Coursework
To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the graduate record website. These webpages represent the official repository for academic program requirements.
The Ph.D. in education with a concentration in reading education program requires a minimum of 72 credits. Students must complete 54 hours of coursework. This includes reading program area courses, research methodology courses, and up to 3 credits of research apprenticeship per semester but does not include internship and dissertation credits. At least 36 course and apprenticeship credits must be completed after admission to the program. Students can apply up to 12 credits of dissertation work towards the total of 72.
Students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree can apply up to 24 hours of credit to their doctoral program, provided that the program area and Associate Dean agree that the courses are comparable to substitute for specific courses required in the reading doctoral program.
Students will ordinarily complete the program in 4 years of full-time study, or 3 years of full-time study beyond a master's degree in reading.
Research Methodology Coursework: Ph.D. students are required to take a minimum of three research courses in quantitative methods (generally Stats I, II, and III) and two courses in qualitative research methodology (generally Qual I and II). Advisors may require additional research methodology courses, depending on the focus of a student’s individual program and research.
Students with advanced knowledge in methodology may petition to enroll in courses appropriate to their knowledge.
Research Apprenticeship: All Ph.D. students will participate in a research apprenticeship with their research mentor. A mentor will be assigned based on the student’s research interests. This apprenticeship will occupy approximately 10 hours of each student’s week during the first and second years of study and may increase during the third and fourth years, depending on the student’s specific duties. During this apprenticeship, the student will assist with the mentor’s research and scholarship, which may include data collection, data analysis, library research, presentations, writing for publication, and other related activities.
Internship: Ph.D. students are expected to participate in internships that enable them to understand the workings of university-level teacher preparation. These internships consist of, but are not limited to, the following: supervising student teachers, serving as a graduate teaching assistant, serving as the instructor of a preservice or master’s-level course. All students must serve as a graduate clinician at the McGuffey Reading Center for a total of 6 credits.
Internships will be determined in consultation with faculty advisors.
Record of Progress: Students must complete and keep current their Record of Progress form. The Record should be started upon initial registration and kept up to date throughout the doctoral program.
Student Annual Report: Each Ph.D. student will complete an annual report describing their growth and accomplishments.
Preliminary Exam: At the end of the first semester of the first year of study, all Ph.D. students will complete a preliminary exam, which is designed to determine the likelihood of the student’s continued success in Ph.D. studies. This exam consists of two parts. The first is a paper on a topic of significance in the field and of interest to the student. The second is an oral exam in which the student presents the paper and a critique of a research article he/she has been given one week prior to the exam.
Qualifying Paper: Ph.D. students, prior to their third year of study, will complete a pre-dissertation qualifying paper that results in a manuscript submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. There is no requirement that the paper be accepted for publication, but students are strongly encouraged to revise manuscripts where resubmission is likely to result in publication. Research mentors will work with students to shape these papers toward eventual publication; co-authored papers are acceptable.
Comprehensive Examination: Students will complete a two-part, written comprehensive examination to demonstrate (1) understanding of the knowledge base in Reading Education and (2) readiness to undertake doctoral dissertation research. The examination will be graded independently by at least two faculty members.
Dissertation: Ph.D. students will successfully complete all dissertation requirements including defending a dissertation proposal as determined by the student's doctoral committee; gaining approval from the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects, planning and conducting a research study (dissertation); and passing an oral final examination (dissertation defense) on the conduct and conclusions of the dissertation. All other requirements must be completed before this defense. Guidelines for the dissertation work and the three-paper option alternative are described in the School of Education and Human Development Dissertation Manual. Either option must meet the expectations set forth in the manual’s dissertation guidelines.
