Coursework
- Course Requireents
- Transferring Units
- Sequence of Courses
- Additional Requirements
- Time to Degree Completion
Course Requireents
The Ph.D. program requires 54 units beyond the master’s degree, not including the required dissertation units. Most courses are four units, with some two-unit courses. Some of the elective courses are offered in conjunction with travel to professional conferences or to international universities. The required research seminars each term meet between sessions, often in conjunction with professional conferences. Please read the complete course descriptions for more information.
| Total | 54 units | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 40 units | |
| HED 701 | Strengths-oriented Leadership | 3-4 |
| HED 702 | The Nature of Inquiry | 4 |
| HED 704 | Ethical Issues in Higher Education | 2 |
| HED 721 | Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education | 3 |
| HED 726 | Policy Analysis in Higher Education | 2 |
| HED 727 | The Social Context of Higher Education | 4 |
| HED 742 | Qualitative Research Methods | 4 |
| HED 744 | Research Design and Statistics | 4 |
| HED 745 | Advanced Quantitative Methods | 4 |
| HED 760 | Research Seminar | 1-2 |
| HED 790 | Doctoral Seminar in Research Studies | 2 |
| Concentration Courses | 10 units | |
| Organizational Leadership: | ||
| HED 712 | Leading Change in Higher Education | 4 |
| HED 725 | Administration in Higher Education | 2 |
| HED 728 | Policy and Politics | 2 |
| Student Success: | ||
| HED 707 | Principles of Student Retention | 2 |
| HED 708 | College Impact on Student Success | 2-3 |
| HED 737 | Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 3-4 |
| HED 743 | Program Evaluation in Higher Education | 2 |
| Elective Courses | 4 units | |
| HED 719 | Financing Higher Education | 2 |
| HED 723 | Higher Education and the Law | 3 |
| HED 780 | International Higher Education Policy and Practice | 2-3 |
| HED 798 | Special Topics | 1-3 |
| Dissertation Courses | ||
| When students successfully complete HED 790 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 Ph.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
The Ph.D. has two concentrations: Organizational Leadership and Student Success. Because this program is designed in a cohort model, students take 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 721 and 760 (research seminar)
Student Success track takes HED 707 and 708
Organizational Leadership track takes HED 725
January: HED 742 and 760 (research seminar)
Student Success track takes HED 737
Organizational Leadership track takes HED 712
Year 3
July: HED 726, 745, 760 (research seminar), and electives
January: HED 704, 760 (research seminar), and 790
Student Success track takes HED 743 and an elective
Organizational Leadership track takes HED 728
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.
Time to Degree Completion
Doctoral students are permitted eight years from the date of initial enrollment to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Extensions beyond the eight-year limit may be granted at the discretion of the program director and the dean of the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences. Students needing an extension due to unusual circumstances must make their request to the program director in writing, stating the reasons for the extension and the expected date of degree completion.
