Educational Computing, PhD

Admission Requirements

Admission to doctoral study in educational computing is competitive within the capacity of the program faculty to mentor doctoral students. Each prospective student will be subjected to evaluation conducted by the computer education and cognitive systems (CECS) graduate faculty each term/semester for a limited number of openings. The minimum requirements for admission include the following:

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university. If a candidate already holds a doctorate, the applicant should contact the program advisor. Under unusual circumstances a student may be admitted without a master’s degree.
Master’s degree GPA of at least a 3.4 on a 4.0 grading system.
Submission of GRE scores is required: verbal, quantitative and analytical writing. The program views high GRE scores as indicators of potential success in the program; however, low GRE scores need not exclude a candidate who shows positive indicators in other areas.
Personal resume or curriculum vitae that includes a summary of the candidate’s previous work or educational experiences and/or training in teaching and administrating.
Personal statement from the candidate stating his or her goals and rationale for applying to the computer education program and a brief description of his or her career and research expectations with regard to work and further education.
One of the following: (a) an acceptable score on the verbal section of the GRE or (b) first or second author on an article in a respected, peer-reviewed professional journal or on a book published by a major publisher.
One of the following: (a) an acceptable score on the quantitative section of the GRE or (b) completion of 9 hours of graduate course work in mathematics or statistics with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 grading system).
One of the following: (a) an acceptable score on the analytical writing section of the GRE or (b) written response to a problem provided by the educational computing program admissions committee.
Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member at an academic institution directed toward the applicant’s potential to successfully complete a doctoral program.

Degree Requirements

This program includes formal course work, including a qualifying examination, independent study and research (including but not limited to a dissertation). The student will spend a substantial portion of time in independent research and collaborative efforts with the faculty related to the dissertation and other projects. The doctoral degree will require a total of at least 60 semester credit hours past the master’s degree.

Course Requirements

Core, 15 hours from the following:

Electives, 21–27 hours from the following:

Research, 12 hours:

6 hours from:

Minor:

May be included on the degree plan with 6 hours taken as electives and an additional 6 hours from outside the program. This will increase the total number of hours for the degree to 66 semester hours.

Dissertation, 12 hours:

CECS 6950 - Doctoral Dissertation

Additional Course Requirements

Candidates for the PhD in educational computing must additionally complete a tool subject consisting of 9 hours of graduate computer education or 9 hours of educational research.

CECS 5020 and CECS 5030 or the equivalent skills are minimally required for leveling. Additional classes or experiences may be required depending on applicant ability.

CECS 5210 , CECS 5310 , CECS 5570 or the equivalent skills are considered prerequisite to this degree. These courses may be counted as electives.

No student will count more than 9 hours for this degree from independent studies, practicum or internship.

Doctoral Committee

The doctoral committee is composed of a major professor or co-major professor, a minor professor (where the 12-hour minor option is selected) and an additional committee member. The minor professor must come from the academic unit of the minor. At least two members of the committee must be computer education and cognitive systems (CECS) faculty members.

The selection of the doctoral committee is a collaborative process between the doctoral student and the graduate faculty who will serve on the committee. Generally, the process begins with the identification of a major professor who will chair the committee. In establishing the committee, it is important to bring together a diverse group of faculty who have expertise in the various facets of the student’s research agenda.