Oral DRPH Proposal Defense
Development of the DrPH Project manuscript is accomplished as a part of the requirements within the DrPH Project Immersion courses. Under direction of the Faculty Chair, the student develops a research proposal for submission and approval by the DrPH Project Team. The proposal provides a thorough description of the proposed study, following proposal guidelines as directed by the Faculty Chair. The student presents the proposal to the DrPH Project Team in an DrPH zoom meeting. All project team members must be present, and the defense be recorded. Upon the DrPH Project Team’s approval of the proposal, the student is authorized to begin the study.
The Faculty Chair issues written approval to the student using the approval form provided in Appendix A: Approval of the DRPH Proposal.
Final Oral DRPH Defense
The Final Oral DrPH Defense is the last formal step in the DrPH process. It is a requirement all committee members are present for the Final Oral DRPH Defense. The Doctoral student produces and presents the DrPH Project before the DRPH Project Team via a DrPH zoom meeting and recorded. The DrPH Project Team determines the general format of the DrPH, and the abstract based on the University’s general design guidelines. The Faculty Chair should ensure that the DRPH is in final form before requesting evaluations from the other members of the DrPH Project Team. Any Professor or student affiliated with Aspen University may attend but should refrain from participating in the defense process.
The student arranges the Final Oral DrPH Defense teleconference and solicits and coordinates the availability of the DrPH Project Team members. Based upon the student’s presentation, one of three votes may be awarded:
- Accepted with no Changes
- Accepted with Changes
- Acceptance Denied
Where changes are required, the student must make any iteration in a timely manner and submit the final copy to the Faculty Chair. Where acceptance is denied or the student has not met the allotted timeframe, the student must retake DrPH courses. This option may only be exercised once.
Following the successful oral defense, the Faculty Chair submits the Approval of the DrPH with all of the project team’s signatures and copy of the final DrPH manuscript to the Program Director with a recommendation for final approval. The Faculty Chair issues written approval to the student using the approval form provided in Appendix B: Approval of the DrPH. If the decision of the DrPH Project Team is not unanimous, the case is referred to the Deans for resolution. If the decision of the DrPH Project Team is a failure recommendation, the Faculty Chair, Program Director and Deans formulate a course of action that may include re-registration in DrPH courses.
The DrPH Project Team must evaluate the DrPH and recommend the awarding of the doctoral degree only if the DrPH is judged to demonstrate the following qualities. The DrPH should demonstrate a host of characteristics, including:
- Establish a historical context for the presentation of an innovative and creative approach to the problem.
- Demonstrate understanding of the problem as revealed by analysis and synthesis of a broad literature base.
- Articulate clarity in composition and careful documentation.
- Merit publication in refereed journals or form the basis of a book or monograph.
- Detail the design of the study so that other scholars can build on it in subsequent work.
- Prepare the author to assume a position within the profession.