Curriculum and Instruction Doctorate (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction is designed for advanced students who seek a focus on educational research and scholarship in local, national, or international settings. Through their research specialization, graduates contribute their expertise as faculty in careers in higher education, positions in research organizations, or other settings that require educational research.

Nondegree Status

In some cases, a student may wish to take a course(s) prior to being admitted to a degree program. In these cases, a person must be admitted as a nondegree student (sometimes referred to as a special student). No more than nine credit hours earned as a special student may be applied toward an advanced degree.

Advisor and Supervisory Committee

Once admitted to the program by the Graduate School, an advisor is assigned. The advisor assists the student in selecting the courses to be taken in the doctoral degree. The Program of Study with the list of courses is submitted to the Graduate School upon completion of nine hours (part-time students) or during the second semester (full-time students).

Individualized Program

Each student’s program of study is individualized with the approval of the major professor and the supervisory committee to optimize the student’s interests, expertise, and professional goals.

Develop professional educators who accurately perceive, critically analyze, prudently judge, skillfully perform, and ethically act in their professional environments.

Critical Skills = Perceive, Analyze, Judge, Perform, Advocate

• Context - Doctoral program graduates interpret the contexts in which they work from multiple perspectives.
• Curriculum - Doctoral program graduates synthesize, apply, and defend curricular perspectives drawing upon sound theoretical perspectives and/or effective practices.
• Practice - Doctoral program graduates reasonably apply contextual and curricular frameworks to robust professional practices characterized by independent, informed, and compassionate judgment.
• Inquiry - Doctoral program graduates thoughtfully conceptualize, rigorously conduct, and accurately interpret education research.
• Dispositions - Doctoral program graduates:
  • 1) know their students, colleagues and/or clients;
  • 2) value, practice, and promote life-long learning;
  • 3) respect and respond to cross-cultural and cross-linguistic learners;
  • 4) commit to professional, ethical, and legal conduct;
  • 5) critically think and reflect upon their perspectives, practices, and outcomes.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction requires a minimum of 90 postbaccalaureate, graduate credit hours. With the approval of the supervisory committee, up to 30 graduate hours earned as part of the Master's degree may be used to satisfy the degree requirements.

A. Area of Emphasis (54 hours)

Theory Course (3 hours)

Possible courses include:

• EDCI 907 Curriculum Theory (This course is offered in the fall of odd years.)
• Or a theory course in the content field (e.g., EDCI 818 Theoretical Models of Reading)
• Or a theory course approved by the advisor

Courses with the EDCI prefix (12 hours)

A minimum of 12 credit hours of the post-master’s credits on the Ph.D. Program of Study must designate the EDCI prefix at the 800 or 900-course level. Research credits (EDCI 999) and internship credits (EDCI 991) may not be applied to the 12-credit hour minimum.

Courses in the major and minor area (42 hours)

B. Foundations of Education (3 hours)

Possible courses include:

• EDCI 812 History of Education
• EDCI 813 Comparative Philosophies of Education

C. Research Courses (15 hours)

Programs of Study must include quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Possible Research Courses Include:

• EDCI 912 - Historical Research Methods in Education (Offered alternate even years in the
• Fall) Credits: 3
• EDCEP 817 - Statistical Methods in Education Credits: 3
• EDCEP 819 - Survey Research Credits: 3
• EDCEP 917 - Experimental Design in Educational Research Credits: 3
• EDLEA 838 - Qualitative Research in Education Credits: 3
• EDLEA 938 - Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Methods Credits: 3
• EDLEA 948 - Data Representation and Writing in Qualitative Research Credits: 3

Note: EDCEP 816 Research Methods or its equivalent is considered a prerequisite for the 15

hours of research in the PhD program. Also, EDCI 760 Action Research in Education cannot be included in the 15-hour research course requirement.

D. Doctoral Research (18 hours minimum; no more than 30 hours)

• EDCI 999 Doctoral Research

Preliminary examination

Satisfactory completion of all segments of a monitored, written examination of at least 12 hours over all areas of the program of study.

Dissertation research (18 credit hours; no more than 30 hours)

Completion of a dissertation that examines a topic congruent with the program of study using a systematic methodology consistent with accepted research paradigms; the dissertation must be successfully defended in a public, oral defense.

• EDCI 999 - Research in Curriculum and Instruction Credits: (1-18)