Education, Ph.D.

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Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

 The Ph.D. program in Education prepares you at an advanced level to work in the professorial ranks of higher education or assume positions of leadership in schools and agencies. The degree provides rich preparation by exposing you to a wide variety of courses and experiences related to fundamental theories and concepts associated with education, as well as current issues and trends in diversity, technology, and counseling. Strengths of the program lie in the opportunity for you to be exposed to a variety of courses and to faculty members in the College of Education and the University, while having a defined area of emphasis for your study. the Ph.D. program leads to both a broad and a deep scholarly knowledge, with an emphasis on the production of new knowledge within the profession.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Students will complete a research proposal that includes a complete methods section tailored to the design chosen.
• Students will conduct and explain an original research study that demonstrates their understanding of research methods and the appropriate data analysis.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to read and critically analyze research studies and trends in their emphasis area as demonstrated by successful completion of the dissertation.
• Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral students have additional student learning outcomes described in the Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student Handbook.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the doctoral degrees must meet the general university requirements for admission, Graduate School requirements for admission, as well as those for the College of Education and Human Development and their program requirements.

Each applicant must satisfy the regular graduate admission requirements listed for doctoral programs and the following special requirements:

1. The COEHD recommends, but does not require, that you have at least three years of relevant professional field experience by the time you finish your degree. This may be three years of work experience related to the area of emphasis prior to admission, three years of related work experience while in the doctoral program, or some combination thereof.
2. Preference will be given to applicants who hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in an area appropriately related to the chosen emphasis area. Areas of emphasis of prior degrees should be appropriately related to the chosen emphasis area.
3. The GRE is waived for all programs except Counselor Education and Supervision where it is preferred for the program. Scores in Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing are each considered by the Counselor Education and Supervision review committees. Although high scores are expected in all three areas, particular emphasis is placed on the Analytical Writing subtest.
4. Attain recommendation by the graduate faculty of the area of emphasis and gain approval of the doctoral admissions committee.
5. At least one faculty member in the area of emphasis must be willing to serve as temporary chair of the applicant’s committee.
6. Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral students have additional admission requirements including a preference for GRE scores, as are explained in the Counselor Education Doctoral Student Handbook.

NOTE: Additional requirements may be required for each emphasis. Please contact the Program Director for more information.

I. Program Requirements

The standard doctorate graduate regulations apply with the following modifications:

Full-Time Study: Doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) students must complete a two-semester residency consisting of successive semesters, excluding summer, of at least nine credits each semester. Residency requirements must be satisfied after admission to the doctoral program.

Program: The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, including a minimum of 12 credits of dissertation, with the exception of Counselor Education and Supervision (which requires 96 credits). A Ph.D. program may include up to 24 credits earned as part of the master’s degree. The student’s committee makes the determination of which credits, if any, can be brought in from the master’s degree based on the relevance of the coursework. If the master’s degree is not relevant to the doctoral emphasis area, it is possible that no credits may be brought in, especially for those programs where the minimum is 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree.  In addition to these credits earned at the master’s degree level which may be included in doctoral programs of study, a maximum of 16 relevant credits in an accredited post-master’s degree program or licensure program may be applied to approved Ph.D. program.

A maximum of six graduate credits of S/U grades may apply toward the doctor of education or the doctor of philosophy degree. In preparation for the dissertation, all doctoral students must complete a required sequence of core, research, and statistics courses, including 21 hours for the Ph.D.

Dissertation: The dissertation must involve empirical study of a professional problem.

Foreign Language : There is no foreign language requirement.

Fees: All course credits are assessed at the regular fee schedule in effect at the time of registration.

II. Total Units

The doctor of philosophy degree program (Ph.D.) includes a minimum of 72 units beyond the baccalaureate degree, including a minimum of 12 units of dissertation, with the exception of Counselor Education and Supervision, which requires a minimum of 96 units beyond the baccalaureate degree.

III. Notes

Degree candidates should consult the college website for more information.