The Ph.D. in Education is offered in various program plans:

(1) an individualized plan of study that allows students to select courses and research topics to maximize the opportunity for individualized and interdisciplinary studies.

(2) a cohort-based program with an emphasis in urban leadership and the option to earn the Professional Administrative Services Credential (Tier II).

(3) a special education program that integrates requirements for the Level II Education Specialist Credential and offers the option to earn the Professional Administrative Services Credential (Tier II).

(4) a joint program with San Diego State University.

Individualized Ph.D. The School of Educational Studies’ faculty believes that it may best help students pursue their goals by helping them design their own Ph.D. programs. In consultation with faculty, students develop custom programs tailored to the individual student’s background, interests, and future goals. Students are allowed to combine education courses with disciplines outside of SES. Students may also emphasize one or more of the following areas:

• Teaching, Learning, and Culture
• Education Policy, Evaluation, and Reform
• Higher Education/Student Affairs
• Special Education
• Urban Educational Leadership (cohort program)

Degree requirements. The following are components of the Ph.D. program in the School of Educational Studies:

(1) Minimum of 72 semester units of coursework (Up to 24 semester units from prior graduate work done outside of CGU may be transferred, with advisor approval, via the Transfer of Credits form.  Up to 24 units taken at CGU can be counted toward the PhD, with advisor approval, via the Authorization to Apply Previous CGU Coursework Credit form).

(2) The Proseminar for Doctoral Study course (ED 580) must be taken within the first year of study (not required for students in the Joint Doctoral Program with SDSU).

(3) A transdisciplinary (TNDY) course (not required for students in the Joint Doctoral Program with SDSU).

(4) A residency requirement of completing 24 units within 24 months.

(5) Three written, approved qualifying examinations.

(6) Two research tools.

(7) A oral qualifying examination.

(8) An approved dissertation proposal (and Internal Review Board approval for human subjects research, if applicable).

(9) A written dissertation.

(10) A final dissertation oral defense.

Transdisciplinary Course Requirement. All students entering the doctoral program in the fall 2004 semester or later are required to complete the transdisciplinary course requirement in the second year of their program. For details on the requirement, see the “Doctor of Philosophy Degree” section in this Bulletin.

Proseminar for Doctoral Study.  All students (except those in the Joint Doctoral Program with SDSU) who enter the doctoral program in the fall 2009 semester or later are required to complete Proseminar for Doctoral Study (ED 580) within the first year of their program.

Faculty Advisor. When students are admitted, they are assigned a faculty advisor based on interests expressed in their application. The advisor assists the student in selecting courses and planning her/his program of study. As student interests change and develop during coursework, the student may identify a different faculty member as the advisor with whom they wish to work. If the new faculty member is willing to serve as the advisor, the change may be made by submitting a “Change of Advisor” form to the SES Office. The faculty advisor who guides the student in developing a program of study serves as chair of the Program Committee and may also serve as the dissertation chair, or a different faculty member may be selected by the student, based on the agreement of the faculty member.

Program Committee. During the first three terms, or upon completion of 16-24 units of coursework, the student identifies general topics for three different written qualifying exams.  The student then approaches the faculty member they wish to have supervise each qual.  The faculty members who agree to work on a qual with the student become members of the program committee.  The chair must be a member of the education faculty and is typically the student’s advisor. One member of the committee may be drawn from the wider CGU graduate faculty, which includes professors from other CGU fields, as well as professors from the other Claremont Colleges.

Program Outline. During the first three terms, or after completion of approximately 16-24 units of coursework, a program outline is developed in consultation with the student’s advisor/chair of the program committee. The program outline includes a list of CGU coursework taken and proposed, three qualifying examination areas and corresponding faculty supervisors (who form the program committee), and two research tools. The student then obtains individual signatures or e-mail approvals from each of the program committee members and files the completed, signed program outline in the SES Office. Students who wish to change elements in their doctoral program should consult with the advisor/program committee chair. Program committee members may be changed with signature approval of the new faculty member and student’s advisor.  See specific direction in the SES Ph.D. Handbook (www.cgu.edu/pages/347.asp)

Research Tools. Proficiency in two research tools is required. Their purpose is to assure proficiency in research methodologies most likely to be used in the dissertation and in the graduate’s career.  After research tools are completed with a grade of B+ or better, and prior to the oral qualifying examination, approved Research Tool forms () must be submitted to the  SES Office for transmission to Office of Admissions and Records for posting to the student’s academic record.

Residence. Students must complete 24 units within 24 months or six terms of study to meet the residency requirement. For additional information, see the section on “Degree Regulations ” in this Bulletin.

Written Qualifying Examinations. Written material is required which, in the judgment of faculty, demonstrates proficiency in the three areas selected in the program outline. Such material can take a variety of forms: examinations, published articles, essays, research studies, films, copies of public lectures planned in cooperation with members of the committee, etc. The written qualifying examinations may be submitted over the course of study, once the program outline has been approved. The written qualifying material and any other evaluation evidence approved by faculty is filed in the SES Office.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The student takes the oral qualifying examination with their program committee after (1) satisfaction of the residence requirement, (2) all written qualifying examinations have been passed, (3) all coursework is completed or the last course is in progress, and (4) completion of two research tools.

Dissertation Committee. The committee is selected by the student to supervise the dissertation and is frequently identical to the program committee. Each dissertation committee consists of at least three members drawn from the core CGU faculty or The Claremont Colleges extended faculty. At least one committee member must be a core CGU faculty member in the School of Educational Studies. CGU encourages the inclusion on each dissertation committee of an expert in the student’s field from outside The Claremont Colleges. There may be an outside examiner on a four-person committee, but not on a three-person committee. The outside examiner may be a faculty member from another institution, or a qualified practitioner. The outside examiner has a vote in the committee’s proceedings only with the consent of the dean of the school. The chair of the candidate’s committee must be a member of the core CGU faculty or The Claremont Colleges extended faculty. Each dissertation committee must be approved by the dean.

Advancement to Candidacy. Formal advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. is obtained after approval of the dissertation proposal by the dissertation committee, which signs the Advancement to Candidacy Form. ()

Institutional Review Board. Students work closely with the dissertation committee chair during dissertation proposal development to ensure that they follow correct procedures for review of research methodology by the CGU Institutional Review Board (I.R.B.). In the interest of protecting the rights and welfare of individuals recruited for, or participating in, research conducted by faculty or students under the auspices of CGU, the University maintains the I.R.B. CGU policy requires that research with human subjects, regardless of funding support, be reviewed by the I.R.B. for the protection of human subjects in compliance with federal guidelines. Further details can be found in the CGU handbook www.cgu.edu/handbook.

Dissertation and Final Oral Dissertation Defense. Submission guidelines for dissertation drafts are specified in the SES Ph.D. Handbook (on-line at www.cgu.edu/pages/347.asp) so that dissertation committee members have adequate time to review the draft and provide constructive feedback to the student. Missing submission deadlines will delay the final oral defense to the next semester.

When the members of the dissertation committee have approved the dissertation for oral defense, a 350-word abstract is prepared; the final oral defense is scheduled upon the request of the chair of the dissertation committee to the SES Office. Upon successful completion of the final oral examination and dissertation committee approval of the final draft, the dissertation and one copy is submitted to the Office of Admission and Records. Requirements for the manuscript preparation may be found on the Student Records/Registrar website under ‘Completion Your Degree.’

Master’s Degree Along the Way to the Ph.D.

Upon completion of 30 units of study (including up to six semester units transferred from other graduate work completed in the last five years) and one approved qualifying exam (in lieu of the thesis or critique), SES students taking the full 72 units of coursework at CGU to earn the Ph.D. may apply for and receive a Master’s of Arts degree.  All related institutional rules apply.