1. Courses to be taken each semester must be determined in consultation with the advisor. Take the required courses to obtain specialization in the major (e.g., Global Education Cooperation; Sociology of Education and Comparative Education). One course dealing with general research methodology and one course specializing in qualitative or quantitative research methodology should be taken. For the ECP Lab, qualitative methods are recommended. 2. It is recommended that the thesis topic be confirmed by the end of the second semester of registration if possible. 3. The thesis qualification test is usually taken in the third semester (mid-March or mid-September), but it may be delayed until the fourth semester if needed. Before approval will be given to take the qualifying examination, master's students must submit their draft thesis proposal to the advisor. The draft thesis proposal should be approximately 10 pages including references (i.e., around 2,500-3,000 words; Times New Roman, 12pt font, 1.5-double spaced) and must include a draft overview of the first three chapters of the thesis (e.g., Introduction, Literature Review, and Methods). 4. At the end of the semester after taking the thesis qualification examination, the master's thesis plan is defended (in early June or early December). The updated thesis proposal includes the first three parts of a traditional thesis structure (Introduction—Literature Review—Research Methods—Findings—Discussion-Conclusion). The updated thesis proposal is expected to be approximately 20 pages (i.e., 5,000-6,000 words, building on the examiners' comments from the qualifying exam, with particular attention paid to a sound and robust research methodology). Among these, the literature and methods should be high enough to be reflected in the final thesis. The literature review includes a review of previous studies related to the purpose and problem of the study. The research method includes a plan for how to proceed with data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The thesis proposal is prepared under the guidance of the academic advisor. 5. If the thesis proposal is not sufficiently written (or the oral defense is insufficient), the proposal will be withheld and corrections required before the student passes and proceeds with the study. In such a case, the student should defend the revised thesis proposal in the following semester. 6. Following successful defense of the research plan, the plan is implemented, and data collection begins in earnest after it is approved by the Seoul National University IRB. 7. During the data collection process, students frequently discuss their progress with their advisor. At the same time as data collection, analysis and interpretation work is carried out in parallel. 8. Strictly abide by the deadline for submitting the MA thesis announced by the department during the semester in which the thesis is to be reviewed. Prior to the deadline for submitting the manuscript for review, students must receive sufficient guidance from their advisor for each part of the thesis. A thesis that has not received sufficient guidance cannot be submitted for review. Immediately after submitting the thesis, the reviewers are contacted individually to confirm the examination date. The final thesis for examination is expected to be approximately 60-100 pages (i.e., 15,000-25,000 words). 9. Expectations for the quality level of a master's thesis: You must have a considerable level of understanding of the topic of the thesis, and you must secure a level that can be developed into a research article that can be submitted to a renowned domestic or international journal through additional collaboration with your advisor. 10. Following successful defense of the MA thesis and graduation, students may continue to work with the advisor to prepare the manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
If you become a doctoral student: 1. Courses to be taken each semester must be determined in consultation with the advisor. If you do not have a qualification in Education, you must take the required courses to obtain a foundation in Education Studies (e.g., Introduction to Education, Sociology of Education, Comparative Education, Education and International Development). Take at least 4 research methodology courses (separate from the ones taken during the master's course). It is recommended that the methodology courses include: (1) one basic course in education research methods that covers a general introduction to research concepts and design; (1) one introductory qualitative methods course; (1) one introductory quantitative methods course; and (1 or more) advanced courses in qualitative or quantitative methods. For the ECP Lab, qualitative methods are preferred. If the courses offered in the department are not sufficient, take research methodology courses offered by other departments in the College of Education or across the university. 2. It is recommended that students decide on the topic of their dissertation as soon as possible but by the end of the semester they are completing coursework, at the latest. 3. Before approval will be given to take the qualifying examination, doctoral students must submit their draft dissertation proposal to the advisor. The draft dissertation proposal should be approximately 15-20 pages including references (i.e., 4,000-6,000 words; Times New Roman, 12pt font, 1.5-double spaced) and must include a brief overview of the first three chapters of the dissertation (e.g., Introduction, Literature Review, and Methods). 4. After the dissertation topic is decided and the first three chapters approved by the advisor, the qualifying examination is taken. The qualification examination is offered in mid-March and mid-September each year. The qualification exam will be assessed by the advisor and two committee members. 5. After passing the qualifying examination, the doctoral dissertation proposal is presented when it is ready (typically within 3-9 months after passing the qualifying examination). The dissertation proposal contains the first three parts of a traditional dissertation structure (Introduction—Literature Review/Theory—Research Methods—Findings—Discussion-Conclusion). The written dissertation proposal is expected to be approximately 40-60 pages (i.e., 10,000-15,000 words). The literature review and proposed methodology should be of high enough quality to be reflected in the future dissertation. It is necessary to understand the context of related studies, theories, methods, and the trends and limitations of previous studies and methods to the extent that the dissertation can be a significant independent research project with a novel contribution to the field. Receive guidance from the advisor during the process of writing the dissertation proposal. The PhD proposal should be submitted to the advisor and committee members approximately one month prior to the oral defense. 6. The PhD proposal is orally defended in early June or early December. If the dissertation proposal is not sufficiently written (or the oral defense is insufficient), the proposal will be withheld and corrections required before the student passes and proceeds to doctoral candidacy. In such a case, the student should defend the revised dissertation proposal in the following semester. 7. After passing the dissertation proposal stage (and receiving candidacy), the PhD candidate must apply for Seoul National University IRB approval. Once approval is gained, the plan is implemented and data collection begins in earnest. 8. Although dissertation data collection is performed independently by the student, it is not a process independent of the advisor. Since data collection and analysis and interpretation work go hand in hand, discuss the progress closely with your advisor. 9. Strictly abide by the deadline for submission of the dissertation presented by the department during the semester in which the dissertation is to be reviewed. Prior to the deadline for submitting the manuscript for review, students must receive sufficient guidance from their advisor for each part of the dissertation. In addition, the academic advisor should receive necessary updates of the progress of the dissertation. A dissertation that has not received sufficient guidance cannot be submitted for defense. 10. After submitting the manuscript, committee members are individually contacted to confirm the dissertation defense date. The PhD committee includes the advisor, one external examiner (from outside SNU), and three other examiners (typically from within the Education department or other departments at SNU). The final dissertation for examination is expected to be approximately 200-300 pages (i.e., 60,000-80,000 words). 11. Before graduation, at least two papers must be published (at least one with the advisor) in renowned domestic and international journals. Additionally, before graduation, participate in at least one international conference and one domestic conference, and make a presentation (applicable to the student's doctoral dissertation). 12. Expectations for the quality of doctoral dissertations: You must show that you have grown as an independent researcher in both theoretical and methodological aspects. The dissertation will be judged on three criteria: originality, rigor, and significance. A successful doctoral dissertation should address each of these areas.
Advisory meetings Each term, students in the ECP Lab will meet for multiple group and individual supervisions with the advisor to discuss their thesis. In Spring 2023, these meetings will occur on the second Tuesday (as individual or small group supervisions) and the fourth Tuesday (as all-Lab meetings) of each month. Students will present updates on their thesis progress at each meeting.
Some tips for success:
1. Begin early and plan ahead. 2. Follow directions closely. 3. Identify the topic of the thesis/dissertation as soon as possible. 4. Avoid changing the thesis topic, as much as possible. 5. Ask for advice. But ensure that those for whom advice is asked are knowledgeable in the subject area. 6. Take ownership of the work. 7. Defend ideas (e.g., justify theoretical and methodological decisions) but avoid being defensive. 8. Keep an open mind (and 'thick skin') when receiving critical feedback. Constructive critical feedback helps the work progress. 9. Participate in reading groups and writing groups to develop ideas and refine writing. 10. Create uninterrupted time to think and write. 11. Present often at domestic and international conferences to gain diverse perspectives and practice defending ideas. 12. Spend time building positive relationships with the advisor, peers, and committee members. 13. Avoid too many distractions such as outside work, teaching, or other research projects beyond the thesis until the thesis is submitted for examination. 14. Submit chapters of the thesis to peer-reviewed journals for feedback en route to defense. Speak with the advisor about this. This will provide critical 'objective' feedback. 15. Practice before the thesis/dissertation defense. Try to answer these questions. 16. Submit the thesis/dissertation for publication after successful defense.