Doctoral Degree Requirements
The requirements presented in this section are primarily school-wide requirements that have been established in addition to the University-wide requirements detailed under General Academic Regulations. Students should review the general academic regulations section (in particular the regulations pertaining to doctoral study) in addition to the school-specific information detailed below. School-wide doctoral requirements integrated with the University-wide doctoral requirements are available by accessing the above Web site link.
Doctoral Programs
Doctor of Education (EdD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs are offered by the School of Education to provide advanced graduate study and professional specialization in education. Each recipient must show evidence of superior scholarship, mastery of a special field of knowledge, and ability to do significant and relevant research. In doctoral study in the School of Education, a distinction is made between the preparation of education professionals resulting in the EdD degree and the preparation of education professionals resulting in the PhD degree. While EdD and PhD degrees produce experts in critical inquiry, the School of Education distinguishes the degrees according to, among other factors, the focus of the area of inquiry, the type of knowledge advanced, and the career path chosen by the individual student.
PhD research focuses on the study of basic problems arising primarily from behavioral and social science theory with the goal of advancing such theory and knowledge. Individuals pursuing this degree often seek academic positions in universities or research institutes. EdD research focuses on the study of applied, practical problems with the goal of contributing to solutions. Careers for these individuals often center on professional positions as administrators, curriculum developers, or specialists in schools and clinical settings.
Credit Requirements
Doctoral degrees require a minimum of 90 credits in a degree program beyond the baccalaureate, distributed as follows: a minimum of 72 course credits (including transfer credits) and a minimum of 18 dissertation credits. Doctoral-level courses are numbered in the 3000 series, but courses numbered in the 2000 series may also be appropriate for doctoral study. Generally, courses numbered below 2000 do not meet the minimum requirements for doctoral study. Exceptions require the approval of the program or department. No lower-level undergraduate course (numbered 0001-0999) may be applied toward a doctoral degree.
Grade Point Average
All doctoral students are required to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.30. The cumulative GPA is based on all course work taken after enrollment in the appropriate doctoral program. A doctoral student is automatically placed on academic probation when the cumulative GPA, exclusive of transfer credits, falls below 3.30. Ordinarily, students are required to terminate graduate study after two terms on probation. Although the credits allowed for acceptable work completed elsewhere by students enrolled in the School of Education count toward the total number of credits required for a graduate degree, the grades earned in such courses are not included in quality point computations.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in the School of Education is a research-intensive training model that prepares students to be nationally competitive for research careers in both academic and non-academic institutions
Admissions requirements include the GRE for both national and international applicants. International students require a minimum of 100 or higher TOEFL composite score with sub-scores of 21 or higher or 7.0 IELTS with sub-scores of 6.0 or higher. After screening, a small group of applicants will be interviewed prior to a final decision. Only applicants committed to full-time study will be considered (except in unusual circumstances where the applicant works in a setting where research opportunities are available such as a research assistant on a funded project at a research institute).
The students are admitted into one of the following areas of concentration:
Plan of Studies
Prior to advancement to the formal stage called Doctoral Study, the student, in consultation with the academic advisor, must complete a plan of studies that conforms to program requirements. The plan of studies, approved by the academic advisor, the program coordinator, and department is filed in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services.
PhD students are required to file a Plan of Studies during the first year in the program. In formulating the doctoral Plan of Studies, both the student and the academic advisor must pay close attention to these School of Education requirements as well as requirements specific to the particular program or department in which the degree specialization is taken. It is the responsibility of the student to learn particular requirements from the academic advisor. The completion of requirements for the doctorate must be satisfied through registration at the University of Pittsburgh.
Courses approved for transfer credit must be listed individually on the plan of studies. Also, when a student plan of studies lists directed study credits, a directed study agreement form must be completed, signed by both the student and faculty supervisor, and submitted for each directed study at the time of registration. Forms are available from the department.
Any changes in the plan of studies must be approved by the academic advisor and the program coordinator, conform to program requirements, and be filed with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. At the time of graduation, completed courses must comply with the approved plan of studies.
Credit Requirements
The PhD degree requires a minimum of 90 credits in a degree program beyond the baccalaureate, distributed as follows: a minimum of 72 course credits (including transfer credits) and a minimum of 18 dissertation credits. Doctoral-level courses are numbered in the 3000 series, but courses numbered in the 2000 series may also be appropriate for doctoral study if approved on a plan of studies. Generally, courses numbered below 2000 do not meet the minimum requirements for doctoral study. Exceptions require the approval of the program or department. No lower-level undergraduate course (numbered 0001-0999) may be applied toward a doctoral degree. Department and program websites list specific degree requirements.
Acceptance of Transfer Credits
PhD students apply a maximum of 30 post-baccalaureate credits for transfer from other institutions in keeping with University-wide requirements (see Acceptance of Transfer Credits). Both applicants for admission and continuing University of Pittsburgh doctoral students seeking acceptance of transfer credits toward a doctoral degree must submit their transcripts with a completed “Course Credits Accepted” form, available on the School of Education website. When approved, transfer credits must appear on the student’s Plan of Studies. The registrar, after notification of acceptance of transfer credits, will enter the individual transfer credits on the student’s transcript. Grades (and quality points) are not recorded for credits accepted by transfer.
Each course transferred must meet the following conditions:
- The course grade must be at least B or its equivalent.
- The course must be judged relevant to a student’s doctoral Plan of Studies by the program or department.
- The course must be approved for equivalent graduate degrees at the accredited institution, extension, or off-campus center of other institutions at which the course was taken.
The completion of requirements for the doctorate must be satisfied through registration at the University of Pittsburgh. However, under certain circumstances, a student may earn in an accredited graduate institution other than the University of Pittsburgh a limited number of credits toward a doctoral degree.
Doctoral students desiring to take courses at another institution following admission to the University of Pittsburgh should review the course descriptions and receive approval from their academic advisors and program or department prior to registering for those courses if they wish to ensure that these credits will be acceptable for transfer.
Residency
PhD students are required to be enrolled for full-time study, including involvement in research activities.
Supporting Field
PhD students are required to complete a minimum of nine credits in an academic discipline outside of education. This requirement may be met in one of three ways:
- For a student who does not have a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent number of credits to that for a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate academic discipline, a minimum of 18 credits must be taken outside the School of Education in one field or in an interdisciplinary concentration (e.g., Latin American studies or psycholinguistics) as approved by the program or department. No more than 6 of these credits may be used to satisfy research methodology requirements.
- For a student who has a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent number of credits for a bachelor’s degree in an academic discipline, a minimum of 9 credits must be taken outside the School of Education in one field or in an interdisciplinary concentration as approved by the program or department. None of the 9 credits may be used to satisfy research methodology requirements.
- For a student who has a master’s degree or an equivalent number of credits toward a master’s degree in a relevant academic discipline outside of education, no additional credits outside the School of Education need to be taken.
Supervised Research
PhD students are required to complete a supervised research experience that results in a written report of the experience. Enrollment for six credits of supervised research, internship, practicum, or directed study is required.
Statute of Limitations
From the student’s initial registration for doctoral study at the University of Pittsburgh, all requirements for the PhD must be completed within a period of 10 years (or 8 years if the student has received credit for a master’s degree appropriate to the field of study).
Under certain conditions, the dean/associate dean may grant an extension of a student’s statute of limitations.
Doctoral Preliminary Evaluation
Each doctoral student is required to take a preliminary evaluation designed to assess the breadth of the student’s knowledge of the discipline, the student’s achievement during the initial phase of graduate study, and the student’s potential to apply research methods independently. The preliminary evaluation is administered by the program or department to which the student has been admitted. Procedures of administration are available from the program or department.
Advancement to Doctoral Study
To advance to doctoral study, a student must:
- be admitted to full graduate status;
- have completed at least 15 post-master’s graduate credits at the University of Pittsburgh;
- have earned a GPA of at least 3.30 (transfer credits not considered) in post-master’s graduate study at the University of Pittsburgh;
- have a Plan of Studies approved by the academic advisor and the program coordinator on file in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services; and
- have passed the doctoral preliminary evaluation.
Comprehensive Examination
After advancement to doctoral study, each doctoral student is required to take a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is constructed, administered, and scored by the department or program to which the student has been admitted. Procedures and schedules of administration are available from the department or program.
A student must be registered in the term during which the comprehensive examination is taken. In no case may the student be graduated in the same term in which the comprehensive examination is taken. After the comprehensive examination is passed, the student has the remaining time specified by the statute of limitations to complete all remaining doctoral degree requirements. Satisfactory completion of the doctoral comprehensive examination requirement is part of the demonstration of doctoral competency.
Ordinarily, students do not register for dissertation credits until they have passed the comprehensive examination.
Doctoral Competency
Each doctoral student is required to demonstrate doctoral competency by satisfactorily completing the supervised research requirement and doctoral comprehensive examination. The form certifying that a student has demonstrated doctoral competency is initiated by the student’s academic advisor, signed by the academic advisor, the program coordinator, and the department chairperson, and then sent to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. The dean/associate dean notifies the student that doctoral competency has been demonstrated.
Doctoral Committee
For the PhD student, the doctoral committee consists of the research advisor and at least three other members, including one member from another department outside the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh or from an appropriate graduate program outside education at another academic institution.
The research advisor and a majority of the total committee must be full or adjunct members of the graduate faculty of the University of Pittsburgh. Current graduate faculty membership may be found on the University’s Institutional Research website.
The program faculty, the department chairperson, and the dean/associate dean must approve membership on and subsequent changes in the doctoral committee. After the program has approved the doctoral committee, the research advisor initiates the “Proposed Doctoral Committee” form to obtain the signatures of the program coordinator, the department chairperson, and the dean/associate dean. The dean/associate dean must give final approval of the doctoral committee before the overview examination may be scheduled.
Dissertation Overview
The dissertation overview is a written proposal and must be presented to the doctoral committee for approval after doctoral competency has been demonstrated. The dissertation overview includes three components: the final version of the statement of problem of practice, review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge, and applied inquiry plan. The Applied Inquiry Plan guides the development of the Dissertation in Practice. Students develop a potential solution to their problem of practice, such as an intervention or policy change and a plan to study the implementation and predicted outcomes OR collect and analyze data to identify underlying causes and associated factors related to their problem of practice.
The Overview Examination
The overview examination is conducted by the doctoral committee, is chaired by the research advisor, and is open to any faculty member of the graduate faculty of the University wishing to attend. Although any faculty member may participate in the examination, only members of the doctoral committee may be present during the final deliberation and vote on approving the overview. Each member of the doctoral committee must sign the overview form and vote on approving the overview. The committee must unanimously approve the overview in order for the student to be advanced to doctoral candidacy.
Dissertation
Students should review the information detailed under Dissertation and Abstract and Final Oral Examination for University-wide regulations regarding dissertations and dissertation defenses. School of Education-specific rules follow:
The Dissertation Defense
The same rules apply here as detailed under The Overview Examination above.
Vote on the Dissertation Defense
Each member of the doctoral committee must sign the dissertation defense form and vote to pass or fail the student on the dissertation defense. If the decision of the committee is not unanimous, the case is referred to the dean/associate dean for resolution.
Submission Requirements and Fees
For general information concerning preparation of the dissertation, refer to the ETD website.
At least one week prior to the end of the term, the dissertation is submitted in final form to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services along with the following materials:
- Signed dissertation defense form
- Signed ETD approval form
- Two copies of the dissertation abstract initialed by the research advisor
- Completed ProQuest Agreement forms
- Completed Survey of Earned Doctorate form
- Receipt from the Student Payment Center for payment of the dissertation processing fee
- Two copies of the title page
Information concerning requirements for preparing the abstract, the forms to be completed, and the amount of the fees to be paid is available in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. The dissertation and abstract will be examined there to see that they are prepared in an acceptable form and style. For dissertation preparation style information refer to the ETD Format Guidelines. Questions not answered in these documents regarding form and/or style will be referred to the dean/associate dean for review and final decision.
Doctor of Education (EdD) Degree Requirements
Starting Summer 2014, a redesigned EdD program began. The three-year structured EdD program is built on a cohort model and is goal driven. The cohort of students admitted complete a three-year 90-credit program, which includes 30 credits transferred from a relevant master’s degree.
While a vast majority of EdD experiences are shared (common coursework, internship experiences, and common outcome metrics) students pick one of the following areas of concentration:
- Education Leadership
- Health & Physical Activity
- Higher Education Management
- Language, Literacy & Culture
- Out of School Learning
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
- Social and Comparative Analysis in Education
- Special Education
EdD students take eight core courses (24 credits). This includes four courses (12 credits) focused on building foundational knowledge and four courses (12 credits) specifically focused on research and methodology. Candidates will also develop specialized knowledge in their area of concentration through course projects, relevant internships, and four 3000 level courses (12 credits). Students take six credits each term, making them part time students throughout the duration of the program.
Coursework will be offered by alternative delivery models. Week-long intensive on-ramp experiences, hybrid seminars, week-long intensive institutes, cross-disciplinary research seminars, and aspirant internships are available. Integrating diverse learning environments offers a range of structures and opportunities for doctoral students and faculty to form and access “communities of practice” face-to-face in a classroom or via CourseWeb (discussion boards, wikis, blogs, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, etc.). Communities of practice are intentionally created collaborative learning environments that extend and enrich intellectual discourse within a socially constructed space. This flexible structure is especially important for part time doctoral students to thrive as scholarly practitioners.
A school-wide EdD admissions Committee reviews all applications for the EdD degree program. The prospective concentration advisor also reviews the application to affirm the match between student and faculty interests. A 3.5 master’s GPA is recommended and GRE scores are not required. For international students a TOEFL score of 100 on the internet-based test with a minimum of 21 on each subtest, 240 on the computer-based test, or 600 on the paper-based test. Interviews will be conducted.
Plan of Studies
Prior to advancement to the formal stage called Doctoral Study, the student, in consultation with the academic advisor, must complete a plan of studies that conforms to program requirements. The plan of studies, approved by the academic advisor, the program coordinator, and department is filed in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services.
The EdD program requires that students file a Plan of Studies during the fall semester of their first year in the program. In formulating the doctoral Plan of Studies, both the student and the academic advisor must pay close attention to these School of Education requirements as well as requirements specific to the particular program or department in which the degree specialization is taken. It is the responsibility of the student to learn particular requirements from the academic advisor. The completion of requirements for the doctorate must be satisfied through registration at the University of Pittsburgh.
Course Requirements
A doctoral Plan of Studies should include the following degree requirements:
- EdD Foundations Courses (12 credits)
- EdD Practitioner Inquiry Courses (12 credits)
- Area of Concentration Courses (12 credits)
- Additional Area of Concentration Courses (21 transfer credits)
- Supporting Field (9 transfer credits)
- Supervised Practitioner Inquiry and Internship (6 credits)
- Dissertation in Practice (18 credits)
All EdD students will complete eight common core courses: four EdD Foundations Courses (12 credits) and four EdD Practitioner Inquiry Courses (12 credits) designed specifically for EdD students and aligned with the milestones and requirements of the program. In addition to the eight common courses, students take four courses in their area of concentration. Each area of concentration has specified the courses which fulfill this requirement.
Courses approved for transfer credit must be listed individually on the plan of studies. Any changes in the plan of studies must be approved by the academic advisor and the program coordinator, conform to program requirements, and be filed with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. At the time of graduation, completed courses must comply with the approved plan of studies.
Supervised Practitioner Inquiry and Internship
EdD students are required to complete 3 credits of Supervised Practitioner Inquiry and 3 credits of Supervised Internship.
Students in enroll in Supervised Practitioner Inquiry in order to prepare a critical review of literature related to a problem of practice that students identify in consultation with their advisors. Successful completion of this course constitutes completion of the comprehensive examination (as explained below). Supervised Practitioner Inquiry is designed to evaluate students’ strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and potential for acquiring in-depth knowledge of education issues in the declared area of study and to assess students’ ability to write clearly. The Supervised Inquiry requirement is designed to assure that each doctoral student successfully completes a review of literature on a problem of practice that builds on the content in the foundations and area of concentration courses. Students work directly with their advisors to complete the review of literature.
There are three types of Supervised Internship experiences that students may complete:
- Job-embedded internship. Students already working in their field of choice may elect to have their current responsibilities reviewed for eligibility for a “full-time job-embedded internship.” If the advisor and student agree that the students’ current responsibilities represent a relevant and meaningful internship experience, then a plan will be developed that will engage the student in analysis of practice and leadership activities.
- Aspirant internship. Students will have an apprenticeship experience in which they shadow and collaborate with a trained mentor in their discipline.
- Global studies experience: Students will have the opportunity to design an international experience that provides direct observation or experience with practice or policy in another country.
The Supervised Internship experience allows students to integrate learning that has occurred across multiple experiences and courses throughout the program as well as previous professional expertise.
Acceptance of Transfer Credits
EdD students apply a maximum of 30 post-baccalaureate credits for transfer from other institutions in keeping with University-wide requirements (see Acceptance of Transfer Credits). Both applicants for admission and continuing University of Pittsburgh doctoral students seeking acceptance of transfer credits toward a doctoral degree must submit their transcripts with a completed “Course Credits Accepted” form, available on the School of Education website. When approved, transfer credits must appear on the student’s Plan of Studies. The registrar, after notification of acceptance of transfer credits, will enter the individual transfer credits on the student’s transcript. Grades (and quality points) are not recorded for credits accepted by transfer.
Each course transferred must meet the following conditions:
- The course grade must be at least B or its equivalent.
- The course must be judged relevant to a student’s doctoral Plan of Studies by the program or department.
- The course must be approved for equivalent graduate degrees at the accredited institution, extension, or off-campus center of other institutions at which the course was taken.
Residency
The EdD program has no residency requirement.
Statute of Limitations
From the student’s initial registration for doctoral study at the University of Pittsburgh, all requirements for the EdD must be completed within a period of 12 years (or 10 years if the student has received credit for a master’s degree appropriate to the field of study).
Under certain conditions, the dean/associate dean may grant an extension of a student’s statute of limitations.
Doctoral Preliminary Evaluation
Each doctoral student is required to take a preliminary evaluation designed to assess the breadth of the student’s knowledge of the discipline, the student’s achievement during the initial phase of graduate study, and the student’s potential to apply research methods independently. The EdD preliminary examination is designed to assess and support the student’s continued success in doctoral study. The exam consists of a written statement of a defensible problem of practice. The statement articulates the proposed topic, the significance of the problem, scope of inquiry, and questions that will be asked of the literature. This initial assessment is structured to achieve two purposes: (a) to evaluate the student’s strengths, weakness, motivation, and potential for acquiring in-depth knowledge of education issues in the student’s declared area of study and (b) to assess the student’s ability to write clearly.
Advancement to Doctoral Study
To advance to doctoral study, a student must:
- be admitted to full graduate status;
- have completed at least 15 post-master’s graduate credits at the University of Pittsburgh;
- have earned a GPA of at least 3.30 (transfer credits not considered) in post-master’s graduate study at the University of Pittsburgh;
- have a Plan of Studies approved by the academic advisor and the program coordinator on file in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services; and
- have passed the doctoral preliminary evaluation.
Comprehensive Examination
The EdD Comprehensive Exam is a review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge related to the problem of practice. The review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge related to the problem of practice is an integrated conceptual synthesis across sources that addresses these questions: What has been done to address the problem? What has been learned about this problem? What theories, practices, policies, and contested ideas have emerged?
The review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge is the final project for EDUC 3009 - SUPV PRACTITIONER INQUIRY in the fall term of the second year of the EdD program. The advisor approves the review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge. Evidence of advisor approval is a passing grade in EDUC 3009.
A student must be registered in the term during which the comprehensive examination is taken. In no case may the student be graduated in the same term in which the comprehensive examination is taken. After the comprehensive examination is passed, the student has the remaining time specified by the statute of limitations to complete all remaining doctoral degree requirements.
Ordinarily, students do not register for dissertation credits until they have passed the comprehensive examination.
Doctoral Competency
Each doctoral student is required to demonstrate doctoral competency by satisfactorily completing the supervised inquiry and internship and doctoral comprehensive examination. The form certifying that a student has demonstrated doctoral competency is initiated by the student’s academic advisor, signed by the academic advisor, the program coordinator, and the department chairperson, and then sent to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. The dean/associate dean notifies the student that doctoral competency has been demonstrated.
Dissertation in Practice
The EdD program requires a Dissertation in Practice that contributes to the improvement of practice in the student’s area of specialization and reflects the application of relevant theory and knowledge.
Doctoral Committee
The EdD doctoral committee will consist of the research advisor and at least two other members, including one member from an area of concentration other than the student’s primary area. This member may be from another department in the School of Education, from another department in the University of Pittsburgh, or from an appropriate graduate program at another academic institution. At least two committee members shall be full-time faculty of the School of Education (tenured, tenure stream, or non-tenure-stream), and at least one member shall be an experienced practitioner or former practitioner possessing a doctorate and having significant experience in the area of the proposed project. In general, it is expected that all committee members will have earned a doctoral degree (PhD or EdD).
The doctoral committee will decide on the acceptability of the final dissertation project submission, with each committee member signing an appropriate form and indicating whether he/she deems the project to be a pass or a failure. Students can appeal that decision only with respect to issues of academic integrity, as is the case for all course grades. Appeals shall be done informally first, through the associate dean for student affairs, with the current School policy on such appeals being followed for any further steps.
The program faculty, the department chairperson, and the dean/associate dean must approve membership on and subsequent changes in the doctoral committee. After the program has approved the doctoral committee, the research advisor initiates the “Proposed Doctoral Committee” form to obtain the signatures of the program coordinator, the department chairperson, and the dean/associate dean. The dean/associate dean must give final approval of the doctoral committee before the overview examination may be scheduled.
Dissertation Overview
The dissertation overview is a written proposal and must be presented to the doctoral committee for approval after doctoral competency has been demonstrated. The dissertation overview includes three components: the final version of the statement of problem of practice, review of supporting scholarship and professional knowledge, and applied inquiry plan. The Applied Inquiry Plan guides the development of the Dissertation in Practice. Students develop a potential solution to their problem of practice, such as an intervention or policy change and a plan to study the implementation and predicted outcomes OR collect and analyze data to identify underlying causes and associated factors related to their problem of practice.
The Overview Examination
The overview examination is conducted by the doctoral committee in September of the third year of the EdD program, is chaired by the research advisor, and is open to any faculty member of the graduate faculty of the University wishing to attend. Although any faculty member may participate in the examination, only members of the doctoral committee may be present during the final deliberation and vote on approving the overview. Each member of the doctoral committee must sign the overview form and vote on approving the overview. The committee must unanimously approve the overview in order for the student to be advanced to doctoral candidacy.
Dissertation in Practice
The Dissertation in Practice has two sections. The first section is a report that includes the following parts:
- Statement of Problem of Practice
- Review of Supporting Scholarship and Professional Knowledge
- Applied Inquiry Plan
- Summary of major findings from the enactment of the applied inquiry plan.
- Summary of conclusions and recommendations.
- Dissemination Plan - How will student’s research impact practice? The dissemination plan frames the Demonstration of Scholarly Practice
- References
The second section of the Dissertation in Practice is a Demonstration of Scholarly Practice, a public product that supports the advancement of students’ profession, including but not limited to, publishable article in a practitioner journal, white paper, book chapter, presentation to a Board of an organization or agency, policy analysis report, policy brief, video, performance, curriculum resources, professional development plan, professional development resources, program guide, intervention manual, evaluation report, research report, and other products that further students’ professional goals.
Students should review the information detailed under Dissertation and Abstract and Final Oral Examination for University-wide regulations regarding dissertations and dissertation defenses.
The Dissertation Defense
The same rules apply here as detailed under The Overview Examination above.
Vote on the Dissertation Defense
Each member of the doctoral committee must sign the dissertation defense form and vote to pass or fail the student on the dissertation defense. If the decision of the committee is not unanimous, the case is referred to the dean/associate dean for resolution.
Submission Requirements and Fees
For general information concerning preparation of the dissertation, refer to the ETD website.
At least one week prior to the end of the term, the dissertation is submitted in final form to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services along with the following materials:
- Signed dissertation defense form
- Signed ETD approval form
- Two copies of the dissertation abstract initialed by the research advisor
- Completed Proquest Agreement forms
- Completed Survey of Earned Doctorate form
- Receipt from the Student Payment Center for payment of the dissertation processing fee
- Two copies of the title page
Information concerning requirements for preparing the abstract, the forms to be completed, and the amount of the fees to be paid is available in the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services. The dissertation and abstract will be examined there to see that they are prepared in an acceptable form and style. For dissertation preparation style information refer to the ETD Format Guidelines. Questions not answered in these documents regarding form and/or style will be referred to the dean/associate dean for review and final decision.
Education of Mental and Physical Disabilities Requirements
(Area of Concentration)
The major goal of the Special Education PhD and Ed.D degrees is the preparation of leadership personnel. Graduates must have leadership skills to identify the significant issues of the day and the ability to make decisions about the most effective use of new technologies and information to serve the nation’s disabled population. They will also become researchers and scholars committed to furthering the knowledge and empirical base needed for enhancement of special education practice and of the training of special education personnel. Graduates will serve infants, children, youth, and adults with disabilities through roles as teacher educators, researchers, administrators, consultants, and supervisors.
Students complete either a PhD or Ed.D in Special Education with a particular emphasis in learning disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, vision studies, orientation and mobility, or early intervention. As they have in the past, it is expected that graduates of this program will have a significant impact on the quality of educational opportunities for persons with disabilities by providing leadership for local education agencies, state educational agencies, private foundations and agencies, colleges, and universities.
This option is available for students with at least three years experience in teaching children with Mental and Physical Disabilities. (i.e., learning disabilities, mental retardation, etc.). Students may choose between the Ph.D. or Ed.D. Both programs require a minimum of 90 credits of course work including dissertation research. The Ph.D. requires a one year research residency on campus.
A redesigned Doctor of Education degree starts Summer 2014 while the redesigned Doctor of Philosophy Degree starts Fall 2014, for additional degree information, refer to the introductory school section on Doctoral Degrees
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