Education Major, PhD, Adult and Continuing Education concentration

Concentrations (Required)

Adult and Continuing Education concentration

Campus Code:

Distance Education

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Students must submit an online graduate application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Following a review of applications, an interview with the faculty is required. Admissions decisions are made on a holistic basis to discern the candidate’s promise for doctoral study and to ascertain the match of the candidate’s educational goals with the resources and goals of the program/department.
• A Master’s degree is required for students who apply for admission to the concentration. For students who are admitted to the concentration, prior graduate coursework will be examined on a case-by-case basis as it might be used to satisfy the overall course requirements of the concentration.

Credit Hours Required

84 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Basic Core Courses (27 credit hours)

• ACED 519  
• ACED 520  
• ACED 521  
• ACED 527  
• ACED 528  
• ACED 529  
• ACED 538  
• ACED 539  

One 3-credit hour graduate course approved by the program coordinator

Advanced Core Courses (18 credit hours)

• ACED 615  
• ACED 625  
• ACED 622  
• ACED 626  
• ACED 630  
• ACED 632  

Research courses must include classes in research methods, quantitative methodology, and qualitative research, as well as two additional courses as approved by the student’s advisor or the program coordinator.

Research Methods (15 credit hours)

Required:

• EDPY 506  
• ESM 559  
• ESM 577  
• The following two courses:
• ACED 530  
• ESM 533  

One advanced qualitative methods course approved by the program coordinator.

Dissertation Research (ACED 600  ), 24 credit hours

Additional Course Requirements

The curriculum is structured in terms of a core, an advanced core, research methods requirements, a cognate, electives, and dissertation research. In most cases, students will be expected to successfully complete requisite 500-level courses or their equivalents prior to enrolling in advanced courses at the 600-level. Courses that constitute the several areas for the curriculum are shown above. In some circumstances, a student may substitute other graduate courses upon approval by their major advisor.

Non-Course Requirements

Doctoral candidates work closely with their advisor to complete a dissertation proposal. A candidate will present the proposal to the dissertation committee, and once approved by all committee members, will begin work on the dissertation research. With the advisor’s approval, the candidate will schedule an oral defense for the dissertation. During the dissertation defense, the candidate will present the work completed for the dissertation, which will be reviewed by the dissertation committee.