ABD and ABT

ABD : ALL BUT DISSERTATION
ABT : ALL BUT THESIS

RATIONALE & EXPLANATION:

ABD means ALL BUT DISSERTATION (just as ABT means ALL BUT THESIS) and it is one of the saddest terms in the academic lexicon. It means that a student has completed everything except the final requirement for a doctorate, for example. All the courses were completed and so were the Comprehensives (which made the student a candidate), ALL EXCEPT FOR FINISHING THE PROPOSAL AND THE DISSERTATION. The reasons can be many: perhaps the supervisor died or moved away; it may be that the candidate ran out of money; sometimes health problems or family difficulties intervened, or the candidate was obliged to move; perhaps the University standards changed. Whatever the reason, becoming ABD (or ABT in the case of a Master's student) is a sad disruption in academic life, and often a permanent disadvantage. Frequently, the person so affected can no longer be in residence full-time on campus.

It is, therefore, a problem not easily resolved. Mostly, as noted, traditional universities require an ABD re-entrant to re-do many courses, and to again run through the hurdles. With few transferred credits, this is often sufficient to stop the student from completing.

Greenleaf University, however, is prepared to accept ABD (and ABT) candidates, and, as a distance-learning university, to honor all prior course work, as well as accepting proven success at the Comprehensives stage, which is the gateway to candidacy and to completing the doctorate. Our belief is the principle that there is no point in making candidates re-learn their prior work, and that once a candidate has successfully negotiated the Comprehensives Examination (or its equivalent) there is no reason for that person to be obliged to prove it all over again.

To that end we will, upon receipt of a certified transcript, accept all that prior work. We will then admit the learner and focus on completing a satisfactory draft proposal for the research, and then on completing the dissertation. We have very experienced faculty who specialize in such situations, who will be tutors and mentors for such applicants, giving them one-on-one guidance (with the assistance of an experienced and dedicated Committee) to completion of their doctorate (or Master's thesi).

We, therefore, look for ABD (and ABT) students and to guiding them to their goals.
The following gives procedures for the ABD situation (ABT procedures are similar):

"PhD: PROCEDURES & PROCESSING":
Student work shall be guided by an appointed Mentor who will serve as the supervisor. Work must be original and respect standard academic and research ethics. (For example, plagiarism will mean instant dismissal). Where Human subjects are involved, the University requirements must be met prior to the research being conducted; such research can not proceed until so approved.
Each student will have a Committee consisting of the Mentor as Chair, a faculty member and an external examiner, all appointed by the President and Chief Academic Officer.
Students will produce a Pre-Proposal giving an outline of the topic, the research method, the literature and the procedures.
Once this is approved by the Mentor, then the student will produce, guided by the Mentor, a draft Proposal of 3 Chapters (No.1 - the Problem; No.2 - Review of the Literature; No.3 - Methodology). General outline guidance in standard academic format will be available. Once approved by the Mentor, there will be a telephone Oral, arranged by the student, for Committee review and judgement. Once approved, the student may proceed to the next stage.
That is the production of Chapters 4 and 5 ( Presentation of the Data; and Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations), again with a final Oral, as before.
All such documents will be in APA style and, if problems arise, at the discretion of the Mentor, the student will engage an APA editor at the student's expense.

INTENDED CANDIDATES:
It is recognized as an international issue, and as we are an international University, this opportunity is offered to all ABD students around the world, from all universities around the world.

COSTS & PAYMENT DEADLINES

(1) $ 250.00 with application
(2) $ 2,500.00 - Proposal ( $ 1,250.00 with first submission of proposal AND
$ 1,250.00 before Orals)
(3) $ 2,500.00 - Dissertation ($ 1,250.00 with first submission of dissertation AND
$ 1,250.00 before Orals)"