 2

1. 1. In Part 1, type your header information on one page:
      1.  Name
      2. Address
      3. Telephone numbers (mobile, home, office)
      4. E-mail address
      5. Academic Program
      6. Year in program (1st year, 5th Year, etc)

1. 1. Type up a brief description (maximum 2 pages) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period.

1. 1. In Part 2, type up the following:
      1. Summary of the project, including research question(s), data, texts, and methods
      2. Amount completed on the project to date
      3. Any obstacles you have encountered that hinders completion of the dissertation

1. Email the application to promise@umbc.edu using the subject line format: “Dissertation House 2023 Winter Application: FirstName LastName”

Applications will not be reviewed or accepted outside of the application enrollment period. 

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Dates: Tuesday, January 17 to Friday, January 20, 2023

Location: In-person Commons Building, Room 318

Selection Process: Eighteen (18) participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.
The following applicants will have priority:

1. Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months
2. Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal
3. Applicants who submit earliest, and
4. Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.

All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House.