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| Acknowledgments | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. xiii |
| Can I Really Complete a Graduate Degree? | p. 1 |
| Can I Afford a Graduate Degree? | p. 2 |
| How Will Working on the Degree Impact My Family and Job? | p. 3 |
| Am I Too Old to Be Seeking a Graduate Degree? | p. 4 |
| How This Book Can Help You | p. 5 |
| Why Am I in Graduate School? | p. 6 |
| Three Categories of Learners | ... MOREp. 7 |
| Motivation | p. 9 |
| Barriers to Learning | p. 10 |
| Time Management | p. 13 |
| Self-Directed Learning | p. 15 |
| Becoming a Self-Directed Learner | p. 15 |
| Need for Support | p. 17 |
| Online Courses and Degrees | p. 24 |
| Development of Distance (or Online) Education | p. 25 |
| What Are the Different Types of Online Courses? | p. 26 |
| Why Should I Enroll in an Online Course? | p. 26 |
| What Are Some Differences Between Online and On-Campus Classes? | p. 27 |
| What Are Some Strategies to Help Me Complete an Online Degree? | p. 28 |
| How Do I Complete and Hand in Assignments? | p. 29 |
| What Is the Average Age of Online Class Participants? | p. 29 |
| How Are Online Courses Graded? | p. 29 |
| How Much Time Will It Take to Complete Online Courses and the Degree? | p. 30 |
| What Technology Is Needed to Participate in an Online Course or Degree Program? | p. 31 |
| How Effective Are Online Courses? | p. 31 |
| What Skills Are Needed to Succeed in Online Courses? | p. 32 |
| Do Online Learners Feel Isolated? | p. 33 |
| Is "Online" Right for You? | p. 34 |
| Financing Your Graduate Degree | p. 36 |
| Federal Sources | p. 36 |
| State Sources | p. 38 |
| University or College Sources | p. 38 |
| Employers | p. 39 |
| Family | p. 40 |
| Savings and Investments | p. 40 |
| Additional Sources | p. 40 |
| Financial Aid Scams | p. 41 |
| Graduate School Financial Aid Checklist | p. 42 |
| The Degree Program | p. 44 |
| Accreditation | p. 45 |
| Am I in the Right Graduate Degree Program? | p. 46 |
| Defining the Program of Study | p. 47 |
| Developing and Completing the Program of Study | p. 52 |
| Know Yourself | p. 57 |
| Controlling Frustrations | p. 59 |
| The Graduate Committee | p. 62 |
| Functions of the Graduate Committee | p. 62 |
| Roles of Committee Members | p. 67 |
| Getting to Know Potential Committee Members | p. 70 |
| Becoming Known by Potential Committee Members | p. 71 |
| Choosing Your Committee | p. 72 |
| Committee Member Selection Guide | p. 73 |
| The Comprehensive Exam | p. 76 |
| Purpose of the Comprehensive Examination | p. 77 |
| The Comprehensive Examination Process | p. 78 |
| Evaluating the Comp | p. 80 |
| Preparing for the Comprehensive Exam | p. 81 |
| Tips for Successfully Completing the Comp Written Exam | p. 85 |
| Tips for Successfully Completing the Comp Oral Exam | p. 88 |
| Proposal and the Thesis/Dissertation | p. 92 |
| ProQuest UMI Dissertation Publishing | p. 93 |
| The Pre-Proposal | p. 94 |
| How to Develop the Pre-Proposal | p. 95 |
| Developing the Proposal | p. 98 |
| The Thesis/Dissertation | p. 99 |
| Connecting the Proposal to the Thesis/Dissertation | p. 100 |
| The Problem | p. 100 |
| The Literature Review | p. 106 |
| The Methodology | p. 110 |
| Presentation and Analysis of the Data | p. 114 |
| Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations | p. 115 |
| References and Appendixes | p. 116 |
| Concluding Thoughts | p. 116 |
| The Defense | p. 117 |
| Understanding the Defense | p. 118 |
| Preparing for the Defense | p. 119 |
| What to Do at the Defense | p. 122 |
| The Decision | p. 125 |
| Now What? | p. 126 |
| Binding Your Thesis or Dissertation | p. 126 |
| Copyrighting Your Work | p. 127 |
| Publishing Your Work | p. 128 |
| Making Up Lost "Quality Time" | p. 130 |
| Commencement | p. 131 |
| Developing an Unofficial Annotated Transcript | p. 131 |
| The Portfolio Résumé | p. 137 |
| Using the Title Doctor | p. 141 |
| ABD-All But Dissertation | p. 141 |
| Avoiding Emotional Letdowns | p. 142 |
| Put Your Degree to Work | p. 142 |
| References and Suggested Readings | p. 145 |
| References | p. 145 |
| General Style Guides | p. 146 |
| Guides to Writing a Proposal, Thesis, Dissertation, or Research Paper | p. 147 |
| Research and Writing in the Disciplines | p. 148 |
| Index | p. 149 |
| About the Author | p. 156 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |