Expectations of Doctoral Students

To succeed in a doctoral program at APUS, you must be actively engaged in the community of scholarship by seeking innovative applications of theory to professional practice issues. You should be able to evaluate and synthesize scholarly literature and develop application strategies for your own workplaces. Likewise, you advance knowledge and practice in the field by critiquing theory and extending theory to real-world situations. To accomplish these tasks, you need to approach your study as an advanced practitioner and contribute new ideas to the scholarly dialogue through in-depth interactions with peers and faculty. In this cohort model of doctoral study, engaging in conversation and debate throughout the program enables you to hone your ideas and develop an evidence-based dissertation project. To further this, you are continuously enrolled in the professional practice course. 

Academic Integrity and Professionalism

You are expected to maintain scholarly integrity, adhere to the University’s Student Code of Conduct, demonstrate professionalism in your interpersonal interactions, and practice responsible conduct of research. In your coursework, you will receive research ethics training to help navigate the research process, including human subjects research. Note that violations of academic integrity or professionalism, whether through plagiarism, human subjects research, or inappropriate behavior, will result in penalties up to and including expulsion. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for more information on academic integrity, professional conduct, and the conduct process.