Doctoral
The doctoral degree requires 90 semester hours of graduate credit. A total of 60 credit hours (including dissertation credit hours) must be taken at the Bloomington or Indianapolis campuses. To meet the residency requirements, a student must spend two consecutive semesters in a single academic year (exclusive of the summer session) on the Bloomington or Indianapolis campus. Nine credit hours of courses (excluding credit hours awarded for the dissertation) must be completed in each of these semesters. Students should choose a specialization in educational psychology, human development, or learning sciences.
The program of studies for each student is under the direction of the student’s advisory committee. This committee of three faculty members is selected by the student and approved by the department. Each student’s program is composed of individually tailored work and some required course work. It must contain the sections outlined below. A guideline for the course work to be taken is as follows:
Other Useful Links:
Major (36 hours minimum)
Courses and experiences that are part of the major form the heart of the student's doctoral program and are planned by the student with the advisory committee. Besides course work in Learning and Developmental Sciences, an Early Inquiry Experience in the form of an independent research project (3 credit hours) must be carried out prior to qualifying for writing the Ph.D. dissertation. This requirement can be met through one of the following:
- P599 Masters thesis
- Y590 or P690 Independent Research
- Experience agreed to by the student and the faculty advisor
The research report resulting from this project must be read and approved by the student’s advisory committee.
Students are expected to acquire basic knowledge in the specialization area of their choosing. More information about specific requirements can be found at each of the links.
Foundations in Education (9 credit hours minimum)
Doctoral students are required to take courses outside their major and minor areas to obtain alternative theoretical perspectives to their studies. These courses may be taken in areas such as the history, philosophy or sociology of education, curriculum theory and other social sciences. Students are allowed to take no more than 6 hours in the same area.
Inquiry Core (15 credit hours minimum)
The Inquiry component emphasizes methodological skills which provide a basis for conducting original research. At least 15 hours are required within each specialization.
Minor (12 credit hours minimum)
Students are required to take a minor outside the Learning and Developmental Sciences program in an area which complements their major field and provides additional depth and breadth to their program. Typical minors include Psychology, Special Education, Inquiry, Sociology, Linguistics, Language Education, Higher Education, Instructional Systems Technology, Counseling and Philosophy of Education. The specification of courses to be taken in the minor is under the direction of the student's minor faculty representative and the program advisory committee.
Electives
Elective courses are chosen to fill out the major and to contribute to the integrity of the student's program. These courses are taken in the student's areas of interest, within or outside the department, in order to fulfill the total program requirement of 90 credit hours.
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination is given towards the end of the student's course work. It typically has two parts--a written examination, followed by an oral one. Minor qualifying examination requirements are under the direction of the minor department.
Dissertation (15 credit hours minimum)
After passing the written and oral qualifying examinations, the student is admitted to candidacy and begins formal work on the dissertation. In consultation with the dissertation director, the student enrolls in P795 Dissertation Proposal Preparation, and selects a research committee.
Proposal approval and dissertation research as pursued by the student under the direction of his/her research committee. Twelve credit hours are awarded for thesis work through enrollment in P799-- Doctoral Thesis in Educational Psychology. A final oral examination of the dissertation completes the doctoral program.