University of the Cumberlands Online PhD in Information Technology

I still have these left, just split in 2025 and 2026. While my company reimburse all the tuitions for those course, they only pay up to $7,500.00 per year.

• DSRT 837 - Professional Writing and Proposal Development
• DSRT 734 - Inferential Statistics
• DSRT736 - Dissertation Seminar
• DSRT839 - Advanced Research Methods
• DSRT930 - Dissertation
• DSRT931 - Dissertation

 

I'm sure you know this, but once you start 736, you have to take 736-931 without skipping semesters. There's also an overall limit of how long you can be in the program from when you start. It appears to now be six years.

 

Technically you can skip semesters, but you get switched to a new chair if that happens, which itself can cause a whole range of issues. They highly advise not skipping, but if you really need to, you can do it with the understanding that you will end up with a new chair.

 

Well, a small update. I'm moving onto QC2, which to my understanding is a lot easier than QC1. I hope that is true. The finish line is in sight...

 

I submit to QC next week. Any advice or things I should expect with QC1

 

Assuming you aren't one of the lucky few who get through on their first review:

Pain.

Nitpicking is their job, and they will find things that you never thought were a problem until you think about their comments and go "actually, yeah, they're right...this is a problem."

They will go through and make numerous comments throughout the paper as well as the criteria document. Some of the comments can make you feel like the world is ending.

Your chair will probably offer to meet with you to discuss the changes that need to be made so that you hopefully get through the second review without any issues.

It can take a while to go through the process, especially if you have to get it reviewed a second time.

Try not to take feedback personally either, and definitely consult with your chair to get through it all.

 

If you take anything personally during your PhD journey, it's probably not the right path for you. A PhD is one of the most soul-sucking experiences a person can endure. You're told it's a normal process, that your mental health isn't suffering, and that it's all worth it because you'll be a doctor at the end. But then you're informed it's gauche to use the title you've worked so hard to earn

 

Keep in mind that most of your references must be within 5 years of when you defend. When you write the literature review, if most are within 3-4 years, then if you skip a semester and then need an extra semester, as so many do, you may be pushing the timeline on your literature review references.

 

This has been a little rocky but you are definitely correct.

Up until four or five months ago, the PhD IT requirement was 85% within the past 5 years, whereas Leadership required "majority." Leadership also had a 25 page requirement for Chapter 2 and IT had a 40-page requirement. I think this mismatch led to me getting bad information throughout the program from different professors too

Now, according to the latest version, it's "majority" for the number of sources within the past 5 years, which I guess could mean 51% (who knows?), and Chapter 2's page requirement is now 30.

The template also says the "best practice" for addressing the gaps is using 3 sources from within the past five years, but then the actual requirement part stated in the template doesn't specify the actual timeline. I think "majority" also applies to the research gaps themselves as a result, but then the "majority of sources" is only listed under Chapter 2's criteria...?

It's a little unclear what it is required at times :|

I have a few responses prepared for anyone who tries to pull that on me...

 

I'm excited to get back at least part time. In the meantime I've been practicing writing papers in my spare time. Nothing publishable, just trying different datasets and trying to sharpen my skills. I'd like to eventually publish (ideally at least one paper in the next 5 years not PhD-related and then one paper based on the dissertation research), but we'll see.

 

One class per term?

 

For now, yes. I start my next class the next bi-term, October 10

 

Did you find out if you could take a year off?

 

I only ended up taking 7 months (March to October), so it didn't come up for me. But I had no problem enrolling.

 

I've got to say that it feels really, really, really weird sitting around waiting for either feedback or approval to come back on the final thing. There is literally nothing else for me to work on. At least when you're waiting for QC1 to finish, you can work on Chapter 5. With QC2 though, you're just sitting around waiting, and waiting. There is literally nothing else you can do except wait. Fate is entirely out of your hands at this point.

 

I'm in the exact same boat.

 

Just to set expectations for others who are not yet in 930/931:

Expect to spend at least a total of one half to three-quarters (or more depending on how many resubmits you need to do to QC) of a semester (combined total across two classes), if not more, just sitting on your thumbs waiting for feedback from the committee and QC. That has been my experience thus far.

In other words, don't wait until the last minute to write your drafts. Get them done in advance to give yourself adequate time to sit around. I know I'm very glad I did and can't imagine how stressful it is for those who don't. I suspect that those a good chunk of people who repeat 931 do so because they're not on top of their game.

 

I would also add that you should 100% be the squeaky mouse to your committee/chair. When I initially entered the dissertation phase, I was quite apprehensive of asking for the status of my review to them because I didn't want to bother them. After having a conversation with a friend who teaches at a college, he encouraged me to get after it. So, I did and it 100% kept the ball moving in the right direction and I firmly believe it's why I defended/graduated on time. Many committee members/chairs are also teaching other classes at other colleges and simply forget to get around to you. Don't fall into the cracks.

 

I had to exactly the same. Just to keep things moving