Dissertation Success Curriculum
Finish your dissertation.
The Dissertation Success Curriculum gives advanced graduate students the structure, strategies, and support to overcome perfectionism, procrastination, and isolation, and keep writing.
There is only one way to complete a dissertation: write it. This curriculum gives you the tools to do exactly that — consistently, and with more confidence.
If you’re already an NCFDD member, access the curriculum in the Community.
Not a member yet?
Join NCFDD to access the Dissertation Success Curriculum and our full library of faculty and graduate student development resources. Membership is $495/year.
Who This Is For
This curriculum was built for graduate students who are done waiting to feel ready.
This is for you if:
- You’ve passed your qualifying exams but your dissertation keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list
- You write in bursts, then go days or weeks without opening your draft
- You feel isolated in the process and aren’t sure who to turn to when you’re stuck
- You have big ideas. What you need is a system, accountability, and people around you who get it
What Makes This Curriculum Different?
Finishing a dissertation requires more than motivation. This curriculum combines practical training, consistent writing support, and a community of accountability to help you work through the barriers that most often slow dissertation progress: perfectionism, procrastination, and isolation.
Instead of working through the process alone, you’ll get access to:
- 12 Dissertation Success training modules — practical, self-paced lessons covering the full arc of dissertation writing
- The NCFDD Core Curriculum training — foundational professional development for faculty and graduate students
- A moderated discussion forum for peer mentoring and daily writing accountability — because progress happens in community
- An Accountability Buddy Match — a one-on-one pairing for additional support throughout the program
“This program helped me change my mindset about my writing so that my writing IS a priority and is not put on the back burner. Having this program hold me accountable is a constant reminder to write. I highly recommend this program to any graduate student — especially those with commitments other than the dissertation, which is almost everyone.“
Cynthia M. Alcantar
Associate Professor & Director of Higher Education Administration
Loyola Marymount University
What You’ll Learn
The Dissertation Success Curriculum helps you build the habits, mindset, and support systems that make steady progress possible. Through the curriculum, you’ll learn how to:
- Develop and maintain a consistent writing routine that fits your life
- Set realistic weekly writing goals — and actually meet them
- Navigate the academic writing process with greater clarity and confidence
- Identify and work through the perfectionism that keeps you from the page
- Build writing rituals that support long-term momentum, not just short sprints
- Track your research and writing time for honest, ongoing self-assessment
- Connect with a community of productive academic writers who understand your experience
- Build an extended network of mentors to support your success well beyond the dissertation