Policy 1.9: Final Scholarly Project and/or Dissertation Requirements

Applies to: CIPCT (MS), DNP, PhD

I. Policy Statement

The University of Washington School of Nursing (SoN) requires all graduate students to complete a culminating scholarly inquiry project or dissertation as a condition for degree conferral. These culminating experiences—whether a scholarly project, thesis, DNP project, or dissertation—demonstrate the student’s mastery of advanced knowledge, application of research or evidence-based practice, and scholarly communication skills.

Each final project or dissertation is conducted under the guidance of a formally appointed supervisory committee in accordance with UW Graduate School Policy 4.2. The committee is responsible for guiding the student’s work, ensuring alignment with program and Graduate School standards, evaluating progress, and recommending the student for the degree upon successful completion and final examination.

Final examinations (defenses) are conducted with the full supervisory committee meeting as a group, with all members participating as required by Graduate School policy.

Concerns about bias or unfair treatment in the evaluation process are addressed under UW Graduate School Policy 3.8: Academic Grievance Procedure. For PhD students, the Graduate School Representative (GSR) plays a key role in monitoring fairness and may assist in resolving such concerns.

II. Process

A. CIPCT (Master of Science in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technologies)

All CIPCT students complete a final independent scholarly inquiry, culminating in either a Scholarly Project or a Thesis. Both options demand equivalent scholarly rigor and effort, differing primarily in format and focus:

Scholarly Project: May address program needs, quality assurance, clinical problem analysis, policy evaluation, research utilization, program development or evaluation, or development of scholarly tools or proposals.
Thesis: An independent piece of research on a topic of particular interest to the student that involves the application of a research methodology.

Coursework and Credit Requirements

NMETH 520: Scholarly Inquiry for Clinical Informatics Practice
NMETH 530: Scholarly Proposal Development
NMETH 598: Special Projects (minimum 3 credits) for scholarly project pathway (may span multiple quarters)
NMETH 700: Master’s Thesis (minimum 9 credits) for thesis pathway (completed across multiple quarters)
The Supervisory Committee must approve the written plan before students may begin NMETH 598 or NMETH 700.

Below are the unified process steps, with clear indications where projects and theses diverge.

Identify Topic of Interest

Read and reflect on areas of interest in preparation for NMETH 520.
Discuss potential scholarly directions in NMETH 520 and begin topic refinement.

Refine and Propose Your Plan

During NMETH 530, narrow the focus and develop an initial plan for a scholarly project or thesis.
For scholarly projects: complete a preliminary plan using the Master’s Project Initial Plan & Final Product Report guidelines.
For theses: begin drafting a proposal using the Steps to Develop a Thesis guidance.

Select and Form Your Supervisory Committee

Begin by reviewing UW Graduate School Policy 4.2 and identifying a Graduate Faculty member to serve as your Supervisory Committee Chair based on alignment of interests.
- The Chair must be a graduate faculty member with expertise in the topic of interest.
- The Chair is selected first, following mutual agreement between the student and faculty member.
Meet with this faculty member to confirm willingness to serve as Chair and establish expectations.
In collaboration with your Chair, identify and invite 1–3 additional members (2–4 total members per UW Graduate School Policy 4.2; at least half must be Graduate Faculty).
Your full committee should be appointed after completion of NMETH 530.

Develop Your Plan or Proposal

In partnership with your Chair:

Establish a timeline and meeting schedule to support timely progression.
Determine when to share drafts with other committee members (usually coordinated by the Chair).
Notify members ~2 weeks before sending drafts; expect ~1 week turnaround for feedback.
The Chair arranges a follow-up meeting to review comments. Disagreements are resolved by the committee, with the Chair having final decision authority.
The Supervisory Committee must formally approve the student’s project or thesis proposal, typically a short paragraph outlining the planned inquiry.
For scholarly projects: finalize the Master’s Project Initial Plan & Final Report.
For thesis: finalize the Master’s Project Initial Plan & Final Report and the Thesis Proposal following the Structured Outline of Research Proposal and prepare the Thesis Proposal Title Page using ETD guidelines: https://grad.uw.edu/current-students/enrollment-through-graduation/thesis-dissertation/

Submit Required Documents

Submit the following documents to uwcipct@uw.edu – program staff will collect signatures and file with the Office of Student and Academic Affairs (OSAA).

Chair name and email address
Committee member(s) name(s) and email address(es)
Your approved initial plan
Course and number of credits you plan to take in the following quarter.

Students may not begin scholarly work until all required documents are signed and on file with OSAA. All documents must be submitted at least one quarter before graduation.

After signed, the CIPCT program manager will send the student their chair’s faculty code to allow registration for NMETH 598 (Scholarly Project) or NMETH 700 (Thesis).

Register and Conduct Scholarly Work

Once the Supervisory Committee approves the initial plan and paperwork is filed, the CIPCT Program Manager will provide the chair’s faculty code you will need to register.

Scholarly Project: NMETH 598 Special Projects (3 credits minimum)
Thesis: NMETH 700 Master’s Thesis (9 credits minimum across multiple quarters)

Conduct your scholarly work under the guidance of your Chair and Supervisory Committee.

Final Quarter Requirements

Review final quarter requirements page https://students.nursing.uw.edu/progression/final-quarter/

Apply for graduation
Coordinate with your committee to schedule your Final Examination (Defense) during the quarter you expect to complete your work (examination may occur outside your graduation quarter).
Schedule your Final Examination during the expected completion quarter via MyGrad

Final Examination (Defense)

All committee members must attend as a group.
Conducted via Zoom.
Duration: approximately 60–90 minutes, including presentation, Q&A, and committee deliberation.
Format Differences:
- Scholarly Projects: Final Examination is both written and oral.
- Theses: May involve a written committee-developed exam or an oral defense (presentation and Q&A). Format is negotiated with the committee.

Post-Defense Actions

Upon passing the Final Examination:

CIPCT Program Staff gather required electronic signatures:
- Application for Degree (Committee Signature Form)
- Verification of Degree Form
- Projects: Master’s Project Initial Plan & Final Product Report
- Theses: Master’s Supervisory Committee Approval Form
All students email their abstract to uwcipct@uw.edu (students may elect to have final write-up shared as an example)
For thesis students only: Upload materials to UW ETD Administrator before the quarterly deadline:
- Abstract
- Final Thesis (PDF)
- Signed Master’s Supervisory Committee Approval Form
- Application for Degree

B. DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

All DNP students complete a final DNP project that demonstrates advanced clinical and systems expertise through the translation of evidence into practice. Projects address real-world healthcare challenges in collaboration with an external agency or system partner.

DNP projects are systematic investigations that evaluate and/or translate evidence into practice. While scope and structure vary, students often focus on a single phase of evidence translation. Examples include:

Appraising evidence and recommending adaptations of clinical guidelines to a specific population/clinic/community
Disseminating evidence by training staff/community members
Needs assessment
Implementing changes in practice, workflow, or policies
Evaluating the impact of a practice change or new protocol
Program development or evaluation
Policy development or evaluation

Coursework and Credit Requirements

NMETH 801: Practice Doctorate Project (Project Planning) – Autumn 3 credits
NMETH 801: Practice Doctorate Project (Project Implementation) – Winter 3 credits

Below are the unified process steps, with clear indications where projects and theses diverge.

Identify and Match to a Project

As students progress through didactic and clinical coursework, they begin identifying potential project ideas and discussing them with track faculty.
Faculty explore feasibility and consult with agencies about project alignment. If needed, faculty initiate or confirm an Affiliation Agreement (AA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Establishing a new agreement may take several months.
In late July (between Year 2 and 3), students receive a menu of approved projects and submit their top five ranked choices with rationale using the DNP Final Project Match Request Form.
Students are matched to projects by program leadership and notified by August 15, along with their assigned NMETH 801 section. Students may register once they receive their assigned NMETH 801 section.

Form Your Supervisory Committee

All committees must meet UW Graduate School Policy 4.2 requirements.
DNP Supervisory Committees are assigned by program officials, with students receiving notification of the composition of their Supervisory Committee in Autumn of year 3.
Two NMETH 801 faculty serve as the chair and second member of a student’s Supervisory Committee (sometimes co-chairs). A third member is assigned for track or subject matter expertise.
An optional fourth member from the practice site or community may be added to the committee if requested by the site. For any member outside the UW, the name and contact information must be provided for entry into the Graduate School database, and a UW NetID will be assigned.
In Autumn of Year 3, the list of assigned supervisory committees is shared with the DNP Program Adviser (dnpadv@uw.edu), who will convey the committees to the Graduate School, making them part of the students’ formal records.
The Dean of the Graduate School formally appoints the committee via approval in MyGrad.
Students primarily work with their NMETH 801 faculty on project matters, consulting the broader Supervisory Committee as directed by the Chair or co-Chairs.

NMETH 801: Project Planning (Autumn)

To receive credit and progress to Winter quarter:

Develop a written project proposal in collaboration with agency stakeholders.
Deliver a verbal project presentation to articulate overarching goals, individual objectives, and the student’s specific role.
Finalize and execute a Statement of Mutual Agreement (SMA) with the site/organization.
Obtain Human Subjects approval (IRB) if needed.
Complete all required onboarding activities for the project site.
Participate in peer consultation and class-based discussions throughout the quarter.
Complete required discussion board postings.
Participate fully in small group sessions; engage in scholarly discussion of your own and the work of others, demonstrating the ability to give and receive feedback professionally.

Grading:

The NMETH 801 Autumn faculty evaluates the oral presentation using the DNP Project Proposal Rubric.
The supervisory committee evaluates the written proposal using the DNP Project Proposal Rubric.
Students must have approval of the oral and written proposal to proceed to implementation. An “N” grade will be issued, which indicates satisfactory progress is being made.

NMETH 801: Project Implementation and Evaluation (Winter)

Following proposal approval by the supervisory committee and execution of the SMA, students:

Implement the DNP project in collaboration with the agency.
Participate in on-campus class sessions and other course-related learning activities.
Participate in the final poster presentation of the DNP project on the scheduled DNP Project Day.
Develop and submit a written executive summary to the supervisory committee and the agency.

Final Examination (Defense)

Conducted on DNP Poster Day and includes a poster presentation and oral defense.
The supervisory committee meets as a group and all members participate.
Evaluation is based on program rubrics and agency-aligned deliverables.
Students are expected to attend the entire DNP Poster day.

Grading:

The supervisory committee evaluates deliverables and the oral defense using the DNP Final Project Examination Rubric.
Upon satisfactory completion of the course and project deliverables, a “CR” will be issued, which will convert the Autumn “N” grade to “CR”.

C. PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science)

All PhD students complete a dissertation that demonstrates original research contributing to nursing science. Milestones include forming a Supervisory Committee, approving a Program of Study, completing the General Examination, developing and approving a dissertation proposal, conducting research, and passing the Final Examination (defense).

Coursework and Credit Requirements

NMETH 800: Doctoral Dissertation – minimum of 27 credits
Up to 6 credits of NMETH 800 may be taken prior to the General Examination with committee approval

Supervisory Committee

Students are encouraged to explore potential faculty mentors in their second quarter and finalize the Supervisory Committee early in the second year. All committees must follow UW Graduate School Policy 4.2 and include at least four members:

Chair: SoN Graduate Faculty endorsed to chair doctoral committees
Graduate School Representative (GSR): Graduate Faculty member from outside the School of Nursing; must attend both the General and Final Exams
Additional members: Selected for relevant expertise; at least two must be SoN faculty

Program of Study

Outlines coursework and scholarly direction
Developed after committee formation (typically Year 2)
Reviewed and approved by the Supervisory Committee; transfer credits are not permitted
Up to 30 credits of prior graduate coursework may count toward related field requirements (see School of Nursing Policy 1.8)

General Examination

Usually completed near the end of Year 2 or start of Year 3. Passing advances the student to candidacy. The exam includes:

Written component: 2–4 committee-developed questions, completed over several weeks or up to one quarter
Oral component: Scheduled via MyGrad; requires the Chair, GSR, and at least two additional committee members

Dissertation Proposal

Developed with the Chair after the General Examination
Reviewed by the full Supervisory Committee
Formal approval is required before registering beyond 10 credits of NMETH 800 or submitting IRB applications
At approval, students select a format:
- Traditional format: Six chapters (Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions)
- Three-manuscript format: Three related publishable papers plus an integrative synthesis chapter (at least one must be first-authored by the student)

Final Examination (Defense)

Students present and defend their dissertation before the full Supervisory Committee, including the GSR. Successful completion and Graduate School approval mark conferral of the PhD degree.

Dissertation Supervision

Registration & Oversight

Students register for NMETH 800 Dissertation credits under the faculty code of their Supervisory Committee Chair. Email phdadv@uw.edu if you need assistance locating a faculty code.
At least 27 credits of NMETH 800 are required for the PhD degree.
Students should maintain regular contact with their Chair and meet periodically to assess progress.

Quarterly Planning & Documentation

Prior to each quarter of NMETH 800 registration, students and their Chair complete the NMETH 800 Quarterly Planning form (via DocuSign, initiated by emailing phdadv@uw.edu).
The form includes the number of credits, goals, and proposed activities for the quarter.
At quarter’s end, students and the Chair revisit the form to document progress and confirm goals were addressed.

Chair Unavailability

If the Chair is on leave or sabbatical, the student should:

Appoint another SoN faculty member on the approved committee to provide primary oversight.
Register using that faculty member’s code until the Chair returns or a new Chair is appointed.

Reading Committee

Purpose: The Reading Committee evaluates whether the dissertation is a significant contribution to nursing science and whether the student is ready for the Final Examination (defense).

Composition & Appointment

At least three members of the Supervisory Committee serve on the Reading Committee.
At least one member must hold an endorsement to chair doctoral committees.
Typically, all members except the GSR serve on the Reading Committee.
After the General Examination, the Chair emails phdadv@uw.edu to request official Reading Committee appointments.
The PhD Program Adviser updates MyGrad and notifies the Graduate School.

Review & Readiness

The Reading Committee ensures the dissertation meets scholarly standards and determines readiness for the Final Examination.
The full dissertation must be provided to all Supervisory Committee members at least two weeks before the Final Examination.
- If this timeline is not met, the defense must be rescheduled.
- All members read the dissertation and provide feedback.
Note: A positive Reading Committee recommendation does not guarantee a pass at the Final Examination.

Final Examination (Dissertation Defense)

The Final Examination consists of a written dissertation and an oral defense, conducted in accordance with UW Graduate School and School of Nursing policies.

Eligibility

All required coursework completed
At least 27 credits of NMETH 800 earned
Dissertation approved by the Reading Committee
Active graduate student status in the quarter of the exam

The Final Examination may not be taken in the same quarter as the General Examination.

Scheduling

Students schedule the exam in MyGrad at least 10 business days in advance for Graduate School review.
The defense date is publicized by the School of Nursing and may be shared through SoN channels.

Attendance & Format

The exam includes both written and oral components.
Written: The full dissertation must be distributed to the Reading Committee at least two weeks prior.
Oral:
- Formal defense, typically with a public presentation and Q&A, followed by closed deliberation with the Supervisory Committee.
- All committee members, including the GSR, must participate for the entire duration.
- Remote defenses use Zoom or similar platforms and must ensure all participants can see and hear each other.
- Defense typically lasts 60–90 minutes.
- The oral defense must occur while the student is enrolled as a graduate student.

Evaluation & Outcome

The Committee evaluates the scholarly significance, rigor, defense of methods and findings, and readiness for the degree.
Possible outcomes:
- Pass: Chair notifies the PhD Program Adviser (phdadv@uw.edu); adviser circulates the Committee Signature Form; student submits dissertation via UW ETD System.
- Fail: Chair may request Graduate School permission for reexamination (maximum two). Divided committees may submit minority opinions to the Graduate School Dean.

Submission Requirements

Upon passing the Final Examination, students must submit to the UW ETD Administrator:

Final approved dissertation (PDF)
Abstract
Signed Committee Signature Form

Dissertations will be publicly accessible through ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and the UW Libraries’ ResearchWorks Repository.

Students should also consult the Health Sciences Librarian for copyright and permissions guidance and review Graduate School formatting and submission instructions.

Addressing Bias or Unfair Treatment

Informal resolution: Raise concerns with the Supervisory Committee Chair, Program Director, or Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (sonadaa@uw.edu). The UW Ombud Office can assist.
Formal grievance: If unresolved, students may file under UW Graduate School Policy 3.8.
Role of GSR (PhD only): The GSR ensures fairness and Graduate School policy compliance and may escalate concerns.

III. Roles & Responsibilities Summary

Task	Student	Supervisory Chair	Committee Members	OSAA / Advising Staff	Graduate School
Select scholarly topic	R/A	C	I
Form supervisory committee	R	A	C	I	I
Develop and approve plan/proposal	R	A	R	C	I
Conduct scholarly work/dissertation	R/A	C	C	I
Prepare for and schedule final exam	R/A	R	C	C	I
Conduct final exam (oral defense)	R	A	A	I	I
Submit final materials	R/A	C	I	C	I
Clear for graduation	I	I		A	A

RACI Legend:

R = Responsible: Performs the task
A = Accountable: Ultimately answerable
C = Consulted: Provides input
I = Informed: Kept up to date

Related Policies & References

Last updated: September 2025