Doctoral Requirements in Teacher Education and Professional Development
Graduate study specialization in Teacher Education/Professional Development is designed to prepare students become teacher leaders, research scholars, and change agents in schools, colleges and universities. At the master’s level, candidates are encouraged to enroll in the M.Ed. in teacher leadership with emphasis in a specialization area that most directly addresses their areas of certification and/or interest. Within each of these specialization areas (or the Special Studies option for candidates with interests or background in other areas), candidates are able to design their studies around the systematic inquiry into their own teaching and to become teacher leaders. The M.Ed. in teacher leadership focuses on both the professional development needs of teacher practitioners and the organizational culture of the school that promotes or inhibits professional growth.
The Doctoral program specialization in teacher education/professional development is designed primarily to prepare teacher education scholars with strong research orientations, who will go on to become leaders in college and university settings based on their research agendas in teacher
education and teacher development. It is also suited for students who plan to conduct research on these issues in school settings.The Doctoral program focuses coursework in four areas: Department requirements (18 credits), program requirements (minimum 9 credits), program recommended courses (minimum 6 credits), and a cognate area of study (minimum 12 credits). The cognate allows students flexibility to pursue particular individual interests that are relevant to the program's direction but beyond its immediate scope.
Faculty who teach in this program have research interests in the areas of teacher professional development and career trajectories in school settings;
school organization and culture; learning how to teach both generally and in subject-specific ways (e.g., learning to teach English or history and social studies); teacher identity development; teaching for diversity; and critical approaches to teacher education and professional development.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TEACHER EDUCATION Specialization Area
Department Core Requirements: (minimum 18 credits)
All EDCI doctoral students must meet the Department Core requirements
Specialty Courses: (minimum 18 credits)
Required (12 credits):
EDCI 784: Teaching, Professional Development, and School Improvement EDCI 785: Teacher Preparation, Diversity, and Social Change EDCI 782: Power, Privilege, Diversity and Teaching EDCI 788M: Pedagogy of Teacher Education
(or similar courses approved by advisor)6 credits from the following:
EDCI 787: Disciplinary Knowledge, School Subjects and Teaching Practice EDCI 792: Conducting Interpretative Inquiry in Classroom Contexts EDCI 698: Conducting Research on Teaching EDCI 888: Apprenticeship in Education EDMS 651: Intermediate Statistics in Education EDPL 737: Phenomenological Inquiry EDPL 711: Oral History and Education
(or equivalent courses to be determined by advisor)
Note: Students are required to demonstrate competency in statistics at the level of EDMS 645.
Cognate Area Electives (minimum 15 credits; at least 9 credits in one area)
African American Studies
Anthropology
Curriculum Theory
History
School Subject Area Emphasis (e.g. math, reading, social studies, science)
Social Foundations
Sociology
Urban Studies
Women’s Studies
Dissertation Research: Minimum of 12 credits of EDCI 899 for PhD.
60 Credits beyond master’s degree
Note: Preferred candidates will have teaching experiences within grades K-12.