All but dissertation defense

I'm looking for a university to evaluate my recently completed dissertation. Since 1994 Am I totally out of options? I was enrolled in a major Midwestern (US) university program. I completed all required class work (32 classroom hours (post-Masters degree) and have a 4.5/5.0 GPA. Additionally, I've also completed well over the required 30 research hours. Unfortunately for political reasons, I am now past the time limit allowed to complete my program. I just completed my last chapter but need to defend my dissertation before a committee. Can any university help me? My research was healthcare focused

 

If your master's degree is in business administration or management, your best bet is to contact Argosy University (formerly known as University of Sarasota). You may be able to transfer your master's and doctoral courses. As for the dissertation, you probable have to redo it but you may still choose the same topic.

 

Have you exhausted all possible appeal options? It certainly can't hurt to write a few letters to the university administration to explain your situation & ask for an extenstion. And, if the whole thing is political, try getting some politicians involved. Write your state representative & state senators, which might be especially effective if it's a state school. Also try your Congressman & US Senators. The worst that can happen is you end up exactly where you are now.


Bruce

 

Whew, bummer! Are the political reasons simply a function of going past the time limit or are we talking more like interpersonal conflict? This wouldn't be the University of Illinois by any chance???

 

I must echo Bruce's thoughts on this matter. Have you tried petitioning the graduate school? At my university, we've successfully petitioned our graduate school to waive the time limit for some of our students. The purpose of such time limits is to prevent perpetual student status in the case of students who have no realistic chance of ever completing a degree as well as to encourage advisors and mentors to take their responsibilities seriously. It would truly be a travesty if you are denied an opportunity to complete your degree (if you have fulfilled all of the requirements) if the only sticking point is missing an arbitrary deadline by a few weeks.

Mark

 

I believe his story but I still think that we don't know the whole story and we will perhaps never hear the whole story. Before the guy approached this forum for help, he may have exhausted all options that are available to him.

 

I talked to an ed.d and a ph.d. program administrators. They said in their programs the time period starts from the time of the start of the first class. The purpose of the time limit is to make sure the knowledge is current. The ed.d. admin. said they just had a person pass the time span, so he had to take a new course to replace the one that was "time expired".
The ph.d. admin. said that in her program there can be a time extension if the defense has a date set. Sort of a light at the end of the tunnel extension.
I would explore all the options at the original school. Transfer would be risky. Most distance programs seem to have a set formula of classes they require.
What is the position of your major professor/mentor? What is the position of the dissertation committee? Where are the loopholes in the timelimit?