What an amazing three-year journey my PhD process has been. Starting in the fall of 2019, I began attending Saybrook University to obtain my doctorate in humanistic psychology with a specialization in creativity studies.
My program is structured like climbing a mountain with two basecamp stops:
- I complete all required coursework for the program and specialization.
- I file a petitition to formalize my doctoral candidacy committee. (The first “basecamp”)
- I then spend the next year or so immersed in my literature reviews and piloting my research design.
- Then I do an oral defense of my research prospectus. (The second “basecamp”
- Upon successful defense, I obtain IRB approval and spend the next year or so conducting and writing up my research.
- At the end of that year or so, I then do an oral defense of my dissertation.
- Upon successful defense, I then make any necessary edits to my dissertation and work with the university’s editor to ready my dissertation for publication.
- My dissertation gets published, and
- I become Dr. King! Or Dr. J. Or Jeannel King, Ph.D. Or just Jeannel…with a lot of dorky “I’m not that kind of doctor” swag.
Working full time and going to school full time, I was able to complete all required coursework and get my doctoral candidacy committee approved by the end of the 2022 spring semester. This has given me my first semester “off” from school since I began this journey. I’ve spent this summer resting at this basecamp of sorts before beginning my next climb to approved candidacy and actual research. The open space for my mind and heart have given me time to reflect on my journey so far, and insights that may be helpful for other Ph.D. students climbing towards their own initial basecamp. Because questions about our dissertations are common during this first leg, I’ll start with some things I’ve learned about the dissertation process, then round it out with some insights from my required coursework journey overall.
Things I’ve Learned About My Dissertation
You don’t have to know your dissertation topic right now. Really.
When I started my program, I felt tremendous pressure to know what I would be researching through my dissertation. That pressure was self-imposed. I began my program thinking I would research creativity and innovation because that’s what I’ve been focusing on at work. It wasn’t until the end of my third year that I knew I had landed on my true dissertation topic and research question.
Don’t let “should” stand in the way of you and your dissertation topic.
“I should know what my dissertation topic will be by now.” “I should probably research this topic because [fill in the blank with any number of reasons].” No. If you are starting your Ph.D. coursework, then you may have ideas about what your research should look like, but clinging to those shoulds block you from discovering what you are meant to pursue as a researcher. I work in the corporate innovation space, so I thought my dissertation should be about corporate innovation. It’s what I do and what business leaders are interested in, so that should be my path, right? Except that from the first day of my coursework, I was irresistibly drawn to more cosmic and transpersonal views of creativity. It took two and a half years of coursework, plus talks with my mentor, to be able to drop my “shoulds” and see that my research calling was really for exploring the intersections of creativity, spirituality, and change agency. It took another six months to clarify my topic, problem, and research question into something that had the core of my being shout a resounding “YAAASSSS!!!!”
You will KNOW when you have found your dissertation topic.
Finding one’s dissertation is a bit like learning to fish. My partner, Jamie, is an avid fisherman. Several years ago I went with him to try fishing for the first time. I had my line in the water, and felt little tugs and pulls on my line. “Is that a fish??” I’d ask, excitedly. Jamie would smile and say, “when it’s a fish, you’ll know it.” Sure enough, when a pargo took my bait, there was NO question about whether I had a fish on the line. I clearly had something big on the end of my line. I’ve experienced this myself with my dissertation topic, and I’ve seen fellow students experience the same. When you realize what you are meant to research, the experience can be emotional and profound. There will be no question in you that you’ve found your topic.
Keep a dissertation journal.
Your professors may encourage you to keep a journal of potential topics, and you may hear that advice and say “yeah, that’s a good idea” yet never quite get one started. Do it. It took a year of false starts for me to start keeping a dissertation journal, and it has been an invaluable resource for thinking through what ultimately has become my dissertation topic, problem, and research question.
Your research question determines your methodology, not the other way around.
I would die on this mountain right here. Your research question determines your choice of methodology. Period. Don’t worry about methodology planning if you don’t yet know your research question. Instead, put your time into clarifying your topic of interest, the problem within that topic of interest that flat-out obsesses you, and crystalizing what you want to discover about that problem in a clear and concise research question. I could write for days on this topic, so if you’d like to discuss this one further, feel free to contact me via LinkedIn at @jeannelking.
Things I’ve Learned From My Required Coursework Journey
Take as much time as you need to do it right.
Required courses may feel like they stand between you and your dissertation, but they are actually some of the most helpful things you’ll take to discover your true research interests, find your academic lineage as a researcher, and discover the gaps and opportunities in the existing work that may be calling your name. As a full-time professional and student, I was initially concerned about how long I would take to complete my degree. This led me to take more courses than was realistically feasible during my second semester. I was left feeling that while I had checked the boxes for the required courses, I hadn’t learned all that I wanted from them. Remember, every course you take contributes to who you are as a researcher. Get the most from them to be the best, most informed, and therefore most credible researcher you can be.
Go to ALL the office hours.
Even if you don’t have a question for your professor, go to their office hours. Other students will ask questions you didn’t even realize you had. Listening to their discussion will help you make connections with your own work. Plus, if nobody else comes to the office hour, you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to get to know your professors better, ask them all sorts of questions on your mind, and begin to get a better feel for who could be right for your committee.
Make friends with the librarian and the research department chair.
Every semester, I have made appointments with two faculty members: the university librarian and the head of the research department. These two people are WEALTHS of information and insight, not just for your dissertation but for your questions and wondering about your research and Ph.D. path in general. They love helping students, so reach out and build relationships with them. You won’t regret it!
Look beyond your requirements.
In my very first week at Saybrook, I heard a professor from another program give a presentation on existential psychology. I emailed him an existential question about my career path on a whim. His generous response provided a bolt of insight that continues to inform my career path, professional identity, and research interests to this day. That same week, I met a professor from the leadership school with whom I felt a strong connection. I reached out to her, struck up a relationship, and three years later she is one of my committee members. Our university courses, opportunities, and resources include those which lie beyond your declared program. Do not hesitate to embrace those opportunities when they present themselves.
Get a mentor.
Your mentor may be part of your university’s faculty, or they may be outside of your university, but find a senior scholar you connect with who can serve as a mentor and guide for your research journey. In my case, one of my favorite professors and I were talking during her office hours one day. I was the only one there (score!!), so I was leveraging the opportunity to talk with her about my struggle to know what to call myself as a professional. I described how I felt like I was this bridge between two worlds – the mundane business world and the mystical spiritual one – when she asked if I was familiar with the works of a particular author. When I said I wasn’t, she suggested that I read the author’s work because it sounded like she researched exactly the scenario I was describing. I looked the author up online, went to her website, did her free assessment, and had a two-hour consultation with her to unpack my results. This was the start of an enduring mentorship and friendship, from which I have received more personal and professional value than I could possibly describe. This person has been my sounding board for thinking through my ideas. She has introduced me to people and groups that align with my interests. She has encouraged me to apply for awards and fellowships I didn’t know existed. She has been one of the biggest and most unexpected gifts from this whole Ph.D. journey so far.
This is by no means a complete list of insights. It is, however, a list of insights I think could serve those embarking on their own Ph.D. journeys. The entire process feels like it will take forever, but before you know it you’ll find yourself at the first of two basecamps for your climb to that Ph.D. It’s an amazing journey, especially when you can let go of what you think it should look like and experience it for what it is: a path to your next-level self. I’ll leave another note when I’m a bit further ahead on this climb. Until then, you’ve totally got this!!
