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  • EPPL Doctoral Research Paper

    • EPPL Doctoral Research Paper

    The doctoral research paper is only required for the Ph.D. and EdD. programs in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership (EPPL).  The PhD programs in EPPL include Higher Education, Curriculum & Educational Leadership, and  Gifted Education Administration. The paper is also required for all of the Executive EdD programs.

    Applicants to the Ph.D. in Counselor Education are not required to submit the research paper.

    EPPL Doctoral Admission Academic Paper Guidelines

    In the Department of Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership (EPPL), faculty require all doctoral applicants to submit an academic paper as part of their application. The purpose of this requirement is to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate to the faculty that you have strong foundational skills in scholarly writing on a topic relevant to the program and concentration to which you are applying, 

    Doctoral students at William & Mary are regularly required to undertake academic research and to write formal academic papers in the courses that comprise the program of study.  Additionally, doctoral students must design and undertake original research and write and defend a dissertation. Exceptionally strong communication skills—including speaking, listening, reading, and, of course, writing—are essential to a doctoral student’s success in the Educational Policy, Planning, & Leadership program.

    Your sample paper must conform to the requirements outlined below.

    Requirements for the Sample Academic Paper

    1.  You may choose from among the following three options:

    • Option A: Write an original academic paper.
    • Option B: Submit an academic paper that you have written for a previous course in a prior degree program.
    • Option C: Submit an academic paper that you originally wrote for a previous course in a prior degree program but have revised for purposes of your application to the program. The paper must be relevant to the field of the program to which you are applying (e.g., K-12 Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Gifted Education).

    2.  The narrative of the paper may be no longer than 2000 words (typically 8 pages of 12-point type).

    3.  The title page and reference list are not counted against the length.

    4.  The paper should conform to a common style guide (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

    5.  You must be the single author of the paper. Co-authored papers are not acceptable. 

    6.  The paper must be entirely your own work. Professionally edited papers are not  (For Options B and C, a paper on which you received feedback from the professor of the course for which it was written is acceptable.)  Generative AI may not be used to compose (write, draft, outline, etc.) any portion of the task.

    7.  On the cover page, include the following information:
    • Paper title
    • Your full name
    • Indicate “Option A”, “Option B”, or “Option C”, and include the year in which the paper was originally written.
    • If the paper was written for a course in a previous degree program (i.e., Option B or C), then also include the following on the cover page:
      • Course title for which the paper was written
      • Degree level (e.g., Master of Education)
      • Name of the department or program
      • Name of the college or university.
      • If you have opted to submit a previous paper that you have revised for your application (Option C), then provide a brief (2-3 sentences only) explanation of the nature of the revisions you have made. For instance, you might note that you revised for length; revised for clarity of expression; edited for grammatical and mechanical corrections; or revised to make the topic more clearly relevant to the EPPL program to which you are applying.