Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction emphasizes the generation of new knowledge or the reformulation of existing knowledge as the basis for the development of educational theory and practice.
The Ph.D. is designed for highly motivated individuals with interests in improving science teaching and learning through service in research and/or faculty positions in higher education or in leadership roles in school science teaching environments. The degree provides rigorous coursework and mentorship experiences in research methods, internships in teaching and research all supported by the three core integrated science education classes.
Completion of the Ph.D. will enable educators to:
- Be highly competitive in jobs in higher education, particular those with a focus in science education, science education research and science teacher education. Graduates of this program are now themselves professors of science education at universities here in the U.S. and abroad.
- Engage in a range of professional development opportunities through completion of a general core of educational studies along with focused experience in science education.
- Enter the professional network of science education in research and practice both at the statewide and national levels.
- Gain enhanced ability and practice skills both as a teacher and educational leader.
- Acquire a broad and deep knowledge of curriculum models, education programs, educational standards, human growth and development and learning theories.
- Understand and impact science teaching by gaining knowledge of its history, nature and trends.
- Expand content knowledge with courses in the discipline (where appropriate and practical).
- Integrate theory and practice.
- Demonstrate leadership in the application of research and inquiry skills to analyze and evaluate trends, problems and practices in science teaching and learning.
- Expand knowledge of the diversity of learners and plan instructional experiences responsive to the intellectual, psychological, social and physical needs of individual students.
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
With a Science Education Focus
102 Hours Total Minimum
Advisor / Contact: William McComas (479-575-7525) mccomas@uark.edu http//:www.scienceeducation.org
Please note. The following overview is designed to assist in advising and recruiting. It does not replace the official University of Arkansas catalog which, in all cases, is the final word on the requirements for the Ph.D.
Admissions
To be admitted to a graduate program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), pre-admission requirements must be met. These generally include a completed Master's Degree or equivalent.
All applicants to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction must meet the following minimum Admission Profile Requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program.
- Applicants must have attained a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on all graduate courses taken prior to being admitted into the Ph.D. program.
- Students must present a GRE General Score completed within the last 5 years prior to the date of application with 500 on the quantitative section, 500 in the verbal section and 3.0 on the 1-6 score range on the analytical writing.
- Applicants seeking admission must have completed a master's degree with a minimum of 33 hours in a related field.
- Students must complete a writing assignment designed and evaluated by the specific program area of concentration and administered through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
- Applicants must complete a departmental interview concerning personal and professional goals and relevant background experiences
- Applicants must complete a writing assignment (typically before the interview).
- Applicants must have approval of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Ph.D. Admissions Committee
Doctoral Advisory Committee
Prior to the completion of twelve (12) semester credit hours, the student, in consultation with his or her advisor, shall select a Doctoral Advisory Committee. The Doctoral Advisory Committee will serve as a program advisory committee until all coursework is completed and the written and oral examinations have been successfully passed. The Doctoral Advisory Committee shall consist of a minimum of four (4) faculty members whose academic credentials and experience qualify them to develop and examine the academic preparation of students in the program area, and shall include two (2) faculty members from the program.
Program of Study
Prior to completion of twelve (12) semester hours, the student, in cooperation with the major advisor and the advisory committee, shall develop a specific Program of Study
- Prerequisites: Candidates for the Ph.D. degrees are required to complete the following prerequisites: EDFD 5013 Research Methods in Education (or equivalent) or EDFD 5393 Applied Educational Statistics and EDFD 6403 Educational Statistics and Data Processing (or equivalent).
- Required Hours: A minimum of 102 hours is required for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree. If the candidate has a related master's degree, then a minimum of 70 hours is required. If the candidate has a related educational specialist degree, then a minimum of 60 hours is required. A minimum of 60 semester hours including 18 hours of dissertation must be taken from the University of Arkansas after formal admission into the Ph.D. program. The nature of the program of study will vary depending upon previous coursework taken and the candidate's professional objectives. CIED 695V Independent Study can contribute a maximum of 6 credit hours toward the student's program of study.
Specific Requirements for the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
Science Education Focus
Prior Master's Level Coursework (33 credit hours)
- The Ph.D. must contain at least 33 semester hours in an approved master's degree program
Research Foundations and Tools (21 credit hours)
- EDFD 6403 Educational Statistics and Data Processing
- ESRM 6413 Experimental Design in Education
- CIED 6443 Advanced Research in Curriculum and Instruction
- Choose Six (6) credit hours from the following list:
- ESRM 6423 Multiple Regressing Techniques for Education
- ESRM 6453 Applied Multivariate Statistics
- ESRM 6533 Qualitative Research
- ESRM 6653 Measurement and Evaluation
- ESRM Seminars (as approved by the advisory committee)
- Other 5000 or 6000 level courses (as approved by the advisory committee)
Curriculum and Instruction Foundations (16 credit hours)
- Curriculum development (3 hours)
- Instructional theory (3 hours)
- Multicultural education (3 hours)
- CIED 674V Internship in Teaching (3 hours)
- CIED 674V Internship in Research (3 hours)
- Elective (1+ hour)
Science Education Concentration (9 credits)
- CIED 6313 Issues, History and Rationale of Science Education
- CIED 6343 Advanced Science Teaching Methods
- CIED 6333 Nature of Science: Philosophy of Science for Science Educators
Cognate Field (12 credits)
- Cognate courses are composed of a related set of classes from a field other than the major area of focus. For instance, a student in science education could have a cognate in biology (outside the department) or in gifted education (within the department). The cognate must be approved by the advisory committee.
Dissertation (18+ credits)
Note, some students who propose an acceptable graduate level project may take CIED 6323 Science Seminar (3 units) as an independent study but no more than six (6) credit hours make be taken as independent study.