When looking at the components of a PhD program, many of the parts may seem (on the surface, anyway) easy to understand: Coursework. Research. Dissertation. But there are also requirements involving residencies. What exactly does that mean? Garvey House, PhD, associate director of research for Capella University’s School of Business and Technology, provides some answers.
Different from Coursework
The residency portion of a PhD program occurs simultaneously with coursework. “Residencies prepare you for comprehensive examinations and the dissertation,” says House. Unlike coursework, residencies provide structure, training, and detailed feedback that allow students to develop research plans and identify the essential elements of the dissertation. They also provide foundational skills for the applied research and analysis that will be central to the process.
During residencies, students have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with their instructors. They can also meet with consultants from the school’s research and writing groups, as well as the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students can gain many of the needed levels of approval for research topic and methodology through residencies. “In fact, residencies can enable the student to enter the writing phase of the dissertation needing only IRB approval,” says House.
Residency Structure and Content
How residencies are structured varies from school to school. In general, there is always an in-person component. Some universities will have weekly meetings, while others have more conference-like approaches. Many online universities, including Capella, provide weekend residencies, usually taking place Thursday through Sunday. Students may be asked to complete pre-work in preparation for the upcoming in-person session, and there could be post-residency coursework as well.
What will be covered in residencies will vary according to your program’s focus and requirements, but following are examples of topics and skills covered:
- Learn how to identify a research problem.
- Examine and narrow down potential topic areas.
- Develop a literature review.
- Craft a well-formed research question.
- Select the appropriate research methodology and design.
- Develop a full research plan.
Residencies not only provide you with guidance during the development of your dissertation topic and research plans, they ensure you receive thorough feedback and several levels of necessary approvals. The proficiency gained will prepare you for both the comprehensive exams that follow, and the heart of the PhD: the dissertation.
Capella University offers PhD and professional doctorate degrees in programs ranging from business to education and health to technology. Learn more about Capella’s doctoral degree programs.
