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Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education

The Ph.D. in Education prepares researchers to work in academia as well as in research institutions, government agencies, and public and non-profit organizations that investigate the central issues and questions affecting teaching and learning and the nature of education. Students in this 4-5 year program generally attend full-time. Program requirements are enumerated as follows:

1. Core Courses: Doctoral Core coursework includes two Proseminars (EDUC 805, EDUC 806) that students take in the first two semesters of their program, and three methodology courses (EDUC 856, EDUC 850, EDUC 852) taken in the first three semesters of their program. This 17 credit hour sequence comprises the Doctoral Core.
2. Specialization Courses: Students must complete a minimum of 21 credit hours of specialization area coursework from one of the following areas (additional coursework may be specified by a student's advisory committee as part of the student's Individual Program Plan constructed by the student and/or advisor no later than the end of the third semester in the program):
   • Cognition, Development & Instruction
   • Curriculum Inquiry
   • Literacy Education
   • Mathematics Education
   • Research Methodology and Evaluation
   • School Psychology
   • Science Education
   • Sociocultural and Communal Approaches
   • Special Education
3. Colloquium Series: Research colloquia expose students to some of the foremost thinkers and researchers in the field of education. Guest scholars are invited to share their research findings with doctoral students and faculty in a setting that encourages collegiality and familiarizes students with a number of scholarly presentation styles and content areas. A one-credit course (EDUC 840) is offered each semester in conjunction with the colloquium series and students must complete a minimum of 4 credits of colloquium.
4. Apprenticeship: Scholarly Apprenticeship Requirements consist of the following activities and requirements: participation in an annual SOE Research Forum; supervised university teaching experience; submission of a publication to a peer-reviewed journal; submission of a dissertation support grant; and presentation at a national conference in the student's area of expertise.
5. Residency Requirement: University policy requires Ph.D. students to complete one year in residence (one continuous academic year—9 credit hours per semester). Students in this cohort-based program are encouraged to complete the residency requirement during their first year in the program.
6. Examinations: All students must pass an assessment based on the work completed in the Proseminars at the end of the first year. Students must successfully pass the Proseminar Assessment before they are allowed to enroll in second year courses. Additionally, a Specialization Area Examination may be required in some specialization areas. This examination takes place after the student has passed all the required coursework for that specialization, but prior to the defense of the dissertation proposal.
7. Dissertation Proposal: A written proposal that is defended before one's advisory committee.
   
8. Dissertation and Defense: An original work of scholarship, meeting School, University and professional requirements, plus an oral defense of the work. Nine hours of dissertation credit (EDUC 969) are required of all Ph.D. students. A minimum of 51 credit hours is required to complete the Ph.D. program.