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Doctor of Education
The
The doctor of education degree is awarded chiefly in recognition of high
attainment and ability as demonstrated by passing the required examinations
covering a candidate’s field, and by preparing and successfully defending a project
based on original research that makes a significant contribution to knowledge
in the student’s field.
All
required forms referenced in this section are official
Registration
Requirement for the Doctoral Degree
All
Doctoral
students are generally required to register for major field and supporting
program coursework. Students should consult their graduate program to determine
whether coursework completed while pursuing a
Doctoral students are required to enroll for a minimum of 24 project credits
(8888) while writing the doctoral project. Students may not register for project
credits until the semester after they have passed their preliminary oral
examination.
Transfer of Credits for the Doctoral Degree
Students may request from The Graduate
School the transfer of the following types of course credits by including the
courses on the proposed degree program form. In all cases, official transcripts
of the graded work must be attached to the degree program form, unless they
have already been included in the student’s
From other graduate institutions?
Graduate credits earned at other
recognized graduate institutions may be applied to doctoral degrees if the
coursework is graduate level and was taught by faculty authorized to teach graduate
courses. The number of credits accepted for transfer is determined by the
graduate program faculty.
From other
Graduate
credits earned while admitted to pursue
In the case of a transfer from a non-U.S. institution, the credits must have
been earned in a program judged by The Graduate School to be comparable to a
graduate degree program of a regionally accredited institution in the
In the case of a transfer from either a U.S. or non-U.S. institution, if
conditions are placed on a student’s admission to exclude certain coursework
from transfer to a Graduate School degree program, that coursework may not be
transferred regardless of the level of the coursework or the status of the
school or college in which it was earned.
From other registration categories?
A maximum
of 12 semester credits of completed graduate-level coursework, in any
combination of the specific registration categories listed below, may be
considered for transfer.
Registration for graduate credit by non-admitted students?
Students may
be able to register for graduate credit when not admitted to The Graduate
School. Non-admitted students interested in taking graduate-level courses must
work with the respective departments (generally the director of graduate
studies or his/her designee) to gain admission to non-degree status. The
registration procedure outlined in the current Class Schedule, “Registering
for Graduate Credit,” must be followed for courses to be considered for
transfer by The
Adult special, summer session, and
The Graduate School will
accept only adult special, summer session, and CCE coursework taken at the
Time
Limit for Earning the Doctoral Degree
All
requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed and the degree awarded
within five calendar years after passing the preliminary oral examination (see Preliminary Written
and Oral Examinations).
Students who are unable to complete the degree within the five-year limit may
petition The Graduate School for an extension of up to one additional year. Extensions
beyond one year are considered only in the most extraordinary circumstances. To
ensure timely consideration, petitions should be filed no later than early in the
term in which the time limit expires.
If the petition is approved, the student is notified of the expectations for
progress and completion of the degree. If the petition is denied, the student
is terminated from doctoral candidacy and from the graduate program.
Students who have been terminated under such circumstances may apply for
readmission to The Graduate School; readmission under these circumstances
is not assured, however. The faculty in the major field and The Graduate
School set any readmission conditions on the student’s resumption of work
toward the degree, such as registering for additional coursework, retaking
written examinations, filing a revised project proposal, completing the degree
within a specified time period, or other appropriate terms.
For more information about the doctoral degree time limit and petitioning
procedure, visit www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms.
Official
Program for the Degree
The Graduate School expects doctoral students
to file an official program for the degree during their second year of study; however,
individual graduate programs may establish their own deadline for submission of
the degree program form to The Graduate School.
Changes in Approved Program
Once approved, the program must be fulfilled in every detail
to meet graduation requirements and before the final oral examination can be
scheduled. Program changes should be requested by completing a
Minimum Grade Requirements
The Graduate School does not
define a minimum GPA for courses included on an official doctoral degree
program form, although individual programs are free to do so as part of their
effort to monitor their students’ academic achievement and degree progress.
Courses with grades of A, B, C (including C-), and S may be included in the
official degree program, but grades of S are not calculated in the GPA.
Students pursuing a doctoral degree must register for doctoral project credits
(8888); these registrations are not graded and therefore cannot be used to meet
course credit requirements. At least two-thirds of the total number of
course credits included in any degree program must be taken A-F.
Individual major fields have the option of specifying more stringent
requirements concerning the application of S-N courses to a degree program.
Major Field Credits
The Graduate
School does not specify a minimum number of credits in the major field for the
doctoral degree. The UMD doctor of
education requires a minimum of 38 credits in the major field of teaching and
learning. Depending on previous
preparation and the nature of the research undertaken, additional credits may
be required. Courses included on the
official degree program form cannot be used to meet both major and outside
credit requirements.
Minor Field or Supporting Program Work
For the UMD doctor
of education degree, a minimum of 15 credits must be completed in the supporting
program. The
Doctoral Candidacy
Doctoral candidacy is established when a
student passes the preliminary oral examination (including “pass with
reservations”).
More Information
Students who have questions about the
doctoral degree, including information on examinations and the project, may
review online information
or contact The Graduate School by e-mail at gsdoc@umn.edu.
Note:
Some commonly used forms are available on the Graduate School Web site.
Preliminary Written Examination
All doctoral students are required to pass a written
examination in the major field. This examination covers all work completed in
the major field and may include any work fundamental to this field. The results
of the examination are reported on the preliminary written examination report
form, signed by the student’s adviser and the director of graduate studies in
the major field. The Preliminary Written Examination form is available online
at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that this form is received by The
Graduate School’s UMD office, 431 Darland
Administration Building, before scheduling the preliminary oral examination.
Preliminary Oral Examination
Students take the preliminary
oral examination after completing all required coursework in the major, and
passing the preliminary written examination, but before writing the
dissertation.
Preliminary Oral Examining Committee
The
examination is administered by the committee appointed by the dean of The
Graduate School on recommendation of the faculty in the major field at the time
the student’s official doctoral degree program is approved. The examining
committee includes a minimum of four members: three (including the student’s
adviser) from the major field and one from the minor field or supporting
program. Committee members cannot represent more than one field simultaneously.
All assigned members must be present at the preliminary oral examination; the
absence of any member results in an invalid examination.
Changes in the Preliminary Oral Examining Committee
Substitutions
on the examining committee may be necessitated by such circumstances as a
faculty member’s temporary absence on leave from the University. The adviser or
the director of graduate studies must request The Graduate School’s approval of
such substitutions well in advance of the examination. Substitutions
necessitated by emergency situations must also be approved in advance. In such
cases, the adviser should consult with staff in The
Scheduling the Preliminary Oral Examination
It
is the responsibility of the student to schedule the preliminary oral with the
examiners and with The Graduate School’s UMD office, 431 Darland
Administration Building, at least one week in advance. Preliminary and final
oral examinations cannot be scheduled in the summer.
Before the oral examination can be scheduled, a degree program form approved by
The Graduate School must be on file, along with a written examination report
form indicating that the student has passed the preliminary written
examination. The
If these documents are on file and the student has active status, The Graduate
School’s UMD Office issues the preliminary oral examination report form and
instructions for conducting the preliminary oral examination to the chair of
the examining committee. A copy of the student’s degree program form is also
sent to both the chair of the examining committee and the student; this may be
useful to the committee in reviewing the student’s preparation and in
confirming the completion of degree requirements requirements.
The preliminary oral examination may be authorized in spite of deficiencies in
these requirements, unless more stringent standards have been established by
the major field. All requirements must be completed before the final oral
examination may be scheduled.
Preliminary Oral Examination Content and Outcome
All doctoral students are required to pass a preliminary
oral examination in the major field. The preliminary oral examination covers
the major field, the minor field or supporting program, and any work
fundamental to these areas, including possible plans for project research. Unlike
the doctoral final oral examination, the preliminary oral examination is
conducted as a closed examination, attended by only the student and the
examining committee.
Immediately before the preliminary oral examination, the committee chair
stipulates the objectives of the examination and, in consultation with other
members of the examining committee, determines how the examination is to be
conducted. Immediately after the examination, the candidate is excused from the
room and a written secret ballot is taken before discussing the examination.
Following the discussion, a second and final vote is taken, and the
participants sign in the appropriate place on the report form, which is to be
returned to The Graduate School’s UMD office, 431 Darland
Administration Building, no later
than the first workday after the examination.
The outcome of the examination, with all committee members present and voting,
is recorded in one of three ways: pass, pass with reservations, or fail. The
voting proportions necessary for these decisions are as follows: if the
committee consists of four members, a favorable verdict for passing consists of
either a unanimous vote or a vote of 3-1; if the committee consists of five
members, a unanimous vote or a vote of 4-1 is needed; if the committee consists
of six members, a unanimous vote or a vote of 5-1 or 4-2 is needed; and if
there are seven members, a unanimous vote or a vote of 6-1 or 5-2 is needed.
Candidates who do not earn committee votes in these proportions fail
the examination. If, to achieve the minimum number of votes to reach a
verdict of pass, any vote of pass with reservations is included, then the
outcome will be recorded as a pass with reservations. A vote to pass
the student with reservations still constitutes a passing vote.
Pass With Reservations
If the student passes the examination
with reservations, the student is informed immediately, but the committee is
permitted one week in which to convey its reservations to the student in
writing, informing the student of the steps that must be taken to remove them. A
copy of this letter must be sent to The l and should accompany the signed
oral examination report form. When the student has satisfied the
committee’s reservations, a second letter informing the student and The
Graduate School’s UMD office that the reservations have been removed and that
the student may proceed toward the degree is also required. Both letters should
be written by the committee chair. The final oral examination may not be
scheduled until The
If the committee members disagree as to whether the reservations have been
satisfactorily removed, the committee chair asks for another vote, the results
of which are subject to the same voting proportions as the initial vote. If the
student is unable to satisfy the committee’s reservations, his or her doctoral
candidacy and graduate student status may be terminated.
Failure of the Preliminary Oral Examination
Students who fail
the examination may be excluded from candidacy for the degree or may be
allowed, on unanimous recommendation of the examining committee, to retake the
examination, providing the reexamination is conducted by the original
preliminary oral examining committee.
In no case may the reexamination take place before 10 weeks have passed. No more than one reexamination is allowed.
Recess of a Preliminary Oral Examination
If
the preliminary oral examining committee recesses without having determined
whether a student has passed the examination, the chair of the committee must
send a letter to the UMD associate dean of The Graduate School explaining the
reasons for the recess and noting the date on which the examining committee
will reconvene. If the recess will be longer than one week, the examination
report form must be returned to The Graduate School’s UMD office, 431
Ed.D. Project
The project must
demonstrate the student’s originality and ability for independent
investigation, and the results of the research must constitute a contribution
to knowledge. The project must exhibit the student’s mastery of the literature
of the subject and familiarity with the sources. The subject matter must be
presented with a satisfactory degree of literary skill.
Project Proposal
Students must file the project proposal form
with The Graduate School’s UMD office, 431 Darland
Administration Building, no later than the first semester after passing the
preliminary oral examination. The form must include the proposed project title
and a project proposal, about 250 words in length, describing the research to
be undertaken and the methods to be employed in carrying it out. The project
proposal form is available from the
The project reviewers and other members of the final oral examining
committee are appointed by the dean of The
Changes in the Project Title or the Project Proposal
Changes
in the wording of the project title may be made without special approval, but
changes cannot be made after the final project copy is submitted to The
Graduate School. If substantive changes are made in the nature of the project
research itself, the student must submit a revised project proposal to The
Graduate School’s UMD Office immediately.
Published Work Included in or in Lieu of the Project
The project may include materials that students have
published while
In cases where the project research is to be presented to the examining
committee in the form of one or more articles that have been published, or are
in a form suitable for publication, the student should contact The Graduate
School’s UMD Office, 431 Darland Building, for
information on accommodating such a presentation to the required project
format.
Project Reviewers
All
members of the final oral examining committee read the project, although only
those designated as project reviewers sign the report form certifying that the
project is ready for defense.
The designated project reviewers consist of the adviser, representing the major
field, and at least two other members of the final oral examining committee,
including at least one representative from the major field and one
representative from the minor or supporting program. Reviewers cannot represent
more than one field simultaneously.
Certification of the project as ready for defense is a necessary step toward
the final oral examination, but in no way diminishes the significance of that
examination.
The project reviewers report form or a complete graduation packet is obtained
by the student from The Graduate School’s UMD office, 431 Darland
Administration Building, or online at
www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html. This form will be released only if the
student has a Graduate School-approved project proposal form on file and has
maintained active status (see Registration Requirements under Registration
Requirements for the Doctoral Degree).
Delivery of the Project to Project Reviewers
At the time the candidate submits a draft of the project to
the project reviewers, copies must also be provided to all other members of the
final oral examining committee. The project abstract must be included with the
project when it is distributed to the committee. The abstract must be signed by
the adviser and submitted, with the final project copy, to The Graduate
School’s UMD Office.
To permit faculty to allocate sufficient time to read the project and
decide whether it is ready for defense, students must notify their adviser and
other members of the final oral committee at least two weeks in advance that
the project will be delivered on a particular date. All members of the
examining committee must then have at least two weeks to read the project after
it has been delivered.
When signing the project reviewers report form, the reviewers have three
options: the project is acceptable for defense as presented; the project is
acceptable for defense with minor revisions; or the project requires major
revisions and is not acceptable for defense as presented.
The reviewers must be unanimous in certifying that the project is ready for
defense, whether as presented or with minor revisions. If this is the case, and
all other requirements have been met (see Final Oral Examination below), The
Graduate School authorizes the final oral examination. In any instance where
revisions are required, the committee must inform the student in writing of the
revisions required, and all questions concerning such revisions must be
resolved before the final copies of the project are submitted and the degree is
conferred. It is the adviser’s responsibility to ensure that revisions required
by the reviewers are satisfactorily made (see Preparation and
Submission of the Copies of the Project).
Final Oral
Examination
Doctoral students are required to successfully defend
their project in a final oral examination
and graduate within five calendar years after passing the preliminary oral
examination. To be eligible for the final oral examination, a student must have
completed all work on the official doctoral degree program form; must have
passed both the written and oral preliminary examinations; must have an
approved project proposal on file with The Graduate School; must have
maintained active status; and must have satisfied the project credit
requirement. In addition, the project must have been certified by the readers
as ready for defense.
Scheduling the Final Oral With The
The student must schedule the examination at least one
week in advance with both the committee and The
When the examination is scheduled, the student’s
A minimum of 10 weeks must intervene between the preliminary oral and the
final oral examinations. Also, the final oral cannot be scheduled during the
summer.
Final Oral Examining Committee
The committee must consist
minimally of four members: three (including the student’s adviser) from the
major field and one from the minor field or supporting program. At least one
committee member from the minor field or supporting program should represent a
graduate program (and budgetary unit, if possible) other than that of the
student’s major. Committee members cannot represent more than one field
simultaneously.
Although the student’s adviser serves as a member of the final oral examining
committee, another member of the committee is designated as the chair and
functions in this capacity at the final oral examination. The chair must be a
senior member or affiliate senior member of the graduate faculty and may be
from either the major field or the minor field or supporting program. The
chair and other members of the final oral examining committee are appointed by
the dean of The
All committee members must be present at the examination; the absence of any
member results in an invalid examination.
Changes in the Final Oral Examining Committee
Substitutions on
the examining committee may be necessitated by such circumstances as a faculty
member’s temporary absence on leave from the University. The adviser or the
director of graduate studies must request approval of substitutions from The
Graduate School’s UMD Office well in advance of the examination. Substitutions
necessitated by emergency situations must also be approved in advance. In such
cases, the committee chair should consult with The
Form of the Final Oral Examination
The
final oral examination consists of a seminar in which the candidate presents
the project and to which the scholarly community is invited. The seminar may
take place only after the project has been judged ready for defense. The
examination is limited to the candidate’s project subject and relevant areas.
It will not exceed three hours. A closed meeting between the candidate and the
appointed examining committee immediately follows the project presentation.
Immediately after the examination, the candidate is excused from the room and a
written, secret ballot is taken before discussing the
examination. Following the discussion, a second and final vote is taken.
Reporting the Results of the Final Oral Examination
To be
recommended for the award of the doctoral degree, candidates must receive a
vote with no more than one dissenting member of the total examining committee.
If the student has clearly passed or clearly failed the examination and all
members have signed the final examination report form, the report form must be
returned to The Graduate School’s UMD Office no later than the first
workday following the examination.
The adviser should be responsible for ensuring the inclusion of appropriate
modifications and required revisions, if any, in the final project. The final
oral examination report form should not be signed and submitted to The Graduate
School’s UMD Office until all revisions have been made. If the form will be
held for more than one week, a letter must be sent to The
Once the final report form has been returned to The Graduate School’s UMD
Office indicating that the student has either passed or failed the final oral
examination, a hold is placed on the student’s records to prevent further
registration in The Graduate School. If the adviser indicates that the student
needs additional time to make minor revisions to the project before it is
submitted to The Graduate School, the student is permitted to register for one
additional semester. Once the project has been submitted, no further
registration in The Graduate School is permitted unless the student has been
admitted to professional development status or to another major field.
Recess of a Final Oral Examination
On
rare occasions, the examining committee may conclude that the final oral
examination should be recessed, to be reconvened at a later date. Guidelines
for such circumstances are sent to the chair of each examining committee along
with the final oral examination report form.
The
Preparation
and Submission of the Copies of the Project
A copy of the project
must be submitted to The Graduate School. The student’s adviser(s) must sign the project to confirm that it is
complete and satisfactory in all respects and that all revisions required by
the final examining committee have been made. Instructions for the
preparation of the project, including format specifications and adviser’s
signature requirements, can be obtained from The Graduate School’s UMD office,
431 Darland Administration Building, or online at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html. UMD Ed.D.
students should return all forms to 431 Darland Administration Building.
Electronic Project Submssion
Students have the option to submit their
doctoral projects and abstracts via the web rather than in hard copy. For more information, refer to “Formatting
Guidelines for the Doctoral Dissertation” at http://www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html.