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The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree offered by the Georgia State University College of Education and Human Development is congruent in purpose with the following statement of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States:
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is the highest academic degree granted by American universities. It is awarded to those who have demonstrated mastery of the field and successfully completed and defended a dissertation. The degree is a clear recognition that the student has the ability to complete a substantial piece of research work, to present formally the results of this work, and to appreciate its significance in the general field. The degree has always been considered the most significant achievement in preparation for an active career in scholarship and research. The requirements set by American universities for attainment of the Ph.D. degree may vary considerably among universities, but all have a common set of experiences and tasks designed to produce a scholar and researcher with recognized competence in the chosen field. The successful candidate for the Ph.D. is then considered prepared to undertake a career of scholarship, research, and service to society.
Each doctoral major field of study offered by the College of Education and Human Development provides preparation for careers of scholarship, research, and service to society.
Doctoral Assistantships, Instructorships, and Fellowships
Graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) and graduate research assistantships (GRAs) are available to selected doctoral students who demonstrate outstanding academic skills, expertise, and departmental or college need. Assistantships are made available through the student’s department and a limited number through the Office of the Dean.
Minimum Requirements for Degree Completion
Each doctoral student admitted to the College of Education and Human Development will (a) complete a program of coursework approved by his or her Doctoral Advisory Committee, (b) complete an approved residency, (c) perform successfully on a comprehensive examination, (d) develop and present a dissertation research prospectus, (e) gain admission to candidacy, and (f) submit and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation. Individual programs may have additional requirements that the students must complete. All requirements must be completed within a nine-year time period as described below.
Doctoral Advisory Committee
The Doctoral Advisory Committee assist the students in planning an appropriate program of study and preparing for completion of non-coursework requirements, including the comprehensive examination. The Doctoral Advisory Committee has the supervisory responsibility for approving program coursework and non-coursework requirements up to the point of candidacy to the degree.
Upon admission to a doctoral major in the College of Education and Human Development, each student is assigned a temporary advisor from among the faculty of the major field of study in which admission has been granted. This temporary advisor assists the student until a Doctoral Advisory Committee is established. The student should establish a permanent doctoral advisor and advisory committee early but not later than the accrual of 27 semester hours of coursework nor later than one calendar year from the date of matriculation.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee consists of a minimum of three members:
- The major advisor serves as the chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, is a full-time, tenure track member of the College of Education and Human Development faculty, holds primary appointment in the College of Education and Human Development, has been a faculty member at Georgia State University for at least one academic year, is a member of the faculty of the major to which the students have been admitted, holds an earned doctorate, and holds Graduate Research Faculty Membership. Faculty with approved Joint Academic Appointments and University Graduate Research Faculty Membership can serve as the chair of a Ph.D. Doctoral Advisory Committee.
- A second member of the Doctoral Advisory Committee must be a full-time member of the College of Education and Human Development faculty holding an earned doctorate and Graduate Research Faculty Membership.
- A third member of the Doctoral Advisory Committee must represent a major outside the student’s major and holds an earned terminal degree.
- Any part-time instructor in the College of Education and Human Development or member outside of the college must be approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
- All committee members must hold a terminal degree.
All appointments to the Doctoral Advisory Committee, including its chair, are subject to approval by each student, the department chair, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research of the College of Education and Human Development. After the Doctoral Advisory Committee has been established, the committee, student, department chair, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research of the College of Education and Human Development must approve any subsequent change of membership.
Program of Study
The primary emphasis of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is the preparation of students as researchers, scholars, and scientist practitioners. Research experiences will be a continual part of students’ learning including completion of substantial coursework focused on research and scholarship as well as participation in research activities. Congruent with this perspective, students will be active participants in ongoing research activities and scholarship with faculty and/or in research teams from the beginning of their enrollment in the doctoral program. Students in College of Education and Human Development Ph.D. programs will continually participate in such activities throughout their doctoral program resulting in conference presentations and scholarship submitted for publication. While these experiences will be time-intensive and may overlap with some coursework, these efforts are expected to occur above and beyond doctoral students’ coursework.
The formal coursework requirement is satisfied through successful completion of each course in the program of study with a grade of “C” or higher (including S), with an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or better. Coursework in which a grade below “C” is earned may not be applied to the doctoral program.
A minimum of 36 semester hours, excluding dissertation credit, is required in each student’s doctoral program. To meet coursework requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, a minimum of 24 semester hours must be earned in the doctoral program of study at Georgia State University. The 24 semester hour minimum may not include credits transferred from other institutions, from other doctoral programs within the college or university, from a specialist program, or from a nondegree status. All coursework applied to the doctoral program of study must be post-master’s work. The use of credits earned beyond the master’s degree while in a nondegree status is limited to a maximum of nine semester hours and should be counted as part of the 12 semester hours allowed in transfer.
No coursework (transferred or from Georgia State University) that has been completed more than seven years prior to admission to candidacy, after successful completion of coursework and the comprehensive examination, may be used to meet any doctoral degree requirement.
Planning of coursework for doctoral study is done individually with consideration of each student’s career goals, prior academic work, and professional experience; however, all programs of study will foster the development of skills and abilities in a major area and a core area. This catalog is the sole source for approved program requirements. Programs of study should be planned to conform to requirements stated in this catalog. A minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework is required in each student’s doctoral program. College of Education and Human Development courses applied to meet these requirements must be at the 8000 or 9000 level. No dissertation credit may be applied to the minimum requirement of 36 semester hours of coursework. The minimally required 36 semester hours are distributed among the core and major areas as follows:
Core area
A minimum of 18 semester hours; the purpose of the core area requirement is to develop general research competence, including expertise in at least one particular research method appropriate to the major field and/or dissertation research. The general requirements of the core area are described later in this chapter. Variations for each program are included with the program’s description.
Major area
A minimum of 18 semester hours; the purpose of the major area requirement is to increase the doctoral student’s knowledge base in the academic discipline in which scholarly activity is to be pursued.
Dissertation
In addition to the minimum requirements described above, each doctoral student must enroll in a minimum of 15 semester hours of dissertation credit. The final grade will be assigned the term the student successfully defends the dissertation.
Research
A minimum of 30 semester hours of research must be completed, which includes 15 semester hours of dissertation and 15 semester hours of coursework as identified by the Doctoral Advisory Committee.
Doctoral Residency
The purpose of residency is (a) to provide close and continuous involvement with faculty, professional colleagues, and other graduate students; (b) to provide a supervised opportunity for development in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service; and (c) to provide a period of time for concentrated study and coursework, reading, reflecting, and research appropriate for the advanced degree.
Doctoral students must complete five of the following six elements for their Residency Program Plan:
- Participate in ongoing research and scholarly experiences,
- Submit a research/scholarly manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal as primary or lead author (or as an author with substantial contribution to the research study and manuscript),
- Participate in identifying and applying for a grant/fellowship,
- Present at a research/scholarly conference,
- Engage in university teaching, or
- Serve the institution and/or profession.
Comprehensive Examination
The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to evaluate the students’ ability to use the subject content of the major, core, and cognate areas (if applicable) as defined in the approved program of study to perform cognitive tasks including recall and application and especially focusing on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of that content.
The comprehensive examination includes a written examination and may also include an oral examination. Students have two opportunities to pass the comprehensive examination. Those who do not pass the examination on the second attempt are not permitted to continue in the doctoral program.
To be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, the students’ cumulative grade point average in the doctoral program of study must be no less than 3.50. Each student’s doctoral committee determines what coursework must be completed before he or she may take the comprehensive examination.
Requirements Following Successful Completion of the Comprehensive Examination
Enrollment for a minimum of three semester hours of credit is required during at least two out of each three term period following successful completion of the comprehensive examination until the students have graduated. This enrollment must include a minimum of 15 semester hours of dissertation (9990) credit but may also include other coursework.
Enrollment for dissertation credit is permitted only after successful completion of the comprehensive examination.
Review of Research for the Protection of Human Subjects or Animals
Students, faculty, or staff who are planning to conduct research involving human subjects must submit pertinent information for review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). These committees are charged with protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects and animals by reviewing the background, purpose, methodology, and instrumentation of all research conducted by faculty, staff, students, and employees of Georgia State University.
All research requires review by the IRB or IACUC. Procedures and the necessary forms for submitting proposals are available from each student’s department.
For further information regarding this review process, students should contact their respective departments.
On Campus Resources
The Learning Resource Unit in the Counseling and Testing Center offers a variety of services, including writing and editorial services that can be useful to doctoral students. Contact 404-413-1640 for further information.
Dissertation Prospectus and Dissertation Advisory Committee
The purpose of the dissertation prospectus is to offer the Dissertation Advisory Committee evidence of the significance and rationale of the proposed study. The prospectus describes the philosophical/theoretical knowledge base within which the dissertation topic is developed, the methodology or procedures to be employed, and the expected implications of findings or conclusions. The prospectus reflects each student’s preparedness to conduct the investigation and write the dissertation. Before beginning work on the prospectus, students should review the college’s Guidelines for Preparing Dissertations.
Following completion of the student’s comprehensive examination but before approval of the prospectus, the student and the student’s advisor will recommend formation of the Dissertation Advisory Committee. The majority of the committee, including the committee chair, must hold graduate research faculty status in the College of Education and Human Development. Faculty with approved Joint Academic Appointments and University Graduate Research Faculty Membership can serve as the chair of a Ph.D. Dissertation Advisory Committee. The resulting Dissertation Advisory Committee should represent expertise in both the area of the research topic and the proposed research methodology and consist of no fewer than four members with earned doctorates, which means that at least three Dissertation Advisory Committee members must be College of Education and Human Development faculty who hold graduate faculty research status. Any proposed member of the Dissertation Advisory Committee not meeting these requirements must be approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Any part-time instructor in the College of Education and Human Development or member outside of the college must be approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. All committee members must hold a terminal degree.
The Dissertation Advisory Committee aids each student in developing the dissertation prospectus and later the dissertation. The committee is responsible for judging the significance and acceptability of the dissertation prospectus, the soundness and acceptability of the dissertation, and the competence and acceptability of the students’ oral defense of the dissertation.
Presentation of the Dissertation Prospectus
Students shall publicly present the dissertation prospectus to provide an opportunity for College of Education and Human Development faculty to contribute to a scholarly critique of the proposed research. The announcement of the prospectus presentation includes the date and location of the presentation and an abstract of the prospectus. No fewer than four members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee must attend the prospectus presentation.
Announcement of the prospectus presentation must be made at least 15 calendar days prior to the date of the scheduled prospectus presentation. Additionally, the prospectus must be presented between the first day of classes and the last day of final examinations; it cannot be presented between academic terms. Students should consult the current deadlines for doctoral students to plan the timely announcement of the prospectus presentation.
Approval and acceptance of the dissertation prospectus requires a favorable vote of a majority of the Dissertation Advisory Committee.
Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
When students have completed all coursework requirements for the degree except the dissertation and, in the case of counseling psychology and counselor education and practice majors only, the internship, the students’ Dissertation Advisory Committee may recommend to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development that they are admitted to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. To be recommended for candidacy, students must additionally have fulfilled their department’s residency requirement, completed all required examinations during the comprehensive examination, and submitted and presented an approved dissertation prospectus. Students must be recommended for candidacy within seven years of their term of first matriculation, that is, when they took the first course to be counted toward completion of degree requirements.
Dissertation and Final Dissertation Defense
The dissertation and defense are the culminating activities in the students’ doctoral program, demonstrating high levels of scholarly and intellectual activity. The dissertation is an original contribution to knowledge in the field of study through disciplined inquiry. Conducting, writing, and defending the dissertation are done in accordance with the highest professional standards.
Enrollment for a minimum of three semester hours of credit is required during at least two out of each three-term period following successful completion of the comprehensive examination until graduation. These hours of credit must include a minimum of 15 semester hours of dissertation (9990) but may also include other coursework. Per university policy, students must be actively enrolled in the program of study during the semester in which they finish degree requirements for graduation. Doctoral students typically are enrolled in dissertation hours.
All doctoral dissertations must comply with the format, style, and procedural instructions established by the College of Education and Human Development in its Guidelines for Preparing Dissertations. The guide should be consulted soon after the students complete their comprehensive examination successfully.
The purpose of the oral defense of the dissertation is to enable the Dissertation Advisory Committee to judge the quality of the investigation and the students’ ability to defend their work.
When the dissertation is completed and ready to defend, a public announcement of the oral defense of the dissertation is disseminated by Graduate Student Services to the College of Education and Human Development faculty. The announcement must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at least 15 calendar days prior to the scheduled defense. Additionally, the dissertation must be defended between the first day of classes and the last day of final examinations; it cannot be defended between academic terms. Students should consult the current deadlines for doctoral candidates to plan the timely announcement of the dissertation defense.
At the same time the announcement of the oral defense is submitted, a copy of the completed dissertation is uploaded to coedissertations@gsu.edu for faculty review in Graduate Student Services. The announcement of the oral defense includes the date and location of the defense and an abstract of the dissertation of no more than 350 words.
The oral defense is scheduled on the main campus of the university during regular dates of operation (i.e., between the first day of classes and the last day of final examinations each term, excluding official holidays). The oral defense must be attended by no fewer than four (4) members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee and is open to all College of Education and Human Development faculty and invited guests. The committee will invite other faculty and guests present to question the candidate and to communicate to the committee their professional reactions.
Approval and acceptance of the doctoral dissertation requires a favorable vote of a majority of the Dissertation Advisory Committee.
Electronic Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations Policy
research.library.gsu.edu/etd
In order to insure that all master’s theses and doctoral dissertations produced at Georgia State University are captured, preserved, and appropriately made available, the University requires all students who produce a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in fulfillment of his/her degree to upload the final version of these documents to ScholarWorks@Georgia State University as a condition of the award of the degree.
Requirements for Degree Completion
The purpose of requiring completion of all degree requirements within a fixed period of time is to ensure currency, continuity, and coherence in the academic experiences leading to the degree.
All degree requirements must be successfully completed within nine years of the students’ term of first matriculation. Moreover, all requirements for doctoral candidacy (coursework, comprehensive examination, prospectus approval) must be completed within seven years of the students’ first term of matriculation. No coursework that was completed more than seven years prior to admission to candidacy may be used to meet any doctoral degree requirement.
Enrollment for a minimum of three semester hours of credit is required during at least two out of each three term period following successful completion of the comprehensive examination until graduation. This enrollment must include a minimum of 15 semester hours of dissertation (9990) credit but may also include other coursework.
Per university policy, students must be actively enrolled in the program of study during the semester in which they finish degree requirements for graduation. Doctoral students typically are enrolled in dissertation hours.
Graduation
Graduate degree candidates must file a formal application for graduation with the Graduation Office at least two academic terms in advance of their expected graduation dates. Students receiving the Ph.D. degree may have some additional cost relative to graduation.
The form for changing the date of graduation is located the Graduation Office’s web site.
