DOCTOR OF EDUCATION (Ed.D.)
DEGREE PROGRAM CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION: SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
The Doctor of Education
(Ed.D.) degree program in Curriculum and Instruction: Social Studies Education is designed to provide professional
educators with relevant academic experience which synthesizes high levels of
intellectual activity with problems of curriculum and instruction in social
studies/global education at all levels.
The program focuses on
improving social studies teaching and learning in the context of school reform
and restructuring. Program graduates assume positions as teacher educators,
leaders for curriculum and instructional reform and innovative teachers. Course work and
activities in the program have been infused with a global dimension.
The goals of the program are to prepare social studies professionals who:
The Program
The program is designed
around five component parts -- each with a specific purpose. The degree program
requires a minimum 99 semester hours of course work beyond the bachelors
degree. The course work is organized as follows:
1. The Curriculum and Instruction Core (C & 1) (15 semester
hours)
The C & I Core is
designed to provide a theoretical background and a survey of research into the
critical areas of Curriculum, Instruction, and the Psychological and Social
Foundations of Education.
2. The Social Studies
Education Doctoral Major (36
semester hours)
The doctoral major includes
a set of courses in History and the Social Sciences (taken in the College of
Arts and Sciences) and Social Studies Education that are selected by the
student in consultation with the supervisory committee. These courses provide grounding in social
science content and social studies curriculum and instructional issues.
3. The Cognate Area (18
semester hours)
A coherent set of courses
related to Social Studies Education. If a student has completed a master's
degree in a cognate field at another institution, he or she may take two or
more courses in the same cognate field at FIU to complete the requirement, but
the coherency aspect of the cognate must be evident in the relevance of
applicability to the student's major area of study.
4. The Research and
Statistics Core (12
semester hours)
The Research
Core introduces research methodologies and techniques that increase
understandings and competencies directly related to reviewing and producing
educational research.
5. The Dissertation (minimum
of 24 semester hours)
The dissertation is a
research driven contribution to the literature of the field developed by the student as evidence of his or her ability to conceptualize,
implement and synthesize education research. The dissertation must demonstrate
a relevant connection to the field of social studies/global education.
The dissertation is the
final component of the series of academic experiences that culminate in the
awarding of the Ed.D. degree.
Admission Criteria
Men and women of any age, or
of any ethnic, national, racial, economic, or religious background are welcome
in the program, provided that they meet admission requirements. The
best-qualified will be accepted up to the number of spaces available for new
students. Special background and experience may allow for conditional admission
of those not meeting the stated criteria.
Admission to the doctoral
program will be based on the following criteria:
1. A master's degree from an accredited
institution.
2. A satisfactory grade point average (at
least 3.25) in all prior graduate
work.
3. A satisfactory grade
point average (at least 3.0) in the
last 60 semester-hours of undergraduate work.
4. A combined score of
1000 (verbal and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. Three (3) letters of recommendation to
support the application.
6. Career goals in
professional education consistent with the objectives of a doctoral program.
7. Appropriate prior work experience.
8. A personal interview with a committee
of program faculty.
9. In the case of
international students or students whose native language is other than English,
a TOEFL score of at least 500 is required.
Transfer of Credit
Students may be allowed to
apply up to thirty-six semester hours of course work taken at the master's
level (or above) to doctoral program requirements.
Admission Procedures
In order to begin the
doctoral program, a student must be accepted by the College of Education and
the Program in Curriculum and instruction: Social Studies Education. Admission procedures are as follows:
1. A completed application
for admission must be submitted to the Admissions Office, Florida International
University, Miami, Florida 33199.
Application materials may be secured from the program faculty or the Admissions
Office. Official transcripts of all
prior college work and an official copy of the results of the Graduate Record
Examination (verbal and quantitative) must be sent to the Admissions Office to
complete the application for admission. Omission of any one of these items will
delay the processing of the application.
2. Three letters of
recommendation must be sent to the Coordinator of Doctoral Programs, College of
Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, by those who have
knowledge of the applicant's prior professional experience (e.g. a supervisor)
or of the applicant's ability to perform graduate work (e.g., a professor). Letters
should attest to the applicant's intellectual ability, motivation, maturity,
and potential.
3. Once the University
application procedures are completed, the Admissions Office forwards the
applicant's materials to the College of Education Coordinator of Doctoral
Programs who then forwards all application materials to the program faculty for
review. On the basis of its review, the program faculty will either (1)
recommend an interview with the applicant, (2) withhold a decision and request
additional information from the applicant, or (3) deny admission.
4. Admission to the
program is determined by the program faculty on the basis of its evaluation of
the applicant's academic and professional credentials and the personal
interview.
Advancement to Candidacy
Advancement to candidacy
requires the following:
A. A 3.25 grade point average in the
doctoral program.
B. Completion of all
program requirements (including the residency requirement), except for the
doctoral dissertation.
C. Passing a Candidacy
Examination covering the areas of - Curriculum and Instruction Core - Social
Studies Education Doctoral Major- Cognate- Research and Statistics.
D. Approval of a doctoral dissertation
prospecttus/proposal.
Residency Requirement
The College
of Education requires that a student complete 18 semester-hours of course work
in a 12-month period, exclusive of dissertation credits.
Candidacy Examination
The Candidacy Examination
(also known as "the Comps") is designed to ensure that the student
understands and can evaluate all aspects of the chosen field of study. The
written portion of the examination is prepared by the candidate's Supervisory
Committee and encompasses the major, doctoral core, cognate, and research and
statistics. The oral portion of the Candidacy Examination is scheduled after
the written portion of the examination has been deemed successful by the
faculty. This provides an opportunity for the committee to orally examine the
student to ensure depth and breadth of knowledge both in areas covered in the written examination as well as in
other areas of the field. A student must pass both the written and oral
portions of the examination.
Time Limit
All work for the doctoral
degree, including the successful defense of a dissertation, must be completed
within nine years of first enrollment in the doctoral program.
Financial Assistance
For full-time students,
financial aid 'in the form of a limited number of assistantships and
fellowships is available. Fellowships and assistantships are awarded on a
competitive basis.
Assignment of a Faculty
Advisor
When a
student is notified of admission, he or she is assigned a temporary advisor to
help with initial selection of courses. Within the first two semesters of
enrollment (or 15 semester hours), each student is expected to choose a major
professor to serve as Supervisory Committee chairperson. Before the end of the
third semester, the remainder of the Supervisory Committee should be selected.
The committee will consist of no less than three members, two of which,
including the chairperson, must be faculty members in Curriculum and
Instruction: Social Studies Education or related areas. For further information, please contact the
Program Leader, Curriculum and Instruction: Social Studies Education:
Dr. Mohammed
K. Farouk
Chairperson,
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Director,
Global Awareness Program
College of
Education, ZEB 314-A
Florida
International University
Miami,
Florida 33199
Telephone:
(305) 348-3199; Fax: (3050348-2086 E-mail: faroukm@fiu.edu