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Doctor of Philosophy in Education Degree
Telephone: (302) 831-1165
http://www.udel.edu/education/phd/index.html
Faculty Listing: http://www.udel.edu/education/people/index.html
The Doctor of Philosophy degree represents the highest level of achievement in formal education. As such, this degree signifies the attainment of an advanced level of scholarship and the possession of scholarly dispositions and habits. Individuals awarded the Ph.D. in Education by the School of Education at the University of Delaware are prepared to make significant contributions to the field of education, and they do this, first and foremost, by conducting research that answers important questions about the nature of education.
The Ph.D. program includes core coursework in two Proseminars that introduce first year students to the breadth of educational topics and inquiry, and three courses that introduce students to quantitative, qualitative, and epistemological approaches to educational research. Intensive coursework from a specialized area of knowledge provides the student with a depth of understanding that is situated in a series of research projects and studies. Specialization areas within the Ph.D. include Cognition, Development and Instruction (CDI); Curriculum Inquiry; Literacy Education; Mathematics Education; Research Methodology and Evaluation (RME); School Psychology; Science Education; Sociocultural and Communal Approaches (SCA); and Special Education. Through the Colloquium course and lecture series, distinguished visiting scholars provide students with the opportunity to discuss current topics and research.
Students may earn an MA in Education degree by successfully completing the doctoral core coursework, twelve credit hours of specialization coursework, three credits of Colloquium and passing the Proseminar Assessment.
Requirements for Admission to the Ph.D. Program in Education
Applications for admission must be received by December 15 to be considered for acceptance for the following fall semester. The specialization area to be pursued must be indicated at the time of admission as the faculty within each specialization area collectively make a recommendation regarding admission. Full-time study is strongly recommended.
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Official report of GRE scores taken within the past three years. Although there is not a minimum GRE requirement, it is expected that applicants will attain a 1050 or above on the combined verbal and quantitative sections of the exam.
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An officially reported minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (iBT) OR an officially reported minimum IELTS score of 7.0 for applicants whose native language is not English.
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An official copy of the applicant's undergraduate transcript from an accredited college or university must be submitted.
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An official copy of the applicant's graduate transcripts from an accredited college or university must be submitted if applicable. Candidates applying to the mathematics education specialization must have earned a master's degree.
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Three letters of reference from individuals who are able to assess the applicant's academic ability and potential.
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A statement from the applicant describing professional objectives and plans for accomplishing them.
It is expected that applicants will have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (and, if applicable, a graduate GPA of 3.5). Applicants are urged to submit additional material that attests to their ability to carry out and benefit from graduate work. Those materials may include term papers, laboratory reports, publications, theses, or other examples of academic work.
Program Requirements for the PhD Degree
1. Course Work: Doctoral Core coursework includes two Proseminars (EDUC 805, EDUC 806) that students take in the first two semesters of their program, and three methodology courses (EDUC 856, EDUC 850, EDUC 852) taken in the first three semesters of their program. This 17 credit hour sequence comprises the Doctoral Core.
Students must also complete a minimum of 21 credit hours of specialization area coursework from one of the following areas: cognition, development and instruction; curriculum inquiry; literacy education; mathematics education; research methodology and evaluation; school psychology; science education; socio-cultural approaches; or special education.
The research colloquia expose students to some of the foremost thinkers and researchers in the field of education. Guest scholars are invited to share their research findings with doctoral students and faculty in a setting that encourages collegiality and familiarizes students with a number of scholarly presentation styles and content areas. A one-credit course (EDUC 840) is offered each semester in conjunction with the colloquium series and students must complete a minimum of 4 credits of colloquium.
Nine hours of dissertation credit (EDUC 969) is required of all Ph.D. students, and additional coursework may be specified by a student's advisory committee as part of the student's Individual Program Plan. A minimum of 51 credit hours is required to complete the Ph.D. program.
2. Scholarly Apprenticeship Requirements consist of the following activities and requirements: participation in an annual SOE Research Forum; supervised university teaching experience; submission of a publication to a peer-reviewed journal; submission of a dissertation support grant; and presentation at a national conference in the student's area of expertise.
3. Residency Requirement: One year in residence (one continuous academic year-9 credit hours per semester) must be completed. Students are strongly encouraged to complete this requirement in the first year.
4. Examinations: All students must pass an assessment based on the work completed in the Proseminars at the end of the first year. Students must successfully pass the Proseminar Assessment before they are allowed to enroll in second year courses. Additionally, a Specialization Area Examination may be required in some specialization areas. This examination would take place after the student has passed all the required coursework for that specialization, but prior to the defense of the dissertation proposal.
5. Dissertation proposal: A written proposal that is defended before one's advisory committee.
6. Dissertation and defense: An original work of scholarship, meeting School, University and professional requirements, plus an oral defense of the work.
Although every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information in the Catalog,
students and others who use the Catalog should note that the policies, rules, regulations,
requirements for graduation, course offerings, and other materials reproduced in the Catalog change
from time-to-time and that these changes may alter the information contained in this Catalog.
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