The faculty in the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies offer a Ph.D. degree with an interdisciplinary approach to complex problems of educational policy and leadership. It brings together scholarly interests found in educational administration, higher education, and social and philosophical foundations of education. Emphasis is placed upon critical thought, theories and practice within political, demographic, historical, sociocultural, and intellectual contexts in the United States and other nations. The purpose of the program is to develop educational researchers, policy analysts, and leaders for careers in schools, colleges, universities, and government and private agencies.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
See “Doctor of Philosophy” for general requirements.
Admission. In addition to meeting Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination, a statement of intent, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation. The admission committee meets in early February. All required materials must be in the division office in early January to assure review. Students entering the program must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in either education or an appropriate subject field (e.g., anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, or sociology), or additional courses are required in the areas of deficiency before admission to the program. Contact the division office for the appropriate admissions application.
Program Committee. The program committee (chair and at least two other members) advises in the preparation of the program of study and administers the comprehensive examinations. The committee must be approved by the dean of the Graduate College.
Dissertation Committee. After passing the comprehensive examination, a dissertation committee is formed upon the approval of the dean of the Graduate College. The dissertation committee approves the subject and title of the dissertation. Members of the program committee may also serve as members of the dissertation committee; however, the committees may have different memberships. The dissertation chair must be a faculty member designated eligible to serve in this capacity by the dean of the Graduate College.
Program of Study. Students entering the Ph.D. program are expected to meet the requirement of an 84-semester-hour program of study (including the semester hours transferred from the master’s degree in a related discipline). The following represents components of a program of study.
Policy Studies Foundation. At the heart of the Ph.D. program are 27 semester hours of course work on the foundations of policy studies. During the students’ first year in the program, they take a two-semester sequence, Proseminar I and II (6 hours). In addition, they take Evaluation Theory (3 hours). In the second year, students enroll for Theoretical Issues in Policy Studies (3 hours). Other required courses in this category are Politics of Education, Theory of Educational Organization, Foundations of American Education, and Policy Issues in Learning and Instruction (3 hours each). To understand the economic and financial aspects of educational policy, students take one of the following three courses (3 hours each): Public School Finance, Higher Education Finance and Budgeting, or Political Economy.
Advanced Research Methods. Students must complete a minimum of nine semester hours of research methods beyond the core courses. Courses satisfying this requirement can be taken outside the College of Education curricula with the committee chair’s approval. The courses taken deepen the student’s research emphasis, whether it is qualitative or quantitative.
Specialty Studies. Each student completes 12 semester hours of course work in an area of special interest. This course work represents added depth in the specialty in which the student plans to practice as a scholar, administrator, or policy analyst. These courses are normally selected from those offered within the division.
Practicum. Students must earn three semester hours of credit for a supervised practicum. This work is planned in conjunction with the student’s committee chair and involves applied work in a practical setting relating to the student’s intended postdoctoral position.
Research and Dissertation. Each Ph.D. candidate is required to complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of research and dissertation.
Foreign Language Requirements. None.
Comprehensive Examinations. The examination centers on the professional focus and the cognate study and must be passed before admission to candidacy. A written examination is required; an oral examination over the written portion may be required at the discretion of the student’s program committee.
Dissertation Precis and Proposal. The precis is a 15-page summary of the dissertation research proposed by the student. Upon approval of the precis by the dissertation committee, the student proceeds with developing a dissertation proposal.
Research and Dissertation. Twenty-four semester hours of research and dissertation credit are required. The dissertation must consist of a fully documented written study demonstrating a high level of research competence and scholarship in the student’s area of professional focus. The dissertation should make an original contribution to knowledge in the area of educational leadership and policy studies 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.
Final Examinations. A final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is required.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Faculty research focuses on issues in education from preschool to higher education, such as: culture, language, and the schools; access to education by women and ethnic minorities; financing public education; the role of educational leaders; the schools’ use of technology. The approach is interdisciplinary since problems in education are illuminated by all of the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities. Research techniques include both quantitative and qualitative methods.
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