Penn Graduate Student Center
Dissertation Boot Camp
About Dissertation Boot Camp
Looking for an environment where you can focus solely on writing your dissertation? Look no further. The Graduate Student Center's popular Dissertation Boot Camp is your two-week writers' retreat.
As a part of our Navigating the Dissertation Series, our Dissertation Boot Camp was developed to help students progress through the difficult writing stages of the dissertation process. By offering an environment and support for intense, focused writing time, the Camp provides participants with the structure and motivation to overcome typical roadblocks in the dissertation process. Read about a Camper's experience in The Pennsylvania Gazette, Dissertation 'boot camp' turns slackers into scholars.
Frequency of Boot Camp: Boot Camp is a two-week long, bi-annual event. The first Boot Camp usually starts the second full week of January. The second Boot Camp usually starts the first full week of June. Boot Camp specific dates will be posted ONE month in advance.
Registration: Registration begins ONE month in advance. Students should register in person at the Graduate Student Center. If you cannot register in person, please have someone come with you Penncard or a photocopy of your Penncard, and register for you. We will need your email address and Penn Card number at time of registration.Cost: Non-refundable supply fee at the time of registration and a separate $50 payment if a camper does not abide by the rules or complete Boot Camp.
Bootcamp FAQ:
I participated before - can I participate again?
A student cannot participate in more than one Boot Camp. If you participated in a previous two-week Boot Camp, you cannot register again unless there are seats left. The reason for this is twofold:
- Boot Camp is limited to 24 students, and we are trying to accommodate as many students as possible
- We intend for Boot Camp to be a model that you can continue on your own. It is our hope that participants will form small self-motivated dissertation groups, utilize the Weingarten Learning Resource Center, utilize our Writing Weekends when available and stick to an individualized writing schedule with the momentum gained from Boot Camp.
Questions or Concerns?
We are happy to explain our policies and discuss the program with you. Please contact us at navdiss@gsc.upenn.edu.
Graduate Student Center
3615 Locust Walk
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia PA 19104-6221
215-746-6868
center@gsc.upenn.edu
