Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 39

Required Courses:

¹

Students select a two-course cognate based on their dissertation interests. They should consult with their advisor on the selection of these electives.

²

Students must take the “introductory” versions of the qualitative (EDUC 5262) and quantitative (EDUC 5325) courses before enrolling in more advanced courses for either methodology. A student may be exempted from the introductory courses if program faculty believe the student's prior coursework warrants an exemption. Approval from the student's advisor is required.

³

With documented approval from the student's advisor, an alternate course may be selected as an advanced research method course.

⁴

HIED 8093 must be taken during or after the last term of academic coursework.

⁵

Of the 6 credits overall, a minimum of 2 credits of EDUC 9999 must be taken.

Culminating Events:
Comprehensive Exam:
At the end of the academic term in which students are enrolled in HIED 8093 Advanced Higher Education Research Seminar and prior to completion of the dissertation proposal, students complete a comprehensive exam in order to advance to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The comprehensive exam consists of written responses to three questions developed by the instructor of the Research Seminar who, in most cases, will serve as the student’s primary dissertation advisor and chair. Through the comprehensive exam, students must demonstrate the ability to:

• situate and define a chosen topic or field within the concepts and history of the field;
• compare, contrast and justify various research methods appropriate to investigation of a practice-based research problem; and
• critically synthesize the extant scholarly and practice-focused literature that informs administrative practice related to the topic.

Successful completion of the comprehensive exam advances students to doctoral candidate status and aids in preparation of the dissertation proposal.

Dissertation Proposal:
In the term immediately following completion of the HIED 8093 Advanced Higher Education Research Seminar and successful completion of the comprehensive exam, students enroll in EDUC 9998 Dissertation Proposal Design. Students enroll in a section of EDUC 9998 with the same cohort of students and instructor with whom they were enrolled in HIED 8093. Like HIED 8093 Advanced Higher Education Research Seminar, EDUC 9998 Dissertation Proposal Design serves as a structured, intensive cohort-based monthly workshop in which students design and defend a dissertation proposal that outlines a rigorous plan for empirical study of an issue relevant to the student’s professional responsibilities or aspirations. The proposal must incorporate a thorough and critical review of literature relevant to the topic, a discussion of theoretical approaches to understanding and studying the topic, a conceptual or theoretical framework that will guide the study, and a robust methodological plan that includes assurances of completing Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and any interview or other protocols necessary to submit for IRB review. Dissertation proposal defense occurs at any point during or at the end of the academic term. Students receive feedback from the faculty advisor, other committee members, and their cohort peers during their defense. Students are encouraged to defend the proposal no later than the end of the term in which they are enrolled in EDUC 9998.

Dissertation:
The EdD dissertation is distinct from the PhD dissertation in that the intent of the EdD dissertation is not to build theory but to make a substantive contribution to practice-focused scholarship in a particular domain of higher education. EdD dissertations are typically less lengthy than PhD dissertations and cover a smaller scope of theorizing and data collection. They are, however, held to the same standards as PhD dissertations with respect to methodological validity, data analysis, and writing quality and clarity. Toward this end, EdD students:

• prepare a dissertation study report that is a standard academic manuscript, which includes an introduction, literature review, conceptual/theoretical framework, methodology, results, discussion and references; and
• produce a Practice Guide that is three to five pages in length. The Practice Guide distills the lessons of the student's research into succinct recommendations or best practices for practitioners in their field.