Students must complete at least 48 credits of course work, with an additional 24 credits of dissertation research. The minimum of 48 credits of course work includes:
1. At least 9 credits in research methods must be taken including courses in two of the following three areas: quantitative foundations (3), qualitative foundations (3), and program evaluation (3). The remaining 3 credits of methodology may be taken within the program area, or as an elective taken outside the program but with the program's approval.
2. At least 9 credits distributed among three of these four areas: learning in a content area (3), policy and leadership (3), social and philosophical foundations (3), and psychological foundations (3). These credits will be outside the student's own program.
3. At least 30 credits in the area of specialization, according to requirements established by each program. Before dissertation candidacy, students must complete a relevant predissertation project culminating in a written product. Projects will be developed in consultation with a project adviser and in accordance with program guidelines. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 in the doctoral course work and dissertation research courses.
Students who have not completed the dissertation after 24 credits of 700-level research, but are actively working toward that goal, will continue to register for 700-level research courses as recommended by the committee chair. All degree candidates must be registered continuously in the Graduate School of Education in the manner described under Continuous Registration in the Academic Policies and Procedures chapter.
A department may set a higher minimum for any curriculum for which it is responsible and may require any particular student to earn more than the minimum credits specified for his or her curriculum.
Transfer of Credit
Students may petition program faculty to transfer up to 18 credits of course work taken at an accredited institution to be accepted as meeting any of the course requirements for the doctor of education degree. If a doctoral student is eligible to take work elsewhere for use toward a Graduate School of Education degree, prior approval must be obtained from his or her adviser and department chair before registering at another school.
