dissertation workshop

We offer dissertation workshops designed to provide students with tangible strategies they can use to be successful in graduate school. Our workshops are relevant to students at any phase of graduate school enrolled in both master’s and doctoral programs.

In Each Workshop Students Will Learn:

• How to create a sound structured approach to completing their dissertation, thesis or other important graduate school milestones.
• How to manage the various phases of doing a dissertation or thesis including selecting a topic, writing a proposal, and carrying out the actual study.
• The importance of maintaining a positive mindset about graduate work and strategies to develop a more positive mindset.
• The real sources of procrastination and perfectionism and strategies to overcome these challenges.
• Strategies to increase accountability, motivation, learning, and productivity.
• Strategies for effective writing including overcoming writer’s block and developing a process of writing that works.
• How to successfully integrate feedback from others.
• Strategies to work effectively with faculty and be well-prepared for oral defense meetings.
• How to make self-care and down time an important part of life as a graduate student.
• How to develop a strong foundation for success in post-graduate school life.

We are happy to modify our workshops to meet the needs of a specific student group, department, college or university. Our workshops are led by Alison Miller, PhD and the team of The Dissertation Coach.

Watch A Dissertation Workshop

We Have Led Workshops At The Following Universities:

• Argosy University
• Chicago School of Professional Psychology
• Depaul University
• Harvard University
• Illinois School of Professional Psychology
• Loyola University
• Northwestern University
• Northwestern University Medical School
• Texas Tech University
• University of California at Los Angeles
• University of California at Santa Barbara
• University of California at Santa Cruz
• University of Chicago
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Illinois at Rockford
• University of New Mexico
• University of Southern California
• University of Texas

The Dissertation Coach Received A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant To Assist Students In Nursing Policy Doctoral Programs.

• Dissertation Coaching
• Qualitative Data Analysis
• Statistical Consulting
• Dissertation Editing
• On-Demand Courses

ABOUT OUR WORKSHOPS

Our dissertation workshops give you one-on-one access to an experienced dissertation coach. Each week you will meet with your dissertation coach via Zoom and receive personalized guidance and feedback on your writing. We offer morning, evening, and weekend hours in addition to regular business hours. We know that writing your dissertation can be lonely and isolating. Our workshops are structured like an online course, complete with assignments and weekly meetings to provide the same structure and accountability as your doctoral coursework. We believe that we do our best writing when we write frequently. To build writing momentum, we break down each chapter into smaller sections to make the writing process clearer and more straightforward . The time you will need to commit to writing each week will vary depending on the workshop’s goals. More information on the approximate time commitment for each workshop is provided below.

Click here to view a calendar of our upcoming workshops, webinars, and bootcamps. 

How to write a literature review.

DESCRIPTION.   Your dissertation coach will teach you how to write a literature review using our proven step-by-step process. You will learn how to develop the tools of argumentation, build a case for the literature review, and synthesize literature. This workshop is structured so that you meet with your coach once a week while completing on-demand, guided instruction. This flipped-classroom approach ensures that you utilize your coaching time as efficiently as possible, while also having 24/7 access to guided instruction. 

GOAL.   Complete a draft of your literature review.

TIME COMMITMENT.   This workshop begins on a rolling basis and includes 12 hours of 1:1 coaching support over 12 weeks. We also offer an 8-week version of this workshop for students who have initiated the writing process but need additional support. 

ELIGIBILITY.   This workshop is perfect for you if you have an approved dissertation topic and are struggling with researching, organizing, synthesizing, and composing your literature review.

This workshop includes 1-year unlimited access to “How to Write a Literature Review.”

REFINE YOUR STUDY TOPIC

DESCRIPTION.   Your dissertation coach will guide you through our multi-step process of refining your study topic. You will meet with your coach each week as you search the literature on your research problem, critically appraise the available evidence on your topic, identify a “gap” in the literature, and focus your topic. 

GOAL.   Finalize your study topic and develop a problem statement that describes the literature “gap” on your topic.

TIME COMMITMENT.   This workshop includes 6 hours of coaching support over 4 weeks and begins on a rolling basis.

ELIGIBILITY.   This workshop is perfect for you if you are enrolled in coursework or entering the dissertation writing phase.

THE PROPOSAL

DESCRIPTION.   Are you ready to write your dissertation proposal? You don’t have to do it alone. Our most popular workshop, The Proposal, is perfect for anyone who has a dissertation topic and is ready to begin writing. Using our unique, step-by-step approach, your coach will guide you through completing the introduction, literature review, and methodology chapters of your dissertation. You will receive frequent feedback on your writing and personalized instruction that will help you produce your best work.

GOAL.   Complete a draft of your dissertation proposal (Chapters 1, 2, & 3).

TIME COMMITMENT.   This workshop includes 24 hours of coaching support over 16 weeks and begins on a rolling basis. 

ELIGIBILITY.    This workshop is perfect for you if you have an approved dissertation topic, executive summary, or prospectus. 

Download our free guide on how to overcome the top 10 challenges common to doctoral candidates and graduate sooner.

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Learning From the Collective Impact Dissertation Workshop: A Student’s Perspective

Christopher Bruno (Guest Author)

Deciding to “take on more work” as a PhD student. 

Last year, I had the pleasure to participate in the inaugural Collective Impact dissertation workshop offered by this salon [Learn more here ]. Initially I hesitated to show interest because it sounded like “more work” on top of what I was already doing. As a doctoral student, the opportunity to take on “more work” is a common predicament many of us face. We need to balance what we take on as we develop our own academic identities and the many opportunities to collaborate with others through research, teaching assistantships, and coursework. Discerning which opportunities are worth it is a tough call to make.  

The workshop promised help in generating a succinct dissertation idea and offered feedback from the participants in this virtual salon, a fantastic group of mentors.  

Back before participating, I planned on orientating my dissertation towards better understanding corporate engagement in “local” social issues like poverty alleviation and felt I could benefit a lot from socializing my ideas. Who would be better to get feedback on these ideas than the folks whose work I was citing? Ultimately, I threw my hat in the ring.   

A key part of the workshop is the dissertation canvas . This canvas, developed by Phanish Puranam – as an ask from Jerry Davis inspired by the beloved business model canvas – helps students converge on their dissertation ideas. It prompts you to consider the research questions you are most interested in, who would be interested in knowing the answers to those questions (your audience), and how you propose to answer them. Then, participants meet with two leading management faculty for feedback. After this meeting, I knew I made the right call in applying to participate.   

A few reasons why I am happy I took on the Collective Impact workshop series. 

Narrowing my focus  

In my first dissertation canvas outline I had referenced six (SIX!) different theoretical streams in reference to my audience in under three paragraphs: agglomeration economies, transaction cost economics, knowledge-based views, institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and network theory.   

What a mouthful. Surely, and very confidently, I envisioned meaningfully contributing to six massive streams of social sciences theory in one dissertation!  

After five or six drafts of my canvas – while discussing the insights with my advisor Vit Henisz – it is safe to say that the process helped me sharpen my focus. The canvas helped narrow my dissertation proposal to two theoretical streams and a targeted audience of scholars by focusing on the unit of analysis (i.e., a row in the theoretical spreadsheet) and the dependent variables of different literatures.  

  Building my network  

Narrowing my focus was just the start though, as I then had to convert my dissertation canvas work to a three-page proposal to share my ideas about “geographically oriented non-market strategy” to Myles Shaver and Jerry Davis, both intimidatingly bright – simultaneously jovial and friendly – figures in the field.   

Shaver and Davis pushed me to think about the magnitude of importance of the variables I thought of using. For example, if I were to focus on corporate foundation giving as my proxy for corporate engagement, how substantial is this compared to employee direct involvement in local issues?   

They also encouraged me to focus on my audience one step (or paper) at a time – to not be overly concerned with whether I am viewed more broadly as an economist, organizational theorist, or whatever other label may be out there. This advice helped, as I had often worried that if I wrote a paper geared towards one audience, I’d forever be bucketed in that club. The conversation helped me feel agnostic to those buckets and focus on the important issues I was passionate about.   

Hearing this sort of advice from leading figures in the field was powerful.   

Learning to sell my ideas  

The dissertation canvas is broken up into two main exercises. The first of these is the iterative assignment where you focus your ideas. In the second part, you “sell” your ideas to an outside audience via a proposal akin to a short grant application. This is the proposal I discussed with Shaver and Davis.   

PhD students can be very passionate about their work, and I am no different. But if no one thinks that how firms’ different social responsibility, philanthropy, or government-engagement strategies vary by local communities is important then I am alone on an island. No readers, no funding, no cumulative knowledge development, no impact.   

Ultimately to have impact there needs to be an audience. Where is the conversation, and who are the readers, funders, and people who I can work with and/or build on? Shaver and Davis made me think about these questions and the conversations helped me formulate one of the ways I now conceptualize “impact”. Will there be people who care about this research and its outcomes, for better or worse? The work will not be impactful just because I am studying important social issues. That isn’t enough.   

A year later, I am now in the process of defending my dissertation proposal, and I was actually very surprised at how much the work I did in the workshop carried over. The three-pager ended up becoming the “baseline” for my dissertation, currently titled “Corporate attention and response to geographic communities’ pressing social issues”.    

As I continue to develop as an academic, a few key lessons from Collective Impact stay with me:  

• Your audience does not always have to be people interested in the context of your study. To what extent does the theory I apply generalize to other situations?  
• Impact can come in many forms – will people use, learn from, and/or reference my work as they work to solve problems?  
• If I were a funding agency, would it be worthwhile to fund what I propose working on?

Wish me luck!   

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Go From Confused to Confident

Join a short course to kickstart your dissertation today

Learn how to craft a clear, convincing research proposal from scratch. Includes our popular proposal template.

Learn how to craft a literature review that lays a rock-solid foundation for your project. Includes free chapter template .

Get a big-picture view of the key methodological concepts, challenges and decisions needed to craft a strong study.

What Is A Bootcamp?

Bootcamps are short, easily digestible and action-centric online courses that help you fast-track your dissertation or thesis, the smart way. 

Our Bootcamps are focused on action, not theory . Throughout each course, we focus on practical actions that you can take to move your project forward, no matter your level of experience. 

If you’re someone who wants to take action and optimise their approach to the dissertation writing process, our Bootcamps are for you. 

Why Join A Bootcamp?

Get a comprehensive, big-picture understanding in less than 4 hours

Fill in the gaps in your knowledge and understand the linkages and connections

Get step-by-step guidance (and loads of resources) to complete your project

Gain the knowledge you need to approach your project with confidence  

What Our Students Say

Over   5000 students   have joined our courses. Here’s what some of them have to say:

Explanations were clear, and concise. The course is well-structured enabling me to see the progress of the chapter. Thank you.

Fantastic course, well worth the time, effort, and expense. Highly recommended for anyone starting their research journey. 

The lessons are really enlightening and I’m improving my knowledge on research. Thanks to GradCoach

The course provided is incredibly comprehensive, offering a well-structured breakdown of content into manageable chunks. The instructor’s upbeat and pleasant demeanor throughout the class enhances the learning experience. The course effectively caters to both fundamental requirements for proposal writing and research as a whole.

I am learning so much about more than just the proposal. This applies to academic writing on other levels, for example, thinking about the verbs we use in discussion. Also, my confidence is growing as a mature student returning to full-time academia after a long break. This course is a gem.

Have A Question?

Week-long intensive dissertation support sessions

Dissertation Write-In

Every summer, the  Graduate Division  and  Summer Sessions  host two sessions of the Dissertation Write-In. These free, four-day writing workshops are aimed at helping Ph.D. students in the middle stages of their dissertation process by providing intensive writing times, breakout sessions with a facilitator on typical dissertation issues (including dealing with procrastination, managing research and sources, and writing to work through difficult ideas), one-on-one consultations with the facilitator, and peer consultations. Participants gain strategies and tools to create positive writing habits and thus become more efficient and productive writers.

As part of its efforts to provide financial support for graduate students who are engaged in short-term intensive campus programs that contribute to their development as academic professionals, the Graduate Division provides a Professional Development Award to eligible participants of the Dissertation Write-In. A fellowship of $500 will be awarded to students who successfully complete all four days of the program. Note that this fellowship is available to students regardless of P-status but that receiving the fellowship funding requires full-time registration in the relevant quarter (for Session 1 this would be Spring Quarter and for Session 2 this would be Fall Quarter).

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Current UCSB Ph.D. students are eligible to apply if they:

• Have advanced to candidacy
• Have completed a chapter of their dissertation
• Are committed to attending all sessions of the Write-In

Each year we host one session VIRTUALLY and one session IN PERSON in order to accommodate different student needs and preferences. We encourage you to apply for the session that best fits with your life logistics. Space is limited in each of the sessions, and attendees are selected through the application process described in more detail below.

2024 SESSION 1

June 17 - 20, 10am-4pm

Format: Virtual Number of Attendees: 30

Applications open : Monday, April 22 Application deadline : Friday, May 10 (11:59pm Pacific) Applicants notified by : Monday, May 20

2024 SESSION 2

September 16 - 19

Format: In person Number of Attendees: 20

Applications open : Monday, August 5 Application deadline : Friday, August 16 (11:59pm Pacific) Applicants notified by : Friday, August 23

*Should our community experience a rise in COVID-19 case rates, the facilitator will decide by August 19 whether this session will be moved to virtual

Application Information

Applicants are asked to provide:

• A brief (approximately 150 words) description of your dissertation project
• A list of your work/progress on your research and writing up to this point
• Any obstacles you have encountered in your writing thus far
• Expectations for what you hope to accomplish during the Write-In
• Identify specific writing issues with which you would like help
• A brief explanation of why you feel that you are in the "middle stages" of the dissertating process and what makes you prepared to participate in the program at this stage (note: applicants are no longer required to submit their dissertation prospectus or a dissertation chapter as part of the application)

Application Decisions

Students who apply are chosen in the following way:

• Of the pool of applicants, the facilitator determines who is eligible/appropriate to participate based on the criteria outlined above
• From the list of eligible applicants, the facilitator runs a lottery system to determine the selected number of participants for the session
• Applicants are notified of their application decision via email by the facilitator

Katie Baillargeon  (program facilitator)

And/or , anna theogarajan (program coordinator).

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Thesis and Dissertation Resources

Here you can find resources and guidelines on how to prepare and submit your Thesis/Dissertation.

The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide

This Guide includes everything you need to know about what should be included in your final document, samples of specific sections, formatting guidelines, and a checklist for submitting your work.

Submit your thesis or dissertation

This link directs you to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site where you will set up an account and submit your completed electronic thesis or dissertation to The Graduate School.

The Graduate School Handbook

The Handbook provides additional information on master's thesis requirements or doctoral dissertation requirements .

Thesis and dissertation formatting workshops

• Dissertation formatting workshop: PC version
• Dissertation formatting workshop: Apple/Mac version

Stages of the thesis or dissertation process

These guidelines and advice will be helpful as you consider your thesis or dissertation from preparation through final submission.

Stages of the Thesis or Dissertation Process

Although you won't submit your thesis or dissertation until your final semester of graduate study, it is recommended that you begin thinking about many aspects of your thesis or dissertation much sooner.

• Use The Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Guide to aid in preparing and submitting your thesis or dissertation. Read through the guidelines early and refer back to them as often as needed throughout the process.
• Begin discussions with your advisor and committee early, as they may have useful information to impart to you as you begin your research and writing.
• Be sure to determine which style manual is appropriate for your discipline. Formatting is often easier when applied at the beginning of the writing process rather than at the end, especially when concerning citations.
• Review and discuss how copyrighting may impact your research and writing, including decisions about publishing your own work. The University Libraries' Scholarly Communications Office is a campus resource on scholarly publishing practices.
• Take advantage of campus resources such as workshops, University Libraries, and the Writing Center.
• As you approach your defense, set up your student account in the ProQuest ETD Administrator . Review the site for useful information about the online submission process.
• After your defense has occurred and all final edits are approved by your committee, plan to submit your thesis or dissertation. Follow the checklist and submission instructions in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide to prepare your document.
• In addition to uploading a PDF of your thesis or dissertation, be prepared to provide added information (e.g., abstract, keywords, and subject headings) about your work for indexing and identification purposes. This information will help make your work more discoverable online.
• After you have submitted your thesis or dissertation, check your email regularly for updates. Make any required revisions promptly.
• You will receive a final email notifying you that your ETD has been accepted. Once your document has been approved, you cannot make any further changes. ProQuest will make the title and abstract of your thesis or dissertation available online shortly after graduation. The University Libraries will make your thesis or dissertation available within one semester.

Frequently asked questions about electronic theses and dissertations

Follow the dates posted on The Graduate School's graduation deadlines website . Submit your thesis or dissertation after your defense has occurred and all final edits are approved by your advisor and committee. Your Committee Composition and Exam Report forms (with all approval signatures) must be submitted to The Graduate School before submitting your document.

The ETD Administrator uses statuses to help students and staff keep track of what step comes next during the ETD submission process. Some statuses require action on the part of the student while others indicate that staff are responsible for taking the next step. To help you understand what each status means, visit the ProQuest help page . You can also access this page from within the ETD Administrator by clicking on the “Help ?” link on the top right corner of most pages.

You should receive an email from the ETD Administrator immediately following submission of your thesis or dissertation. If you do not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder and verify which email address you used when you set up your ETD Administrator account. You will continue to receive emails relating to time-sensitive required revisions, so it is important that you monitor the email account associated with your ETD Administrator account on a daily basis. You will receive a final email when The Graduate School has accepted the finalized document.

While you should receive emails notifying you of necessary changes, required revisions can also be viewed directly within the ProQuest ETD Administrator . To view required revisions:

• Login to your account
• Go to the “My Dissertations/Theses List”
• Click on the “View” button under the entry for your ETD
• Under “Manage this ETD” on the left margin, select “View decisions”
• A list of the decisions that have been made will be displayed in the middle of the page; on the far right of each decision is a link for “View Email”
• Click the “View Email” link to display the entire contents of the email that was sent to you, including any required revisions

Conflict of interest disclosures should be included in the Acknowledgements section of your document. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

The Thesis and Dissertation Guide has been designed as a comprehensive resource to aid you in preparing your thesis or dissertation for final acceptance and approval. If you have read the Guide and still have questions about the guidelines or submission process, email your Graduate School enrolled students specialist . Please note that Graduate School staff cannot offer formatting assistance. For technical assistance relating to the ETD Administrator submission website, contact ProQuest Tech Support or review the ETD Administrator Help pages .

Receipt of a submitted and approved thesis or dissertation in The Graduate School results in the publication of the document by the University Library at UNC-Chapel Hill. As such, each student grants the University a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce the student's work, in whole or in part, in electronic form to be posted in the University Library database and made available to the general public at no charge. As a public institution, UNC-Chapel Hill is committed to disseminating research widely and furthering the free exchange of intellectual information, including approved theses and dissertations completed by graduating students. See the Thesis and Dissertation Guide Copyrighting section for information about the campus copyright policy.

Most students will not need to request an embargo. In certain circumstances (e.g., pending patent application, publisher requirements) it may be advisable to request one. If you would like to delay release of your thesis or dissertation, please discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an embargo with your advisor or academic program.

UNC-Chapel Hill only permits the request of a one or two year embargo – regardless of options and documentation displayed in ProQuest. If your request for an embargo is accepted by The Graduate School, online publishing of your thesis or dissertation will be delayed for one or two years. Please note that the title of your work, as well as your abstract, will be available through ProQuest Dissertations & Theses shortly after your work has been approved by The Graduate School and submitted to ProQuest. Please review the Thesis and Dissertation Guide Embargo section for more information.

The Open Access, full text of your thesis or dissertation will be available online through the UNC Libraries . There is an approximately one semester delay for processing and uploading electronic theses and dissertations to the Library's digital collections.

Shortly after graduation, your thesis or dissertation title and abstract will be available through several ProQuest databases that can be accessed through the UNC Libraries.

If you chose to order optional printed copies of your thesis or dissertation in the ETD Administrator as part of the submission process, your order will be filled by ProQuest. Your order summary and manuscript ID are in your submission confirmation email. For questions about your order, you will need to contact ProQuest directly. Neither The Graduate School nor the University Libraries can offer information about past orders or requests for print copies.

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APSA sponsors in-person & virtual dissertation workshops annually. Our in-person events are held the Wednesday prior to the APSA Annual Meeting. Each full-day workshop includes six PhD candidates who present a dissertation chapter, along with two faculty members who lead the workshop and moderate discussions. Our virtual workshops are held over a two-week period during the summer. Each virtual workshop includes six PhD candidates who present a dissertation chapter, along with two faculty members who lead the workshop and moderate discussions.

If you are interested in co-leading a 2024 workshop, please email [email protected] . Co-leaders are provided with honoraria for their work.

These in-person workshops will take place on Wednesday, September 4, in conjunction with the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting, held in Philadelphia, PA.

• Black Politics in the United States Application deadline: May 19, 2024 | Apply here
• Migration and Citizenship Application deadline: May 19, 2024 | Apply here
• Comparative & Multi-method Approaches within Political Economy Research Application deadline: May 19, 2024 | Apply here

Black Politics in the United States | Apply here

Co-Leaders:

• Dr. Periloux Peay ,  University of Maryland, College Park
• Dr. Jenn Jackson , Syracuse University

Workshop Description: Many scholars of black politics find themselves at a troubling crossroads. There is currently a concerted effort at the local, state, and federal levels of government to undermine, discredit, and discourage those tasked with teaching and studying black politics. This reality is almost certainly impacting the development of graduate students interested in illuminating and explaining the conditions many black Americans face in the United States and beyond.

We seek to combat ideologically extreme and racist ideas that threaten our collective knowledge by providing space to develop and engage with emerging scholars whose dissertations explore black politics in America. This workshop will be held in person on Wednesday, August 30th, at the 2023 annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA. The ideal candidates will be ABD students who have defended their dissertation prospectus in a topic focused on black politics. Candidates will be asked to submit a single chapter from their dissertation project for feedback and discussion. They will also have an opportunity to provide a brief presentation of the broader project to begin the conversation with colleagues at the mini-conference.

We invite submissions in the following, but not exhaustive, topical areas of black politics situated across the full spectrum of theoretical and methodological orientations:

• Critical studies rooted in blackness/anti-blackness
• Black political behavior
• Black representation
• Black-led social movements
• Black political psychology
• Intersectionality
• LGBTQ+ identity and black politics
• Black rural politics
• Policies that disproportionately impact black communities
• Black incarceration

This in-person workshop will be organized into two parts. The first section will be devoted to providing targeted feedback and facilitating robust conversations around chapters submitted by the individual students. The second section will focus on developing strategies for completing the dissertation, positioning the work on the academic job market, and advancing the dissertation project while on the tenure track.

Migration and Citizenship | Apply here

• Dr. Margaret Peters , University of California Los Angeles
• Dr. Juliette Tolay, Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg

Workshop Description: This in-person dissertation workshop welcomes proposals from PhD candidates working on any aspect of citizenship and/or migration, such as those highlighted by the APSA Migration and Citizenship Organized Section:

• The local, national, transnational, international, and global politics of voluntary and forced migration, including political attitudes and orientations both towards and of all categories of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and economic, family, circular, business, high-skilled, and irregular migrants.
• Immigration and emigration policies and laws, including the international relations, international political economy, and political philosophy aspects of such policies and laws.
• Immigrant integration and refugee resettlement policies and their implementation, including immigrant and refugee civic engagement, political incorporation, and citizen-making.
• Border and security studies as well as studies on intranational, regional, transnational, and international cooperation on the management and control of migration.
• The changing meanings and practices of citizenship, including the relationship between citizenship and identity, gender, multiculturalism, race and ethnicity, racism and xenophobia, human rights, indigenous peoples, empires and imperialism, civic engagement, transnationality, welfare, and public policy.
• The relationship between citizenship and transformations in or political contestation of sovereignty and political community, including state formation or disintegration, nationalism, sovereignty or secession movements, language, ethnic or other minorities, the politics of diaspora mobilization (including conflicts, democratization, voting, and economic development), and subnational, supranational (e.g., European Union), multilevel, corporate, or global citizenship.
• The politics of nationality and citizenship (and the distinctions between them), including the moral and empirical rights and obligations attached to citizenship, comparative or historical nationality law, statelessness, and policies and practices concerning the acquisition and loss of nationality through such procedures as naturalization and expatriation as well as dual or multiple citizenship.

Comparative & Multi-Method Approaches within Political Economy Research | Apply Here

• Dr. Javier Pérez Sandoval , University of Oxford
• Dr. Elizabeth G. Pfeffer , Dartmouth College

Workshop Description: Comparative scholars increasingly draw upon a variety of methods to investigate key questions raised by political economies across the global community. This “triangulation” of approaches often leads to substantially richer and more nuanced accounts of variation across and within countries on key matters of democratic policy and politics. In this workshop, the co-leaders will support early career researchers in considering the utility and sharpening the application of mixed methods approaches to key political economy questions including, but not limited to, such topics as redistribution, democratization, economic policy, unionization, and social policy. The workshop is open to participants who utilize two or more methodologies of any nature within their thesis. Although individual chapters proposed for the workshop may utilize one method exclusively, participants should be prepared to contextualize the piece within their broader dissertation. We welcome research focused on any substantive area within political economy (broadly construed) and any regional, country, or subnational geographic focus.

2023 APSA Dissertation Workshops

Black politics in the united states.

• Dr. Periloux Peay , Georgia State University

Workshop Description:  Many scholars of Black Politics find themselves at a troubling crossroads. There is currently a concerted effort at the local, state, and federal levels of government to undermine, discredit, and discourage those tasked with teaching and studying Black Politics. This reality is almost certainly impacting the development of graduate students interested in illuminating and explaining the conditions many Black Americans face in the United States and beyond.

We seek to combat ideologically extreme and racist ideas that threaten our collective knowledge by providing space to develop and engage with emerging scholars whose dissertations explore Black Politics in America. This workshop will be held in person on Wednesday, August 30th, at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA. The ideal candidates will be ABD students who have defended their dissertation prospectus in a topic focused on Black Politics. Candidates will be asked to submit a single chapter from their dissertation project for feedback and discussion. They will also have an opportunity to provide a brief presentation of the broader project to begin the conversation with colleagues at the mini-conference.

We invite submissions in the following, but not exhaustive, topical areas of Black Politics situated across the full spectrum of theoretical and methodological orientations:

• Critical studies rooted in Blackness/anti-Blackness
• LGBTQ+ identity and Black politics
• Policies that disproportionately impact Black communities

Migration and Citizenship

> Co-leaders:

• Dr. Adrian Shin , University of Colorado Boulder

Workshop Description:  This in-person dissertation workshop welcomes proposals from PhD candidates working on any aspect of citizenship and/or migration, such as those highlighted by the APSA Migration and Citizenship Organized Section:  

• The local, national, transnational, international, and global politics of voluntary and forced migration, including political attitudes and orientations both towards and of all categories of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and economic, family, circular, business, high-skilled, and irregular migrants; 
• Immigration and emigration policies and laws, including the international relations, international political economy, and political philosophy aspects of such policies and laws; 
• Immigrant integration and refugee resettlement policies and their implementation, including immigrant and refugee civic engagement, political incorporation, and citizen-making; 
• Border and security studies as well as studies on intranational, regional, transnational, and international cooperation on the management and control of migration; 
• The changing meanings and practices of citizenship, including the relationship between citizenship and identity, gender, multiculturalism, race and ethnicity, racism and xenophobia, human rights, indigenous peoples, empires and imperialism, civic engagement, transnationality, welfare, and public policy; 
• The relationship between citizenship and transformations in or political contestation of sovereignty and political community, including state formation or disintegration, nationalism, sovereignty or secession movements, language, ethnic or other minorities, the politics of diaspora mobilization (including conflicts, democratization, voting, and economic development), and subnational, supranational (e.g., European Union), multilevel, corporate, or global citizenship; 

New Topics in European Politics (Virtual)

Co-leaders:

• Dr. Mareike Kleine , London School of Economics
• Dr. Lukas Obholzer , Leiden University 

Workshop Description:  We invite any and all graduate students studying European politics to submit proposals. Mareike Kleine has special expertise in EU politics, international political economy, and international organizations. Lukas Obholzer has special expertise in political behavior, legislative politics, social media, and comparative politics. However, we are open to any and all submissions that engage European politics and that would benefit from feedback. All methods are welcome to this virtual workshop.  A summary of the schedule is as follows:

• Week 1 (June 12-June 16): Group presentations and one-on-one sessions with faculty co-leaders.  Please note: chapters will be due on June 1 for leaders and participants to review before the workshop
• Week 2 (June 19-June 23): Independent writing & revising week.
• Week 3 (June 26-June 30): Group presentations, feedback, and debrief session, with optional one-on-one sessions with faculty co-leaders.
• Please note: Weeks 1 & 3 will include approximately 8-10 hours of meeting time, while the exact days of the week and times will be determined once the participants have been selected to best accommodate the time zones represented.

2022 APSA Dissertation Workshops

New topics in european politics  .

• Rahsaan Maxwell , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
• Mareike Kleine , London School of Economics 

We invite any and all graduate students studying European politics to submit proposals. Mareike Kleine has special expertise in international political economy and international organizations. Rahsaan Maxwell has special expertise in political behavior, immigration, diversity and globalization. However, we are open to any and all submissions that engage European politics and that would benefit from feedback. 

State Politics and Policy Dissertation Workshop  

Co-Leaders: 

• Dan Mallinson, Penn State, Harrisburg 
• Ellen Seljan, Lewis and Clark College 

Description This virtual dissertation workshop will provide an opportunity for PhD candidates studying State Politics and Policy to present a chapter from their dissertation, receive feedback and faculty coaching, and connect with peers conducting research on similar issues. This virtual dissertation workshop will focus on providing both faculty and peer feedback to doctoral candidates pursuing their doctorate with a focus on politics and/or policy in the American states. Graduate students in the dissertation phase may apply. The topical focus can span the breadth of the subfield of state politics and policy. We are particularly interested in supporting scholars who are examining issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the states and those who are themselves from groups underrepresented in the discipline of political science. Dissertations from any epistemological approach are acceptable. The goal of the workshop is to offer doctoral candidates a space to workshop their ideas with faculty active in the subfield and to begin building an academic network. Doctoral candidates should choose a single chapter from their dissertation to workshop. 

Citizenship and Migration 

• Willem Maas , York University 
• Beth Whitaker , University of North Carolina at Charlotte 

Description

This dissertation workshop welcomes proposals from PhD candidates working on any aspect of citizenship and/or migration, such as those highlighted by the APSA Migration and Citizenship Organized Section: 

• The politics of nationality and citizenship (and the distinctions between them), including the moral and empirical rights and obligations attached to citizenship, comparative or historical nationality law, statelessness, and policies and practices concerning the acquisition and loss of nationality through such procedures as naturalization and expatriation as well as dual or multiple citizenship. 

Political Violence (Comparative Politics)  

• Megan M. Turnbull, Department of International Affairs, University of Georgia 
• Azeez O. Olaniyan, Department of Political Science, Federal University Oye Ekiti 

Descrption This workshop will be held in-person at the 2022 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 14 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. All candidates must be pursuing their Ph.D. in political science. In order to apply you must be an ABD (all-but-dissertation) PhD candidate who has successfully defended a dissertation proposal.    Political violence has become one of the forces reconfiguring the trajectories, geographies, nature, and economies of countries around the world. As brought to the fore by the 9/11 attacks and responses to it, politically-driven violence can assume grim dimension, and can also change the ways of the world in many ramifications. Also, as evidenced in the refugee crises in the recent times, the brunt of political violence could be borne by society that may not even be directly involved in it. Political violence is all-encompassing, including a variegated issues such as terrorism, genocide, occupation, invasion, torture, capital punishment, police brutality, rebellion, insurrection, electoral violence, coup d’état, wrongful imprisonment, illegal detention, forced eviction, rioting, revolution, mass killings, civil war, counter-insurgency, denial of statehood, exclusion and even denial of citizenship. Despite growing interconnectedness of the world and ascendancy of democratic ideals in the world, political violence continues to be a recurring decimal, with debilitating effects on peace, security, and the economy. The rampancy and debilitating effects of political violence makes it a compelling area of research focus by researchers in the humanities and social sciences. But researching political violence, and writing dissertation on it on it, could be challenging. This dissertation completion workshop seeks to improve the skills of graduate students in identifying and unpacking challenges associated with dissertation writing on all areas of political violence. It seeks to shed more light on the nature and forms of contemporary political violence and how to go about researching them for the purpose of writing good dissertation. In essence, the workshop sets out to take students through the mills of report writing to doctoral students in furthering the quality of their dissertation on political violence. 

Manuscripts are invited on the following, but not exhaustive, areas in political violence: 

• Ethnic politics and violence 
• Rioting, revolution, and rebellion 
• Electoral violence 
• Civil wars, communal violence, insurrection, and uprising 
• Insurgency and counter-insurgency 
• Terrorism, mass killings and genocide 
• Police brutality 
• Coup d’états and democratic reversals 
• Invasion, forced eviction and unprovoked attacks 
• Political exclusion, citizenship, and statehood denials 
• Illegal detention, capital punishment 

  The leaders will draw on their rich pedigree to organize a stimulating workshop. The workshop shall be organized into two broad sessions. We shall focus the first session on general tips on doctoral dissertation, especially writing of introduction, doing literature review, setting the theories, research methods, result analysis, discussion of findings and drawing conclusions and making recommendations. The second will dwell on extensive discussions and feedback on the chapters submitted by individual student. Lastly, facilitators will provide useful tips on professional development such as job placement, publications, and grant opportunities. 

2021 APSA Dissertation Workshops

International law, human rights, and the politics of rights in international relations.

• Audrey Comstock, , Assistant Professor, Arizona State University
• Heather Smith-Cannoy, Associate Professor, Arizona State University

2020 APSA Dissertation Workshops

Public administration and policy.

• Daniel Mallinson, , Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg
• Darrell Lovell , Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

2019 APSA Dissertation Workshops

Communication and collaboration in congress.

• Annelise Russell , Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky
• Alison Craig , Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in American Political Behavio r

• Nadia Brown , Associate Professor, Purdue University
• Sarah Gershon , Associate Professor, Georgia State University

Nationalism and Populism in International Relations

• Jiyoung Ko , Assistant Professor, Bates College
• Yaiping Wang , Post-Doctoral Fellow, Notre Dame University

Description This workshop will bring together PhD candidates researching on nationalism, national identity, populism, and public opinion in international relations (including both international security and international political economy). Each participant will share a chapter of their dissertation prior to the workshop. All participants will read each other’s work and prepare feedback on how the chapter can be improved. For each presentation, one participant will also be assigned as a primary discussant in order to facilitate more focused discussion. This workshop will offer a valuable opportunity for PhD candidates to get constructive feedback on their dissertation chapter, develop a network of peers, and exchange their views on the direction of future research on these under-explored, yet increasingly important topics in international relations. 

2018 APSA Dissertation Workshops

• Fiona Adamson , Associate Professor, SOAS University of London
• Willem Maas , Jean Monnet Chair and Associate Professor, York University

Description This workshop will bring together emerging scholars working on diverse topics related to contemporary citizenship, migration, membership, and belonging. By focusing on multilevel and transnational citizenship we hope to widen the debate beyond the established literature on national-level citizenship regimes in established democracies. Dissertations on a range of approaches to citizenship and diaspora politics are welcome. We especially encourage proposals that are grounded in empirical work and that would allow us to undertake cross-regional comparisons of multilevel and transnational forms of citizenship. Before the workshop each student participant will share one draft of a dissertation chapter, and all participants will read each other's work in advance and prepare feedback. Faculty leaders and students will discuss the drafts and provide detailed comments. Each graduate participant will be expected to offer formal comments on one of the papers, scheduled in advance. The workshop will also provide students with a network of peers in the field and allow for a discussion about the broader fields of migration, citizenship, and diaspora politics. 

Militaries and Security Forces: From Repression to Democratization

• Erica De Bruin , Assistant Professor, Hamilton College
• Kristen Harkness , Lecturer, University of St. Andrews

State Politics and Policy

• Carl Klarner, Klarnerpolitics
• Saundra K. Schneider , Professor, Michigan State University

2017 Dissertation Workshop on Comparative Political Theory

• Burke Hendrix , Associate Professor, University of Oregon
• Leigh Jenco , Associate Professor, LSE

2017 Dissertation Workshop on U.S. Congressional Politics

• James Curry, Assistant Professor, University of Utah
• Danielle Thomsen, Assistant Professor, Syracuse University

Description The goal of this workshop is to develop a network of emerging scholars working on issues related to U.S. congressional politics. Dissertations on a range of topics are welcome, including legislative institutions and processes, parties, gender and politics, leadership, and more. Before the workshop each student participant will share one draft of a dissertation chapter, and all participants will read each other’s work and prepare feedback. Faculty and students will discuss the drafts and suggest potential ways to improve research design, theory development, and writing style. In addition, the workshop will take time to address general professional development issues. Students will leave the workshop with directed revisions to strengthen both their theoretical and methodological approaches to dissertations and future studies.

2016 Dissertation Workshop on the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in American Political Behavior

• Sarah Allen Gershon, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Georgia State University 
• Nadia Brown, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & African American Studies Program, Purdue University

2016 Dissertation Workshop on Advances in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy

This workshop will develop a network of emerging scholars in science, technology and environmental politics through the discussion of ongoing dissertation projects. Each student participant will provide one draft of a chapter/paper and one research plan for another chapter/paper. Organized around panels addressing behavior and institutions, the faculty and students will discuss the drafts and suggest potential ways to improve their theoretical grounding, research design, and writing style. In addition, the workshop will take time to address such issues as building an effective network of research collaborators, finding the right professional mentors, and efficiently managing time for a successful career post-graduation.

Each graduate student participating in this workshop will be given a $250 stipend from the Science, Technology and Environmental Politics Section.

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Workshop Videos

The Graduate Writing Center has recorded a number of workshops on a variety of writing topics. Click on a category of interest or scroll down to view them all.

General Workshops

An Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles Lauren Slone, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant Thinking about preparing an article manuscript for submission? Based on Wendy Belcher's workbook, Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, this workshop focuses on the aspects of the process of getting an article published that most differ from other graduate work, such as selecting appropriate journals and interacting with editors. It discusses how to structure an article as well as the writing and revision process. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 1 hour, 20 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2016.

Strategic Reading Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director Feeling overwhelmed by your reading lists? Concerned that you are missing the point of what you have just read? Are you taking pages of notes for every article you read? This workshop will cover effective reading and note-taking strategies so that you read more efficiently, assess your reading with a critical eye, and annotate each work so that important concepts are easily accessible. Note: This workshop does not teach speed-reading techniques. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Citation and Academic Integrity, Part I: Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism Gabriella Gray, UCLA Young Research Library Librarian Marilyn Gray, UCLA Graduate Writing Center Director What does it really mean to plagiarize? With online text at our fingertips, plagiarism is an important ethical issue for graduate students in the U.S. university environment. UCLA holds its students to a high standard of Academic Integrity and penalizes plagiarism – whether inadvertent or intentional. This workshop clears up common misconceptions about incorporating references into academic writing and introduces good citation practices; these strategies will help you avoid plagiarism. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 20 mins.) For further reference, see: UCLA Guide to Academic Integrity, Office of the Dean of Students.

Citation and Academic Integrity, Part II: What’s in a Citation? Kathryn Renton, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant Incorporating research into graduate writing raises complex questions about citing the work of other scholars. Do you always need to provide a citation? When should you quote and when should you paraphrase? Good citation practices, like good writing practices, bring clarity and integrity to academic work. This interactive workshop provides a variety of practice scenarios that will test your knowledge and demonstrate how to apply ethical citation guidelines in your own writing. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 20 mins.) For further reference, see the Guidelines to Citation Practices and Citation Styles web pages.

Dissertation and Thesis Support: Writing Groups and Resources Marilyn Gray, UCLA Graduate Writing Center Director This workshop covers strategies and best practices for organizing writing groups for thesis and dissertation writing. The presentation focuses on independent writing groups organized by graduate students and offers tips on establishing meeting rules and structures for running meetings effectively. The workshop also addresses other campus resources available to support dissertation and thesis writers. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 20 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

Expanding Your Audience: How to Publish Outside Academia Eric Newman, English, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant Scholars from all fields can benefit from publishing outside the traditional academic publishing world. This workshop will help you explore the myriad writing opportunities that exist for academics beyond the so-called ivory tower, with discussions of the benefits of publishing work for a general audience, how to translate your academic research into accessible prose for a general readership, and how to pitch an essay or review idea to an editor. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2018.

Time Management for Writing Marilyn Gray, Director, Graduate Writing Center In this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies for goal setting and time management as they relate to research and writing projects, especially the writing component. We will also address some approaches to working effectively from home. Click here for the workshop. (Approximately 38 minutes.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

Navigating Graduate School: Academic Success Strategies for First-Generation College Students Michelle Luna, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop will provide useful strategies for navigating graduate school successfully. We will focus on tips and tricks that will help you succeed, as well as elucidate aspects of the "hidden curriculum," or things you're expected to know but not explicitly taught. We will cover a broad spectrum of topics such as managing writing requirements, using organizational tools to stay on track, communicating effectively with mentors to meet your needs, and networking at conferences to build professional relationships. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 53 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2023.

How to Make an Argument Michelle Luna, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop will focus on the components of creating an argument. We will talk about incorporating arguments into writing and examine examples of argument structures. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2022.

Humanities Workshops

Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles in the Humanities Marilyn Gray, UCLA Graduate Writing Center Director The purpose of this workshop is to describe the process for publishing a journal article in the Humanities, including choosing a paper to submit, revision and editing strategies, journal selection, and addressing feedback. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2018.

Writing in the Humanities: The Seminar Paper and Beyond Eric Newman, English, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant The purpose of this workshop is to introduce writing in the Humanities, focusing on the seminar paper. The workshop will provide strategies for annotating, writing the literature review, refining the argument, and editing and revising. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 1 hour.) This workshop was recorded in 2018.

Writing the Humanities Dissertation Prospectus Eric Newman, English, Graduate Writing Center Consultant This workshop will focus on how to plan and begin writing your dissertation prospectus in the Humanities. It covers prospectus components, time and file management tips, and preparing for the defense. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 45 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2018.

Writing a Literature Review in the Social Sciences and Humanities Marilyn Gray, UCLA Graduate Writing Center Director This workshop covers strategies and best practices for writing a literature review, including note-taking strategies, writing process issues, and common organizational patterns. The workshop focus is on literature reviews for original research projects but will be generally helpful for all literature reviews. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Humanities Allison Collins, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant The purpose of this workshop is to present strategies for writing a conference paper, from A to Z, from deciphering a call for papers to writing a proposal to transforming an already existing document or starting your presentation from scratch. The workshop addresses different methods for preparing an engaging and substantive oral presentation, including various technological aids you may want to use, as well as methods to prepare for round-table and Q&A formats. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 23 mins.) This workshop was recorded in April 2017.

Social Sciences Workshops

Writing in the Social Sciences Adrienne Lynett, UCLA Graduate Writing Center Program Manager This workshop covers strategies for reading, writing, and project management for graduate students in social science disciplines, with a focus on the course paper. The most common types of papers will be discussed, including the literature review, analysis paper, and research proposal. Strategies for citation and time management will also be discussed. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in July 2018.

Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Social Sciences Anne Blackstock-Bernstein, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop covers strategies for preparing conference proposals/abstracts and for presenting papers orally at conferences. It addresses the expected content of a submission as well as the structure and aesthetics of typical 10-20 minute presentations. The workshop specifically focuses on using PowerPoint as a platform. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 45 mins.) This workshop was recorded in April 2017.

Preparing a Conference Poster in the Social Sciences Anne Blackstock-Bernstein, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop describes the steps involved in preparing, printing, and presenting a conference poster for students in social science disciplines. It covers aspects of poster preparation including choosing a template and layout, design and formatting tips, and advice on how to best present your material during a poster session. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in January 2019.

Strategies for Writing the Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Adrienne Lynett, Graduate Writing Center Program Manager This workshop will give an overview of the main components of a dissertation proposal in the social sciences and cover strategies for writing the research questions, literature review, and methods sections, as well as some tips for getting through this sometimes daunting process. (These strategies should be adapted to your department's and advisor's expectations about the structure and content of your proposal.) Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Sciences and Engineering Workshops

Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Sciences Katelyn Caslavka, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop covers basic strategies for presenting at conferences. It addresses how to effectively prepare the abstract, figures, and PowerPoint slides as well as appropriate structure, content, and format for a conference presentation. We will specifically discuss the 10-minute talk format and how that structure can also be adapted for longer talks. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 27 mins.) This workshop was recorded in December 2016.

Preparing a Conference Poster in the Sciences Katelyn Caslavka, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop will cover strategies for preparing and presenting a poster at conferences. We will address how to write an abstract for a poster presentation and general content and structure of presented posters. We will also discuss how to use PowerPoint to format a poster. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in December 2016.

Writing the Sciences Dissertation Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director This workshop will address structural options for the dissertation. The workshop will then focus on writing the final dissertation components, including global introduction and background sections, global conclusions, and abstracts. Finally, the workshop will cover strategies for revising, editing, and formatting the dissertation. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

Best Practices for Writing Scientific Articles and Article-Based Dissertations Elizabeth O'Hare, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop covers general writing principles for writing scientific articles and also gives practical advice for writing an article-based dissertation in the sciences and engineering. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 48 mins.) This workshop was recorded on June 5, 2008 .

Writing an Engineering Paper Sarah Gibson, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant In this workshop, we will cover the basics of how to structure and write an engineering paper. We will also discuss voice, style, and transitions, as well as compare models of "good" vs. "bad" writing. The workshop will be applicable to engineering journal and conference papers, as well as to master's and doctoral theses and proposals. Click here for workshop. (Approx. 34 mins.) This workshop was recorded in Summer 2012 .

Writing the Literature Review in the Sciences Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director This workshop will cover strategies and best practices for writing a literature review or background section, including note-taking strategies, writing process issues, and common organizational patterns. The workshop focus will be on literature reviews for original research projects, such as research proposals and article manuscripts, but will generally be applicable to all literature reviews. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Expanding Your Audience: How to Publish Outside Academia (STEM Focus) Macrina Dieffenbach, Psychology, Writing Consultant Maureen Sampson, Molecular Toxicology, Writing Consultant Where can your writing and research interests go beyond a field-specific journal article or academic conference presentation? Writing for non-academic outlets offers graduate students the opportunity to spread knowledge about new scientific discoveries and innovations beyond the lab. This workshop will help students improve their science communication skills, providing guidance on how to translate complex scientific ideas for different audiences. We discuss the use of plain language and clear, focused writing to help make your science more accessible. These techniques will improve readability and are appropriate whether the audience is technical or the general public. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 1 hour.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Practical Tips for Writing a Scientific Paper Karen Cheng, Neuroscience, Graduate Writing Center Consultant This workshop will cover the basics of how to plan for, prepare, and organize science-specific writing, including term papers, manuscripts and abstracts. We will also cover style, common structure, active versus passive voice, and first pronoun versus third pronoun usage. We will offer tips for avoiding problems such as excess jargon and unclear writing flow. In Part 2, we will briefly describe the publication process. Click here for the workshop. (Part 1: 48 mins. Part 2: 19 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

Writing the STEM Dissertation Proposal Macrina Dieffenbach,, Psychology, Writing Consultant This workshop, geared toward students in STEM fields, will cover dissertation proposal structures and components, as well as writing process strategies and time management. In addition, we will address issues related to the oral defense portion of the proposal. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 54 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2021.

Master's Thesis Workshop (STEM Focus) Rob Ulrich, Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, Graduate Writing Consultant This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's thesis for students in STEM fields. It will include writing activities and discussion to help participants develop their thesis topics. We will also present strategies for organizing research and literature reviews, as well as tips for drafting and revision. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 56 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2022.

ESL Workshops

Academic Writing for ESL Graduate Students Adrienne Lynett, UCLA Program Manager This workshop introduces the concept of academic English, defines important terms such as flow, style, and structure, and discusses ways to improve fluency and comprehensibility in academic writing. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Self-Editing Skills Adrienne Lynett, UCLA Program Manager This workshop provides strategies and resources to enable non-native speakers of English to make appropriate vocabulary choices and approach issues like article and preposition usage in their own writing projects. This workshop in divided into four separate videos on the following topics: revision, editing, and proofreading; general grammar; articles; and word choice. Watch them in any order. Click here for the workshop videos. This workshop was recorded in 2020.

E-Mail Etiquette for the Job Search Adrienne Lynett, UCLA Program Manager As a graduate student, you will write many emails in the service of finding a job—emails that request informational interviews, set up interviews, and follow up on interviews. This workshop will break down the language necessary to make polite requests and arrangements over email. It will also cover basic email etiquette and include opportunities to edit real example emails written by graduate students. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 40 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

E-Mail Etiquette at the University Adrienne Lynett, UCLA Program Manager A graduate student will write hundreds of emails while getting his or her degree—emails that invite professors to serve on thesis/dissertation committees, emails that ask for extensions on papers, emails in which graduate students introduce themselves to potential mentors or advisors. Designed for graduate students who speak English as a second or foreign language, but open to everyone, this workshop breaks down the language necessary to make polite requests over email. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 20 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2020.

Law Workshops

Introduction to Publishing Law Journal Articles Sabine Jean, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This presentation is an introduction to publishing law journal articles, with information on choosing a paper to submit, selecting an appropriate journal, revising, submitting, and responding to journal decisions. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2017.

Substantial Analytical Writing Requirement Workshop Sabine Jean, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This presentation is an introduction to the Substantial Analytical Writing Requirement at UCLA School of Law. This overview will provide information on the SAW and its requirements, as well as some details on writing the SAW paper, including the argument, organization, and style/formatting. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2017.

Policy Workshops

Policy Writing Drew Westmoreland, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This presentation is an introduction to writing in policy-related fields such as public policy and public health. In particular, the presentation focuses on writing memos and white papers. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 17 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2017.

Grant and Fellowship Workshops

Writing Successful Grant and Fellowship Applications (Sciences and Engineering Focus) Lauren Slone, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant, NSF GRF Recipient This workshop will first briefly review funding opportunities for graduate students in sciences and engineering. The workshop will then focus on strategies for writing effective applications for grants and fellowships to support graduate study and research, especially for students seeking doctorates and research master's degrees. The workshop will also cover tips for organizing the application process. Click here for the workshop . (Approx. 51 mins.) This workshop was recorded in Summer 2015.

Writing Successful Grant and Fellowship Applications (Humanities and Social Sciences Focus) Pauline Lewis, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant, Fulbright U.S. Fellowship Recipient This workshop will first briefly review funding opportunities for graduate students in humanities, social sciences, and related fields. The workshop will then focus on strategies for writing effective applications for grants and fellowships to support graduate study and research, especially for students seeking doctorates and research MAs. The workshop will also cover tips for organizing the application process. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 36 mins.) This workshop was recorded in Fall 2014 .

Introduction to Grant Writing in the Nonprofit Sector Will Clark, English, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant, Former Nonprofit Grant Writer for Foundation and State of California Grants The grant writing workshop will cover best practices and strategies for securing funds in the nonprofit sector. Topics of discussion will include methods by which to determine funding opportunities, strategies for building long-term relationships with funders, practices for reporting on successes and opportunities during a funding period, budgeting, and more. The goals of this workshop are to introduce graduate students to the nonprofit funding environment and to translate skills learned in graduate school into non-academic contexts. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 48 mins.) This workshop was recorded in Spring 2019.

Research and Analysis Workshops

Coding as Part of the Qualitative Research Process Tahseen Shams, UCLA Graduate Writing Consultant This presentation gives an introduction to qualitative coding and how it can be incorporated into the research writing process. Using examples, this overview will provide information on types of coding, some common challenges in the process, and ideas for moving from the coding stage to the writing stage. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 13 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2018.

Transcription as Part of the Qualitative Research Writing Process Adrienne Lynett, UCLA GWC Program Manager This presentation introduces transcription, describes various strategies and conventions involved in the process of transcribing, and looks in depth at an example of a transcript and how it was developed. The presentation also discusses moving from the transcription stage to the writing stage and provides links to important resources for writers using transcripts in their work. Click here for the workshop. (Approx. 30 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2019.

Academic Job Search Workshops

Academic Job Application Documents: Humanities and Social Sciences Erin Brown, UCLA Career Center This page contains resources about how to write the components of an academic job application, with an orientation to the humanities and social sciences. Click here to access the resource .

About the Presenters

Anne Blackstock-Bernstein achieved her M.A. and Ph.D. in the Human Development and Psychology division of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA in 2018. She is currently a lecturer at the Department of Education at UCLA. She teaches courses in early childhood development, cognitive development, and educational psychology. Her research examines children’s language development in the context of school, with a particular focus on emergent bilingual students. Anne earned her BA in Psychology, Sociology, and Education Studies from Brandeis University. Prior to attending UCLA, she did research in neuroanesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Erin Brown completed a Ph.D. in History in 2017. Erin is completing her dissertation in American History. Her research examines town-building and urban growth in the late- nineteenth and early twentieth century, focusing on the intersections of economic and community development. She previously earned a BA in Economics and History from UCLA and an MS in Construction Management from California State University, Chico. Erin has taught in the School of Engineering at Chico State and has been awarded multiple teaching fellowships to teach undergraduate writing courses at UCLA.

Katelyn Caslavka completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2017. She specialized in protein methylation in yeast organelles using mass spectrometry. During her graduate studies, she received the UCLA Alumni Association Fellowship and was a trainee on the Cellular and Molecular Biology Training Grant (part of a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award).

Karen Cheng completed her Ph.D. in the Neuroscience Department at UCLA in 2021. Her dissertation focused on neural mechanisms underlying multisensory integration in Drosophila melanogaster using virtual reality setups. Right now, she is a neuroscientist at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, studying global brain activity signatures in awake, behaving vinegar flies. She uses light-field microscopy, a novel technique in insect physiology, to image activity in the entire brain simultaneously and incorporates machine learning techniques to analyze these datasets. Karen earned a B.S. in Neuroscience and B.A. in International Development Studies from UCLA in 2013. As a graduate student, she received an honorable mention from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Will Clark completed a Ph.D. in English at UCLA in 2018. His dissertation title is Time’s Citizens: American Fiction and the Sexual Politics of U.S. Civic Membership, 1886-1929. His research focuses on modes of legal, literary, and social belonging and/or exclusion, especially after the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, which defined citizenship in the U.S. for the first time. Through the rubric of citizenship, he examines how changing visions of the citizen and the performance of citizenship have either enabled or restricted social and legal membership, with a particular interest in the intersection of race and sexuality. Before getting into UCLA, Will achieved his BA in English Language and Literature at UCLA and MA in 19th Century American Literature at Stanford. Will currently serves as an assistant professor at San Francisco State University.

Allison Collins completed her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at UCLA in 2020. Her dissertation focuses on the lovesick female body in early modern literature. After graduating from UCLA, she worked for the Marymount School of New York. In 2022, she became a High School English Teacher at Brentwood School in California. Allison earned her BA in Renaissance Studies from Yale University and her MA in Humanities from New York University. She has experience in teaching and academic publishing.

Macrina Dieffenbach earned her Ph.D. in UCLA's Social Psychology doctoral program in 2021. After earning her BA in Cognitive Science from Yale University in 2012, she worked for two years as a science editor at The Huffington Post. At UCLA, her research involved borrowing tools from cognitive neuroscience to investigate complex social phenomena, including attitude change, impression formation, and conflict resolution. Macrina was a recipient of the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellowship. Macrina is currently a Senior UX Researcher at Meta. Her goal is to leverage my research training and experiences to (1) design studies that identify actionable insights about user behavior and (2) make data-based decisions that have a social impact.

Sarah Gibson received her Ph.D. in 2012 in electrical engineering. Her dissertation focuses on neural spike sorting in hardware. Her research interests include algorithms for neural signal processing and their FPGA implementations. Sarah received a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Baylor University in 2005 and an M.S. in electrical engineering from UCLA in 2008. She is currently the head of Engineering, Simulation and Digital Twins at Unity.

Sabine Jean completed a JD from UCLA School of Law with a Critical Race Studies Specialization in 2017, where she specialized in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law and Policy. She was awarded a UCLA Masin Family Academic Excellence Gold Award for her academic success in Education and Law and a UCLA Law Enhancement Award in recognition of her work to improve and enrich the UCLA law community. Prior to law school, Sabine received her B.A. in Afro-American Studies and Government from Smith College in 2011 and her M.S.T. in TESOL from Fordham Graduate School of Education in 2013. Currently, she is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP in New York and is a member of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group.

Pauline Lewis completed a PhD in History at UCLA in 2018. Her research focuses on the history of technology in the modern Middle East, and her dissertation explores the social and cultural implications of telegraphy in late Ottoman Empire society. She earned her BA in History and Arabic Studies at the University of Michigan, and after graduating, she received a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Egypt. She also received a Graduate Student Fieldwork Fellowship from the UCLA International Institute, as well as a FLAS Turkish fellowship. Pauline is proficient in Arabic and Turkish and also has experience teaching and tutoring ESL.

Adrienne Lynett earned her Ph.D. in Applied linguistics in 2017, with research interests in conversation analysis, language and literacy acquisition, and multilingualism. Adrienne is a Communications professional and linguistics scholar with expertise in qualitative and quantitative methods, writing, editing, and teaching/presenting. She has also done work on medical communication in the mental health field. She earned her BA in English Literature from UCLA and her MA in Linguistics from Georgetown University. She has professional experience in journalism, education, and international development.

Eric Newman completed a PhD in English at UCLA in 2016. His research focuses on the interrelation between queerness, literary form, and political imagination in early twentieth-century American literature across the color line. Prior to UCLA, Eric received a BA in English and Journalism from NYU and an MA in Humanities with a focus on American literature, critical theory, and queer studies from the University of Chicago. He freelances for a number of culture, entertainment and travel publications; his academic scholarship has been published in Callaloo and Modernism/modernity (forthcoming). He is also the Gender & Sexuality editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books , as well as Co-Host for the LARB Radio Hour on KPFK 90.7FM.

Elizabeth (Libby) O'Hare completed a PhD in the UCLA Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program in 2008. Libby's dissertation research focused on developmental cognitive neuroscience, and she used functional and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to examine relationships between brain growth and improving cognitive capacities in typically developing children and adolescents and those with prenatal exposure to alcohol. While in graduate school, Libby received the NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) to support her dissertation research.

Kathryn Renton completed a PhD in History in the History Department at UCLA in 2018. She specializes in the intellectual and cultural history of early modern Europe. While in graduate school, Kathryn received a Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship to support her dissertation research. Her dissertation investigates styles of horsemanship in the Spanish empire and their diplomatic uses in western Mediterranean and trans-Atlantic encounters.

Maureen Sampson received her Ph.D. in 2020 and then joined Steven Sloan’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow in the fall of 2020. Her research focuses on the neurodevelopmental toxicity of heavy metal lead (Pb) and is currently funded by a K00 through NIEHS as well as an enrichment fellowship from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Maureen earned her PhD at UCLA, where she studied serotonin neuromodulation of visual circuits in Drosophila. As a graduate student at UCLA, Maureen wrote successful applications for both the NSF GRFP and NINDS F99, which sparked her interest in scientific writing. She worked at the UCLA graduate writing center as a writing consultant and presented workshops on grantsmanship and scientific writing.

Tahseen Shams completed a PhD in Sociology at UCLA in 2018. She is currently an associate professor at University of Pennsylvania. As a sociologist of international migration and race/ethnicity at University of Pennsylvania, she studies how migration and global inequalities affect immigrants, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries in the West. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sociology from the University of Southern Mississippi and UCLA respectively. She was a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the UCLA Graduate Division University Fellowship, as well as the Dissertation Year Fellowship.

Lauren Slone completed her PhD in Developmental Psychology in 2015. Her research focuses on mechanisms of perceptual and cognitive development during infancy and early childhood. She earned her BS in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. and her MA in Psychology from UCLA. Lauren was a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, as well as UCLA’s Graduate Research Mentorship and Graduate Summer Research Mentorship.

Drew Westmoreland received his Ph.D. in the Epidemiology Department in the Fielding School of Public Health in 2018. Prior to getting into UCLA, Drew graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences and a minor in Psychology. Following his undergraduate graduation, he pursued a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of South Carolina. His research interests are in behavioral, social, and HIV/STI epidemiology. Much of my research has focused on sexual behavior associated with HIV/STI risk and prevention, including the role that social and structural contexts play in influencing sexual behavior. Currently, he is an assistant professor at the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Florida.

Marilyn Gray is the director of the UCLA Graduate Writing Center. She has a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from UCLA. Her dissertation examines Mikhail Bakhtin’s thought and narrative theory from the perspective of Russian theological anthropology. After completing her BA in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Stanford University, she lived and worked in Moscow for four years. During her graduate work at UCLA, she worked for the Center for Digital Humanities assisting faculty with instructional technology and taught Russian language and English composition. She is a big fan of the em-dash and semi-colon when used judiciously.

Michelle Luna achieved her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in 2022. After earning a BA in Psychology and an MA in French from the University of Notre Dame, she spent a year in France teaching English to students at the University of Rennes. At UCLA, her research examines factors that affect children's word and category learning. she has content expertise in developmental and cognitive psychology; 9+ year of experience, including experimental and quasi-experimental research in language development and category learning; advanced statistical analysis skills in R; experience communicating results to expert and non-expert audiences; and collaborative research projects. Michelle is a recipient of UCLA's Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship, and Graduate Research Mentorship. She has also received various travel awards and honorable mentions from the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship.

Caroline Diehl completed a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2023. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at the Great Los Angeles VA Healthcare System. After graduating from Yale University with a BS in Psychology, she worked as a clinical research coordinator conducting community mental health research in Philadelphia before moving to LA for graduate school. Her research focuses on identifying neural correlates of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, as well as neural mechanisms of cognitive recovery following intervention. She was a recipient of the NIH National Research Service Award (F31) and the UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship, and Faculty Women’s Club Scholarship.

Rob Ulrich was a writing consultant coming from the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences. He researches how living things make their hard parts. More specifically, they are interested in developing and using novel geochemical tracers (e.g., trace elements, “clumped” isotopes) to identify biomineralization strategies. Beyond graduate school, Rob was also the Associate Director of the Reclaiming STEM Institute, which is the hub of inclusive science communication and science policy research and training, a Co-Founder of Queer & Trans in STEM (fka Queers in STEM), and a writer. For their research and advocacy, Rob currently holds fellowships with the National Science Foundation and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, and they have been invited to speak on popular podcasts, including Ologies, Talk Nerdy, ExoLore, and at meetings for the American Geophysical Union, the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, the Geologic Society of America, the California Academy of Sciences, and the New York Academy of Sciences.

Gabrielle Gray is a librarian at UCLA Young Research Library.

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Dissertation Workshops

• Prospective Applicants
• Resources for Accepted Scholars
• The John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship (for German Citizens)
• The German Kennedy Memorial Fellowship (for EU Citizens)
• 50th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship
• John F. Kennedy Memorial Policy Fellows & CES Policy Fellows
• Ramón Areces Fellowship
• Krupp Foundation Dissertation Research Fellowships
• 2023 Krupp Foundation Dissertation Research Fellowship Recipients
• Dissertation Completion Fellowships
• 2023 Dissertation Completion Fellowship Recipients
• Konrad Adenauer Fellowship - For Graduate Students
• Graduate Student Affiliation
• Secondary Field in European History, Politics, and Societies
• Senior Thesis Grants
• 2023 Senior Thesis Grant Recipients
• Summer Internship Grants
• Stanley H. Hoffmann Undergraduate Travel and Research Fund
• RCC Grant for Undergraduate Internships and Research in Spain
• Konrad Adenauer Fellowship - For Graduating Seniors
• Celebrating 2023 Undergraduates
• Thesis Workshop for Juniors
• Research Assistantship
• Local Affiliation

The meetings of the CES Dissertation Workshop offer graduate students at Harvard and MIT the opportunity to present their current research to their peers and faculty interested broadly in the study of Europe. It is a student-run, student-centered project and papers will be pre-circulated to the audience in advance.

The CES Dissertation Workshop is a graduate educational seminar and open to graduate students and their advisors. Workshops will be held in-person are open to Harvard and MIT affiliates who are on a regular University COVID-19 testing cadence. Advance RSVP is required. The schedule of upcoming workshops will be updated regularly through the academic year.

Are you a graduate student interested in attending a workshop or presenting your research? Please contact Lauren Bohm, CES Dissertation Workshop Coordinator .

Dissertation Workshop Schedule – 2023-2024

Spring 2024.

• Nathalie Behrends – Ph.D. Candidate in History, Harvard University
• Chair Lauren Bohm – Ph.D. Candidate in History, Harvard University; Graduate Student Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

• Max Ehrenfreund – Ph.D. Student in History of Science, Harvard University; Graduate Student Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

• Noah Secondo – Ph.D. Student in History, Harvard University

• Katharin Tai – Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, MIT; Graduate Student Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

• Ailish Lalor – Ph.D. Candidate in History, Harvard University

• Ashley Gonik – Ph.D. Candidate in History, Harvard University

• Kabl Wilkerson – Ph.D. Candidate in History, Harvard University; Graduate Student Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

Past Dissertation Workshops

Emma Friedlander (History, Harvard University) – The Soviet New Age on the Boulevard: Alternative Spirituality, Popular Press, and the End of Times in Russia, Ukraine, and Latvia, 1990-1993

Alexander Hartley (Comparative Literature, Harvard University) – Colonial Copyright Law and Modernist Authorship

Angie Jo (Political Science, MIT) – Varieties of Crisis Response: Welfare Regimes and Emergency Fiscal Spending on COVID-19

Rustam Khan (History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society, MIT) – Apartheid in Schaerbeek: Belgian Migrant Labor and Human Rights During Europe’s Carbon Transition in the 1970s

Claudio Morana (Economics, Visiting Scholar): A New Macro-Financial Condition Index for the Euro Area

Théophile Deslauriers (Politics, Princeton University): From Status to… Something: S.J. Stephen and Henry Maine on Inequality in Britain and India

Sama Mammadova (History): A Bank for the People: Popular Credit and Moral Economy in Renaissance Italy

Moritz von Brescius (History, John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow): Scarcity Imperialism and the Global Pathways of a Failed Plantation Crop

Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré (Political Science, Visiting Scholar): ‘Let’s Keep This Informal’: Ad Hoc Differentiation in EU Approach to Conflicts and Crises

Matthias Quinckhardt (Economics, University of Heidelberg): War Losses as a Labor Supply Shock: Evidence from Germany

Jacob Hoerger (Government): Weak Messianic Power and Benjamin’s Contribution to the Debate about Historical Injustice

Sergio Leos (History): “Western Desire”: Gender in Allegorical Representations of America

Eric Fabri (Government, Postdoctoral Fellow): Why Democracy? An Autonomy-based Ontological Argument

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all graduate students are Ph.D. candidates at Harvard University.

Jan Burzlaff (History): After the Dutch Paradox: Jews and non-Jews in the Netherlands (1940–1945)

Bo Yun Park (Sociology): Is S(H)e Presidential? The Changing Scripts of Political Leadership, 1995-2020

Aden Knaap (History): Judging the League: The Permanent Court of International Justice and the League of Nations, 1922-1939

Carmelo Ignaccolo (Urban Studies and Planning, MIT): Unmasking Tourism in Venice: the Relationship between Urban Morphology and Tourism Hotspots

Louis Gerdelan (History): " Disaster tabulation and miraculous deliverances in the eighteenth century"

Tugba Bozcaga (Political Science MIT): " The Social Bureaucrat: How Social Proximity among Bureaucrats Affects Local Governance in Turkey"

Christopher Havasy (Government): " The Last Invention of Governance: The Rise of Bureaucracy and its Reception in Western Europe "

Joseph la Hausse de Lalouvière (History): " The experience of re-enslavement in French Guiana, 1794–1809"

Frank Blibo (History of Science): " The French and Ivorian Heart Care Specialists at the Institut de Cardiologie d’Abidjan, 1976-2017"

Katarzyna Balug (Landscape & Architecture): "Animating Air and the Body at Its Limits" 

Elizabeth Cross (History): "The Pen and the Sword: Visions of Revanche and the Problem of Company Governance in the French Indian Ocean" 

Tomasz Blusiewicz (History): “Überseehafen Rostock: East Germany’s Window to the World under Stasi Watch, 1961-1989” 

Rachel Friedman (Government): “The Collectivization of Risk and the Early Welfare State” 

Adriana Alfaro Altamirano (Government): “Adam Smith and Max Scheler on Sympathy” 

Jamie McSpadden (History): “A Radical Change? Female Parliamentarians’ Influence on European Politics, 1918-1940” 

Joshua Ehrlich (History): "Wellesley and the Politics of Fort William College" 

Lydia Walker (History): "Politics of Plaint: Nagas, Namibians, and the United Nations System of the early 1960s" 

Kristen Loveland (History): “Replacing God: Reproductive Technologies in German Religious and Legal Thought in the 1980s” 

Liat Spiro (History): “Drafting Empire: American and German Capital Goods and the Mission Industrialisatrice in the Shandong-Kyushu Corridor, 1880-1914” 

Andrew Bellisari (History): “Yesterday’s Enemies: Decolonization and the Role of the Mixed Ceasefire Commissions in French Algeria” 

Brandon Bloch (History): “Institutionalizing Protestant Ethics: Families, Schools, and the West German Basic Law, 1949-1957 

Elissa Berwick (Comparative Politics and Methodology, MIT): “Substate nationalism and the scope of redistribution: Evidence from Spain” 

Louis Gerdelan (History): “Prophecies of doom or the doom of prophecy? Debates over the astrological prediction of disasters in the Atlantic world, c.1650-1700”

Ian Kumekawa (History): “Lugers and Londonderry: World War I, Ireland, and the origins of modern British gun control” 

Deirdre DeBruyn Rubio (Islamic Studies, Religion and Society): “Sacred/secular space: The politics of space and interfaith for French Muslim communities in Paris” 

Mikko Silliman (Education Policy & Program Evaluation): “Can schools help close immigrant-native gaps in later outcomes?” 

Mina Mitreva (History): “Anarcho-syndicalism from Wilhelmine to Weimar Germany, 1914-1930” 

Lucas Melvin Mueller (History, Anthropology, Science, Technology, and Society (HASTS), MIT): “Risk on the negotiation table: Contaminants, global commodity trade, and experts after empire” 

Brandon Bloch (History): "Conscientious Objection and the Revaluation of Resistance: West Germany, 1949-1961" 

Josh Ehrlich (History): "The Anglicist-Orientalist Controversy Revisited: Education and the Ends of the Company State in British India" 

James McSpadden (History): “National Parliamentarians on the International Stage: Private Diplomacy and Political Cooperation in Interwar Europe” 

Andrew Bellisari (History): "Twelve Anxious Men: Re-Examining Algeria's Transition to Independence" 

Brandon Bloch (History): "The Law of Reconciliation: German Protestants and International Law in a Divided World, 1957-1965" 

Yukako Otori (History): "Family Passports: Migration and Traffic in Children in the 1920s" 

Joshua Ehrlich (History): "Knowledge and the East India Company State, 1785-1795" 

Adriana Alfaro Altamirano (Government): “Great Expectations: Henri Bergson and the Morality of Uncertainty” 

Tae-Yeoun Keum (Government): “An Enlightenment Fable: Leibniz and the Boundaries of Reason” 

Elizabeth Cross (History): “The French Revolution of the Compagnie des Indes: 1789-1792” 

Lydia Walker (History): “In the Shadow of Katanga” 

John Harpham (Government): “From Freedom to Slavery” 

Colleen Anderson (History): “Cosmic Visitors: The Space Race in East and West Germany, 1957-1969” 

Guillaume Wadia (History): “The Deep State and the Imperial Spring, 1934-1937” 

Tomasz Blusiewicz (History): “Contraband, bribes, drugs and big bucks: Why was Solidarność born on the Polish Baltic Coast?” 

Jamie McSpadden (History): “Constructing and Contesting an Interwar Parliamentary International: The Inter-Parliamentary Union and Conférence parlementaire internationale du commerce” 

Kristen Loveland (History), "Reproducing Dignity: German and American Law and the Politics of Reproductive Technologies at the Millennium" 

Carolin F. Roeder (History), "Geographies of Alpine Knowledge: 1857-1932" 

Sarah Shortall (History), "The Weapons of the Spirit: Catholic Theology and the Resistance to Nazism" 

James R. Martin (History), "The Origins of International Economic Governance: Food, Finance, and Shipping during the First World War, 1916-1920" 

Mircea Raianu (History), "Between Paternalism and Technocracy: The Tata Iron and Steel Company and the Circulation of Expertise in the British Empire, 1900-1950" 

AAS-SSRC Dissertation Workshop

2022: Demographics, Migration, and Transnational Flows March 22-24, 2022 | Honolulu, HI

Deadline: January 5, 2022 by 11:59PM The Association for Asian Studies and the Social Science Research Council, with support from the Henry Luce Foundation , are pleased to announce the jointly organized AAS-SSRC Dissertation Workshop. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the AAS annual conference in Honolulu, HI.

Asia, and Asian identities have traditionally been conceptualized in terms of relatively homogenous cultural linguistic regions, monarchies, spheres of influence, and more recently, bounded nation-states.  Yet while both Asian armies and colonial regimes have often redrawn borders, incorporating new populations or dividing older communities, in recent years once seemingly fixed social, cultural and political spaces and places are losing their edges. Internal migrations, and growing rural urban connections are undermining fixed ethnicities and identities.  International diasporas are challenging and intensifying prior understandings of citizenship and loyalty. Transnational organizations and corporations, along with the ideological, capital, technology, and labor flows they encourage are transforming the nature and conceptions of communities, borders, states, sovereignty, and human rights.  Aesthetic traditions are crossing cultural borders creating innovative hybrids, while novels, plays, art, dance, music and film are both exploring and expressing the personal and social implications of these moves. Once seemingly common sense boundaries are now losing their edges and becoming increasingly seen as contestable artifacts of particular contexts, or points in political time. 

This workshop is intended to bring together doctoral students, regardless of citizenship, in the humanities and social sciences who are (1) developing dissertation proposals or are in the early phases of research or dissertation writing; and who are (2) planning, conducting, or are in the early phases of writing up dissertation research. The workshop will be limited to 12 students, ideally from a broad array of disciplines and working on a wide variety of materials and in various regions of Asia. It also will include a small multidisciplinary and multi-area faculty with similar interests.

The workshop is tentatively scheduled to be held in person March 22-24, 2022, the days immediately preceding the 2022 AAS annual conference in Honolulu, HI. Those participants who are unable to attend in person may attend virtually. It will begin the morning of Tuesday, March 22 and continue for the next two and one-half days of intense discussion, and close with lunch on Thursday, March 24. Should a majority of participants be unable to attend in person, we will make arrangements for a fully virtual workshop. In such a case, the timing may change and will be coordinated with all participants.

The organizers will be able to provide financial support for participants including three nights accommodation, meals, and travel funds. It is hoped that participants also will attend the AAS annual conference immediately following the workshop. 

Applicants need not have advanced to candidacy but must have at least drafted a dissertation research proposal. Applications are also welcome from doctoral students in the early phases of writing their dissertations. Applicants do not have to be current AAS members to apply for the workshop, but if selected, must join or renew their membership to participate.

Applications must be submitted through the SSRC’s online application system no later than January 5, 2022 and will consist of a narrative description of the dissertation topic (ten double-spaced pages), short application form, and a current Curriculum Vitae.   Workshop participants will be selected on the basis of the submitted projects, the potential for useful exchanges among them, and a concern to include a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, intellectual traditions, and regions of Asia. Applicants will be informed whether or not they have been selected for the workshop by late January.   For further information about the workshop, or eligibility, please contact Justin McDaniel [email protected] . Questions concerning administrative matters or the application process should be directed to SSRC staff at [email protected] . Faculty having related research interests who would be interested in serving as mentors for the workshop also should contact the organizers for details.

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Dissertation Essentials

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DSE Guides & Templates

Dissertation rubrics, preparing for your cmp course, academic success center services, library dissertation toolbox series, other resources, dissertation essentials webinars.

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• Scholarly Writing This link opens in a new window
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The Dissertation Essentials area houses guides, manuals, and templates to assist you in your doctoral journey.  There is also a section specifically for rubrics for each of the chapters as well as the proposal and manuscript.  Along with these items, there are additional resources provided for the ASC, Library, technology, accessing published dissertations, and even some school specific resources.

• DSE Manual (Previously Handbook) Use this guide throughout the dissertation process to support you in understanding the courses, deliverables, and expectations of students and the dissertation committee.
• Dissertation Proposal/Manuscript Template You will use this templates to write all chapters of the dissertation.
• PhD-DS Dissertation Proposal/Manuscript Template Students in the PhD Data Science program will use this template to write all chapters of the dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Revision Timeline Use this template to create a timeline for deliverable revisions in the dissertation.
• SOBE Best Practice Guide for Qualitative Research and Design Methods
• SOBE Best Practice Guide in Quantitative Research and Design Methods

If you are working on your CMP course, your course will provide information on how to format your prospectus/portfolio.

• DSE Chapter 1 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 1 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 2 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 2 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 3 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 3 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Proposal Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combining Chapters 1-3 into the Dissertation Proposal.
• DSE Chapter 4 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 4 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 5 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 5 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Manuscript Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combing all five of your dissertation chapters to produce your Dissertation Manuscript.

Not yet at the Dissertation phase?  Getting ready for your CMP course?  Check out the CMP Course Frequently Asked Questions document below:

• CMP Course Frequently Asked Questions

Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series

The  Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series  consists of engaging, skill-building workshops designed specifically for doctoral students. Students will learn how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information relating to their dissertation research topics. Each toolbox session features a new research focus- sign up for the entire series, or just those that most appeal to you:

• Research Process Guide by NU Library Outlines important steps in the research process and covers topics such as evaluating information.
• Managing and Writing the Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation Dr. Linda Bloomberg's newest edition Completing Your Qualitative Dissertation: A Road Map From Beginning to End is out now. This resource includes an interview between Methodspace and Dr. Bloomberg.

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Do you have dissertation problems? Are you stuck and discouraged? Are you procrastinating and don't know how to rescue yourself? Are you desperate for dissertation advice, but reluctant to ask for it?

This site describes many ways to overcome the psychological impediments that are keeping you from making progress on your dissertation. For example, we suggest ways of dealing with those feelings which disrupt your capacity to work; we discuss how to go about setting up an effective work schedule; and we recommend books and links to other sites you may find useful in solving your dissertation problems.

If what this site offers isn't enough to get you unstuck and on track, please consider coming to a dissertation workshop or having a consultation with Fred Stern, Ph.D. or Lois Feldman, Ph.D..

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2024 APSA Dissertation Workshop on Migration and Citizenship | Deadline: May 19th

Migration and Citizenship Dissertation Workshop | Apply Here

Join Dr. Margaret Peters (University of California Los Angeles) and Juliette Tolay (Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg) will lead the workshop, for an in-person workshop held during the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting , on Wednesday, September 4, in Philadelphia, PA . All candidates must be pursuing their Ph.D. in political science.

Co-leaders:

• Dr. Margaret Peters , University of California Los Angeles
• Dr. Juliette Tolay , Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg

Deadline: Sunday, May 19, 2024. Click here to apply → 

Workshop Description:

This in-person dissertation workshop welcomes proposals from PhD candidates working on any aspect of citizenship and/or migration, such as those highlighted by the APSA Migration and Citizenship Organized Section:  

• The local, national, transnational, international, and global politics of voluntary and forced migration, including political attitudes and orientations both towards and of all categories of migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and economic, family, circular, business, high-skilled, and irregular migrants; 
• Immigration and emigration policies and laws, including the international relations, international political economy, and political philosophy aspects of such policies and laws; 
• Immigrant integration and refugee resettlement policies and their implementation, including immigrant and refugee civic engagement, political incorporation, and citizen-making; 
• Border and security studies as well as studies on intranational, regional, transnational, and international cooperation on the management and control of migration; 
• The changing meanings and practices of citizenship, including the relationship between citizenship and identity, gender, multiculturalism, race and ethnicity, racism and xenophobia, human rights, indigenous peoples, empires and imperialism, civic engagement, transnationality, welfare, and public policy; 
• The relationship between citizenship and transformations in or political contestation of sovereignty and political community, including state formation or disintegration, nationalism, sovereignty or secession movements, language, ethnic or other minorities, the politics of diaspora mobilization (including conflicts, democratization, voting, and economic development), and subnational, supranational (e.g., European Union), multilevel, corporate, or global citizenship; 
• The politics of nationality and citizenship (and the distinctions between them), including the moral and empirical rights and obligations attached to citizenship, comparative or historical nationality law, statelessness, and policies and practices concerning the acquisition and loss of nationality through such procedures as naturalization and expatriation as well as dual or multiple citizenship.

APSA sponsors in person & virtual dissertation workshops annually. Our in-person events are held the Wednesday prior to the APSA Annual Meeting. Each full-day workshop includes six PhD candidates who present a dissertation chapter, along with two faculty members who lead the workshop and moderate discussions. Virtual workshops are held over a three-week period during the summer.

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• Student Dissertation Workshop »

Student Dissertation Workshop

A primary objective of ser is to encourage and foster the professional development of students of epidemiology and young investigators. the student dissertation workshop addresses this objective, by providing a forum in which doctoral-level students in epidemiology, in different substantive areas, using a range of epidemiologic methods, interact with other doctoral students and experienced epidemiologists. the workshop includes 12 students and 5 faculty (led by the president-elect of the society) and takes place on the day prior to the ser annual meeting in june of each year. the workshop, which first took place in 1977, has been conducted continuously for over 40 years. its purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to have their thesis work reviewed, critiqued, and discussed in a supportive and constructive atmosphere by highly respected and experienced epidemiologists. students enrolled in a formal degree program in epidemiology with a dissertation that is in progress but not complete, are eligible to participate in this workshop..

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AAS to Develop Dissertation Workshops

The Association for Asian Studies is pleased to announce that we will pilot a dissertation workshop at the upcoming 2024 Seattle Annual Conference, thanks to seed funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. To ensure thematic coherence, the workshop will be organized around “Global China: China’s Interactions Across and Beyond Asia.” We thus seek students whose work falls within this theme for the 2024 workshop. The East and Inner Asia Council (EIAC) will be spearheading this effort and taking the lead in selecting the students who will participate.  

Please note that while this pilot workshop has a global China focus, the Association for Asian Studies is currently seeking funds to develop a much more ambitious program of dissertation workshops that will serve doctoral students who are researching and writing on all areas of Asia. Our goal is to have these workshops twice a year: once at our North American Annual Conference and once at our annual AAS-in Asia conference.

The purpose of the dissertation workshop is to provide students, especially those in less-resourced institutions, with mentorship from leading experts and to help them develop networks to navigate the challenging process of developing a strong prospectus, accomplishing the needed research, and writing a good dissertation. 

To ensure that the workshop is useful for the students, we will limit the size of the workshop to 10 students, with at least two faculty mentors, who will lead the discussion in seminar style. This means that while the faculty mentors will provide feedback on each student’s work, each student is also expected to comment on other’s work, in addition to responding to comments on their own. There will be dedicated time during the workshop‘s 2.5 days for informal meetings and discussions during group dinners and other social gatherings. To help ensure that the in-person meeting will be useful, participants will convene virtually one month prior to the workshop, when students will circulate their drafts of the work to be discussed at the in-person meeting.

The workshop includes the following goals: 

• Discuss and strengthen prospectus, which will be circulated and read before workshop, including thinking through research question and approach.
• Discuss strategies for doing research, how to handle challenges that may arise during research, and possible backup strategies to achieve research goals.

Our long-term goals are to serve students with diverse interests working on different areas of Asia and to attract young scholars from currently underrepresented areas in the AAS, which includes the social sciences. We seek to encourage all students to apply and get involved with other specialists on Asia and to see the AAS as a welcoming and nurturing home where they find useful ideas, networks, and mentors that will help them in their careers.

Call for Applications: Global China Dissertation Workshop at AAS 2024 Annual Conference in Seattle

• The East and Inner Asia Council invites applications for an interdisciplinary dissertation workshop on the theme of China’s interactions across and beyond Asia. The workshop will focus on Early-Stage Dissertation Work: Prospectus and Research.
• The 2+ day workshop will commence the evening of March 12, 2024 and run through March 14, when the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference in Seattle begins.
• The workshop will be led by at least two established experts in the field, with additional experts from EIAC coming in for shorter conversations as appropriate. Students are also expected to read and give constructive comments on each other’s work. The workshop will be limited to 10 students.
• The theme is designed to be interdisciplinary. We extend a special invitation to those in underrepresented disciplines in the AAS, including sociology, economics, and political science, to apply.
• lowest economy-class airfare
• lodging (shared room) during the workshop
• meals during the workshop
• AAS Annual Conference registration

TO APPLY: Students must submit a resume/CV and their approved dissertation prospectus via the online application form no later than the application deadline of December 1 .

All applications must be supported with a letter of reference from the applicant’s primary advisor/dissertation committee chair. Letters of reference must be sent directly to webmaster@asianstudies.org no later than December 1 .

* Due to funding limitations and continued high airfare prices, for this round we can only accept applications and fund students who are based in North America. We are seeking additional funding and hope to have a set of workshops at the AAS-in-Asia 2024 conference in Yogyakarta that will be able to serve students based in Asia.

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Online Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Workshop: Regular Session

June 3, 2024 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, about this event.

This online workshop covers the submission process for format review and demonstrates how to use the automated templates to format MSU theses and dissertations to the requirements set forth in the Standards for Preparing Theses and Dissertations: 8th edition. These templates were designed to help an author organize and format their document with minimal effort so that their focus can be on the content of their document. Those who have already started writing or have already defended are welcome to bring their current documents (either on flash drive or email attachment) to start the process of placing their content into the template.

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Apply to the Western History Dissertation Workshop

PhD Candidates Please Apply to the Western History Dissertation Workshop!

The 18th annual Western History Dissertation Workshop will be held May 16-17, 2024, at Princeton University in New Jersey. Five advanced western history Ph.D. students will be selected to present a chapter of their work to a collegial group of 10-12 leading scholars from participating institutions across the United States, listed below. Applicants who are most likely to benefit from this workshop are those who have completed a few chapters of their dissertation and who expect to defend sometime in 2024. Selected participants will share a chapter (of no more than fifty pages) at the workshop and receive feedback from other participants and from senior scholars affiliated with the sponsoring institutions.

This year’s workshop is hosted by the Center for Collaborative History at Princeton University. Princeton will pay travel expenses for up to five advanced graduate students writing a dissertation exploring any topic dealing with the history and culture of the American West. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest at the University of Washington; the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico; the University of California-Los Angeles Department of History; the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West; the Research Division of the Huntington Library; the Hemispheric Institute on the Americas at the University of California-Davis; the Center of the American West/University of Colorado Boulder Department of History; the University of Nebraska Department of History; the Clements Center for Southwest Studies at Southern Methodist University; the Pennsylvania State University History Department; and the Center for American History at the University of Kansas.

To apply, please provide a brief cover letter, a short CV, and a dissertation prospectus/description of not more than two single-spaced pages. Your cover letter should indicate which chapter of your dissertation you intend to circulate for the workshop. Send all items in a single PDF document to Beth Lew-Williams ([email protected]). Please arrange for your dissertation adviser to send a letter of recommendation via email to Beth Lew-Williams as well; that letter should address the significance and the status of the dissertation to date.

Applications are due Friday, January 19, 2024, and participants will be notified of their selection by the end of February. Selected applicants must submit a complete draft of a dissertation chapter for distribution to the group by April 19. Questions about the workshop and/or application process should be directed to Beth Lew-Williams ([email protected]).

Beth Lew-Williams

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May 15, 2024

Tips and Resources for a Successful Summer of Dissertation Writing

By Yana Zlochistaya

Summer can be a strange time for graduate students. Gone are the seminars and workshops, the student clubs, and the working group, that structured the semester and provided us with a sense of community. Instead, we’re faced with a three-month expanse of time that can feel equal parts liberating and intimidating. This double-edged freedom is only exacerbated for those of us in the writing stage of our dissertation, when isolation and a lack of discipline can have a particularly big impact. For those hoping not to enter another summer with lofty plans, only to blink and find ourselves in August disappointed with our progress, we’ve compiled some tips and resources that can help.

According to Graduate Writing Center Director Sabrina Soracco, the most important thing you can do to set yourself up for writing success is to clarify your goals. She recommends starting this process by looking at departmental requirements for a completed dissertation. Consider when you would like to file and work backwards from that point, determining what you have to get done in order to hit that target. Next, check in with your dissertation committee members to set up an accountability structure. Would they prefer an end-of-summer update to the whole committee? A monthly check-in with your chair or one of your readers? Setting up explicit expectations that work for you and your committee can cut through the aimlessness that comes with a major writing project.

For those early on in their dissertation-writing process, a committee meeting is also a valuable opportunity to set parameters. “One of the problems with the excitement for the discipline that happens post-quals is that it results in too many ideas,” says Director. Soracco. Your committee members should give you input on productive research directions so that you can begin to hone in on your project. It is also important to remember that your dissertation does not have to be the end-all-and-be-all of your academic research. Ideas that do not fit into its scope can end up becoming conference papers or even book chapters.

Once you have a clear goal that you have discussed with your committee, the hard part begins: you have to actually write. The Graduate Writing Center offers several resources to make that process easier:

• The Graduate Writing Community. This is a totally remote, two-month program that is based on a model of “gentle accountability.” When you sign up, you are added to a bCourses site moderated by a Graduate Writing Consultant. At the beginning of the week, everyone sets their goals in a discussion post, and by the end of the week, everyone checks in with progress updates. During the week, the writing consultants offer nine hours of remote synchronous writing sessions. As a writing community member, you can attend whichever sessions work best for your schedule. All that’s required is that you show up, set a goal for that hour, and work towards that goal for the length of two 25-minute Pomodoro sessions . This year’s summer writing community will begin in June. Keep your eye on your email for the registration link!
• Writing Consultations : As a graduate student, you can sign up for an individual meeting with a Graduate Writing Consultant. They can give you feedback on your work, help you figure out the structure of a chapter, or just talk through how to get started on a writing project. 
• Independent Writing Groups: If you would prefer to write with specific friends or colleagues, you can contact Graduate Writing Center Director Sabrina Soracco at [email protected] so that she can help you set up your own writing group. The structure and length of these groups can differ; often, members will send each other one to five pages of writing weekly and meet the next day for two hours to provide feedback and get advice. Sometimes, groups will meet up not only to share writing, but to work in a common space before coming together to debrief. Regardless of what the groups look like, the important thing is to create a guilt-free space. Some weeks, you might submit an outline; other weeks, it might be the roughest of rough drafts; sometimes, you might come to a session without having submitted anything. As long as we continue to make progress (and show up even when we don’t), we’re doing what we need to. As Director Soracco puts it, “it often takes slogging through a lot of stuff to get to that great epiphany.”

Yana Zlochistaya is a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and a Professional Development Liaison with the Graduate Division. She previously served as a co-director for Beyond Academia.

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Ennobling each other through collaborative inquiry: exploring music as a provocation for leadership development.

Ihan Ip , University of San Diego Follow

Date of Award

Degree name.

PhD Leadership Studies

Dissertation Committee

Cheryl Getz, EdD, Chair René Molenkamp, PhD, Member Donna Ladkin, PhD, Member

leadership development, arts-based methods, music, aesthetic knowing, facilitation, holding environment, safety, group process, collaboration, collective leadership, dialectics, paradigm shift, identity, inclusivity, belonging

Amid the challenges in a global village, leadership education needs to surpass traditional methods, nurturing creativity, flexibility, and adaptability. This study is a collaborative action inquiry that considers music as an arts-based method in service of leadership development. The study unfolded over five cycles, in which 14 coinquirers collaborated in a process of exploration. The study illuminates the strong potential of music as a provocation for leadership development and reveals crucial realizations in the area of facilitation in collective processes.

This dissertation tells the story of the inquiry with the voices of its coinquirers and offers insights on facilitation through my reflections as the researcher. It honored the fluidity of the process by gathering data through a combination of questionnaires, workshops, and individual conversations. Akin to the process of birthing or composition, both data collection and analysis occurred iteratively, accessing emergent, musically informed methods of sense-making.

This study found the intersection of music and leadership development emerged as a novel exploration. The findings underscore the importance of cocreating a holding environment, an awareness of the dynamics within collective leadership situations, scaffolding, and the profound value of experiential learning. Further, the findings reveal the necessity of strong mutual trust among group members. Music was shown to catalyze meaningful leadership education along the dimensions of identity, inclusivity, and belonging. The study also demonstrated music facilitates leadership learning at multiple levels—embodiment, awareness, and engagement in emergent processes—underscoring its potential as a transformative tool in leadership development.

Despite successfully designing musical leadership workshops, however, coinquirers experienced concern about taking their learning outside of the study. Implications for future research and practice include investigating the use of music in leadership in organizational contexts, finding ways to support leadership development facilitators to creatively use arts-based methods for their work, applying the use of music in social justice spaces, and developing more applied methods of leadership and facilitation through inquiry to deepen our ways of engaging with each other in our world.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Leadership Studies

Digital USD Citation

Ip, Ihan, "Ennobling Each Other Through Collaborative Inquiry: Exploring Music as a Provocation for Leadership Development" (2024). Dissertations . 1024. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1024

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https://doi.org/10.22371/05.2024.015

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