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Dissertations & DMin Projects: Step #3: Proposal

IRB Approval

If your PhD dissertation or DMin project research involves collecting any information from or about any living human being(s) through surveys, interviews, or direct observations, then you need Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. For more information about the IRB process, contact the IRB coordinator.

If you need IRB approval for your research, it MUST be obtained before you submit a proposal.

PhD Dissertation Proposal Process and Guidelines

The proposal approval process:

  1. Students consult with their respective advisors and write a proposal that meets the requirements described in the Catalog.
  2. Upon completion of the proposal, students send it to the entire committee for their approval and ensure that all necessary signatures on the Proposal Approval Form are obtained.
  3. Once all committee members have signed off on the proposal, students email the approval form and the proposal to the Thesis Secretary. Within a week of receipt, the Thesis Secretary will respond and let students know what steps are needed for Thesis Secretary approval (e.g., revision, consultation, editing, etc.). When these steps are completed, the Thesis Secretary will sign the proposal approval form. Essentially, the Thesis Secretary requires a proposal that meets the requirements described in the Catalog and one that is free of any kind of plagiarism, is accurate in form and style, and has a relatively small number of obvious errors. The Thesis Secretary does not edit or proofread (students are ultimately responsible for that) but does provide evaluations.
  4. Students deliver the signed form and final draft of the proposal to the Registrar.

DMin Practical Research Project Proposal Process and Guidelines

​Proposal guidelines vary between DMin programs. Be sure that you are following the instructions relevant to your program.

The proposal approval process:

  1. Students consult with their advisor and any other readers they will have on their project.
  2. Upon completion of the proposal, students obtain all necessary signatures on the Proposal Approval Form and send the form and the final draft of the proposal to the Registrar.