Doctoral Student Information

Supervisory Committee

Effective with admission for Fall 2017

The doctoral supervisory committee will be selected by the student and their advisor. The Appointment of Supervisory Committee form should be filed during the first fall semester of enrollment and must be completed prior to the filing a Program of Study.

Students pursuing the EdD with a major in educational administration will have at least five faculty members on the supervisory committee. At least two faculty members will hold their appointment in the Department of Educational Administration and will serve as co-chairs of the supervisory committee. At least one Graduate Faculty member external to EDAD must be included on the committee responsible for supervising the student’s doctoral program of studies.
Students pursuing the EdD or PhD with a major in educational studies and a specialization in educational leadership and higher education will have a supervisory committee of at least four faculty members. At least two faculty members must hold their appointment in the Department of Educational Administration; one serving as chair of the supervisory committee and the other serving as the “second” agreeing to assume the role of chair if the chair leaves the university or retires. At least one Graduate Faculty member external to EDAD must be included on the committee responsible for supervising the student’s doctoral program of studies.

All professors serving on the supervisory committee must either be on the Graduate Faculty or be non-Graduate Faculty approved to perform specified Graduate Faculty duties.

Changing Members of the Supervisory Committee

During the course of study a student may change career goals or their initial research focus and, for those or other reasons, decide to change the membership of the supervisory committee. If you wish to change the membership of your supervisory committee, you should first discuss making a change with your advisor. The student, in consultation with the advisor, will identify another faculty member to serve on the supervisory committee. When the new committee member has agreed to the appointment, the advisor will notify the Graduate Chair and process the necessary paperwork to notify Graduate Studies.

Program of Study Meeting

The Program of Studies is developed by the student, in consultation with the advisor(s), and approved by the Supervisory Committee. Each student, their advisor(s)/chair(s), and a majority of the Supervisory Committee should hold a Program of Study meeting during the first fall semester of enrollment. This meeting may occur in person, by conference call, or via interactive video. Items covered at the Program of Study meeting include:

Approval of transfer courses;
Approval of courses selected for concentration, research/statistics requirements, and electives;
If provisionally admitted, a discussion of the provisional conditions and identification of how the student will remove the conditions within the first year of study;
Explanation of the residency requirements and discussion of how the student will meet the credit hour residency requirement and, if applicable, how the PhD student will meet the 6 hour research residency seminar requirement or the number of credit hours towards the credit hour residency that an EdD student can earn during summer sessions;
Explanation and discussion of how the advisor(s) will conduct the comprehensive exam;
Verification that the student has reviewed and understands EDAD policies for satisfactory academic progress;
Discussion of intended time-to-degree; and
Approval of the omnibus motion allowing the advisor(s) to: make slight changes in the Program of Studies without consulting the entire Supervisory Committee, develop and administer the comprehensive examination, and appoint the reading committee.

Minutes of the Program of Study meeting will be provided to the student and placed in the student’s permanent file in the Department office.

Residency for Doctoral Students

The term “residency” is used in three separate ways. First, the University of Nebraska has a well-defined policy regarding residency within the State of Nebraska for the purpose of establishing tuition rates. Information on residency for tuition purposes can be found at http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/prospective/money.

Second, the Graduate College has established a residency requirement for the completion of a set number of credit hours within a time period. For the PhD degree, students must complete 27 hours within a consecutive 18 months. For a member of the university or a person employed in their major field, a person may instead complete 24 credit hours within a consecutive 24 month period. A further restriction specifies that no more than one third of the work for residency or 9 hours may be taken during summer sessions. This requirement holds for the EdD degree as well although the supervisory committee may determine how many hours may be taken in the summer.

Third, EDAD has established on campus residency requirements for doctoral students.

Effective September 1st, 2007:

1. All PhD students must complete a minimum of 6 hours of coursework on campus during the process of satisfying the Graduate College credit hour residency requirement.

2. All PhD students are encouraged to travel to the campus to present the program of studies to their committee.

3. All EdD and PhD students are required to present the dissertation proposal and defend the completed dissertation to their supervisory committee in person.

Effective September 1st, 2017:

All PhD students must complete a minimum of 6 hours of on campus research seminars during their program of study.
All EdD students with an educational administration major must complete the on campus summer residencies during the first, second, and third summer of enrollment.
All PhD students are encouraged to travel to the campus to present the program of studies to their committee.
All EdD and PhD students are required to present the dissertation proposal and defend the completed dissertation to their supervisory committee in person.

Full-Time Status

Graduate students requiring certification as full-time students must be enrolled for at least 9 credit hours during an academic semester or at least 6 credit hours during summer sessions, whether or not the student holds a graduate assistantship. With approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies candidates for doctoral degrees registered for fewer than the minimum hours required for a full program may be granted full-time status provided they are not employed more than 20 hours per week (half time). Form available at http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/bulletin/doctoral/candidacy.

In order to be eligible to utilize the full-time certification, the student must have been registered at least half-time (i.e., at least 4 credits) in the fall and spring terms prior to the initiation of the full-time certification status. Doctoral candidates may utilize the full-time certification not longer than 24 months.

Doctoral Degrees

EdD and PhD Degree

All students who complete doctoral programs in the Department of Educational Administration will have an opportunity to develop their knowledge of educational leadership and increase their potential to serve important leadership roles in educational organizations. The faculty of the department have taken care to distinguish between the two doctoral degrees offered by the department in order to help admitted students have a clearer understanding of faculty expectations and to assist students in selecting their degree objective.

The Doctor of Education (EdD)

The EdD is a program of study that prepares the student for professional practice. The EdD may be earned with a major in educational administration (leading to P-12 endorsement as a superintendent) or with a major in educational studies and a specialization in educational leadership and higher education. Those earning the degree receive a diploma indicating the degree as a Doctor of Education

The EdD is the appropriate degree objective for the individual who intends to either pursue or continue a career as a practicing administrator in an educational organization or in a related type of organization. The EdD is a degree intended to help an individual develop leadership skills and become more versed in developing the analytical skills to confront difficult problems of practice. The EdD program of study will be characterized by the following:

a program of studies that enhances the student’s knowledge of the profession toward which she or he is focused;
the opportunity to gain real life experience in the area of administration the student seeks to pursue, especially through internships oriented directly at student interests;
completion of a concentration with coursework that has been historically important to practitioners;
the opportunity to develop group skills by working on collaborative projects;
at least 12 credit hours of doctoral-level research tool courses aimed at developing analytical skills; and,
a dissertation focused on a problem of practice.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The PhD is a program of study that prepares the student for a scholarly career. The PhD may be earned with a major in educational studies and a specialization in educational leadership and higher education. Those earning the degree receive a diploma indicating the degree as a Doctor of Philosophy.

As such, students are expected to master a scholarly research tradition in a specific area of educational administration and to be familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research methods in education. We expect that the skills acquired will be the skills of scholarly inquiry and research. While we realize that a person’s future is not readily predicted, we intend that a student who elects this degree objective will be oriented toward research and scholarship. Thus, we intend that students seeking a PhD degree will pursue a doctoral program that is characterized by the following:

a strong grounding in a scholarly tradition that leaves the student with expertise in the area of their dissertation research;
six courses (18 hours) in doctoral-level research tools
the completion of a minimum of six credit hours of research seminars on campus;
the completion of several research studies prepared for presentation and publication;
a close working relationship with the supervisory chairperson; and
a dissertation that seeks to add to the knowledge base of its topical domain.

Comprehensive Examination

All doctoral students must pass a written Comprehensive Examination after completing most or all of their course work at least seven months prior to the dissertation defense. The Comprehensive Examination is not a repetition of course examinations, but is an investigation of the student’s breadth of understanding of their chosen field. Format and content of the Comprehensive Examination is discussed and agreed upon during the Program of Study meeting. The Comprehensive Examination is administered by the advisor and reviewed by the Supervisory Committee. Should the Supervisory Committee determine the student has failed the comprehensive examination, a letter must be submitted by the chair of the supervisory committee to the Dean of Graduate Studies stating the conditions under which the student may attempt another examination, or part thereof, not earlier than the following academic term. Typically, but upon the discretion of the supervisory committee, only two attempts to pass the comprehensive examination will be permitted.

Doctoral Candidacy

When the student has passed the comprehensive examination, satisfied language and research tool requirements of her/his approved program, and removed any provisional admission requirements, the committee will recommend to the Office of Graduate Studies the doctoral student’s admission to Candidacy by filing the Application for Admission to Candidacy for the doctoral degree, noting the dates of completing the comprehensive examination(s). The application must be filed at least seven months prior to the final oral examination.

Institutional Research Board (IRB)

All students who are carrying out research using human subjects must first secure approval from the IRB, a unit within the university’s Research Compliance Services. The process of filing for permission is now done on line. Students should be familiar with the policies required by the IRB including the mandatory training that all scholars conducting human subjects research must complete. Realize also that before any contact can be made with a person that is the subject of a research project formal permission from the IRB must be obtained.

Doctoral Programs

The EdD with a major in Educational Administration

The EdD with a major in educational administration is a joint UNL/UNO/UNK doctoral program designed specifically for the professional practitioner interested in obtaining endorsement as a
P-12 Superintendent.

The University of Nebraska grants the EdD degree only to students who have completed a minimum of 96 graduate semester hours after attaining their Bachelor's degree. The Doctorate in Educational Administration requires completion of a minimum of 48 semester hours after admission, regardless of how many graduate hours you may have already acquired before admission. Because of individual needs, preferences, and the specific requirements for administrative endorsements, some students conclude their doctoral degrees with more than the 96-semester hour minimum.

The recommended sequence of courses for the EdD with a major in educational administration and completion of the requirements for superintendent endorsement is outlined below. The example indicates the sequence a student should follow in completing the degree and assumes completion of a 36 hour master's degree, a foundational quantitative statistics course, and all requirements for principal endorsement. During the first, second, and third summers of enrollment, students in this program are required to attend one-week residencies in Lincoln. All other courses are delivered online.

Summer 1^st year
EDAD 987A Superintendent Academy I (requires one-week campus residency in June)
EDAD 801 Cross-Cultural Leadership Studies

Supervisory Committee should be formed and Program of Study filed during Fall of 1^st year

Fall 1^st year
EDAD 906 Issues in System Level Administration
EDAD 981 Intermediate Quantitative Methods for Educational Administration Research

Spring 1^st year
EDAD 905 Issues in Governance of Educational Institutions
EDAD 983 Qualitative Methods for Educational Administration Research

Summer 2^nd year
EDAD 988 Dissertation Proposal Development (requires one-week campus residency in June)
EDAD 986 Leadership in Educational Organizations

Fall 2^nd year
EDAD 901 System-Level School Improvement
EDAD XXX Research/Statistics Elective

Spring 2^nd year
EDAD 835 Business Management of Schools
EDAD XXX Research/Statistics Elective

Summer 3^rd year
EDAD 987B Superintendent Academy II (requires one-week campus residency in July)
EDAD XXX Elective

Comprehensive Examination should be completed during the Fall or Spring semester of 3^rd year

Fall 3^rd year
EDAD 987C Superintendent Internship
Support class EDAD 907 Ed Politics & Policy OR EDAD 902 Data for Decision Making

Spring 3^rd year
EDAD 999 12 hours of dissertation (EDAD 999) to be completed between Spring 3rd year and Fall 5th year

Dissertations in the Educational Administration EdD

Doctoral dissertations in the Educational Administration EdD address problems of practice. All students are required to complete EDAD 988 Dissertation Proposal Development during the third summer in the program. Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least 6 hours of doctoral level research and statistics coursework prior to enrolling in EDAD 988.

The subject of the dissertation is chosen by mutual agreement between the student and supervisory committee chair and must be approved by the student’s Supervisory Committee. There is no fixed length for the dissertation, although the doctoral Supervisory Committee should provide guidance on format and content.

Students must complete 12 credit hours of dissertation (EDAD 999).

Reading Committee

The dissertation and abstract are reviewed by a reading committee of two members from the supervisory committee, excluding the chair/co-chair. Following approval by the supervisory committee chair/co-chairs, the manuscripts must be presented to members of the reading committee in time to permit review and recommendation for the final oral examination, at least five weeks in advance of the oral examination. The application for the final oral examination and a rough draft of the title page and abstract must be presented to the doctoral program specialist in the Office of Graduate Studies for preliminary review at least two weeks before the final oral examination.

Dissertation Oral Defense

The final examination for the doctoral degree is oral and open to members of both the University community and the public. During the dissertation presentation and general questioning all persons may be present. However, at the end of the public hearing there will be a closed questioning portion of the examination where all persons except the Candidate, doctoral supervisory committee, and invited faculty must be excused. At this time the committee decides whether or not the defense was satisfactory and informs the student of that decision.

The final oral examination for the doctorate will not be scheduled unless a majority of the supervisory committee, including the chair(s), is available for the examination. Exceptions may be made only by permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The final oral examination over the dissertation may be waived only with the consent of the Graduate Dean.

The Supervisory Committee reports the results of the final oral examination to the Office of Graduate Studies.

In the event that members of an oral examining committee are not unanimous regarding passing a Candidate, the student is to be approved for the degree if only one examiner dissents. However, in each case, the dissenting member of the committee will be expected to file a letter of explanation in the Office of Graduate Studies.

If a student fails to pass the final oral examination for an advanced degree, his/her committee must file a report on the failure in the Office of Graduate Studies and indicate what the student must do before taking another examination. Another examination may not be held during the same semester or the same summer session in which the student failed.

Depositing the Dissertation

Following the successful completion of the oral examination, the student should consult the instructions received at the time of filing the Application for Final Oral Exam before submission of required items in the Office of Graduate Studies, 1100 Seaton Hall.

Only abstracts/dissertations that meet all published requirements can be approved and stamped for depositing.

Before the degree is granted, each Candidate pays a processing fee, and if desired, an additional fee to cover the cost of registering a copyright.

The EdD/PhD with a major in Educational Studies

The Educational Studies major is offered with six specializations. EDAD hosts the Educational Leadership and Higher Education (ELHE) doctoral specialization. This specialization provides academic preparation and professional development for those individuals interested in the scholarly study of educational leadership or higher education or for those who desire leadership positions in higher educational organizations. Neither the Educational Studies major nor the ELHE specialization is an approved program for individuals pursuing any P-12 administrative certification or endorsement.

The University of Nebraska grants the EdD degree only to students who have completed a minimum of 96 graduate semester hours after attaining their Bachelor's degrees. The EdD requires completion of a minimum of 48 semester hours at UNL after admission for doctoral study, regardless of how many graduate hours you may have already acquired before admission.

ELHE Degree Requirements for the EdD

Master’s degree electives 27 hours
Master’s degree prerequisites 9 hours
Doctoral Core 12 hours
Concentration 12 hours
Electives 12 hours
Research and Statistics 12 hours
Dissertation 12 hours

96 hours

The University of Nebraska grants the PhD degree only to students who have completed a minimum of 90 graduate semester hours. For the PhD degree, EDAD requires 18 hours of doctoral level research and statistics courses in addition to the 90 graduate semester hour requirement. The PhD requires completion of a minimum of 45 semester hours (excluding research and statistics courses) at UNL after admission for doctoral study, regardless of how many graduate hours you may have already acquired before admission.

ELHE Degree Requirements for the PhD

Master’s degree electives 27 hours
Master’s degree prerequisites 9 hours
Doctoral Core 12 hours
Concentration 12 hours
Electives* 15 hours
Research and Statistics* 18 hours
Dissertation 15 hours
108 hours

*PhD students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of Research Residency Seminars as part of Electives or Research/Statistics

Master’s Degree Prerequisites

The ELHE specialization requires three master’s degree prerequisites. If a student has not completed the prerequisites (or equivalent) in the master’s degree, the student will be admitted provisionally and will be required to complete the prerequisites with a grade of B or higher within the first year of study in order to continue in their program. These prerequisites are

EDAD 800      Foundations of Research and Methods of Inquiry in Educational Administration Research
EDAD 830      Administrative Theory in Ed Organizations
EDPS 859      Statistical Methods

Doctoral Core in the ELHE Specialization

All students are required to complete a common doctoral core of four classes in the ELHE Specialization. Core courses are sequenced in the fall and spring semesters and must be completed within the first two years of the program. The core classes are

EDAD 900      Pro-Seminar in Educational Leadership & Higher Education
EDAD 915      Educational Systems and Governance
EDAD 920      Diversity & Equity in Ed Organizations
EDAD 986      Leadership in Educational Organizations

Concentrations in the ELHE Specialization

In consultation with their advisor each student will develop a concentration of 12 credit hours in one of three areas: community college leadership, educational leadership, or higher education. The concentration will be drawn from the following listing of courses and approved by the supervisory committee during the program of study meeting.

EDAD 833      Education Finance
EDAD 837      Education Law
EDAD 912B Issues in Community College Leadership
EDAD 922      Finance in Higher Education
EDAD 923    Community/Junior College
EDAD 924      Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum in Higher Education
EDAD 925      Law and Higher Education
EDAD 929     Organization Development and Change
EDAD 932      Global Issues in Higher Education
EDAD 933      Higher Education Planning
EDAD 934    Teaching & Learning in the Community College
EDAD 935    Workforce, Economic, and Community Development
EDAD 985      Economics of Education P-20

Electives in the ELHE Specialization

The ELHE Specialization allows for 6 hours of research/statistics electives and 12 to 15 hours of electives to support the scholarly and career goals of each student. In consultation with their advisor each student will develop a list of potential electives. Electives can include additional concentration courses or be drawn from seminars, research seminars, and other courses as listed in the most recent proposed schedule of courses. The list of electives will be discussed and approved by the supervisory committee during the program of study meeting.

Research and Statistics in the ELHE Specialization

For the EdD, 12 hours of doctoral-level research and statistics courses are required. Two courses are required for all students

EDAD 981 Intermediate Quantitative Methods
EDAD 983 Qualitative Methods

Six additional hours of research and statistics electives will be selected in consultation with the advisor.

For the PhD, 18 hours of doctoral-level research and statistics courses are required. Four courses are required for all students

EDAD 981      Intermediate Quantitative Method
EDAD 982      Advanced Quantitative Methods
EDAD 983      Qualitative Methods
EDAD 984      Qualitative elective

Six additional hours of research and statistics electives will be selected in consultation with the advisor.

PhD students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of on campus Research Residency Seminars. In consultation with the advisor and the supervisory committee, Research Residency Seminars (EDAD 995) may be taken as Electives or as Research/Statistics Electives.

Dissertations in the ELHE Specialization

Doctoral dissertations are written documents that report a student’s research. The Department of Educational Administration requires a dissertation for both the EdD and the PhD degree. The EdD dissertation should be focused on a problem of practice. The PhD dissertation is expected to add to the knowledge base of its topical domain.

EdD students must complete 12 credit hours of dissertation (EDAD 999). PhD students must complete 15 hours of dissertation (EDAD 999).

Reading Committee

Dissertation Oral Defense

The final oral examination over the dissertation may be waived only with the consent of the Graduate Dean.

The Supervisory Committee reports the results of the final oral examination to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Depositing the Dissertation

Only abstracts/dissertations that meet all published requirements can be approved and stamped for depositing.

Before the degree is granted, each Candidate pays a processing fee, and if desired, an additional fee to cover the cost of registering a copyright.

EdD Example

An example sequence of courses for the EdD with a major in Educational Studies and a specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education is outlined below. The example assumes that the student has completed all master’s degree prerequisites. Students are required to complete the doctoral core (EDAD 900, 915, 920, and 986) during the first two years of study. The specific sequence of research/statistics and concentration courses will be determined in consultation with your advisor. The example, however, identifies that research/statistics and concentration courses are scheduled only during the fall and spring semesters and electives are offered only during summer sessions.

The Supervisory Committee should be formed and the Program of Study filed during Fall of 1^st year.

Fall 1^st Year
EDAD 900 Pro-Seminar in Educational Leadership & Higher Education
EDAD 981 Intermediate Quantitative Methods

Spring 1^st Year
EDAD 915 Educational Systems and Governance
EDAD 983 Qualitative Methods

Summer 1^st Year
EDAD XXX Elective
EDAD XXX Elective

Fall 2^nd Year
EDAD 920 Diversity & Equity in Educational Organizations
EDAD XXX Concentration

Spring 2^nd Year
EDAD 986 Leadership in Educational Organizations
EDAD XXX Concentration

Summer 2^nd Year
EDAD XXX Elective
EDAD XXX Elective

Fall 3^rd Year
EDAD XXX Concentration
EDAD XXX Research/Statistics Elective

Comprehensive Examination should be completed during the Spring or Summer of 3^rd year

Spring 3^rd Year
EDAD XXX Concentration
EDAD XXX Research/Statistics Elective

Summer 3^rd Year
EDAD 999 12 hours of dissertation (EDAD 999) to be completed between Summer 3rd year and Spring 5th year

PhD Example

An example sequence of courses for the PhD with a major in Educational Studies and a specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education is outlined below. The example assumes that the student has completed all master’s degree prerequisites. Students are required to complete the doctoral core (EDAD 900, 915, 920, and 986) during the first two years of study. The specific sequence of research/statistics and concentration courses will be determined in consultation with your advisor. The example, however, identifies that research/statistics and concentration courses are scheduled only during the fall and spring semesters and research residency seminars and electives are scheduled only during the summer sessions.

The Supervisory Committee should be formed and the Program of Study filed during Fall of 1^st year.

Fall 1^st Year
EDAD 900 Pro-Seminar in Educational Leadership & Higher Education
EDAD 981 Intermediate Quantitative Methods

Spring 1^st Year
EDAD 915 Educational Systems and Governance
EDAD 982 Advanced Quantitative Methods

Summer 1^st Year
EDAD XXX Research Residency Seminar
EDAD XXX Elective

Fall 2^nd Year
EDAD 920 Diversity & Equity in Educational Organizations
EDAD 983 Qualitative Methods

Spring 2^nd Year
EDAD 986 Leadership in Educational Organizations
EDAD XXX Concentration

Summer 2^nd Year
EDAD XXX Research Residency Seminar
EDAD XXX Elective

Fall 3^rd Year

EDAD 984 Qualitative Elective

EDAD XXX Concentration

Spring 3^rd Year
EDAD XXX Concentration
EDAD XXX Research/Statistics Elective or Elective

Summer 3^rd Year
EDAD XXX Elective or Research Residency Seminar
EDAD XXX Elective

Comprehensive Examination should be completed during the Fall of 4^th year

Fall 4th Year
EDAD XXX Concentration
EDAD 999 15 hours of dissertation (EDAD 999) to be completed between Fall 4th year and Summer 5th year

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