Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Curriculum and Instruction, Doctor of Education

Doctor of Education Degree Programs

The policies governing admission to the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree program are as follows:

  1. Student must apply for admission to the doctoral program through the Graduate School by completing an application and submitting all required documents (including GRE scores).
  2. Completed applications are reviewed by the Doctoral Admissions Committee in the
  3. major area and the names of applicants recommended for admission are submitted to the Graduate School.
  4. Upon approval, the Dean of the Graduate School will notify applicants of the Committee’s decision.

The Doctor of Education program in Curriculum and Instruction is the advanced professional degree for teachers and instructional specialists who will serve in a variety of settings, including public schools, Department of Education, business industries, and institutions of higher education. The objective of the doctoral concentration in Curriculum and Instruction is the preparation of professionals who are competent in curriculum design and instructional application. The minimum requirement for the doctoral degree is sixty (60) semester credit hours, including six (6) hours of doctoral dissertation. Students without prerequisite credentials must enroll in leveling courses that will not count toward the Ed.D. degree.

The Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction is the advanced professional degree for teachers and instructional specialists who will serve in a variety of settings, including federal, regional, state and local education agencies, as well as public schools and institutions of higher education. Graduates of the Program will be prepared to serve in arenas such as school districts, other educational settings, in government and medical institutions, foundations, and in private practice.

The mission of the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction is the preparation of professionals who are competent in curriculum design and instructional application. The Curriculum and Instruction concentration is designed to develop personnel who:

  1. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of existing research in curriculum and instruction;
  2. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the historical, sociological, psychological and political theories underlying curriculum revision and development;
  3. Demonstrate an awareness of how diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds impact curriculum design and instructional implementation;
  4. Demonstrate facility in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum;
  5. Demonstrate effective and efficient knowledge of instructional techniques and teaching models;
  6. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the statistical tools necessary for research;
  7. Develop a comprehensive research project, utilizing statistical tools, research methods, and theory related to curriculum and instruction.

Program of Study

The program of study requires a minimum of sixty (60) semester hour credits beyond the master’s degree. The curriculum includes 18 semester credit hours foundation courses; 18 semester credit hours the major area and 18 semester credit hours of a selected concentration that must be in the same area, for a total of 54 semester credit hours; and  dissertation (6 hours). All students are required to complete a  residency of 18 semester credit hours. Twelve (12) semester credit hours must be completed after being admitted to candidacy.

Students can satisfy the 18-semester credit hour residency requirements for the Ed. D. Degree in one of several ways. Plans A-C is designed for students who work full-time as they earn the doctorate degree. Plan A requires: that students earn the 18 hours during consecutive fall, spring and summer sessions, earning six (6) semester hours each session. Plan B requires that students earn the 18 hours during consecutive spring, summer and fall sessions, earning six (6) semester hours each session. Plan C requires that students earn the 18 hours during consecutive summer, fall, and spring sessions, earning six (6) semester hours each session. Plan D, designed for full-time students, requires that students earn the 18 hours during any two consecutive sessions. The combinations include fall, spring and summer sessions.

Admission Requirements

The criteria for admission to the Doctor of Education degree program are:

Unconditional Admission—The applicant must submit a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score (combined verbal and quantitative; writing score) that will be used in conjunction with the applicant’s socioeconomic profile and the Masters grade point average to determine admission.

Non-negotiable Areas

In addition, the applicant must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. Have an earned master’s degree or its equivalent in a degree program with a grade point average of at least 3.25 (“B+”) from an accredited institution of higher education.
  2. Hold or earn, before completing the program, a teaching or administrative certificate, unless the area in which the individual specializes does not require certification.
  3. Have a minimum of two (2) years of successful professional experience in teaching, administration, supervision, counseling or other career service, for example, personnel in business and industry, counselor, etc.
  4. Submit recommendations from at least three persons including two (2) college faculty members in the applicant’s most recent academic program and at least one (1) immediate supervisor of the applicant’s professional work.
  5. Demonstrate acceptable proficiency in the use of the English language based upon performance on a standardized English Proficiency Test. (Performance on the Verbal portion of the GRE may be considered as adequate by the Doctoral Admission Committee).
  6. Have a personal interview with the department head and faculty in the area of the planned concentration.
  7. Make a score of at least 79 on the TOEFL or IELTS (iBT) = 6.0 (if not from an English speaking country). The following are some factors that may be included in the socioeconomic profile used in the admission process.
    1. Economic status of family when applicant attended elementary, secondary, and undergraduate school.
    2. Applicant’s status of first-generation to attend undergraduate school.
    3. Applicant’s status of first-generation to attend graduate or professional school.
    4. Applicant is multilingual.
    5. Applicant’s employment while attending undergraduate school.
    6. Applicant’s role in helping rear other children in family.
    7. Applicant’s geographic residence in Texas at time of application.
    8. Geographic region of applicant’s high school.
    9. Applicant’s demonstration of performance in community activities.
    10. Applicant’s demonstration of commitment to a particular field of study.
    11. The presence or absence of role models with comparable graduate school training in the applicant’s region of residence.
    12. The applicant’s performance during a personal interview.
  8. Other criteria specified in H.B. 1641 will be considered.

Conditional Admission  - The applicant  must submit a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score (combined  verbal  and quantitative) thatwill beused in conjunction with the applicant’s socioeconomic profile and the Master’s grade point average to determine admission to graduate programs. Failed to acquire at least a 3.5 on the Writing section of the GRE.

Additional Items Needed to be Considered

Writing Sample: Applicant will submit a handwritten writing sample that must be 300-600 words; and score 3.5 on the analytical writing section of the GRE. Interview: Applicant will be interviewed by members of the COE Admissions Committee. Oral Presentation: Applicant will be required to orally present a piece of work to the COE Admissions Committee.

The Curriculum and Instruction program accepts students with a Master’s Degree and a teaching certificate, and/or a Master’s program in natural science, education or behavioral sciences. The  program requires:

  • a  combined  verbal/quantitative score  of at least 700 and
  • at least 3.5 on the  writing section of the  Graduate Record Examination;
  • competency in a  foreign language will also be considered (written, spoken and comprehension);
  • three letters of recommendation from employers and/or professors and
  • at least a 3.25 GPA in Master’s level work.

Applicants must be interviewed by the Doctoral Admission Committee, and write an essay on a topic in the applicant’s major field of study and/or on an urban societal issue. An application will also be enhanced by a recommendation from a graduate faculty member and a commitment to mentor the student through program completion.

Persons interested in applying for the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction should submit an application to the Graduate School, along with GRE scores, transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, and recommendations. All Graduate School requirements will be observed.

Students without prerequisite credentials must enroll in leveling courses that will not count toward the Ed.D. degree.

Summary

Core Curriculum Requirements18
Foundation Core Requirements18
Concentration Curriculum Studies18
Dissertation6
Total Hours60

Core Curriculum Requirements

EDCI 915Diversity Education3
EDCI 920Curr Res Dev In Urban Schools3
EDCI 921Adv Curr Dev3
EDCI 938Techniques of Curr Evaluation3
EDCI 939Models Of Teaching3
EDCI 944Curriculum Theory3
Total Hours18

Foundation Core Requirements

EDFD 902Theoretical Fdtns Of Ed3
EDFD 903Nature Methodology Ed Res3
EDFD 905Nature Meth Ed Res3
EDFD 931Ed Res Corr Stat Methods3
EDFD 932Ed Res Sig Tests Stat Methods3
EDFD 997Research Seminar3
Total Hours18

Curriculum Studies Concentration

EDCI 917Computer Competency3
EDCI 927Independent Study and Research3
EDCI 930Curr. Dev. In Urban Sch.3
EDCI 960Current Trends in Eff Tchg Pra3
EDCI 985Tech for Individualized Inst3
EDCI 998Practicum in Curr & Instruct3
Total Hours18

Dissertation

EDCI 999Dissertation6
Practicum
EDCI 995Practicum In Urban Ed3
EDCI 998Practicum in Curr & Instruct3
Research
EDCI 920Curr Res Dev In Urban Schools3
Total Hours15

An advisor is assigned when the student is admitted to the program. Students are urged to meet with assigned advisors at least once each semester.