2024 Online EdD Programs No Dissertation Required (Applied Capstone Projects)

[Imbanewbie]

Beginning this year (EdD only) many colleges and universities are allowing students to have options for a capstone or rigorous exam vs the dissertation.

https://www.onlineeddprograms.com/faqs/e...Dzg0XH91iw

[Sagan]

Not an examination. A scholarly dissertation, an applied dissertation, or a capstone project.

- -Scholarly dissertation: advances scholarship by either creating or testing theory with empirical research, often by using sampling to make inferences about a population. Can also use qualitative methods to tell a deeper story about the phenomenon under study.
-- Applied dissertation: advances practice through empirical research. Does not necessarily make inferences about a population
-- Capstone project: Action-based research to test a process or project. Does not make inferences about a population.

All three are comparable in terms of scope, rigor, and breadth. They require a thorough study of the extant literature, the identification of a gap in either scholarship or practice, data collection and analysis, and argumentation regarding the findings. Can be either inductive or deductive.

But this requirement is never met by an examination, rigorous or otherwise.

[bjcheung77]

If I recall correctly, there have been some other programs that have been moving away from dissertation and more into applied research project or a capstone of some sort that focuses on the applied/technical side of things for the DBA with concentrations. It really depends on the student and what they like/want, if you do some searches, you'll come across ones in the UK that's all done through published work... Then there are the ones in France that goes through verifiable experience/knowledge in subject areas, where you write a portfolio of your experience as if it's a PLA...