This course provides the student the opportunity to complete a doctoral dissertation research topic which contributes to the body of knowledge in one’s field.  The dissertation topic proposal includes the topic, the context in which it will be examined, why the topic is interesting and/or important (e.g., expected contribution to knowledge), and the literature review (with a list of references). The literature review should be extensive enough for the committee to be confident that your initial investigation is adequate, and that the topic is both new and worthwhile. The topic proposal concludes with a brief description of the data to be used and expected methodology. Typically, the topic proposal is 10-20 pages long but students may submit a longer document. Graded on a credit/no credit basis.