M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. Programs

Doctoral Course of Study:  Qualifying Review Procedures and Qualifying Papers

The Qualifying Review process must take place prior to the beginning of dissertation research and must be completed before a dissertation proposal will be accepted. The purpose of the Qualifying Review is to assess the student's performance in the doctoral program, and to qualify the student as a Candidate for the doctoral degree. The decision to hold the Qualifying Review is made jointly by the student and his/her Program Advisers.

The student's Qualifying Review Committee will consist of the student's two Program Advisers. If neither adviser is a member of the Graduate Programs Committee, then a representative of that committee must be included as a third member of the Qualifying Review Committee. At the discretion of the advisers, additional faculty members may be asked to serve as reviewers for the Qualifying Papers, which are submitted as part of the Qualifying Review Portfolio.

To prepare for the Qualifying Review the student must submit the following materials in the Qualifying Review Portfolio:

• Two qualifying papers that have been reviewed by the student's two advisers, a member of the Department Ph.D. Committee, and other faculty members when deemed appropriate by the student's advisers. Comments made by faculty reviewers should be included with the papers (Guidelines for the Qualifying Papers are provided below).
• Two or more papers from courses representing different foci within the Department (i.e., personal/social, cognitive, linguistic). The papers may address developmental, educational, clinical or policy-related issues. Faculty comments on papers should be included.
• The plan of study submitted for the Preliminary Review, with an updated statement, including:
  • List of all courses taken and summary of concentration requirements met.
  • Description of all practical (applied) experiences, including summary of internship.
  • Syllabi of courses taken outside of Tufts.
  • Statement of professional goals and directions.
  • A current transcript.
  • An updated curriculum vita.
  • A two-page dissertation prospectus.

Students must submit copies of the materials mentioned above to his/her Qualifying Review Committee members and must schedule a meeting to review the material. The meeting should be held between 10 and 30 days after the materials are submitted. A summary of the Qualifying Review conference is prepared by the student and approved by the two Program Advisers.

Two papers of publishable quality are required as part of the preparation for the Qualifying Review. At least one paper should be related to the student's intended dissertation topic. One paper may emerge from course work. Topics must be approved in writing by the student's Program Advisers and a representative of the Ph.D. Committee. Qualifying papers may be begun at any time during the student's doctoral program. The two papers need not be submitted at the same time, but must be completed before the Qualifying Review is scheduled.

Qualifying Papers should address two separate content areas that are not overly broad in scope. They should represent different foci within the Department (i.e., personal/social, cognitive, linguistic) and may address developmental, educational, clinical or policy-related issues. These papers may be the basis for conference presentations or may be submitted for publication. Since the Qualifying Papers must provide evidence of competency and the student's ability to conduct future dissertation research, students are encouraged to base at least one of these papers on empirical study or analysis.

A Qualifying Paper must be at least 30 pages and no more than 50 pages in length, excluding tables and references. Papers must be written in APA format and must include a significant review of the literature.

Qualifying Papers should be of the highest possible quality, suitable for publication in appropriate professional journals. Papers are graded by the Qualifying Review Committee with a “pass," "pass with revisions," or "fail." If a paper passes with revision, it is incumbent upon the student to make the necessary revisions by a time agreed upon by the student and his/her Advisers. If a paper receives a failing grade, the student will be advised as to whether it needs to be substantially rewritten or whether a new topic should be selected. If a student receives failing grades for both Qualifying Papers, his/her case will be brought to the Department Graduate Programs Committee to determine what further action will be taken.

The scheduling of the submission of the Qualifying Papers will be made by the student in consultation with the Advisers. Once the Qualifying Papers have been reviewed, the student must include them in the documentation for the Qualifying Review Portfolio.
Internship

An internship is required of all Ph.D. students in Child Development. The duration of the internship may vary, but generally it will extend for at least two consecutive semesters and it must involve at least 20 hours of work per week. However, a student may petition his/her Advisers and Graduate Programs Committee Representative to engage in a full-time (at least 35 hours per week) internship for one semester. Students are expected to take a position of considerable responsibility such as directing a program or teaching or clinical work with children. In cases where the Department Graduate Programs Committee Representative and student Advisers agree that the candidate has had extensive applied experience before enrolling in the doctoral program, an applied research (AR) internship may be done. AR internships must have adequate supervision from the site and a Departmental faculty member and must be approved by the student's advisers and the Graduate Programs Committee Representative. For students pursuing specialized clinical or other goals, internships will be arranged so as to facilitate the achievement of those goals, within the limits of program resources.
Dissertation

The Ph.D. Dissertation represents the culmination of the student's graduate program. It is intended to provide an opportunity for the student to undertake a substantial piece of independent work that will contribute to existing theory or practice in the field. The Dissertation should reflect the student's achievement of scholarly and professional capabilities and represent mastery of a well-defined research problem.

Although preliminary planning should occur earlier, the Dissertation should be begun after the other requirements of the degree have been met. It is expected that many students will have a topic identified during their internship and will use their Qualifying Review Papers as a way to refine and extend their understanding of the problem they intend to pursue in the Dissertation research.

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