Coursework
Course Requirements
The doctoral program is 48 units, not including the required dissertation units. Most courses are 4 units, with some 2 unit courses. Some of the elective courses are offered in conjunction with travel to professional conferences or to international universities. Please read the complete course descriptions for more information.
The following course requirements are effective beginning July 2007.
| Total | 48 units | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 42-44 units | ||||||||||
| HED 701 | Strengths-oriented Leadership | 3-4 | |||||||||
| HED 702 | The Nature of Inquiry | 4 | |||||||||
| HED 704 | Ethical Issues in Higher Education | 2 | |||||||||
| HED 708 | College Impact on Student Success | 2-3 | |||||||||
| HED 712 | Leading Change in Higher Education | 4 | |||||||||
| HED 721 | Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education | 3 | |||||||||
| HED 725 | Administration in Higher Education | 2 | |||||||||
| HED 727 | The Social Context of Higher Education | 4 | |||||||||
| HED 737 | Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 3-4 | |||||||||
| |||||||||||
| HED 744 | Research Design and Statistics | 4 | |||||||||
| HED 748 | Guided Inquiry Project I | 1 | |||||||||
| HED 749 | Guided Inquiry Project II | 1 | |||||||||
| HED 790 | Doctoral Seminar in Research Studies | 2 | |||||||||
| Elective Courses | 4-6 units | ||||||||||
| HED 719 | Financing Higher Education | 2 | |||||||||
| HED 723 | Higher Education and the Law | 3 | |||||||||
| HED 726 | Policy Analysis in Higher Education | 2 | |||||||||
| HED 728 | Policy and Politics | 2 | |||||||||
| HED 780 | International Higher Education Policy and Practice | 2-3 | |||||||||
| HED 798 | Special Topics | 1-3 | |||||||||
| Dissertation Courses | |||||||||||
| When students complete the HED 790 seminar and begin dissertation work with their committee, they enroll in HED 794 for one semester (3 units) and then in HED 795 for each semester thereafter until the dissertation has been successfully defended. Enrollment in HED 795 is at a 50-percent reduction in tuition. Enrollment in these courses entitles a student access to faculty and university resources, including library databases and the services of the doctoral research librarian. These courses do not count toward the total unit requirement for the Ed.D. Continuous enrollment is required until the dissertation is successfully defended. | |||||||||||
| HED 794 | Dissertation Research | 3-6 | |||||||||
| HED 795 | Dissertation Research | 3-6 | |||||||||
| Independent Study | |||||||||||
| Students may petition to take an independent study course to substitute for an elective course. | |||||||||||
| HED 799 | Readings in Higher Education | 1-3 | |||||||||
Once a student has completed all coursework for the degree, he or she may enroll in additional courses at half tuition.
Transferring Units
Students in the Ed.D. Program may transfer in up to 12 units from another regionally accredited doctoral program. Students in the Ph.D. Program may transfer in up to 18 units of doctoral work from another regionally accredited university. Official transcripts and course descriptions must be submitted. The program director will determine the courses that successfully transfer.
Sequence of Courses
Because this program utilizes a cohort model, students typically complete 16 units per year, taking courses in January and July in a specified sequence as follows:
Year 1
July: HED 701 and HED 702
January: HED 727 and HED 744
Year 2
July: HED 725 and HED 721
January: HED 742 or HED 743;
HED 737 and HED 748
Elective:
HED 780 or HED 728
Year 3
July:
HED 708 and HED 749 and electives (
HED 707, HED 719, HED 723, HED 726)
January:
HED 704, HED 712, HED 790
Additional Requirements
Grading and Grade-point Average
Throughout higher education, and particularly at the doctoral level, commitment to learning should outweigh the pursuit of grades. Nonetheless, grading and the grade-point average continue to play a crucial role in students’ careers. For doctoral students, the grade of B is considered average; a grade below B- is not applied toward doctoral degree requirements.
A doctoral student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0 or who has any grade below B- is placed on academic probation. Students on probation for more than a total of two terms throughout their doctoral study may be dismissed from the program.
A doctoral student whose grade-point average falls between 3.0 and 3.2 or who earns eight credits or more of B- grades is required to meet with his/her advisor to identify academic skills that may need to be strengthened and to plan appropriate action.
Policies regarding incompletes and withdrawals are set forth in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the academic catalog.
First-year Review and Guided Inquiry Project
To evaluate success in meeting program goals and uphold the mission and objectives of the university and the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, the program design includes an extensive array of procedures for quality control and assessment. These include a first-year review which calls for a self-assessment, a portfolio of coursework, and a written qualifying exam. The student’s academic performance is also reviewed. Continuation in the program is contingent upon a successful first-year review.
In the second year of the program, Ed.D. students enroll in HED 748 and begin the Guided Inquiry Project. A faculty mentor oversees the project, which is usually a literature review or pilot study leading toward the dissertation. A second doctoral faculty member is part of the GIP Committee. Upon successful completion of HED 748 and HED 749 Guided Inquiry Project and at least 42 units, the student may enroll in HED 790.
Ph.D. Students: Students in the Ph.D. Program may enroll in HED 790 and begin the dissertation proposal after completing 48 units of coursework.
Critical Issues Conference
Christian perspectives and moral and ethical issues in higher education form an essential strand in the doctoral program and are embedded within many courses and activities. The course specifically dedicated to this topic, HED 704, is required of all students.
In addition, students must attend two of the annual program conferences on research or current issues in higher education which are offered each July.
Advancement to Candidacy
Following successful completion of all coursework and approval of the dissertation proposal, students are advanced to doctoral candidacy status.
Dissertation
The final step in the doctoral program is to design, implement, and write a research-based dissertation. Standards and procedures for the dissertation are defined by the doctoral faculty and are provided to students in a Dissertation Handbook.
The student defends the dissertation in a meeting with the faculty committee that is open to all faculty in the department. Subsequently, the student participates in a public presentation of the research.
