Is that possible to complete dissertation?

For those members with Doctorate degree. Is that possible to complete the dissertation in 12 months?

Thanks

 

Steve,

Yes, at least a full-time job.

 

I can't imagine it if you're doing original research. I just did a thesis and logged hundreds of hours between topic selection/approval, research, writing, submission and re-writes over a way too short 6 month period.
In my process, it's the back and forth of working with ONE advisor that slowed me down, I understand dissertations require feedback/approval of an entire committee; plus depending on your research, you're at the mercy of data collection snafus. I think it's cutting it very close. Just my two cents.

 

I am sure someone has done it in the past, I just have never met them. I know a ton of PhD holders, from a variety of schools and fields. I haven't met one yet that was able to finish in 1 year while working full time.

I THINK I know of someone who finished in about a year after coursework, BUT he was doing nothing but that dissertation for the year AND he had basically started his research as soon as he entered his PhD program, so he had a head start.

I know FAR FAR FAR more people who worked while doing their PhD and then had to take a year or two off of work to finally complete it (this includes my mom). I also know FAR FAR more people who tried working full time while finishing their dissertation and NEVER finished.

 

Jennifer and mcjon77, you make me nervous. I plan to start my dissertation in January 2016 and complete by December. That is Nova Southeastern University rule, once you start your dissertation you continue to register throughout the year. You are not allowed to request for leave of absence.

I guess I need to start to collect articles, and working on introduction as well as literature review.

 

Where did you get this one year timeline? My first research class to my final approval was 2 years and I moved fast compared to many of my peers. You typically have 7 years from the time you start the program to finish the PhD.

 

Some schools have a minimum requirement to complete a dissertation. As an example, after my dissertation proposal was accepted, I still cannot complete my dissertation in a year. I need a minimum of two years at the University of the Free State..(not that I was trying to complete in one year....)

 

I think the timeline is self imposed. From what I understand, TEKMAN wants to finish in a year because once he starts he must remain continuously enrolled (and paying tuition, I bet) until his dissertation is finished. I know for a fact that Nova will allow one to take multiple years to finish their dissertation. From what TEKMAN is saying, they just will not allow one to take a leave of absence.

 

As did rmm0484, I too went the research PhD route via a South African institution. The program (in SA of course it is programme) at the institution I worked with is typically a 4 year program (some students took up to 6 years depending on their personal circumstances), but can be completed in 2 years by the diligent student. One was not allowed to complete it in under 2 years. In my case, I was able to complete the PhD just at the 2 year mark, but only for several reasons:

1. Since the student is levied an annual tuition fee I wanted to complete the program as soon as possible, thus saving all the money I could. Having already earned a B, M, and professional D (all regionally accredited) from here in the USA, and having paid for them all out of pocket, I didn't want to extend the program 5-6 years and pay the additional tuition.

2. I had studied/researched the topic of my dissertation for well over 10 years, and had already accumulated at least half of the research data (primary sources, secondary sources, etc.) before enrolling in the program. This facilitated in a major way the completion of the research proposal, completion of the lit review, and eventual writing/flow of the dissertation.

3. My personality is "driven." During the two years of enrollment, although I did work full-time, I invested 3-4 hours every single workday, most every Saturday, half my vacation days, etc. This is certainly not an approach everyone--simply because of personal responsibilities--could take, but for 2 years I did so. Fortunately, my wife did not leave.

All that said, there are always exceptions to the rule and those rare persons who boarder on genius (or perhaps insanity ) who can do what seems to be the miraculous (like completing all requirements for a legitimate PhD in 6 months, or entering university at age 12, etc.). That said, I know what I invested (time/energy/effort/loss of sleep/etc) to complete a research PhD (94K words, 336 pages, 400+ quoted sources, approved by my supervisor and two external readers--which comprises what we here in the states call the doctoral committee) just days short of the 2 year minimum.

 

Dr. Randell,

The Graduate School of Computing and Information Sciences at Nova Southeastern University has redesigned their programs structure. You have up to 10 years to complete the Ph.D program from the date of admission acceptance. During that time you are allowed to take 1 or 2 courses per semester. It used to be only Fall and Winter (Spring) semesters for Doctorate classes. Then they added Dissertation during Summer semester, then Direct Research, and now classes during Summers semester. Through out the program the students require to take 8 courses in the program, plus 2 direct research courses, then dissertation. The dissertation phase consists of 24 credits with 2 semesters,now split into 3 semesters (8 for each).

After the latest moditification; I asked the program manager and faculty if you students could request leave of absence during dissertation phase. Their answer was no, the students will continue to register 3 semesters throughout the year. Then they have 4 credits for continuing dissertation (extra pay).

My plan is completing all courses in 3 years, and 2 years of dissertation as I am full-time practitioner. Apparently, that is not the case at NSU's GSCIS Doctorate program.

Many students work arond the progress by taking Direct Resarch 1 and Direct Research 2 at the end of the courses requirement. Therefore, they can spread the Direct Research in one year while working dissertation prior starting actual dissertation.

 

That is correct, I want to register 1 Dissertation per year to complete in 2 or 3 years. However, I was told that once I am stepping into the Dissertation phase, I have to continue to register Winter, Summer, and Fall. I want to take longer as I do not need a Ph.D at this point...

 

I think Capella University allow you to work on your own. If you don't pay tuition you cannot get advices and feedbacks for the Disseration committee members. Nova seems to be a little different that require continious enrollment.

 

Dr. Ram,

Was your dissertation considering as research dissertation? I see lot of dissertation about 100 to 180 pages (include and exclude references). I think I will stick with the shorter version.

 

Yes, the PhD I completed was considered a research degree, which is the reason for the length of the dissertation. The institution required between 80-100K words, minus the front pages/bibliography. Minus the front pages/bibliography, mine was 280 pages/85K words.

 

Does Nova Southeastern have a written guidebook? They must. I was given a thesis planning booklet that my college created to help us understand the whole process/timeline. When I was playing in Harvard's sandbox, they also had a similar book/timeline that was suggested. I didn't think to ask, but are you doing anything that would require IRB approval? Or are you even doing original research? That probably matters. If the guidebook lays out a plan for you to complete in 1 year, then I'd say it's possible, and if that's also true, they must have some kind of estimated time commitment.
*edit* I just saw that you're going to be working AND taking classes while doing your dissertation? Gosh....I don't know. I didn't even take classes during my thesis period, it's a big monster.

 

Yes, Nova Southeastern University has a dissertation guide.

URL: http://www.scis.nova.edu/documents/diss_guide.pdf

 

Possible = yes. Probable = no.

Even if you had a clear idea of what you wanted to do your dissertation on, you need to account for many variables along the way. For me, motivation to keep working day after day was not something I had considered. Mine took two years and there were a couple of two-three week stretches each year where I did not even look at my work. If you are doing something else such as working or having any sort of life, I would say you should plan on two years at least. I say it is possible, but that is assuming you did nothing else and put in significant work on it every day. That is not realistic in my view nor is it worth the opportunity cost.

I was lucky that my topic was something I had identified early on in my program and I completed a lot of the preliminary work during the coursework phase. Even then, you need to realize that the process is not entirely on your timeline - you have advisors and committee members that take their sweet time in getting you feedback. I had to re-work a couple of major sections that I had considered as being done after my advisor reviewed it costing me several months of additional work. It took me a year of solid work after I had my proposal, methods, and a significant portion of my literature review already compiled. Getting the proposal exactly how my committee wanted it took several months in itself.

I am on the Capstone Thesis committee at AMU and I regularly have students getting held up for weeks for reasons beyond their control just getting IRB approval for a 75 page Masters thesis with no human subjects research. Remember, you are just another student who needs something in these approval processes from people who have tons of other priorities.

I had to continue paying tuition throughout the entire process like most programs that I am familiar with. It sucked, but it was a cost I accepted with eyes wide-open going in.

 

One thing that folks have not mentioned is the effect on your family.

TEKMAN, IIRC, you are married with 2 kids, correct? You have a fixed number of hours in the day. Your job (and traveling to and from it) are going to take up a big chuck of that. Personal wellness (sleep, eating, bathing, etc) will take up another big chunk. Unexpected incidentals will take up more. What is left gets split between your dissertation and your family.

On large projects, it is very easy to let family get pushed aside. Don't do it. Sure, your family will have to make some sacrifices for you to finish your dissertation. However, always make sure that you are aware of how much time your are spending with your family and it's effect on them.

 

I did travel a lot and worked from home when I was working on my dissertation. There were "slow days" at work and I know I was able to occasionally put in 2 or 3 twelve hour days in a row on my dissertation. My chair provided meaningful feedback and turned around papers with 48 hours (unheard of by many standards). I was so stressed may times I would not think clearly and with my corporate job, adjunct work, and my dissertation I could not afford to take a day off of "anything" or else my world would collapse. It was like juggling and having plates spinning on a stick at the same time - keep your eye on everything and never stop running.

I did all this while living in a condo (aka no house work, grass cutting, etc) and no kids. It still took 2 years from the first RSH class to final approval.

Here is how I walked through and the timeline I kept:
RSH 1 – Topic Paper – 9 pages - 06/02/2008 to 09/12/2008
RSH 2 – Topic Paper with research methods applied – 14 pages - 10/01/2008 to 12/31/2008
RSH 3 - Topic Paper with research methods applied and refined (continued) – 14 pages - 02/01/2009 to 05/01/2009
RSH 4 – Concept Paper – 52 pages (10 page literature review) –06/01/2009 to 09/01/2009 - APPROVED

DIS 1 – Dissertation Proposal – (40 page literature review) – 10/01/2009 to 1/22/2010 - APPROVED
DIS 2 – Data collected, chapters 4 and 5 written, manuscript Approved by Mentor and submitted to the Committee – 02/01/2010 to 05/17/2010
DIS 3 – Multiple rewrites based on committee feedback, a few minor changes based on the school reviewers comments (run an extra stats measurement), and one minor change based on the Provost feedback. Finally the Manuscript Approved by School and Provost (10/13 was the OAR approval date, rejected by the Provost on 11/12/2010, rewrite and resubmit on 11/19 and 11/23/2010 was the actual Provost approval date) – 07/01/2010 to 10/18/2010 – APPROVED
12/9/2010 – Successfully defended dissertation.

Do not set some artificial timeline that you will have little control over. The process is stressful enough without you adding to the stress. Start it and enjoy the ride.