HELP 2011-2012 University Catalog Conflict Analysis and Resolution, PhD Print-Friendly Page

Banner Code: CA-PHD-CONF

The doctoral program, the first of its kind in the United States, provides advanced study for students in the fields of conflict analysis and conflict resolution. Students are prepared for careers as researchers, theoreticians, and teachers in higher education, and as policy administrators, analysts, and consultants in the public and the private sectors.

The program stresses a close link between knowledge of theory and process in the resolution of conflict. For this, training in the methods of research and analysis is emphasized. In addition, students are expected to obtain a background in a substantive area of conflict, usually related to the topic of the dissertation.

Admission Requirements

A master’s or equivalent degree is required for admission to the Ph.D. program.  In addition to meeting all admission requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts; three letters of recommendation, one of which should be from a faculty member in the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate major field; a 750 to 1,000 word essay on goals and reasons for seeking admission to the program; a written sample of work that shows the applicant’s potential for completing dissertation research in a doctoral program, and a resume or curriculum vitae.  The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or other standardized test scores are not required but may be submitted.  The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of international students.  For more information, see the Admission of International Students section in the Admissions chapter of this catalog.  Although students may enroll on a full- or part-time basis, entry into the program is in the fall semester only.

Credit for Prior Study

Students who have earned a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Mason may have the course total credits required for a doctoral degree reduced by 15 credits. The actual number of credits reduced is determined in consultation with the student’s advisor and the Doctoral Program Director after a review of courses taken.

Students entering with other relevant degrees (MA, MS, or JD) may also have the required course load reduced by up to 15 credits. The actual number of applied credits is determined in consultation with the student’s advisor and the program coordinator after a review of courses taken, subsequent to a student’s admission to the program.

Transfer of Non-Degree Credit

A maximum of 12 credits of S-CAR graduate courses taken at George Mason as a non-degree graduate student, or as part of S-CAR’s graduate certificate program may be transferred into the Ph.D. program.  How credit will be counted will be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor. A maximum of 6 credits of non-S-CAR courses taken as non-degree credit can be counted toward the Ph.D. program.  Courses counted toward another degree cannot be transferred.

Foreign Language Requirement

Every doctoral student must show competence in a foreign language (that is, a language other than their native tongue) before advancing to candidacy. Students cannot register for CONF 998 without evidence of meeting this requirement. International students may use English as their foreign language and the TOEFL as a demonstration of competency.  Neither American Sign Language nor computer languages can be used to fulfill this requirement. All students, regardless of how recently language courses have been taken, are required to fulfill the same standard before advancing to candidacy.

Competence in a foreign language must be shown by taking a placement test at Mason’s Language Laboratory. The test has oral and written components. Results of the proficiency test must indicate the student is proficient in the language at the intermediate level (competency at completion of 202, 209, or 210 level). For testing times and details, please visit mcl.gmu.edu/placementtesting  

If the student desires testing in a language that Mason does not offer, the test can be taken at an outside organization, embassy, church, or other entity. The student must submit a letter to Mason certifying that the test was passed at a high, intermediate, or low advanced level. The student may submit for approval the names and qualifications of those capable of administering such a test.  Please use the waiver form found on the Department of Modern and Classical Languages website:  mcl.gmu.edu/placementtesting

Prior to sitting for their comprehensive exam (and before they register for CONF 998), they should provide documentation of successful completion of the foreign language requirement to the Ph.D. Program Director.

Adding an S-CAR Certificate Program

Students may elect to complete an S-CAR Graduate Certificate in addition to the Ph.D. program. Graduate Certificates are opportunities for students to further tailor their academic program and specialize in a specific area of Conflict Resolution practice.  Certain graduate certificate courses can be used to fulfill PhD program requirements.  Students should consult with the Certificate Program Director and Doctoral Program Director for policies on counting certificate courses toward the Ph.D. degree.

Steps in Matriculation

1. Plan of Study:

All Doctoral students should meet with their faculty advisor before starting classes to develop a plan of study. This plan should show the sequence of courses anticipated. It should be based on a discussion between the student and the advisor about the student’s interests and goals. The plan should ensure that the student completes coursework efficiently and is able to build toward candidacy. The student and the advisor should then meet at least once each semester thereafter to review and amend the plan. The Program Director should receive a copy of each new or revised plan of study.

2. Pre-requisites for Eligibility:

Students are eligible to sit for the comprehensive examination when they have completed all the requirements of course work in the doctoral program with the exception of CONF 998 and CONF 999, and have demonstrated competence in a foreign language.

3. Comprehensive Examination:

Upon completion of all course work, doctoral students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination. A student is advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the examination. The examination will be held twice each year, in January and in August. Students who do not pass the exam should form a plan of study with their advisor and the Doctoral Director that will prepare them to re-take comps. The comprehensive examination may be retaken 2 times for a total of 3 attempts. If, after 3 attempts, the student was not able to pass the examination they should consult with the Doctoral and Master’s Director about the possibility of transferring to the MS program.

4. Advancement to Candidacy:

Upon completing course work (except dissertation) listed on one’s Plan of Study, meeting the language requirement, and passing “comps” students will be advanced to candidacy and will be personally notified of this by the Dean of S-CAR. He or she has one year to complete the proposal with required sign-off from all committee members and, then, a maximum of four years to complete and defend the dissertation.

5. Dissertation Preparation:

During the 12 months following advancement to candidacy, the candidate must complete four tasks:

Form Dissertation Committee:

Candidates should form their dissertation committee at the same time as they are working on their dissertation proposal. The Dissertation Committee must include a chair person from among S-CAR faculty, and at least two other members of the graduate faculty, one of whom must be a non-S-CAR, GMU faculty member. The candidate should inform the Dean and Doctoral Director when a tentative committee has been formed. The membership of the committee must be approved by the Ph.D. Director and the Dean of the School. The Dean will formally appoint the dissertation committee. The Dean will inform the student, committee members, and Doctoral Director when the committee has been appointed.

Complete Dissertation Proposal

The first job of the committee is to approve the candidate’s Dissertation Proposal. The proposal is the candidate’s description (in some detail) of his/her dissertation project. It will include an argument about the hypothesis/theory question being tackled and the specific methods of research to be used. It should be prepared in consultation with the chair of the committee, but must be seen and approved by all members. A signed cover page from that proposal must be filed with the Ph.D. Director.  Failure to complete the formation of a Committee and an approved proposal by the end of the 12 month period will result in the candidate’s dismissal from the doctoral program. (Candidates may appeal to the Dean for a further extension of this Dissertation Preparation period but such appeals will be allowed only on grounds of documented illness or family emergency).Candidates should consult http://thesis.gmu.edu/ to ensure the proposal is in the correct format and has been submitted to all the appropriate offices.

Dissertation Proposal Presentations

After receiving permission from the full committee, the candidate makes an oral presentation of the dissertation proposal before the committee and the doctoral Director that is also open to other S-CAR faculty, fellow students, and other scholars. In scheduling the defense, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all members of the committee are available and will be present for the defense.

Human Subjects Review Board

Students completing a Dissertation must submit a copy of their proposal and all other necessary documents to the Human Subjects Review Board, even if the dissertation research will not include research on human subjects. Information on human subjects review, templates and forms are available at http://www.gmu.edu/pubs/osp/humansubjects.html.

6. Dissertation Registration

Once the dissertation proposal is approved, the candidate must register for CONF 999- Dissertation Research. To enroll in CONF 999, students email the dissertation committee chair requesting the CRN number necessary for registration each semester. Students must register for at least 3 credits a semester of CONF 999. Once a PhD student has taken 12 combined credits of CONF 998 & 999- including 3 credits of CONF 999, the student can then register for just one credit a semester of 999.

7. Writing the Dissertation

The chair of the dissertation committee usually takes most of the responsibility for guiding the overall project and the writing of the dissertation, although all members (and other useful persons) should be consulted as appropriate. It is their collective responsibility to ensure a quality piece of work. When advanced to candidacy, the Guide for Preparing Graduate Thesis, Dissertations and Projects tells exactly how to prepare a physically acceptable thesis (paper size, quality, margins, number of copies, etc.). The committee chair will work with the candidate on format and encourage submission of drafts or sample pages for preliminary review, and will welcome questions on format to avert expensive disasters due to format errors. Please visit http://thesis.gmu.edu/ to ensure formatting guidelines are met and submission procedures followed.

8. Scheduling a Dissertation Defense

It is essential that doctoral committee members have sufficient time to read and evaluate dissertation drafts with care prior to the dissertation defense date. It is also essential that students have sufficient time after the defense to do final revisions, editing, and formatting. The University determines the deadlines for final library submission in order to graduate in any given semester. All defenses must be scheduled at least 30 days prior to this date and complete drafts of dissertations to be defended must be delivered to each member of the committee 30 days prior to the defense. In other words, if a student wishes to graduate in Spring of a given year and the university-determined submission deadline is May 1, the defense must take place prior to April 1 and the full draft dissertation must be delivered to the full committee before March 1.

The dissertation is to be orally defended in public, with at least the whole committee present. [The University may also send a representative, if it wishes.] However, anyone else is free to attend. This ensures that the University’s standards are met, and offers an opportunity to all to hear the result of the work. After a successful defense, the cover page is signed by the members of the Dissertation Committee, and the dissertation is filed with the University. An additional signed copy should be delivered to the S-CAR Library.

9. Dissertation Submission

Dissertations must be presented to the library in the proper format or they will not be accepted. Please visit the University Dissertation & Thesis Services web site at http://thesis.gmu.edu/ for dissertation formatting requirements and submission deadlines. Mason’s Dissertation and Thesis Coordinator may be reached at udts@gmu.edu, or 703-993-2222.