APOL 987 Dissertation Writing in Applied Apologetics I

APOL 987 is the transitional course that assesses competency from PhD in Applied Apologetics course work and prepares the PhD candidate for dissertation writing. This is accomplished through the successful completion of a comprehensive field exam, prospectus development and approval, and pairing the candidate with an appropriate dissertation mentor. All these tasks are necessary before dissertation writing can formally commence.

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After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

The student’s final comprehensive exam requires him or her to write an article related to his or her intended research dissertation topic. The article functions as something of a “field essay” and does two things: (1) it establishes that the student has “read yourself into the field” sufficient to demonstrate mastery of the issues and literature appropriate to the PhD level of research, and (2) it establishes that the student has a viable proposed research topic in the field. In preparation for the exam, the student will write a brief proposal (two-page maximum) to be submitted to the professor for approval in the form of this Journal Article Proposal. 

Once the student’s Comprehensive Exam 4: Journal Article Proposal Assignment has been approved by the instructor, the student will prepare and submit a publishable article on an approved topic relevant to his or her dissertation that explores a gap in the literature. This exam must demonstrate that the student has a mastery of the field, a grasp of the literature, and an ability to integrate information and themes developed in his or her PhD in Applied Apologetics coursework. 

A PhD dissertation prospectus is an essential preparatory element in the beginning stages of writing a dissertation. The prospectus provides a “roadmap” of sorts for what you intend to do, say, and support in the student’s dissertation. Based on an approved topic, the prospectus provides the detail necessary to transition from broad-based and often vague intentions to the content of a sharply focused, well-crafted dissertation. In this assignment, the student will compose a first draft of such a prospectus. 

A PhD dissertation prospectus is an essential preparatory element in the beginning stages of writing a dissertation. Following the first draft submission, and based on faculty feedback and guidance, the student will take the necessary steps to augment, revise, and build upon the first draft prospectus. The final draft prospectus is a detailed “roadmap” for the student’s dissertation and will include a chapter-by-chapter synopsis projecting the content of the dissertation. The final draft prospectus is not the first chapter of the dissertation; it is a document that stands separate from the dissertation.

The student will complete a critical analysis of Chatraw and Allen’s The Augustinian Way. Doing so will require that the student both summarize the major highlights of this work and critically interact with its unique academic contribution. The aim of this assignment is for the student to glean a better understanding of how apologetics can be applied in today’s academic milieu as he or she begins to consider making his or her own contribution in his or her dissertation.  

In an effort to produce honest, reliable, and sustainable research results, it is critical to develop a cogent and appropriate research methodology. This assignment will help the student confirm that his or her research methodology related to the coming dissertation is sound and can result in reliable, sustainable, and defensible conclusions. 

Quizzes will be given in the assigned Modules that cover information related to Learn materials in their respective Modules. The quizzes will be open-book/open-notes, contain varying number of true/false questions, and have a time limit of 15-minutes.