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Contact Us
Associate Provost for Academic Programs
Anthony Hall, Suite 220
1265 Lincoln Drive - MC 4305
SIU Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
(618) 453-7653
apap@siu.edu
Main Content
The Doctor of Philosophy in Education is a research-centered degree. This program is designed for students who desire positions requiring advanced preparation at the highest level. For example, this program is oriented toward students who aspire to positions with institutions of higher education, state departments of education in the United States, ministries of education in foreign countries, educational sections of human service agencies, business and industry, and public schools.
Working with their advisor and doctoral faculty, the Ph.D. in Education allows students to build programs of study that will prepare academic research and succeed in a variety of careers. Students may choose from a range of academic areas, including curriculum studies, early childhood, educational administration, educational technology, higher education, organizational leadership, quantitative methods, special education, and teaching and learning. Students may also work with doctoral faculty to construct an area of focus outside of this list that best fits their needs.
Each student admitted into the Ph.D. program with a major in Education must successfully complete courses associated with their respective area of focus; the number of courses and (or) hours varies by area. All students in the Ph.D. with a major in Education must take a preliminary examination that covers topics determined by the graduate Faculty in their area of focus and related questions written by the student’s doctoral committee. The preliminary examination covers content specific to an area of focus. In general, students must successfully complete academic area courses before taking the preliminary examination.
Ph.D. in Education
Admission
In addition to the application for admission to the Graduate School, the applicant must also complete the School of Education application for admission. Application materials may be obtained by addressing a request to: Graduate Director, School of Education, Mail Code 4624 10, Southern Illinois University, 625 Wham Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901. Specific information may be obtained by calling 618-536-2441 or by emailing SOEGradprograms@siu.edu. A nonrefundable application fee must be submitted with the application for Admission to Graduate Study. Applicants must pay this fee by credit card.
Doctoral Committee
Upon entering the doctoral program, each student will be assigned an advisor. It is important that the doctoral student meets with their advisor to review program requirements before registering for any coursework. The advisor is separate from the dissertation committee chair (see next section), but may serve in both capacities. The student’s doctoral committee should be established as soon as possible after the student has some familiarity with faculty research interests and some idea about possible dissertation research focus. It is recommended that a student’s doctoral committee be established by the end of the second semester (or after approximately 18 semester hours) of active course work on campus.
Committee Selection Procedures
During the first year, each student and their advisor should discuss prospective doctoral committee chairpersons based on the student’s research interests. If appropriate, the advisor may serve as the committee chair. Individual students should contact their prospective chairperson, if different from the advisor, directly to determine whether the faculty member is able to accept the responsibility of this position.
Once a committee chairperson has been selected, he/she/they will work with the student to select remaining committee members. Again, it is the student’s responsibility to personally contact each prospective member to ensure the availability and willingness of the faculty member to serve on their committee.
All faculty members must have Graduate School approval to serve as a member of a doctoral committee.
Doctoral Committee Membership
The Doctoral Committee shall consist of five (5) members, all of whom must have graduate faculty status at SIUC. The Chairperson and at least two (2) other members shall be from the student’s approved academic department. At least one member shall be from outside the Education Ph.D. who is involved in a Ph.D. program. One member can be any other person with SIUC graduate faculty status, even if in a program without a Ph.D. option. The Chairperson must have Dissertation Director Faculty status from the SIUC Graduate School. At least three (3) of the remaining four members must have Regular graduate faculty status with the SIUC Graduate School (i.e., they usually teach and/or conduct research in other graduate programs on campus). No more than one (1) member of the five is allowed to have Adjunct graduate faculty status with the SIUC Graduate School. SIUC emeritus faculty, most SIUC non-tenure track faculty, and faculty from other universities who are approved by the SIUC Graduate School will be assigned Adjunct status. Once the student’s doctoral committee is finalized, he/she should complete the Graduate Faculty Committee Approval Form and the department will forward it to the Dean of the School. Should the student wish to change committee membership, the student or any member of the committee must request this change in writing to the Dean of the School and submit a revised Graduate Faculty Committee Approval Form.
Working with Your Doctoral Committee
The doctoral committee is responsible for the following:
- advising students on their program of study;
- certifying that students are ready to take preliminary examinations;
- monitoring the preliminary examination so it is consistent with the policies of the School;
- certifying the student’s advancement to candidacy;
- approving the dissertation topic and prospectus;
- providing guidance through the writing of the student’s dissertation;
- conducting the student’s final oral examination, and;
- certifying the final approval of the student’s dissertation and the completion of requirements for graduation.
Each doctoral student must work with their doctoral committee to develop and approve a program of study. The Program of Study Form must be completed and signed by the chairperson and at least two (2) members of the doctoral committee no later than the end of 27 semester hours of course work. Each doctoral student is expected to meet annually with their advisor to evaluate progress in the planned program. During such meetings, adjustments can be made to the approved program of study based on the availability of courses, evolving research interests, and other priorities. Committee members may also determine which, if any, additional coursework should be taken. Any changes to the Program of Study must be submitted to the Dean of the School for approval. Although it is typical for the advisor and committee members who approve the program of study to be members of the student’s dissertation committee, it is not required. Sometimes research interests change, new relationships are developed, and so forth. Changes to the membership of a student’s dissertation committee can be initiated by the advisor, a committee member, or the student in consultation with the advisor.
Research Requirements
Each doctoral student in education must successfully complete three semester hours of Introduction to Qualitative Research (ERES 540) and three semester hours of Introduction to Quantitative Research in Education (ERES 520). In addition, each student must complete a minimum of one other three-credit course on research methods (also referred to as “research tool”). Students with previous coursework in introductory research methods can petition to replace these introductory courses with higher-level research methodology coursework.
Preliminary Exam
The preparation and direction of the preliminary examination are the responsibility of the program area faculty and the student’s doctoral committee. Additional oral and written examinations may be required by the student’s doctoral committee.
The examination is offered at least 2 times a year: during the fifth week of the term, as decided by the program area. A student may take the examination no more than 3 times.
Prospectus, Dissertation, and Final Oral Examination
Students may not register for more than 6 dissertation hours until they have been advanced to candidacy. Having been admitted to candidacy, students submit a prospectus to their doctoral committee for approval. The dissertation must show high attainment in an independent, original, scholarly, and creative effort. A student’s dissertation will be circulated to members of the doctoral committee at least one month in advance of the proposed defense.