Curriculum & Instruction

Doctoral Degree Program

Opportunities for graduate studies

The Department of Teacher Education and Administration offers graduate programs to develop highly competent teachers, school administrators and other professionals who plan to provide educational leadership in public and private schools and other organizations. Effective instruction, curriculum development and evaluation are emphasized in all programs at the University of North Texas. You will use current theory and research to make decisions about effective practice. The department also strives to improve practice through generation of new knowledge and through service to educational institutions, governmental agencies and practitioners at all levels.

Doctoral programs in curriculum and instruction

The curriculum and instruction program offers graduate education leading to the practitioner-oriented doctor of education degree and the research-oriented doctor of philosophy degree. The program targets professional educators who are skilled and knowledgeable in analyzing and directing curriculum policy and in developing, implementing and evaluating curriculum products and instructional practices. The interdisciplinary major in curriculum and instruction focuses on K-12 education. However, many graduates apply the principles to careers in business, community college and universities.

Typically, the Ph.D. program prepares you for a career as a researcher in a research and development center or as a professor in a teacher education program. The Ed.D. program prepares you for an administrative and supervisory position in school districts.

Admission requirements

You must meet the minimum requirements of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies and requirements of the academic department when you apply to the doctoral program in curriculum and instruction. For graduate school requirements, access the graduate catalog at www.unt.edu/catalog or contact the graduate school.

Requirements of the department include:

• minimum 3.4 GPA on course work for the master's degree
• documentation of verbal and writing proficiencies using submitted GRE verbal and analytical writing scores to the graduate school
• three years of successful K-12 teaching experience or related acceptable experience
• completed application form available from the program office
• letter of intent to pursue doctoral studies in curriculum and instruction (Letter should contain your career goal for pursuing a doctorate and areas of potential research interest.)
• three letters of recommendation (from graduate-level instructors and education-related employers)
• current professional resume
• scholarly writing sample (e.g., a graduate-level research paper or thesis, single authored and no more than 5 years old)

Meeting all admission criteria does not guarantee you admission into the program.

Degree Requirements

The Ed.D. and Ph.D. degrees require a common core of 18 hours of course work in curriculum and instruction, 6 hours of research courses, 24 hours in a related field of study and 12 hours of dissertation. For the related field of study, the Ed.D. degree requirements include 6 hours of computer/technology courses, 6 to 9 hours of practicum or related field work (that may involve evaluation studies, action research and supervisory studies), and 12 to 15 hours in an appropriate minor. For the related field of study, the Ph.D. requires 6 hours of computer/technology courses, 3 to 9 hours of mentorship, and 12 to 15 hours in an appropriate minor. The Ph.D. program also requires 6 additional hours of research courses and a 9-hour tool subject. The tool subject may be met through approved educational research, computer education, higher education, foreign language and/or other courses. Additional course work for either degree may be required, depending on your previous experience.

Ed.D. Course Requirements

Professional Knowledge (18 hours)

EDCI 6110 Conceptual Frames for Curriculum and Instruction
EDCI 6220 Conceptual Models of Curriculum Development
EDCI 6230 Implementation and Evaluation Curriculum
EDCI 6340 Conceptual Models of Learning and Instruction
EDCI 6350 Research and Practice of Teaching
EDCI 6460 Policy Analysis in Curriculum and Instruction

Research (6 hours)

EPSY 6010 Statistics for Educational Research
EPSY 6020 Research Methods in Education

You are encouraged to include EDCI 6280, Qualitative Research in Education, in your program of study. If you wish to use a qualitative research design for the dissertation, then EDCI 6280 and EDCI 6285, Qualitative Data Analysis, must be taken.

Technology (6 hours)

Recommended courses include:
CECS 5010 Computer Education Tools
CECS 5020 Computers in Education
CECS 5030 Introduction to the Internet
CECS 5420 Web Authoring
CECS 5500 Computer Applications for Curriculum and Instruction

Practicum and/or related fieldwork (6-9 hours)

Includes evaluation studies, action research and supervisory studies

Minor (12-15 hours)

May include a minor of 12 to 15 hours in a related field such as educational administration and may consist of course work in related areas such as instructional technology or business administration. May also include additional fieldwork or directed study.

Dissertation (12 hours)

Should be applied research directed toward practical problems facing the professional educator practitioner.

Residency

Ed.D. students are required to enroll in a minimum of 18 semester hours during a calendar year. Residency must be completed prior to attempting the written qualifying paper at the end of course work.

Ph.D. Course requirements

Professional Knowledge (18 hours)

EDCI 6110 Conceptual Frames for Curriculum and Instruction
EDCI 6220 Conceptual Models of Curriculum Development
EDCI 6230 Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum
EDCI 6340 Conceptual Models of Learning and Instruction
EDCI 6350 Research and Practice of Teaching
EDCI 6460 Policy Analysis in Curriculum and Instruction

Research (12 hours)

EPSY 6010 Statistics for Education Research
EPSY 6020 Research Methods in Education
EPSY 6210 Multiple Regression Analysis and Related Methods
EDCI 6280 Qualitative Research in Education

You are encouraged to include EDCI 6285, Qualitative Data Analysis, in your program of study. If you wish to use a qualitative research design for the dissertation, then EDCI 6280 and EDCI 6285, Qualitative Data Analysis, must be taken.

Tool Subject (9 hours)

May be met through approved educational research, computer/technology, higher education, foreign language and/or other courses. Courses will be selected based on your interests and needs.

Technology (6 hours)

Recommended courses include:

CECS 5010 Computer Education Tools
CECS 5020 Computers in Education
CECS 5030 Introduction to Internet
CECS 5420 Web Authoring
CECS 5500 Computer Applications for Curriculum and Instruction

Mentorship (3-9 hours)

May be met by research assistantship, independent study on a basic research problem or additional course work in an area of research.

Minor (12-15 hours)

Must be in a discipline outside the College of Education or an approved discipline within the College of Education.

Dissertation (12 hours)

Should be basic research with broad applicability.

Residency

Ph.D. students are required to enroll in a minimum of 18 semester hours during two consecutive semesters at UNT (fall/spring, spring/fall, spring/summer, summer/fall). Residency must be completed prior to attempting the written qualifying paper at the end of course work.

Financial assistance available

A limited number of teaching fellowships and assistantships are available to you. These opportunities include working with professors on research grants and projects or serving as a teaching assistant, working with undergraduate students in advising and degree plans, or teaching undergraduate classes and supervising student teaching.

You may apply for these positions by submitting a letter of application and a current resume to the department chair. The letter should address particular strengths and interests.

New doctoral students may be considered for graduate school fellowships, and new graduate students who have been participants in the Ronald E. McNair post-baccalaureate programs may be eligible for McNair fellowships. Contact UNT's Toulouse School of Graduate Studies for information.