Dissertation Completion Pathway

Vision

The vision for the Dissertation Completion Pathway is to provide “all-but-dissertation” or ABD students a structured approach for completing their dissertation and help them achieve their academic goals in obtaining their doctorate. This pathway provides a student-centered, high touch, and structured pathway that recognizes past academic coursework while providing the student with the preparation and guidance to earn their doctoral degree.

Basis for Admissions

• Must have completed all required doctoral program coursework and/or achieved doctoral candidacy from a regionally-accredited institution;
• Previous doctoral program must academically align with a degree program and specialization offered by NCU (excluding PhD MFT, DMFT, DNP, and DHA);
• 7 -year maximum for block transfer of credits into an existing NCU degree program (from official transcripts). Credits aged between 8 and 12 years can be accepted as an exception to policy, with Dean approval;
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in previous doctoral program coursework;
• Complete the Enrollment Application for the DCP including all required documents and acknowledgements;
• Cannot be academically dismissed from previous doctoral program;
• Completion of a memorandum of understanding and statement of intent.

General Pathway Requirements

The DCP can be completed with a minimum of  23 credit hours, but may require additional credit hours, depending on the time required to complete the dissertation research. If needed, additional courses will be added to the student degree program in alignment with the SAP and Academic Maximum Time to Completion policies. Students who do not complete their program in accordance with these policies may be dismissed.

Dissertation Completion Pathway students must achieve the following general requirements:

• The DCP requires the successful completion of a minimum of 23 semester credit hours;
• Grade Point Average of “B,” 3.0, or higher must be maintained throughout the DCP;
• Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University;
• Official documents on file for basis of admission;
• All financial obligations to the University paid in full.

DCP Course Sequence

The DCP is a structured pathway that recognizes past academic coursework while providing the guidance needed to complete a doctoral degree. This pathway includes DCP bridge courses designed specifically to support ABD students prior to entering the doctoral prospectus course and the dissertation courses. 

• DCP-8001 - Scholarly Writing and Synthesis of Literature  
• DCP-8002 - Designing Scholarly Research  
• DCP-8003 - Dissertation Intensive  (including a required in-person 3-day intensive - student responsible for travel and expenses)
• CMP-9XXX - School based Prospectus course
• DIS-9901A - Components of the Dissertation  
• DIS-9902A - The Dissertation Proposal  
• DIS-9903A - Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Data Collection  
• DIS-9904A - The Dissertation Manuscript and Defense