Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Higher Education Teaching (Ed.D.)
Overview
The Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction is delivered designed to prepare individuals with expertise to formulate and lead educational programs and organizations in higher education and corresponding entities. In addition, the program will enable candidates to teach in colleges and universities. Graduates will be able to:
- Lead and administer curriculum programs with a high degree of competence;
- Supervise professionals and paraprofessionals in a variety of educational settings;
- Using multiple assessment methodologies;
- Develop, apply and evaluate assessments, curricular materials, and scientifically research based instructional methods,
- Synthesize in-depth knowledge of major theories, philosophies, and current issues in curriculum;
- Design, conduct, assess and evaluate qualitative and quantitative research studies in Curriculum and Instruction and in specialization areas; and
- Analyze knowledge demonstrated by original research and scholarly contributions to the field of Curriculum and Instruction through publication and presentation of research findings at the local, state, regional, national and/or international levels.
Students must complete 15 hours in the Higher Education Teaching specialization.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the doctoral program in curriculum and instruction, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Earned master’s degree from a regionally accredited United States institution or a recognized international equivalent with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 on all graduate work
- Three professional letters of recommendation from individuals with first-hand knowledge of the applicant’s professional qualities and scholarly potential with reference forms
- Documentation of 3 years of experience in education or equivalent experiences in relevant professional fields
- Personal statement describing goals, experiences, scholarly accomplishments, reasons for obtaining this degree, and possible research questions or topics of interest
- Resume
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
Final admission to the doctoral program will be made by a selection committee comprised of Curriculum and Instruction faculty members.
In addition to all coursework requirements, students must successfully pass the comprehensive exam before beginning dissertation hours. Once this exam is passed, students will write and defend their dissertation proposal before beginning dissertation research. At the conclusion of the dissertation process, students must successfully complete an oral dissertation defense.
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 30 Hours
Core Courses – 21 Hours
| EDCI 8300 | Traditions of Inquiry | 3 |
| EDCI 8320 | Curriculum Inquiry | 3 |
| EDCI 8321 | Adult Learning Strategies | 3 |
| EDCI 8323 | Contemporary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education | 3 |
| EDCI 8325 | Mentoring and Professional Development | 3 |
| EDFR 8322 | Advanced Historical and Sociocultural Inquiry in Education | 3 |
| EPSY 8318 | Advanced Human Development and Cognition | 3 |
Research Courses - 9 Hours
Written Comprehensive Exam
Students must successfully pass the comprehensive exam before beginning dissertation hours. Once this exam is passed, students will write and defend their dissertation proposal before beginning dissertation research.
Specialization Courses – 15 Hours
| EDFR 8380 | Comparative Higher Education | 3 |
| EDFR 8382 | History and Philosophy of Higher Education | 3 |
| HIED 8381 | Advanced Human Learning and Motivational Development | 3 |
| HIED 8383 | Higher Education Equity, Inclusion and Diversity | 3 |
| HIED 8384 | Current Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
Prescribed Electives - 12 Hours
Choose one research course from the following:
Other 8000 level research courses may be taken with program coordinator approval.
Choose three courses from the following:
| Any 8000 or 9000 level courses in any College or School at UTRGV | |
Dissertation - 9 Hours
Students must complete 9 hours of dissertation. This can be completed by takin
EDCI 8380 three times or by taking
EDCI 8380 and
EDCI 8690. Students must continue to enroll in
EDCI 8380 or
EDCI 8690 until they have successfully completed all requirements for the dissertation.
Total Credit Hours: 66