Winter 2020 - Dissertation House for Graduate Students

This Dissertation House is hosted by the Graduate School at UMBC for UMBC students only.

Dates: Tuesday, January 21 to Friday, January 24, 2020.

Location: UMBC, Sondheim Hall, Room 409.

Time: 9 am – 5 pm (each day).

Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House (below). The application period closes on Tuesday, December 31, 2019. (Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early). Applications received after December 31, 2019, will be considered for the DH waiting list.

Registration: Please log into myUMBC, click “Going” at the bottom of this page, *AND* follow the application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/. The application period to attend the Dissertation House closes on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Event Details: 

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5 PM, for four days, Tuesday, January 21, 2020, through Friday, January 24, 2020.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 days. 
• The daily schedule includes 2 mini-lectures and 5 hours of writing per day.
• Breakfast, lunch, and a snack will be served daily.
• The Dissertation House is free for UMBC’s graduate students.
• There are 12 to 15 spaces available for the Dissertation House. 
• Details regarding eligibility can be found on the application page of the website for the Dissertation House.

Read about The Dissertation House in UMBC’s Alumni Magazine: Byrne, R.  (2011, Fall) “The Write Stuff”, UMBC Magazine. p. 12. More information about the DissertationHouse: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

Dissertation House Application Procedures

Both the on-campus setting and the retreat setting provide Dissertation House participants with productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.  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 from completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House period can span either a Tuesday – Friday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., non-residential) or a Friday – Sunday weekend (includes evening sessions) commitment to focus on the doctoral dissertation.  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.

Students may apply to attend the next Dissertation House during open application enrollment, by submitting two parts of an application.

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum of 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1-inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period. Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Dates/Location: January 21 to 24 (Tuesday – Friday), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Dissertation House will be held in Sondheim 409 (for Dissertation House) and Sondheim 209 (for one-on-one sessions).

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted within a designated 2-week period, usually scheduled 1-2 months prior to the next Dissertation House session.  Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email.

Selection Process: Eighteen 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.