COMS 988 Dissertation II

The mission of the SCA program is to provide an opportunity for qualified students to attain academic, professional, and practical competence — within the Christian Worldview — which prepares students for opportunities, and corresponding additional responsibilities, beyond the master’s degree level. The SCA program emphasizes practical and real-world applications in both the course work and the major applied doctoral research project requirements. 

The vision of the SCA program is to produce graduates’ intellectual and professional competencies in the following areas: 

• the ability to present and defend arguments based on theories, concepts and empirical evidence in matters relating to research methodology and research design as well as those relating to the communication disciplinary domain in which the research is located; 
• the ability to demonstrate the capacity for reflective and analytical communication thinking; 
• the ability to draw together relevant concepts and theories from different communication disciplines in order to gain a better understanding of the organizational context in which particular problems or opportunities arise; 
• the ability to analyze problems and issues arising in communication contexts, utilizing relevant theories, concepts, and empirical findings; 
• the ability to identify and analyze questions and issues in communication; and 
• the ability to design, implement, and successfully conclude empirical research projects. 

Each of the above will be considered in light of biblical principles, and they will be integrated within the Christian Worldview. 

The SCA program philosophy supports both the program mission and vision, and it is as follows: Ph.D. in Communication focuses intensively on preparing candidates for academic careers and to conduct highly-specialized academic research, i.e., the development of new theory in communication and other related communicative fields. 

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussion: Progress Reports (15)

The student will upload one progress report each module so that the chair can understand what the student has done for his/her dissertation and what the student still needs to do to finish.

Dissertation: Task Assignments (4)

The student will work independently on his/her Dissertation. Assignments will vary depending on the nature of research and the speed of which the student completes his/her assigned work.