Beyond the Coursework: Steps to Completing
the Ed.D. Program
As described in the ed
tech doctoral program description, the student must complete 21 credits
of core courses and 21 credits of ed tech specialization courses for a
total of 42 credits of coursework. After the student completes this coursework,
there is a series of steps through which the student proceeds to complete
the doctoral program in educational technology. This document describes
the steps to completing the ed tech doctoral program.
1. Choose EPP Advisor and Topic
The doctoral program in educational technology concludes with the writing
of the Executive Position Papers (EPP). By the end of the semester in which
you complete your coursework, you must decide what faculty member in the
School of Education you would like to have serve as your EPP advisor. As
soon as this person agrees, all administrative responsibility for you as
a student is transferred from your current mentor to the EPP advisor. Because
your EPP advisor will serve as the chairperson of your EPP committee, you
need to choose an EPP advisor who has expertise in the topic you have chosen
for your EPP. Therefore, the selection of your EPP advisor goes hand-in-hand
with your choice of an EPP topic, which you need to discuss in advance
with your intended EPP advisor. If you cannot find a faculty member who
has the expertise in or is willing to mentor you on your choice of topic,
you will have to modify your topic. There are numerous exciting and important
topical areas represented in the expertise of the dozens of faculty members
in the School of Education, so choosing a mutually agreeable topic normally
does not present a problem. Note: the EPP advisor is permitted to
be, and often is, the same person who served as your mentor up until this
point in the program.
2. Form EPP Committee
You should form your EPP committee in consultation with your EPP advisor
during the semester in which you complete your coursework. The Executive
Position Paper Committee shall consist of not less than four and not more
than six members. At least two members shall represent the specialization
area, one of whom shall be the committee's chairperson. One member shall
represent the area of minor study (where appropriate) and at least one
member shall be an external examiner chosen from a different academic unit
or from outside the University of Delaware. The chairperson must have established
a record of publication and/or scholarship in the field of the executive
position paper and shall be a full-time member of the faculty of the University;
the definition of faculty includes professional staff who hold secondary
faculty appointments. Faculty who have retired or resigned from the University
may chair committees of students whose work began under their direction
prior to their retirement or departure from the University. An adviser
who is not employed full time by the University of Delaware may serve as
co-chair of the committee providing that the other co-chair meets the conditions
stated above. In the case of dissenting votes, the majority opinion rules.
3. Pre-Candidacy Study
The program guidelines require that each candidate be enrolled continuously
in the program. Until you pass the qualifying exam, the course to enroll
in is EDUC 964: Pre-Candidacy Study. If there are extenuating circumstances,
you can request a leave of absence. Send such a request in writing to your
EPP advisor, with a copy to Mary Martin, Graduate Office, Hullihen Hall.
Leave of absence is "fee free" and must be due to a mitigating condition.
Note:
you may not enroll in EDUC 964 until you have completed all of your coursework,
including the 24 credits of core courses and 18 credits of ed tech specialization
courses required in the ed tech doctoral program.
4. Write EPP Proposal
Before you can begin taking thesis credits, you must write an EPP
Proposal, which must be approved at a meeting of your EPP Committee
at which you will present and defend your proposal. The proposal must provide
a clear identification of the problem to be investigated, a brief review
of the pertinent literature, a plan of the procedures to be followed, and
a statement of how the solution to this problem might contribute to the
improvement of educational practice. At this time, a form entitled "Confirmation
of Dissertation/Executive Paper Committee needs to be completed, signed
by you and your EPP advisor, and sent to Mary Martin, Graduate Office,
Hullihen Hall. If your EPP project involves the use of human subjects, you
must obtain approval from the School of Education (SOE) human subjects
committee, which uses
this checklist to determine whether you have met the necessary requirements.
Your human subjects consent form can be modeled after this
sample
consent letter, although most projects are not quite as involved as
the sample provided here.
5. Thesis
This is the step during which you will develop and write your
EPP
Papers. You must enroll multiple times, for a total of 12 credits,
in the course EDUC 969: Thesis. How you distribute those hours is determined
between you and your EPP advisor. With your advisor's permission, and with
the understanding that you are in fact making progress whenever you sign
up for EDUC 969, you are permitted to sign up for winter and summer thesis
credits. Note: You are not permitted to enroll in EDUC 969
until such time as your EPP Proposal has been accepted and you have passed
the qualifying exam. If you are enrolled in EDUC 964, Pre-Candidacy Study,
during the semester in which you pass the qualifying exam, the graduate
school will automatically switch your EDUC 964 credits over to EDUC 969
thesis credits. Also during that semester, you have the option to add three
more credits if your EPP advisor agrees that the work you have done justifies
a total of six credit hours, as long as payment is made and you send a
receipt showing payment for those extra credits to Mary Martin, Graduate
Office, Hullihen Hall.
6. Defend the EPP
Your final evaluation checkpoint is the oral defense of the EPP. Your EPP
Committee conducts and evaluates the defense, which is open to the public.
During the defense, you will present the findings of your EPP and respond
to questions from the Committee and the audience.
This Web page was last modified on February 27, 2003.
