Syllabus
DSW 821 – Doctoral Capstone Project Seminar I – Summer 2026
Credits - 3
Description
This is the first of two doctoral project seminar courses designed to support and advance students in their journey to implement their doctoral research project.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
DSW Core Expertise and Skills
- Advance practice through innovative approaches
- Use and critically evaluate research and knowledge
- Engage in scientific inquiry that reflects doctoral-level scholarship
- Develop and disseminate practice-relevant, research-informed knowledge through a variety of channels such as scholarship
- Provide leadership in social work practice and/or education
- Develop and Maintain Substantive Expertise in One or More Areas of Social Work
Assignments
Discussion Boards
Discussions boards are available as ongoing collaboration spaces where scholar-practitioners can ask questions, seek feedback, and support peers as they move through the DSW Research Project.
Proposed Timeline
- Scholar-practitioners will submit a proposed timeline that will map projected or completed dates for major research tasks, including IRB approval, participant recruitment, data collection, and data analysis, to support project management and timely progress.
Second Committee Member Identification
- Scholar-practitioners will begin identifying a potential second committee member whose expertise or interests will support and strengthen the DSW Research Project.
Second Committee Member Finalized
- Scholar-practitioners will submit the finalized second committee member name and contact information. The second committee member should be connected to UNE, doctorally prepared, hold a social work degree, and be available to support the project through the findings presentation, paper review, defense, and final deliverable stages.
Senior Advising Meetings
- Recurring Senior Advising Meetings will provide structured check-ins with the Senior Advisor to review progress, document milestones, identify next steps, and maintain the Senior Advisor Meeting Form and meeting log.
DSW Research Project Evaluations
- The DSW Research Project Evaluation will be completed with the Senior Advisor and Second Committee member to document progress toward research milestones, note barriers or challenges, and establish a plan for continued progress.
Reflection Journals
- APA-formatted reflection journals will ask scholar-practitioners to reflect on the current stage of the project, challenges or barriers, anticipated completion of the current step, and the support needed from the Senior Advisor. Journals should be at least one page, double-spaced, and written in APA format.
Findings Presentation Check List
- The Findings Presentation Check List will prepare scholar-practitioners for the committee presentation by organizing themes and subthemes, linking findings to literature and practice, representing participant voice through direct quotes, and noting reflexivity, positionality, and ethical considerations.
Findings Presentation
- The Findings Presentation will be a committee-facing presentation of research findings using the course template and approval form. The presentation should demonstrate clear themes, connections to literature and practice, readiness to respond to committee questions, and ethical, culturally responsive inquiry.
Draft Paper Sections
- Draft paper sections will build the publishable paper through staged submissions that will include a findings outline, a draft findings section, a draft research methodology section, and a draft introduction and literature review. Drafts should align with the selected scholarly journal and demonstrate doctoral-level critical thinking, scholarly writing, and appropriate AI citation when AI is used.
Final Project Timeline
- The Final Project Timeline will map the remaining steps for completion of the publishable paper, presentation of research to the DSW UNE community, and final project deliverable in DSW 822.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Points | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed Timeline (Week 1) | 1 | 1 |
| Second Committee Member Identification (Week 1) | 1 | 1 |
| Senior Advising Meeting (x7) (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) | 4 | 28 |
| Second Committee Member Finalized (Week 3) | 2 | 2 |
| DSW Research Project Evaluation (x4) (weeks 4, 8, 12, 15) | 3 | 12 |
| Reflection Journal (x4) (Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9) | 4 | 16 |
| Findings Presentation Check List (Week 10) | 1 | 1 |
| Findings Presentation (Week 11) | 30 | 30 |
| Draft paper sections (x4) (Weeks 12, 13, 14, 15) | 2 | 8 |
| Final Project Timeline (Week 16) | 1 | 1 |
| 100 |
This course is pass/fail.
Schedule
Summer A/B Dates: May 13 – August 28, 2026
Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Monday through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, with the exception of Week 1, which starts on Wednesday and Week 16, which ends on Friday.
Week 1: Wednesday – Sunday
Week 2: Monday – Sunday
Week 3: Monday – Sunday
Week 4: Monday – Sunday
Week 5: Monday – Sunday
Week 6: Monday – Sunday
Week 7: Monday – Sunday
Week 8: Monday – Sunday
Week 9: Monday – Sunday
Week 10: Monday – Sunday
Week 11: Monday – Sunday
Week 12: Monday – Sunday
Week 13: Monday – Sunday
Week 14: Monday – Sunday
Week 15: Monday – Sunday
Week 16: Monday – Friday
Week 1: Research, Integrity, & Ethics
- Acknowledgment of Academic Engagement
- Discussion: Introduction (no response required)
- IRB Proposal Application and Approval
- Proposed Timeline
- Second Committee Member Outreach
Week 2: Participant Recruitment
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Senior Advisor Meeting
Week 3: Participant Recruitment Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Reflection Journal
- Second Committee Member Identification
Week 4: Participant Recruitment Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Senior Advisor Meeting
- DSW Research Project Evaluation
Week 5: Data Collection
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Reflection Journal
Week 6: Data Collection Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Senior Advisor Meeting
Week 7: Data Collection Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Reflection Journal
Week 8: Data Collection Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Senior Advisor Meeting
- DSW Research Project Evaluation
Week 9: Data Transcription and Analysis
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Reflection Journal
Week 10: Data Transcription and Analysis Continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration (optional)
- Senior Advisor Meeting
- Findings Presentation Check List
Week 11: Findings Presentation
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Findings Presentation
Week 12: Preparing your Publishable Paper: Findings
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Senior Advisor Meeting
- Findings Draft Part 1 (Outline)
- DSW Research Project Evaluation
Week 13: Preparing your Publishable Paper: Findings continued
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Draft Findings Section
Week 14: Preparing your Publishable Paper: Research Methodology
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Senior Advisor Meeting
- Draft Research Methodology
Week 15: Preparing your Publishable Paper: Introduction & Literature Review
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Draft Introduction & Literature Review
- DSW Research Project Evaluation
Week 16: Next Steps
- Discussion: DSW Research Project Collaboration
- Final Project Timeline
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Social Work Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/social-work/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Video Tutorials: https://library.une.edu/research-help/guides-tutorials/video-tutorials/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
Essential Academic and Technical Standards
Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Confidentiality Statement
Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.