 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
GRADUATION 08 | Students
College of Education graduates and their families gathered on June 14, 2008 for a festive Commencement ceremony...
STUDENTS | Undergraduate Minor
The new College of Education minor in Education, Learning, and Society provides a strong background in how human beings learn ...
Degrees
Doctor of Education
Ed.D. Overview
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree is designed to prepare a student for advanced professional practice directed mainly toward the application or transmission of existing knowledge. The program of study leading to the Doctor of Education, as a professional degree, focuses on the utilization of research knowledge, rather than on the production of new research knowledge. Those who aspire to leadership positions as administrators, policy analysts, curriculum designers, or learning resource specialists, for example, would appropriately seek the Doctor of Education degree.
The Ed.D. program consists of a cohesive program of study in a specialty area and related fields specifically tailored to the needs and career goals of individual students. This includes sequences
of appropriate field placements including such experiences as supervisory internships, administrative practica and college teaching experiences; and coursework in research and evaluation methodologies. Upon completion of the Ed.D., each graduate should:
(a) have a broad understanding of the impact of social and cultural factors on education
(b) have the ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form in a variety of settings
(c) have advanced special expertise--body of knowledge and skills--which prepares the individual to assume a position of educational leadership
(d) have the ability to plan, develop, conduct, interpret, and apply research for specific purposes.
The following summarizes the stages and requirements and processes leading to the Ed.D. degree.
Every Ed.D. student should also review the summary of the Graduate School’s doctoral degree requirements (found here: http://www.grad.washington.edu/stsv/quickref.htm) as well as the summary of the College’s credit hour requirements for the Ed.D. (found here: http://depts.washington.edu/coe/programs/edd_overview.html#plan).
Residency
The Graduate School requires a minimum of 90 credits for doctoral degrees. An entering graduate student who holds a master’s degree from an accredited institution may substitute the master’s degree for thirty (30) of those credits, leaving sixty (60) credits that must be earned at the University of Washington. Each student should note that most College of Education degree options exceed the amounts required by the Graduate School.
GENERAL COURSE OF EVENTS LEADING TO AN ED.D.
The following chart outlines the general course of events leading to a Ed.D. degree. Explanatory text follows the chart.
| Events | Outcomes/Products |
|---|---|
| Post Masters | |
|
Written recommendation of faculty adviser for advancement to Prospective Candidacy |
|
Written recommendation of Area for advancement to Prospective Candidacy |
| Prospective Candidacy | |
|
Supervisory Committee form filed with Office of Student Services |
|
Maintain/update Course of Study worksheet |
|
Required coursework completed with the following:
|
| General Examinations | Approved formal Course of Study filed with Office Of Student Services |
| Written exam, oral exam | Both exams passed |
| Candidacy | |
|
Approved Dissertation Proposal filed with Office of Student Services |
|
Completion of 27 dissertation credits. Dissertation filed with Graduate School |
Enrolling In first and Second Year Courses
Upon admission to the Ed.D. program, each student is assigned a temporary advisor whose interests are compatible with those of the student. Prior to completing 18 credits of coursework, the student and the advisor will select the permanent faculty advisor. Working together, the student and the faculty advisor will prepare a tentative program of study that will meet the goals of the student and the requirements of the Area, College and University. Although the role of faculty advisor is designed to assist the student in completing the Ed.D. degree, it is each student's responsibility to follow all procedures of the Graduate School and College of Education.
Advancing to Prospective Candidacy
To be considered for Prospective Candidacy, a student must have completed between 12 and 24 credits hours of coursework, as well as at least one internship. When student has met the minimum requirements, the advisor will help the student prepare records for presentation to the area faculty, and prepare a written recommendation for advancement to Prospective Candidacy.
Area faculty shall receive a written statement of the student’s goals and a tentative program of study developed by the student and the advisor. Area faculty will consider (a) the faculty advisor’s report concerning the student’s progress in the program, (b) the written and oral abilities demonstrated by student, (c) the student’s GPAs, and (d) the student’s leadership skills as demonstrated in their program of study. The Area faculty will review the student’s work, and based on their review may recommend: (a) advancement to Prospective Candidacy, (b) advancement to Prospective Candidacy, but with supplemental activities to strengthen certain skill areas, (c) postponement of advancement to Prospective Candidacy until prescribed strengthening activities are successfully completed, or (d) discontinuation of study for the Ed.D.
Forming the Supervisory Committee
Upon advancement to Prospective Candidacy, the student should explore with the faculty advisor and other graduate faculty members their willingness to serve on the Supervisory Committee. Once the student has identified a Chairperson and appropriate others who are willing to serve, their names should be submitted to the Office of Student Services using on the appropriate form available on the College website (see http://depts.washington.edu/coe/students/forms/#reading). The student should form a Supervisory Committee as soon after advancement to Prospective Candidacy as feasible. Supervisory Committee formation must be accomplished (a) within one calendar year following advancement, and (b) no later than four months prior to the General Examination.Supervisory Committees will be formed in accordance with Graduate School Memorandum #13 (http://www.grad.washington.edu/Acad/gsmemos/gsmemo13.htm) and according to the following principles:
- A minimum of four voting faculty (at least three with graduate faculty appointments), including (a) two faculty from the students’ Area of Specialization (at least one of whom should be knowledgeable about students’ interests within that Area); and (b) one from either another Area in Education or from outside Education who is knowledgeable in the students’ related fields of study;
- A maximum of seven committee members in total; and
- An additional graduate faculty member, the Graduate School Representative (GSR), must also serve on the committee. GSRs must be members of the graduate faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees, and must have no conflict of interest (such as budgetary relationships or adjunct appointments) with the College of Education. Members of Supervisory Committees representing students’ specializations outside of the College of Education may also serve as GSRs, provided they are qualified to serve in both roles.
Once formed, the Supervisory Committee will meet with the student to refine the program of study and field-based activities, prepare for the General Examination, and design the dissertation. The Supervisory Committee and the student decide the format of the General Examination and the Committee prepares and evaluates the exam. The Supervisory Committee serves as a resource group for the design and conduct of the dissertation. Between Supervisory Committee meetings, it will be the Chairperson's responsibility to serve as the student's advisor.
The Supervisory Committee may recommend against continuation in the program if a student's progress toward the degree is unsatisfactory. This may include but is not limited to: an excessive number of course withdrawals or in-completes, an average grade point of less than 3.0, unsatisfactory performance in field placements, or unsatisfactory performance on the General Examination.
Completing the Written General Exam
When both the student and the Supervisory Committee concur that the student is prepared, and the student has completed all course requirements except the dissertation – including the completion at least 60 credit hours of coursework, per Graduate School requirements (or 30 hours if the student already completed a master’s degree) – there will be a Written and Oral General Examination covering all major portions of the program of study. The student’s Course of Study and research activities will be evaluated through written and oral examinations conducted by the Supervisory Committee. The student should meet with the committee to discuss the content, scheduling, and format of the examinations. The Committee will prepare the written portion of the General Examination. The Chairperson will then forward a copy of the examination plan to the Office of Student Services.The General Examination is given in two parts. The first part is written and examines content area in students’ broad areas, specialty areas, and cognates. Upon satisfactory completion of the written portion of the General Examination, the oral portion may be scheduled.
Completing the Oral General Exam
The student is responsible for scheduling the oral portion of the General Exam (locating an adequate room, determining a date and time that is acceptable to all members of the Supervisory Committee, etc.), as well as notifying the Graduate School of the date, time, and location of the General Exam. The students should notify the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the date of the General Exam, by using the form designated for this purpose (the form may be found on-line at http://www.grad.washington.edu/forms/genexam.pdf). The student should follow form instructions carefully. Students should also note that they must be enrolled for credit hours during the quarter of the General Exam. If a General Exam occurs during a period between academic quarters, then the General Exam will be considered to have taken place the following quarter, and students must register for that quarter.During the oral examination, members of the Graduate Faculty may ask any question they choose. By majority vote, the Supervisory Committee will rule whether students pass the Oral Examination.
Preparing the Dissertation Proposal
The Ed.D. dissertation is designed to demonstrate the student's knowledge and skills. This synthesis may be demonstrated by rigorous study of an educational problem such as curriculum evaluation, development and evaluation of administrative models, development and field testing of a diagnostic tool or curricular material, or development and evaluation of in-service, teacher training models. It may also take the traditional form of a research study. Throughout the dissertation period the student should maintain close contact with Supervisory Committee members.Within one calendar year of successfully completing the Oral portion of the General Examination, the student shall submit and the Supervisory Committee approve a dissertation proposal. The purpose of the dissertation proposal is to provide the student with constructive criticism from the entire Supervisory Committee prior to the execution of dissertation work. The written dissertation proposal should be approved unanimously by the Supervisory Committee members; the approval will be indicated by submitting to the Office of Student Services a copy of the proposal cover page, signed by each member of the committee (a proposal cover page template can be found here: http://depts.washington.edu/coe/wordforms/Thesis.doc). Approval of the proposal does not guarantee that the Supervisory Committee will approve the dissertation at the Final Oral Examination, but it does guarantee that the Committee may not later disapprove the dissertation on the grounds that the research was poorly conceived. The approved proposal becomes the working paper for conducting dissertation research.
Once the proposal receives Supervisory Committee approval, the student may need to submit and application for review and approval by the Human Subjects Division. On its web site, the College of Education has summarized some of the most important aspects of the human subjects review process. That web page can be found here: http://depts.washington.edu/coe/resources/hsubjects/. The student should also the consult the web site of the UW’s Human Subjects Division, found at http://www.washington.edu/research/hsd/sitemap.html.
For additional information about the process, the type of review suitable for a given project, application forms, and general assistance, a student may also contact Louise Clauss via email (lclauss@u.washington.edu), or telephone (206-616-8291).
Forming the reading committee
The three-person Reading Committee will be selected from among student’s Supervisory Committee members, and will include the Chair of the Supervisory Committee. It is advisable to include a member who is knowledgeable in the chosen research methodology. The Reading Committee will read and review the dissertation in detail and make a recommendation to the larger Supervisory Committee about readiness to schedule the Final Examination. Once the student has identified appropriate graduate faculty who are willing to serve on the Reading Committee, their names should be submitted to the Office of Student Services using on the appropriate form available on the College website (see http://depts.washington.edu/coe/students/forms/#reading).
Conforming to Stylistic Standards
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the dissertation meets current Graduate School requirements. The student may obtain a free copy of the Style & Policy Manual for Theses and Dissertations from the Graduate School (G-1 Communications Bldg) or online at http://www.grad.washington.edu/stsv/stylman/00stylman.htm.
Completing the Final Exam (Dissertation Defense)
It is expected that the student will pass the Final Examination. The final defense of the dissertation is intended as an opportunity for all involved to celebrate the good results of their work during the student’s careers in the College.The student should schedule the Final Examinations after submitting the dissertation to the Supervisory Committee. The student is responsible for scheduling the Final Exam (locating an adequate room, determining a date and time that is acceptable to all members of the Supervisory Committee, etc.), as well as notifying the Graduate School of the date, time, and location of the Final Exam. The student should notify the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the date of the General Exam, by using the form designated for this purpose (the form may be found on-line at http://www.grad.washington.edu/forms/finexam.pdf). The student should follow form instructions carefully. The student should also note that they must be enrolled for credit hours during the quarter of the Final Exam. If a Final Exam occurs during a period between academic quarters, then the Final Exam will be considered to have taken place the following quarter, and the student must register for that following quarter.
The Final Examination will cover the dissertation and related topics, and it may cover other areas deemed appropriate by the Supervisory Committee. While the committee alone votes on acceptance of the dissertation, any member of the graduate faculty may participate in the Final Examination.
SUBMITTING THE DISSERTATION TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Once the student has passed the Final Exam and has completed any revisions requested by the Supervisory Committee, the remaining step is to submit the dissertation to the Graduate School.
In preparation for submitting the dissertation, the student should keep the following Graduate School policies in mind:
- The dissertation must be submitted to, and accepted by, the Graduate School within 60 days of the Final Examination. Failure to do so will result in having to retake the Final Exam (in extraordinary circumstances, students may petition the Graduate School for exceptions to this requirement).
- A student wishing to submit the dissertations in the same quarter as the Final Exam should make note of the submission deadlines established by the Graduate School. These can be found on-line at http://www.grad.washington.edu/area/qtrdeadlinesgrid.pdf.
- A student who decides to submit the dissertations during the quarter following the Final Exam may be able to take advantage of the Graduate Degree Late Fee. The Late Fee option is available to a student who has completed all other requirements except submission of the dissertation. The Late Fee option is only available until the Fourth Friday of the quarter; after the Fourth Friday, a student must enroll for credit hours in order to graduate. (Note that the 60-day regulation noted above supersedes the Fourth Friday deadline.) Complete information about the Graduate Degree Late Fee can be found here: http://www.grad.washington.edu/area/degreelatefee.html.
Submission of the dissertation involves two steps: the preliminary review and the final submission. The preliminary review is a service offered by the Graduate School where a thesis adviser will assess the formatting of your document according to the Style and Policy Manual noted above. The student should drop off a copy of the dissertation in Graduate School’s Office of Student Services (G-1 Communications Building), and an e-mail message will be sent when the document is ready to be picked up. A blue Preliminary Check Receipt will accompany the returned document, listing any necessary changes.
Once any necessary changes have been made, the student should make a final submission appointment with the Graduate School. During finals week, final submission is on a drop-in basis only, which may require having to wait for an extended period of time. The student should review Graduate School instructions on dissertation submission here: http://www.grad.washington.edu/area/thesissubmittips.html.
Once the dissertation is submitted to the Graduate School, the student should submit a copy of the dissertation abstract, along with the Post-Graduation Information form (http://depts.washington.edu/coe/wordforms/postgrad.doc) to the College’s Office of Student Services (206 Miller Hall). These items will be included in the student’s files.
Maximum Allowable Time
| Degree Stage: | Maximum Allowable Time: |
|---|---|
| Advance to Prospective Candidate | Two years from matriculation. |
| Form Supervisory Committee | (The Graduate School requires the Supervisory Committee to be formally constituted at least 4 months before the General Oral Examination) |
| Pass General Written Examination | Five years from matriculation |
| Pass General Oral Examination | Six months after passing General Written Examination |
| Approved dissertation proposal filed in the Office of Student Services | One year after passing General Oral Examination--timeline for passing Final Examination is part of approved proposal. |
| Pass Final Examination (Dissertation defense) | Within a 10 year period |
Extensions beyond the ten-year time limit are possible, but require Supervisory Committee recommendation and approval by the Graduate Program Coordinator. Requests for extensions must be petitioned to the Graduate School.
