Introduction
Topic 1: Types of Dissertations

Just as problems at work take different forms, the problem solving process, codified through a dissertation, can take several forms. USC Rossier uses 3 primary forms of a dissertation, although your chair may have you use some other form. These forms – the case study, the evaluation, and the problem-solving dissertations -- are reviewed in this unit to help you distinguish when and why you might use one form vs another. For example, what is a case study? What can the evaluation approach tell you about a problem? And how does the problem solving format differ both conceptually and structurally from the other two types of forms?

Provided is an overview of the most common types of studies being used in the EdD so that students (a) understand that a problem of practice can approached in a number of ways; and (b) one’s approach should be driven by the type of problem.