Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D.

Program Description

Designed for persons who are interested in and show promise of becoming scholars and leaders in the domains of curriculum, teaching, teacher education, and/or educational policy at the K-12 or college level, or in local, state, regional, or national agencies, including those associated with the allied health professions. The Health Professions Education (HPRE) concentration is specifically designed for individuals seeking to become leaders and educators in the healthcare industry by providing the knowledge and skills needed for the effective delivery of health information and care in the 21st century.

This 60 credit-hour degree features a rigorous program of academic coursework and research experiences which prepares future scholars and practitioners to understand and address educational problems and needs from a holistic perspective. Applicants to this program can either enter post-bachelor’s degree or post-Masters. If applicants enter post-bachelor’s, they will first complete a terminal degree in a Master’s program in Education, Health Sciences (for HPRE concentration candidates), or a related field before proceeding with the doctoral program of coursework.

Credentials Deadline

Enrollment is only for Fall term and is limited. Individuals interested in applying for admission should contact the College of Education and Human Development, Director, Dr. Timothy Ford, 342-1288 for application information and deadlines.

Program Admission

Student admission for Full status to the doctoral program is based upon the following criteria:

1. The applicant must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in an area related to his/her proposed program of study. Applicants to this program can either enter post-bachelor’s or post-Masters. If applicants enter post-bachelor’s, they will first complete a terminal degree in Education or a related field before proceeding with the doctoral program of coursework. Students who have not been formally admitted to the doctoral program are not permitted to take courses in the doctoral program at any time.
2. The applicant must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 and a minimum cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.25.
3. The applicant must have completed the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 1000 (292 on the new GRE scale) (Verbal and Quantitative) or 1500 (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical). If student has an Analytical writing score, a score of 4.5 or higher is required.
4. The applicant must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with his/her character, teaching/administrative performance, and ability to perform academically on the doctoral level.
5. Finalists in the application process may be required to have a personal interview with the doctoral admission committee.
6. Applicants should complete an admission portfolio and submit directly to the doctoral program director. This portfolio should include: a personal resumé or curriculum vitae; a 1-3 page typed, double-spaced, personal statement of your professional goals and how the Ed.D. will lead to the fulfillment of these goals; and samples of scholarly writing, particularly writing that has been published, or a Master’s thesis.
7. In addition to demonstrating evidence of academic competence and capability, those persons selected each year for this program will be applicants who are already considered leaders in their educative fields and who have clearly articulated their educational commitment to public schools. It is expected that the application process will be extremely competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission.

Eligibility to remain in the Doctor of Education degree program
Students enrolled in the doctoral program must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 during each term of enrollment. Failure of the student to maintain an overall graduate grade point average of 3.0 or receipt of any grade lower than C in graduate coursework, may result in termination from the program. The student must successfully complete all coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and all experiential and examination requirements.

Program Requirements

Doctoral students in Curriculum and Instruction choose from among two available program concentrations: Curriculum and Instruction or Health Professions Education (HPRE). Candidates for either concentration must complete a total of 60 semester hours to earn the degree. The requirements include:

Additional Program Information

Preliminary Examination:
Upon completion of the first year of coursework (CURR 7000 through CURR 7003) each student will be required to take a Preliminary Examination. The Preliminary Examination is designed to measure student competence in 1) educational foundations, 2) research, and 3) general professional knowledge. Failure to pass this examination after two attempts will result in termination of the student from the program.

Comprehensive Examination:
The second doctoral examination, the Comprehensive Examination, is administered upon completion of all program coursework. This examination consists of a six-hour written component and a two-hour oral examination. Failure to satisfactorily complete this examination will result in a revision of the program of study and an additional examination. Failure to pass this examination after two attempts will result in termination of the student from the program. After satisfactory completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student is admitted to candidacy.

Dissertation:
In addition to the research requirements associated with each course, all doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation. The dissertation should be directed toward the degree specialization and must include field-based research. Students are encouraged to pursue the identification of a dissertation topic and the review of the literature prior to the Comprehensive Examination. The dissertation proposal must be approved by the student’s Doctoral Committee after the Comprehensive Examination has been successfully completed. Other research requirements, for example, the use of human subjects, must be approved by the Institutional Review Board at the ULM Office of Sponsored Programs and Research.

The student will be expected to enroll for a minimum of six semester hours of dissertation credit for each semester/quarter in which the student is working with faculty on the dissertation. The student must be enrolled in a minimum of three semester hours of dissertation credit during the semester/quarter in which the degree is conferred. No less than fifteen (15) semester hours of credit shall be earned for successful completion of the dissertation.

Following completion of the dissertation, the student will be expected to defend this scholarly work during a Dissertation Defense.

Doctoral Committee:
The student’s Doctoral Committee shall consist of the Major Professor and a minimum of three additional faculty. The Major Professor is the committee chair and must be selected from among College of Education and Human Development faculty. Additional committee members from other departments may be added to address specific student program or research needs, but they must be approved as either graduate or associate-status faculty by the ULM Graduate Council prior to commencing the dissertation. A minimum of one member, but no more than two faculty members from the College of Health Sciences will serve on the HPRE concentration candidate committees.

Transfer of Credit for the Doctor of Education Degree:
A maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate credit appropriate to the student’s degree program may be transferred from other institutions offering regionally accredited graduate programs if earned in residence at that institution. No credits for which a grade of less than B has been earned may be transferred. Dissertation credit may not be transferred into the doctoral program.

Time Limit for the Doctor of Education Degree:
All coursework, internships and the dissertation must be completed within a nine year time period from date of candidacy in the program. Any appeal for extension must be approved by ULM’s Graduate Council.

Requests for Time Extensions:
To utilize graduate credit taken prior to the nine-year time limit, the student may request a time extension. These requests should be submitted before or during the semester in which the time limit expires. For further information please contact the Major Professor or the ULM Graduate School.

Policies and Procedures:
Policies and procedures for the Doctoral Program are detailed in the Online Doctor of Education Program Handbook.

Graduate Courses

Note: To receive graduate credit for a 4000-level course designated ‘For Undergraduate and Graduates,’ a student must be in graduate admission status at the time credit is earned in the course. Credit earned in undergraduate admission status cannot be changed to graduate credit.