Doctoral students will be expected to demonstrate progress toward the completion of a novel research project dealing with an issue of interest to them in education. The dissertation project will be conducted primarily under the direct supervision of each student's major advisor (mentor) as well as in part by the student's committee members. The main goals of this course are two-fold. First, each student will defend their research proposal to their dissertation committee and classmates. Second, students will submit their design proposals to the Robert Morris University Institutional Review Board (IRB) for official approval.