Education, Ph.D.

Curriculum

Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours during a three-year full-time program prior to the dissertation year. The program is a model in which students complete a core set of courses as a cohort and a unique set of electives and research experiences. The core curriculum includes the following courses:

• EDU 7119 - Synthesis and Integration of Knowledge and Skills in Education
• EDU 7302 - Quantitative Research Methods I
• EDU 7305 - Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education
• EDU 7306 - Historical and Social Foundations of Education
• EDU 7307 - Foundations of Teaching and Learning
• EDU 7311 - Quantitative Statistics for Education Research (with lab)
• EDU 7312 - Intermediate Quantitative Statistics in Education (with lab)
• EDU 7313 - Advanced Measurement and Assessment I
• EDU 7314 - Advanced Multivariate Statistics
• EDU 7318 - Program Evaluation
• EDU 7321 - Quantitative Research Methods II

Admission

Applications submitted by December 1 receive priority review; applications received after December 1 are reviewed on a rolling basis until admission decisions are made. The Ph.D. program is designed to augment an existing master’s degree or equivalent preparation. Applications must be submitted via “gradadmission.smu.edu/apply” and should include the following:

1. Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
2. A statement of professional purpose.
3. An academic writing sample.
4. Three letters of recommendation.
5. CV or resume.

Degree Requirements

Students must enroll in a minimum of nine credit hours of coursework per term and be full-time residents in the Dallas area for the first three academic years of the program. In addition to completing coursework, students apprentice on research projects for 20 hours each week during the academic calendar year, for which they typically receive fellowship pay, benefits and waived tuition. Degree requirements include the following milestones:

• A total of 60 credit hours of coursework (up to six credit hours can be transferred).
• Qualifying exams (literature synthesis and research design).
• Major area paper.
• Professional competencies (conference presentation, publication, teaching in higher education).
• Dissertation with an oral defense.

At the discretion of the adviser and doctoral committee, the Education Specialist degree is offered as an alternative to the Ph.D. to students who are unable to complete the doctorate. In order to qualify for the Ed.S., a student must: (a) complete 60 term hours, (b) pass qualifying exams, (c) write an acceptable major area paper, and (d) submit an acceptable professional competencies portfolio.