I want to edit my order # 404084023
Dissertation Proposal
Applicants must submit
I want to edit my order # 404084023
Dissertation Proposal
Applicants must submit a dissertation proposal incorporating the four sections below. Each section must be separately marked.
The proposal must be 10-15 pages in length, double-spaced, with Times New Roman 12-point font, and 1 inch margins on all sides. A dissertation proposal that does not follow these guidelines will not be considered by the committee. Dissertation proposals must be original, must not have been previously used for other academic work, and must meet the requirements of the WCL Honor Code.
The proposal must consist of the following sections:
Section One (maximum length: one paragraph)
A statement of the problem that you seek to solve and your tentative solution of how you will solve it (the “thesis statement”). For additional guidance, consider reading Chapter 1 of Eugene Volokh, Academic Legal Writing (5th ed., 2016). The thesis statement is similar to an abstract in a research paper.
Section Two (length: four to seven pages)
Building upon the thesis statement identified in Section One, discuss in greater detail the topic of the dissertation, which will be further developed in the course of research and writing. The statement should not simply say you want to investigate a topic, study an area, or summarize a field. Rather, this section requires you to present a developed perspective that takes a particular approach or analyzes a specific theme in the desired topic of study. This section is akin to an introduction in a research paper.
Section Three (length: four to seven pages)
A preliminary literature review, including:
a discussion of the existing literature on the subject and an overview of what other scholars have already addressed; and
an explanation of how the applicant’s dissertation will differ from, and add to, the existing literature.
Section Four (maximum length: ½ page)
A list of up to five Law School faculty members who you believe would be a suitable Faculty Advisor based on your chosen field of study. You should not contact potential faculty members directly, but rather should base this list on your review of the WCL Faculty Biographies, available at https://www.wcl.american.edu/faculty/.