Academic Programs - Adult Education, Learning and Organization Development Program
Ph.D. in Adult Education: Student Admitted Prior to Summer 2009
The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students for leadership and research careers related to the education of adults. All phases of the program, from advisement to dissertation, encourage and support the acquisition of advanced knowledge and skills for conducting research and analyzing and reporting findings. The program provides classroom as well as experiential opportunities for students to develop research skills.
Course work
There are five major areas of course work: adult education core, electives, research in adult education, research methods, and post-candidacy course work.
- Adult Education Core (15 semester hours)
| EADU 8020 | Adult Education in Social Context | 3 semester hours |
| EADU 9020 | Adult Learning Theory and Research | 3 semester hours |
| EADU 9030 | Program Planning Theory and Research in Adult Education | 3 semester hours |
| EADU 8010 or EADU 8190 |
History and Philosophy of Adult Education or Human Resource Development |
3 semester hours |
| EADU 8200 or EADU 8620 |
Theory and Practice of Educational Change or Adult Education Administration |
3 semester hours |
- Electives (12 semester hours)
Courses should be selected through discussion with the student’s major professor. A full listing of adult education courses is available online at http://bulletin.uga.edu. This includes 9 semester hours of EADU courses and 3 semester hours of other courses.
- Research Methods (12 semester hours)
12 semester hours; At least one statistics course and one course not in statistics.
- Research in Adult Education (12 semester hours)
Research courses provide the student with the necessary background and skills to begin dissertation research. Twelve hours of course work are required to complete this requirement.
| EADU 9601 | Foundations of Adult Education Research | 3 semester hours | May be taken at any time, and is recommended early in degree program. |
| EADU 9630 | Critique of Literature in Adult Education | 3 semester hours | May not be taken until student has (a) a major professor, (b) a dissertation topic and (c) has completed most core courses and some research courses. Must be taken before EADU 9640 and comprehensive exams. |
| EADU 9640 | Prospectus Development in Adult Education | 3 semester hours | May not be taken until student has (a) completed EADU 9630 and (b) successfully defended their comprehensive exam. Defense of exam must be complete no later than three weeks into the start of EADU 9640. |
| EADU 9602 | Writing for Publication | 3 semester hours | Must be taken after successful defense of comprehensive exams. Defense of exam must be complete no later than three weeks into the start of EADU 9602. |
- Post Candidacy Courses (10 semester hours)
After formal admission to candidacy, a student must register for a minimum of 10 hours of credit while completing the dissertation to be eligible to graduate. At least 3 hours of this credit must be EADU 9300. Because of the Graduate School continuous enrollment requirement, most students exceed the minimum.
| Summary of Course Work | |
| Area | Semester hours |
| Adult Education Core | 15 |
| Electives | 12 |
| Research Methods | 12 |
| Research in Adult Education | 12 |
| Total | 51 |
| Post Candidacy Course | 10 |
| Grand Total | 61 |
In addition to the course requirements described in the previous pages, Ph.D. students must also fulfill the following requirements.
Residency Requirement
Students must accumulate 30 semester hours in consecutive semesters. (Students MAY use Summer semester to fulfill residency)
Comprehensive Examination
Before beginning the dissertation process, students must demonstrate their preparedness by means of a month-long, take-home, written examination. The written examination is followed by an oral examination. The comprehensive examination process is described in detail in, Guide to Comprehensive Examinations for Ed.D. and Ph.D. Students in the Program of Adult Education (see page 17).
Submission of Manuscript for Publication
In order to be admitted to candidacy, students must submit a manuscript for review in a refereed research journal related to adult education. See Guide to PhD Article Requirements (page 20) for more information.
Journal-Ready Dissertation Format
More information can be found in the section, Journal-Ready Dissertation Format (see page 21).
Dissertation Prospectus
In order to be admitted to candidacy, students must have their research plan approved by the advisory committee. This plan, the dissertation prospectus, typically consists of the first three chapters of the dissertation.
Dissertation
The Ph.D. program culminates in the preparation and defense of a dissertation. The dissertation is prepared under the supervision of the major professor and three other faculty committee members who compose the advisory committee.
Dissertation Submission
The Graduate School requires dissertations to be submitted in an electronic format. In addition, the Department requires students to provide a bound copy of the dissertation to the Department library, to the major professor, and to any other committee member that requests one.
Time Limitations
Students must be admitted to candidacy within six years of the start of their course work. After admission to candidacy, students have five years to complete their dissertation.
Links
Ph.D. in Adult Education Graduate Handbook
LEAP Department Graduate Handbook
Ph.D. in Adult Education Advisement Form: Prior to Summer 2009
Area of Emphasis in Human Resource and Organizational Development
