Lifelong Education Administration and Policy

Educational Administration and Policy

The Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy

Purpose

The Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy is designed to prepare scholars and administrators who combine the expertise of the academic researcher with the perspectives of the public intellectual to advance the knowledge and practice of preK-12 educational administration and policy making. The following plan starts with students who were admitted for fall 2008.

Admissions Requirements

The faculty considers the following five factors in deciding whether to admit an applicant to the program:

Demonstration of interest in a career in educational administration and policy.
Evidence of potential to contribute to the advancement of the field of educational administration and policy through research and professional leadership.
Undergraduate Grade Point Average.
Graduate Grade Point Average.
Graduate Record Examination Score (GRE). For international applicants, the GRE in addition to TOEFL and/or IELTS test scores sent by the testing agency are required.

For more detailed description of the Admissions Requirements, click here

Coursework and Program of Study

There are six major areas of coursework: 1. Educational administration and policy core, 2. Cognate Graduate Area of Study, 3. Specialization, 4. Research methodology, 5. Apprenticeship in academe or internship in educational administration and policy, 6. Pre-candidacy, and 7. Dissertation-candidacy. All coursework and programs of study are determined in consultation with the major professor and doctoral committee and approved by the Graduate Coordinator. The following description represents the minimum requirements for the degree. The major professor and the doctoral committee can require additional coursework.

Educational Administration and Policy Core (18 semester hours)

EDAP 9010	Educational Administration & Policy Analysis	3 semester hours
EDAP 9015	Curriculum & Educational Policy	3 semester hours
EDAP 9020	Education Finance & Policy	3 semester hours
EDAP 9025	Law & Educational Policy	3 semester hours
EDAP 9045	Administrative Theory	3 semester hours
EDAP 9250	Supervision Theory	3 semester hours

Cognate Graduate Area of Study

Students will complete a minimum of 9 semester hours of graduate coursework in a cognate field outside the program, either prior to (as in a Master’s Degree) or parallel to their coursework in the program. Grounding in a social science or humanities discipline outside the program will enable students to bring such specialized knowledge and modes of inquiry to bear on problems of educational administration and policy and will enhance the multidisciplinary nature of the proposed curriculum. Cognate studies are above and beyond the 58 required graduate semester hours of coursework. Cognate studies will relate to students’ areas of interest within the broad field of educational administration and policy. Students will be encouraged to enroll in a research seminar in their cognate area. These courses will be selected from related disciplines across the College of Education and the University.

Specialization (12 semester hours)

Students will complete at least 12 graduate semester hours in a specialization (e.g., law, finance, curriculum, supervision, administration, policy) within the field of educational administration and policy. These courses, selected by the student in consultation with the major professor and the doctoral advisory committee, will provide in-depth understanding of a specialization within the field of education policy and administration. These courses will be selected from courses offered through the Program in Educational Administration and Policy or from courses in related disciplines across the College of Education and the university. Specializations within Educational Administration and Policy include: Administration, Curriculum, Finance, Educational Law, School Improvement, Instructional Supervision, Professional Development of K-12 Teachers and Administrators, just to name a few of the areas in which doctoral students can specialize within their program of studies.

Research Methodology (12 semester hours)

Students will complete at least four courses (12 graduate semester hours) in research methods beyond such courses that were part of a Master’s Degree or cognate studies so that they will possess expertise in one research methodology and a working knowledge of a second. Recognizing that coursework in research methodology varies from field to field, for example, from law, to economics, to history, in consultation with the student, the doctoral advisory committee will identify research competencies necessary for the student to engage in his/her area of research and will direct the student toward appropriate coursework. Recognizing that research competencies are not effectively developed through separate courses alone, coursework in the Ph.D. in the Program in Educational Administration and Policy will require the application of research methodologies to actual data sets throughout the student’s program.

Apprenticeship in Academe or Internship (3 hours)

This area includes a series of planned experiences that will introduce students to the routines and responsibilities unique to the professoriate. Students will team-teach with the major professor a significant portion of at least one graduate level course, shadow the major professor in his or her responsibilities for engaging in service activities for the university and for learned societies, and attend university-sponsored cultural events. During this year, students will enroll in EDAP 9800 Academic Apprenticeship in Educational Administration and Policy (3 graduate semester hours), and students are strongly encouraged to enroll simultaneously in EDHI 9100, The American Professoriate (2 graduate semester hours). Additionally, from work that grows out of the research and specialization components of the student’s curriculum, the student will present at least one academic paper at a meeting of a learned society and submit at least one manuscript to a scholarly journal.

Students who seek careers in government agencies or policy centers may arrange, in consultation with their major professor and their advisory committee, policy-related internships in relevant settings. Similarly, students who seek careers in executive educational leadership positions may arrange, in consultation with their major professor, administration-related internships in relevant settings. These internships will provide first-hand experience in an executive administrative or a policy analysis setting with the cooperation of a practicing educational administrator or policy analyst and under the direction of the student’s major professor. This hands-on experience will complement students’ academic study of educational administration and policy. It is an expectation that an artifact such as a manuscript, a presentation, or a policy analysis exercise will mark the culmination of the internship.

Pre-Candidacy (The time period prior to entering candidacy—Minimum of 3 Semester Hours; however, Number of Hours will Vary)

After coursework is completed, students begin preparing for the written and the oral exam, known as the comprehensive exam. During this time, the student, major professor, and the dissertation committee develop a timeframe for this work. After the successful completion of the oral exam, the student works on preparing the prospectus. Each major professor and committee determines the scope of the prospectus. Typically, the prospectus is the first three chapters of the dissertation. Again, what constitutes a prospectus is articulated by the major professor. A student enters candidacy after the completion of the written and oral exam and the successful defense of the prospectus. It is not unusual for a student to take three or more semesters to remain in pre-candidacy for three or more semesters after completing the coursework. Students enroll in EDAP 9000 once coursework is completed and until such time that the written and oral exam is completed, and the prospectus has been successfully defended.

Dissertation-Candidacy (10 semester hours)

Students are expected to complete an academically rigorous dissertation in which they conduct an independent investigation that results in an original and significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge in their field. Dissertation planning, approval, and defense will be conducted in accordance with current Graduate School policies at the University of Georgia.

Students will complete at least three hours of dissertation study. However, it is a Graduate School Policy that students must sustain a minimum of 10 semester hours of credit with the count starting the semester in which a student enters candidacy until the time of graduation. Typically, then a student will sustain 10 semester hours of EDAP 9300, counting from the time a student enters candidacy until graduation. This policy also aligns with the continuous enrollment policy of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia.

Summary of Coursework

Area	Semester Hours
Educational Administration and Policy Core: EDAP 9010, Educational Administration &Policy Analysis EDAP 9015, Curriculum & Educational Policy EDAP 9020, Education Finance & Policy EDAP 9025, Law & Educational Policy EDAP 9045, Administrative Theory EDAP 9250, Supervision Theory	18
Research Methodology Courses	12
Specialization	12 minimum
Apprenticeship or Internship	3
Pre-Candidacy Hours, EDAP 9000. EDAP 9000 is sustained after completing coursework and prior to entering candidacy. For each semester of enrollment prior to entering candidacy, students sustain 3 hours of EDAP 9000.	3 or more
Dissertation Hours—Candidacy after entering candidacy [3 semester hours must be EDAP 9300; other courses may be sustained as long as 10 hours are sustained from the semester a student enters candidacy]	10 minimum
Other coursework as determined by Committee	Varies
Minimum Required	58
Cognate REQUIRED—beyond the required 58 hours	9

Additional Requirements

In addition to the course requirements described in the previous pages, Ph.D. students adhere to the following expectations:

Residency Requirement

To fulfill residency requirements and consistent with Graduate School policy, students will enroll for at least 30 semester hours of consecutive coursework. The residency requirement must be completed prior to admission to candidacy.

Transfer of Credit Policy

No courses taken prior to a doctoral student’s admission to his/her degree program at the University of Georgia are eligible for transfer. Doctoral students admitted into the Ph.D. degree program may take courses at other accredited institutions and have up to 6 hours transferred to the UGA program of study. Recommendation from the Major Professor and the Graduate Coordinator with approval from the Dean of the Graduate School must be secured before sustaining coursework from another institution if that coursework is to be considered as part of the Program of Study. Students are reminded that for a transfer of credit to be considered, the coursework must be from a "like" institution that offers a Ph.D., and the coursework must be such that it relates directly to the Program of Study, and the University of Georgia does not offer a like course. Transfer of Credit for core course requirements will not be considered.

No grade below a "B" can be transferred, and the courses to be transferred may not have been used in a degree program at UGA or another institution. Students must complete a form, have the form signed by the advisor and the Graduate Coordinator, and submit an official transcript of the coursework from the university that granted the credit.

To consider a request for transfer of credit, documentation is needed by the assigned advisor. It becomes the student’s responsibility to provide to the assigned advisor

a catalogue description of the course and
the course syllabi.

Recency of the coursework is considered six years.

Please note that there are deadlines in which Transfer of Credit must be received by the Graduate School. These deadlines can be found at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/deadlines.html

For more detailed description of the Procedures for Transfer of Credit, click here

Committee Structure

Upon admission, a student will be assigned an interim advisor. The student must select a major professor and then work with the major professor to form a committee by the end of the second semester. The committee shall consist of three or more faculty members who hold graduate faculty status. The major professor must be a graduate faculty member from within the Program in Educational Administration and Policy.

Comprehensive Examinations

Students are required to sustain a written and oral comprehensive examination prior to beginning the dissertation.

Each committee member will develop one or more questions relevant to the faculty member’s specialization.

The student will submit a complete exam packet to each committee member within the agreed upon time frame.

Faculty will evaluate the submission and provide appropriate feedback to the student and major professor within two weeks.

With the major professor’s approval, the oral comprehensive exam will be scheduled.

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 the 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 Program in Educational Administration and Policy requires students to provide a bound copy of the dissertation to the Program in Educational Administration and Policy Library, to the major professor, and to any other committee member that requests one.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement

Students must maintain continuous enrollment as prescribed by the Graduate School including from the completion of the comprehensive examinations until the defense of the dissertations. Students must register for at least three credit hours every semester until their dissertation is approved including the semester in which graduation is anticipated.

The continuous enrollment policy dictates that graduate students must register for a minimum of three (3) hours for at least two (2) semesters in each academic year (fall, spring, summer). While planning your studies at the University of Georgia, please become familiar with the policy in the Graduate Bulletin at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/registration.html

Time Limitations

Students must be admitted to candidacy within six years of the start of their coursework. This time requirement dates from the first registration of a student for graduate courses on his/her Program of Study.

After admission to candidacy, students have five years to complete their dissertation. A candidate for a doctoral degree who fails to take the final oral examination within five years after passing the preliminary examination and being admitted to candidacy, will be required to take another preliminary examination and must be admitted to candidacy a second time.

Annual Evaluation

The graduate faculty will evaluate doctoral students annually, and will then make one of three recommendations: (a) the student may continue in the program; (b) remedial assignments must be successfully completed by the student before he/she may continue in the program; or (c) the student should withdraw from the program. If remedial assignments or withdrawal are recommended by the faculty, the recommendation will be transmitted in writing to the student by the student's major professor and the Graduate Coordinator.

Human Subjects

The University policy on activities involving human subjects is to fully comply with regulations of the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and to implement the principles outlined in the Belmont Report. To receive IRB approval at the University of Georgia beginning January 1, 2006, students must sustain mandatory human subjects training which is required of all facultyand students who submit IRB proposals.

At the University of Georgia (UGA), all human subjects research activities come under the purview and oversight of the Human Subjects Office and the Institutional Review Board, irrespective of whether the research is funded or non-funded, minimal risk, or more. The human subjects policies apply to all UGA affiliated faculty, staff, and students conducting human subjects research on or off-campus (domestic or international sites) as well as visitors conducting research at UGA.

Academic Honesty Policy (A Culture of Honesty)

The office of the Vice President for Instruction details the Academic Honesty Policy and the behaviors and actions that promote a Culture of Honesty. In brief and from the Office of the Vice President for Instruction holds that the University of Georgia seeks to promote and ensure academic honesty and personal integrity among students and other members of the University Community. A policy on academic honesty has been developed to serve these goals. (All members of the academic community are responsible for knowing the policy and procedures on academic honesty. These policies should be viewed at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/culture_honesty.htm

Readmissions

If for any reason, a student becomes inactive, he/she will be required to reapply to the University of Georgia and to the Program in Educational Administration and Policy. Readmission is more than a procedure of convenience and to this end, readmission is not fully guaranteed once a student becomes inactive or does not matriculate the semester in which admissions was approved.

Familiarity with Policies and Regulations

There are many rules and regulations affecting graduate enrollment, examinations, and dissertations that are made by the Graduate School rather than by the Program in Educational Administration and Policy. It is the student's responsibility to become informed about Program in Educational Administration and Policy, Graduate School, and University of Georgia regulations, policies, and procedures.

Policies and regulations will change, and this homepage will be updated regularly to reflect these changes; however, any policy or procedure that changes will be in effect irrespective of these changes being made public on these pages.

The Educational Administration and Policy homepages provide a wealth of information. Please see, for example, http://www.coe.uga.edu/leap/adminpolicy/about/index.html where you will find URLS that lead to Forms for Students, Advising Announcements, the EDAP Student Handbook, and other items that will assist with the navigation of completing doctoral studies.

Useful Links to the University of Georgia

Page Last Updated on April 21, 2009

Deb Teitelbaum (right), a Ph.D. student in Educational Administration and Policy receives 3rd place in the College of Education’s Graduate Research Conference for her qualitative study You Gotta Shake Your Own Bushes: Why Good Teachers Leave Teaching