The Interdisciplinary Committee on Curriculum and Instruction offers an interdisciplinary graduate program leading to the Ph.D. degree in Curriculum and Instruction. The interdisciplinary committee sets guidelines and supervises programs of study.
Areas of concentration, with some subspecializations, follow:
One of the unique features of this interdisciplinary program is that, because it utilizes faculty research and teaching interests from a number of academic units, a student may work in concert with the program committee to tailor a course of study to fit individual needs and goals.
The interdisciplinary committee sets guidelines and supervises programs of study, while an executive committee, appointed by the dean of the College of Education and the dean of the Graduate College, has primary responsibility for the operation of the program. It is composed of faculty representing the various concentrations.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The Ph.D. degree in Curriculum and Instruction is an individualized interdisciplinary degree that integrates graduate courses from a variety of academic units. This course work provides a substantive knowledge base in the concentration area and a sound foundation for research leading to a dissertation.
See “Doctor of Philosophy” for general requirements.
Admission. In addition to meeting minimum Graduate College admission requirements, each applicant must provide the following:
One year of full-time teaching experience at the appropriate level, or its equivalent, is strongly recommended. In the absence of prior teaching experience, a teaching internship is required but may not be counted toward the Ph.D. degree.
Admission decisions are based upon the compatibility of the applicant’s career goals with the purpose of the degree program, previous academic training and performance, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and the availability of a potential mentor in the candidate’s concentration area. It should be noted that, because of enrollment limits, applicants who meet minimum requirements are not automatically admitted.
Program Committee. The program committee, consisting of a chair and at least two other members, oversees the preparation of the initial program of study and the preparation and evaluation of the comprehensive examination. Although the program committee may consist of only three members for early advisement, it must have at least five members for the administration and evaluation of the comprehensive examination, three of whom must be members of the interdisciplinary committee and two of whom must be experts in the student’s area of concentration. At least one member of the program committee must be a faculty member of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction. The committee must be approved by the dean of the Graduate College.
The program committee and the student must decide on the area of concentration and cognate area to be included in the student’s comprehensive examination. They also must develop a program of study to establish a professional knowledge base and methods of inquiry and analytical tools for research.
Dissertation Committee. After passing the comprehensive examination, a dissertation committee is formed, upon the approval of the dean of the Graduate College. The basic functions of the dissertation committee are as follows:
Members of the program committee may also serve as members of the dissertation committee; however, the committees may have different memberships. At least one member of the dissertation committee must be a faculty member of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction. The dissertation committee chair must be a faculty member designated eligible to serve in this capacity by the interdisciplinary committee and the dean of the Graduate College.
Program of Study. The program requires at least 93 semester hours, or the equivalent of four academic years of full-time study, beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students with a master’s degree directly related to the anticipated course of study must complete a minimum of 54 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. At least 30 semester hours in the approved program of study, exclusive of research and dissertation, must be taken at ASU. Each candidate must also register for a minimum of 24 semester hours of research and dissertation credit, with the dissertation directed by a dissertation chair approved by the interdisciplinary committee and the dean of the Graduate College. The program of study is divided into four general areas:
Core Course Requirements. All doctoral students in the College of Education are required to complete designated core courses.
Professional Focus. With the advice and approval of the student’s program committee, a student must select a sequence of courses and experiences designed to focus subsequent efforts on a particular aspect of curriculum and instruction, culminating in a dissertation. The professional focus is divided into three areas:
Semester hours counted under one category may not be counted under another. Courses (42 semester hours) are drawn from program courses in the student’s area of concentration.
Cognate Study. Students are expected to choose interrelated courses (12 semester hours minimum) outside their declared area of concentration that have a clear link to their dissertation efforts. Cognate studies can be drawn from a broad range of offerings, both within and outside the College of Education.
Foreign Language Requirements. None.
Core Course Analysis. A core course analysis is required of all students before the completion of 24 semester hours of graduate study.
This written analysis is to be in the form of a paper in which the student describes key concepts and ideas learned in the Ph.D. core courses as they relate to the student’s area of concentration. The purpose of this activity is to allow the student to demonstrate awareness of the key concepts from the core courses and to demonstrate clear and effective writing skills.
Annual Report for Ph.D. Candidates. At the end of each school year (before the last day of final exams), the Ph.D. advisor of each student prepares a report to be reviewed by the director of the executive committee. Copies of the report are distributed to the members of the student’s program or dissertation committee. The report from the mentor, which is accompanied by the student’s transcript and an up-to-date curriculum vitae, includes the following:
Comprehensive Examinations. Upon completion of course work in the Ph.D. program of study and before admission to candidacy and the start of the dissertation research, the student is examined in the areas of concentration, cognate study, and methods of inquiry and analytical tools. The examination is designed to test the student’s accumulation of interdisciplinary knowledge and ability to communicate across disciplines. The comprehensive examination is developed and administered by the student’s five-member program committee.
Dissertation Prospectus and Proposal. The precis is a 15-page sketch of the dissertation research proposed by the student. Upon approval of the precis by the dissertation committee, the student must develop a dissertation proposal. The proposal typically constitutes a draft of the first three chapters of the dissertation, but may vary with the dissertation committee’s approval. Following approval of the proposal by the dissertation committee chair, a proposal meeting is scheduled. Approval of the proposal at that meeting indicates that the faculty agree that the rationale, review of the literature, method, and proposed analyses are appropriate and that the study may proceed as planned. If problems are identified in the proposal meeting, the dissertation committee may meet again to hear a revised proposal or arrange a more relevant way to re-examine the proposal.
Research and Dissertation. Twenty-four semester hours of research and dissertation credit are required. Twelve dissertation credits must be reserved for postcandidacy registration. The dissertation is designed to be the student’s culminating experience. The dissertation must consist of a fully documented written study demonstrating a high level of expertise in research and scholarship in the student’s area of concentration. The dissertation should make an original contribution to inquiry in the area of curriculum and instruction and be worthy of publication by an established press as a book or monograph or as one or more articles in a refereed, scholarly journal. The dissertation should not only demonstrate that the student is able to conduct quality research, but also should be conceived and carried out in such a way that it should make a contribution to advancing scholarship in the field of curriculum and instruction.
Final Examinations. The final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is scheduled and conducted by the student’s dissertation committee. A candidate must pass the final examination within five years after completing the comprehensive examination.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Faculty in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program committee in Curriculum and Instruction are engaged in a variety of research activities. Representative examples may be found under the program descriptions that correspond to the areas of concentration of this degree program.
Page last updated:
Visits to this page: