Doctoral Degrees with Instructional Technology Specializations

The College of Education offers two doctoral degrees that enable you to specialize in Instructional Technology:

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education is a research-oriented degree designed for full-time students who seek faculty positions in a research university or research-oriented education positions in business and industry.

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction is an applied degree designed for part-time students interested in teaching in a college of education, teaching a content field at the community college level, becoming a school district leader in curriculum and instruction, or performing instructional design tasks in military or business settings.

Differences between the Ph.D. and Ed.D. Programs

The Ph.D. and Ed.D. are two related, but significantly different doctoral programs. You should carefully match your specialization focus, career goals, and current work environment to the appropriate doctoral program. Here are some things to think about:

• The Ph.D. in Education has a core that focuses upon research and statistics. While in some ways, this research core may be academically challenging, it is relatively generic in terms of prior academic training and life experiences. The Ed.D. in C&I, on the other hand, has a core of courses that focus upon K-12 teaching issues. You are expected to have appropriate prior academic training and life experiences to be a proper “fit” into this core.
• The Ph.D. program in Education currently admits only full-time students. While students often work on campus through fellowships or assistantships, they are discouraged from working full-time away from the campus. The Ed.D. in C&I, on the other hand, is currently organized to support part-time students who may still be teaching during the day. While it is possible to be a full-time student in this program, most students take only one or two courses per term.
  

Additional Doctoral Program Considerations

As you look at both doctoral programs, you will notice that you can transfer up to 30 prior graduate credits into either. However, that is a maximum number. The actual number of credits will depend upon the focus and recency of your prior graduate credits. For example, if you have just completed a Master’s degree in Instructional Systems from UCF, then it is very likely that 30 of those credits will transfer into a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Instructional Systems. However, if your prior Master’s degree is in molecular biology, it is much, much less likely that we will find 30 credits that are acceptable to transfer! If you don’t have a Master’s degree that is directly related to your doctoral specialization, your curriculum of study will be longer than that of other students.

If you have applied for financial assistance and scholarships, admission to a full-time doctoral program may come with some form of financial assistance. However, there is no guarantee! Admissions and financial assistance are two separate processes. Keep this in mind, especially if you have to pay “out-of-state” tuition and fees! Plan well in advance to search for financial assistance that might reduce or waive those fees! Just because you are an international or domestic out-of-state student, admission does not waive those high out-of-state fees!

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

• IDS 7501 Issues and Research in Education (3 credit hours)
  
• IDS 7938 Research Cluster Seminar (3 credit hours)
  
• IDS 7500 Seminar in Educational Research (variable credit and repeatable, 6 credit hours)
  
• EDF 7475 Qualitative Research in Education (3 credit hours)
  
• EDF 7403 Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research (3 credit hours)
  
• EDF 7463 Analysis of Survey, Record and Other Qualitative Data (3 credit hours)
  
• IDS 7502 Case Studies in Research Design (3 credit hours)

This track prepares students for teaching and research in the field of instructional systems in professions such as university professor or corporate researcher. The focus is upon the application of appropriate instructional technologies to the adult learner.

• Previous master’s degree in related area (up to 30 credit hours)
  
• Cognate or elective; approved by adviser (9 credit hours)
  
• IDS 6504 Adult Learning (3 credit hours)
  
• IDS 6503 International Trends in Instructional Systems (3 credit hours)
  
• EME 7634 Advanced Instructional Systems Design (3 credit hours)
  
• EME 7942 Doctoral Internship in Educational Technology (3 credit hours)

Specialization in all tracks must include 3 credit hours of internship (minimum)

Dissertation—24 Credit Hours Minimum
Doctoral students must present a prospectus for the dissertation to the doctoral adviser, prepare a proposal and present to the dissertation committee, and defend the final research submission with the dissertation committee.

Candidacy
To enter candidacy for the Ph.D., students must have an overall 3.0 grade point average on all graduate work included in the planned program and pass all required examinations.

Candidacy Examinations

• Examinations must be completed prior to admission to candidacy.
  
• Examinations will be scheduled by the student and major adviser. The associate dean for graduate studies and research must be notified of the date and location of the exam 30 days in advance.
  
• All Ph.D. candidates will be required to complete two examinations. Students must be enrolled in the university during the semester an examination is taken.
  • Research in the Specialization—8-hour written examination
    
  • Specialization—3-hour oral examination

For recommendations on when to take courses, please refer to our recommended Plans of Study, as well as contact your faculty advisor.

Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

• EDG 6223 Curriculum Theory and Organization (3 credit hours)
  
• EDF 6259 Learning Theories Applied to Classroom Instruction and Management (3 credit hours)
  
• EDF 6401 Statistics for Educational Data (3 credit hours) (or equivalent)
  
• EDF 6481 Fundamentals of Graduate Research in Education (3 credit hours)

Curriculum/Instruction Core—12 Credit Hours

• EDF 7232 Analysis of Learning Theories in Instruction (3 credit hours)*
  
• EDG 7221 Advanced Curriculum Theory (3 credit hours)
  
• EDG 7356 Models of Teaching and Instructional Theory (3 credit hours)
  
• EDG 7692 Issues in Curriculum (3 credit hours)

*EDF 6259 is a prerequisite to EDF 7232 for the Ed.D. program.
All core courses and the core examination must be completed in the first six semesters of enrollment in the doctoral program.

Specialization Area—45 Credit Hours Minimum

• Includes selected courses in Curriculum, Instruction, Foundations, Educational Leadership, and Community College

Research and Data Analysis—6 Credit Hours

• EDF 7403 Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research (3 credit hours)
  
• EDF 7463 Analysis of Survey, Record, and Other Qualitative Data (3 credit hours)

Dissertation—21 Credit Hours Minimum
Doctoral students must present a prospectus for the dissertation to the doctoral adviser, prepare a proposal and present to the dissertation committee, and defend the final research submission with the dissertation committee.

Candidacy
To enter candidacy for the Ed.D., students must have an overall 3.0 grade point average on all graduate work included in the planned program and pass all required examinations.

Candidacy Examinations

• Examinations must be completed prior to admission to candidacy.
  
• Examinations will be scheduled near the tenth week of the fall and spring semesters. Summer examinations will be scheduled for the sixth week of the term.
  
• All Ed.D candidates will be required to write examinations. Students must be enrolled in the university during the semester an examination is taken.
  • Specialization/Teaching Field—5-hour examination
  • Curriculum/Instruction Core—3-hour examination
    
  • Research/Data Analysis—3-hour examination

For recommendations on when to take courses, please refer to our recommended Plans of Study, as well as contact your faculty advisor.