College of Doctoral Studies
The need for specialized knowledge is continuously increasing. Take the next step in your educational journey by earning your doctoral degree from Grand Canyon University. Our College of Doctoral Studies offers advanced degree options across multiple disciplines, each with distinct emphases to suit your interests and career goals.
Learners begin their dissertation process as part of conventional coursework, complemented by residencies that foster engagement with faculty and colleagues in a scholarly environment. As of February 2025, GCU has approved 3,438 dissertations since 2011, demonstrating the university’s commitment to academic excellence and research advancement. Achieve your educational goals while making a positive impact on the global community.
Learn more about our doctoral programs offered in the College of Doctoral Studies.
The Doctoral Journey
Visit our blog, The Doctoral Journey, where doctoral students, faculty and professionals share insights and field experiences. Our posts can provide insight into dissertation writing, information about our PhD programs, spotlights on our outstanding learners and much more.
The DC Network
The Doctoral Community NetworkTM (DC Network) is a vibrant online learning community that enables you to create and share content related to your discipline with fellow learners and faculty members at GCU. Collaborate and connect with scholars who have similar academic interests through interactive communication, instant notification of new content and indexed search functionality.
Available on DC Network, this resource aims to support you in your dissertation research efforts by offering the following services:
- Guidance on how to get started with AI
- An AI prompt library with video tutorials for doctoral research
- An open discussion platform for questions and sharing ideas
- Directives on how to ethically use AI in your dissertation research
This channel features a variety of video tutorials covering dissertation chapters, motivation, reflective practice, institutional review board guidelines, writing and APA format, residency, research and AI.
GCU Library's RefWorks Guide, provided by the College of Doctoral Studies, is a resource created to help you write more efficiently. This complimentary software makes it easy to:
- Store your references in a centralized location
- Cite references while writing in Microsoft Word
- Automatically generate your reference page
You can sign up through the RefWorks Guide page or attend a live webinar hosted by a GCU librarian for an overview on using RefWorks in conjunction with other library resources.
For further assistance, contact a GCU librarian at library.gcu.edu
Residencies at GCU are scholarly and engaging experiences that connect you with tools and insights to enhance your skills. Doctoral learners are required to attend residencies at pivotal stages in their academic journey. During these residencies, you will have the opportunity to:
- Master resources while collaborating with faculty and staff to refine writing, research and analysis skills
- Establish a strong dissertation foundation
- Network and build relationships with colleagues through face-to-face interactions
All doctoral learners, except those in the education specialist program, are required to attend residencies as part of their degree requirements. If you have questions about residencies, please email [email protected] or contact your student services counselor.
To view available dates, register for an upcoming residency or submit your travel arrangements please visit our residency page. For more information about residency and pre-assignment details, please visit the DC Network.
Grand Canyon University Promotes Ethical Research
The National Research Act, passed by Congress in 1974, established the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The commission implements policies to safeguard the rights and well-being of human subjects involved in research. All institutions conducting or supporting studies must establish an IRB to approve and monitor research in accordance with the federal policy protecting human subjects during all phases of research.
The Belmont Report, published by the commission in 1974, is a statement of ethical principles and guidelines for those who conduct research using human participants or subjects. The report distinguishes between practice and research, defines basic ethical principles as they apply to research involving human subjects and provides guidelines in the application of those ethical principles. There are many instances in which practice and research overlap. External and objective review of protocols is required only when human subjects are used in some aspect of research. The IRB at GCU bases all decisions on the approval of research protocols, as outlined in the Belmont Report.
Application of the ethical principles:
- Informed Consent – Providing opportunity for individuals to choose what shall or shall not happen to them; upholds the principle of respect for persons.
- Risk and Benefit Analysis – A balance between the risk to a human subject and the benefit gained from the research; establishes the beneficence of research on human subjects.
- Selection of Subjects – Researchers must exhibit fairness by avoiding preference among individuals or social biases in support of justice in human subject-based research.
According to GCU policy, all researchers must successfully complete research ethics training before applying for IRB approval. The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) provides web-based instruction on the ethics of research involving human subjects. CITI training is complimentary to GCU doctoral learners and faculty. Researchers must submit completion reports for the Basic Research Course for Social and Behavioral Sciences or Biomedical Research and the Responsible Conduct of Research Course as part of the IRB application. Training certification remains in effect for five years. View the steps to register and begin training.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through its Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), is tasked with registering an IRB and developing the applicable guidelines and education. The IRB at GCU is registered with the OHRP and has gained Federalwide Assurance. This assures researchers within the GCU community abide by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 46 (45.CFR.46) and remain eligible to apply for and conduct federally funded research on human subjects.
Learn about your rights as a human subject and the ethics policies that can help you decide if volunteering as a research participant is the right choice for you. For more information, visit the OHRP website. If a researcher at GCU has contacted you to participate in a study and you have questions or concerns, contact the Office of Research and Dissertations at [email protected].