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College of Education

Prerequisites and Degree Requirements

Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy

Prerequisites
Most students have a master's degree or its equivalent prior to admission to one of the college's doctoral programs. Students pursuing the doctorate in the Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies and Curriculum and Instruction departments typically have also completed 18 semester credit hours of professional education courses and two years of teaching or the equivalent.

Degree Requirements

1. Students usually must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of course work and at least six hours of dissertation credit for the doctoral degree.
   Ê With the approval of the student's advisor, department chair, and the associate dean for graduate studies, a student may transfer a maximum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit from another university into the doctoral program. Courses with grades lower than B -, however, may not be transferred. With the permission of the student's advisor, department chair, and the associate dean for graduate studies, the college may accept either six hours or one semester of postbaccalaureate or nondegree objective course work as doctoral credit. After enrollment in the program, students must complete at least 36 semester hours of course work and dissertation at the University of Houston.
2. Students may fulfill their residency requirements by being in full-time study for two consecutive academic semesters, an academic semester and a consecutive 12-week summer session, or three 12-week summer sessions. The residency requirement may vary among departments. Students must complete a statement of residency intent and secure approval from their advisor, department chair, and the associate dean for graduate studies prior to beginning residency. Residency forms are available from the Academic Affairs Office, 160 Farish Hall.
   At the end of each semester of residency, students must complete a log of activities and have it approved by their advisor, department chair, and the associate dean for graduate studies. Forms are available in 160 Farish Hall and departmental offices.
3. A minimum 3.00 grade point average (A=4.00) is required in all course work, including transferred courses. Graduate credit is not given for grades lower than CÐ. A graduate student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in 12 semester hours of credit at the University of Houston, whether or not in repeated courses, is ineligible for any advanced degree and will not be permitted to re-enroll for graduate study.
4. To be included in a degree program, a course outside the college bearing a number lower than 6000 must be approved by the student's advisor and department chair. College of Education courses numbered lower than 6000 may not be applied toward the degree program.
5. Students must complete 18 semester hours of course work, including a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in research; three semester credit hours in social, historical, and philosophical foundations; and three semester credit hours in psychological foundations.
6. A six-hour doctoral-level introduction to educational research is required. Courses that satisfy this requirement are EDRS 8380-8381. No substitutions are permitted. After successfully completing these six hours, all doctoral students must complete at least six hours of course work in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods. Selection of these courses should be consistent with the student's dissertation. A list of approved courses is available in the Academic Affairs Office, 160 Farish Hall, or departmental offices.
7. A research paper is required for advancement to candidacy. Students must complete the paper under the direction of a faculty member and successfully defend the paper during an oral examination. Copies of the paper should be given to members of the departmental examining committee at least five working days before the examination. Candidates should consult their departmental office for specific information about the research paper.
8. To be eligible for advancement to candidacy, students must complete at least nine of the 18 semester hours required for the College of Education core, three hours of which must be in the research area; complete at least 15 semester hours in the major area of study; complete and successfully defend the research paper; file an approved degree plan; remove all incomplete grades; and file and receive approval of an application for doctoral residency.
9. Students must pass a comprehensive examination after completing at least 36 hours of course work and advancing to candidacy. A student who fails the comprehensive examination on the first attempt may take the examination a second time, upon applying, with the written recommendation of the student's faculty advisor and department chair, to the associate dean for graduate studies.
   If the request for reexamination is denied by the student's department, or if the student fails the comprehensive examination a second time, the student shall be ineligible for a doctoral degree in education at the university.
10. Students must complete their dissertations to the satisfaction of the research committee and defend the dissertation successfully in an oral examination. Once enrolled for dissertation, students must be continuously enrolled, with the exception of summers. Students who will graduate in the summer, however, must enroll in dissertation credit during the semester of graduation. The policy on course load for public school teachers also applies to enrollment for dissertation credit.

Each student may receive a copy of Doctoral Policies, Procedures and Program Guide upon admission to the doctoral program. This provides additional information on requirements and timelines.

Each department establishes admission and degree requirements for its major areas. Consult the department of choice for these requirements.

An application for graduation must be filed during the semester that degree requirements are completed. Applications and fee information are available in 108 Ezekiel W. Cullen Building. Filing deadlines are listed in the class schedule and in the academic calendar.