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Early Childhood Education (EdD)

Major: Instruction and Curriculum Development

Concentration: Early Childhood Education

Degree: EdD

License: None

Admission:

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Program Requirements

Students who have not completed at least six semester hours of graduate level mode one course work in cultural, historical, or psychological foundations of education, must complete those hours during the first year of enrollment in the doctoral program. These prerequisites will not be counted toward the degree.

A minimum total of 54 hours post masters hours.

The major will consist of 42-45, with 9-12 hours of dissertation credit (ICL 9000) and 3-6 hours of doctoral seminar (ICL 8995).

The research requirement will consist of courses directed toward research and/or statistical techniques and procedures necessary for the discipline and the dissertation topic.

Approved transfer credit or post-master's courses may be accepted for not more than 12 semester hours.

Completion of the college and university residency requirements. Additional information pertaining to the major and concentration areas may be secured from the Chair of Graduate Coordinator of the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership.

Residency

Students working toward the doctoral degree must fulfill the University and College residency requirements after filing a program of studies.

Purpose

The purpose of residency is to provide the doctoral student with significant time for sustained contact with faculty members. An expected outcome is the acquisition of skills of inquiry, and opportunity for research, and the incorporation of professional values in to the experience that the student brings to graduate school. Also, it facilitates the creation of a cohesive climate in which inquiry becomes the linking feature of the graduate student experience. In short, residency is expected to be a vehicle for socialization into the shared community of professional life. At the heart of the community lies a commitment to sustained inquiry that extends beyond the period of doctoral preparation and into the students lifetime work, either as a practitioner or as one who demonstrates leadership based on a foundation of inquiry.

Doctoral Residency Policies

A doctoral student must select one of the following course enrollment options:

  • The student will maintain two semesters of continuous enrollment of 9 hours per semester. The enrollment requirement may be satisfied by enrolling in fall, spring, and summer semesters.
  • Three semesters of continuous enrollment per semester during two consecutive summers and at least 3 hours per semester during the intervening fall and spring semesters.
  • Nine hours of enrollment per semester during two consecutive summers and at least 3 hours per semester during intervening fall and spring semesters.
  • A plan of residency will be developed by the student and major professor. The plan will be developed by the student and major professor. The plan will be reviewed by the department.

The plan of residency consists of the following elements:

  • The plan will be contained in a 3-5 page document.
  • It will contain an introduction to the problem area that the student will address during the coming period of residency. This introduction will include a specification of the problem, an indication of its importance, and a brief summary of pertinent literature placing the problem in its context. Relevant theoretical implications will be noted.
  • It will detail a plan of action including projected time benchmarks to resolve the problem. It is expected that this plan will allow for a sustained and multifaceted inquiry that incorporates significant components derived from the literature and have implications for the filed of study.
  • Tools of inquiry expected to be required in the course of completing the residency will be noted. If the candidate possesses these tools, some indication documenting the mastery of the tool component should be noted. If skills of inquiry are to be acquired during the course of the residency this must be noted.
  • Faculty resources associated with each component of the plan must be indicated. It is expected that the student will be in contact with individuals who have been engaged in this area beyond the campus.
  • The products of the residency will be noted. It is expected that the residency will lead to a paper submitted to a refereed journal or presented at a peer reviewed conference.

Timetable for Filing for Residency

Prior to beginning residency, the written plan must be filed. The plan must have the approval signatures of the chair of the candidate's program advisory committee and of the department chair. It must be submitted to the department office of the candidate's major for approval no later than the last day of graduate registration in the semester designated to count as residency. Students are expected to have satisfied requirements for admission to the doctoral program before filing a residency plan.

Written Preliminary Exams

Graduate students will have an opportunity to take written Preliminary Exams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the fifth week of either the fall or spring semester. Summer prelims will be taken on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the 2nd week of the first summer session.

Oral Preliminary Exams

Oral Preliminary Exams will take place within two weeks of the Written Exams.

Preparation for Written and Oral Preliminary Exams

It is expected that the graduate student meet individually with faculty who are writing examination questions well in advance of the testing date to discuss areas of concern as well as expectations in the areas of study.

Prospectus

Graduate students who have successfully completed both the Written and Oral Preliminary Exams are expected to complete the following:

  • Establish Dissertation Committee and Chairperson of same
  • With guidance, design research component with written Prospectus consisting of Chapters 1, 2, and 3
  • Meet with each Committee member to refine the above, upon approval of Chairperson provide each Committee member written Prospectus two weeks prior to Prospectus Meeting
  • Arrange for location of Prospectus Meeting
  • Present information and seek guidance and approval from the Committee

Dissertation

Follow guidelines of the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and Graduate School.