Doctor of Philosophy in Education: Early Childhood Education

Degree requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in education: early childhood education degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 80 credits beyond the master’s degree in an approved program of study: 12 credits in the foundation core, 32 credits in the department core, 20 credits in the cognate, and a minimum of 16 credits for the dissertation.

Previously earned graduate credits may apply if they did not count toward the qualifying master’s degree and if they are equivalent to a required course for the program or are part of an approved cognate.

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

• Holding a Graduate Assistantship
• Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
• Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
• Going on a leave of absence
• Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Academic advising

Upon acceptance into the program, students are advised initially by the early childhood Ph.D. program coordinator. Toward the end of the first year of study, each student, in consultation with the program coordinator and faculty members, selects a faculty adviser who guides the student in planning a program of study, including establishment of a portfolio, design of a cognate, and preparation for completion of qualifying comprehensive exams and the dissertation. The adviser and program coordinator advise the student to form a committee of faculty members who will provide further guidance and evaluation for the exams and the dissertation.

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the program coordinator and the adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.

Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework.

Residency requirement

Students must complete at least 16 credits (excluding dissertation credits) during one of the academic (or calendar) years of the student’s program of doctoral study. Further, students are required to register for at least one credit every fall and winter after their admission to the program. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the program coordinator.

Qualifying comprehensive examinations

To prepare for exams, the student’s adviser and a minimum of two additional faculty members comprise the Doctoral Advisory Exam Committee and meet with the student to review the student’s portfolio - a major source for determining the student’s interests, strengths, and areas for further development. When the student elects to take the exams, the committee either grants approval to proceed or proposes a plan for further study, coursework, or other appropriate preparation necessary for taking the exams. Exam questions assess the student’s knowledge with respect to challenging issues in the field, e.g., comparing and contrasting major theories, approaches, and policies in early childhood education and care; implications of the knowledge base for child care and education, preschool, and primary school early childhood curricula/programs; and for designing early childhood curricula and program approaches, evaluations, research studies, and policy initiatives.

To pass qualifying exams, the student must demonstrate competence in the following four segments:

1. Comprehensive knowledge of the foundational core and early childhood education. This exam segment assesses the student’s knowledge of the foundational and early childhood core coursework areas, including the major theories, research methods and findings, educational practices and public policies. This segment of the exam is conducted on a “take-home” basis, with a limited time frame.
2. In-depth knowledge of a specific area in early childhood education. This segment of the exam is a qualifying paper that demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of a particular area of focus. The topic must be approved by the chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, who also sets a minimum page requirement and a style format. The paper must be completed by a date set by the program coordinator as a part of the exam process.
3. Comprehensive knowledge of a cognate area. This exam segment assesses the student’s knowledge in a cognate area (a complementary area of study). This segment of the exam is conducted on a “take-home” basis, with a limited time frame.
4. The oral examination. Upon successful completion of the written segments of the qualifying comprehensive exam (parts 1, 2, and 3) explained above, the student proceeds to take the oral segment of the exams. This exam segment provides an opportunity for the student to make a presentation in an area of special interest (usually the area of the in-depth paper) and to demonstrate the ability to respond to questions from the faculty about the presentation and related issues.

The Doctoral Advisory Committee assesses the student’s performance on the written and oral parts of the exam to determine if the student is adequately prepared to proceed as a candidate for dissertation preparation. If the student’s qualifying exam performance is determined to be inadequate, the Doctoral Advisory Committee may recommend further preparation, e.g., coursework, writing, or study.

Dissertation

The dissertation is an original contribution to the field of study through disciplined inquiry. Conducting the dissertation study, writing, and defending a dissertation should be accomplished in accordance with the highest professional standards. The student’s dissertation adviser and a minimum of three additional faculty members (one external to the department) comprise the Dissertation Committee and advise the student on the formation of a dissertation proposal. The written format for the proposal is specified by the committee, and the student orally presents and defends the dissertation proposal. The committee assesses the student’s written and oral presentation of the proposal and determines if modifications in the proposal are needed prior to the student conducting the research. The committee members, led by the dissertation adviser, continue to advise the student throughout the research and the preparation of the dissertation manuscript. Students must obtain a copy of the dissertation format requirements from Oakland University Graduate School and the dissertation manuscript must conform to university standards.

Final oral examination and dissertation defense

The oral defense of the dissertation is held after the dissertation is completed and approved by the committee. The purpose of the oral defense is to enable the dissertation committee to judge the quality of the investigation and the student’s ability to defend and communicate the work.  The announcement of the date, time, and location of the defense is distributed to the faculty. The oral defense is to be attended by the Dissertation Committee members and is open to all School of Education and Human Services faculty and the university community. Final approval and acceptance of the doctoral dissertation requires a favorable vote of the Dissertation Committee with no more than one dissenting vote. The Dissertation Committee determines the adequacy of the student’s oral defense and if there are to be modifications in the dissertation manuscript, which is then subject to final approval by the committee. The committee may permit reexamination, if the initial dissertation defense is deemed inadequate.

Continuous enrollment

The continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students requires continuous registration of graduate students for at least 1 credit each semester in the academic year to maintain an active graduate student status. This includes semesters in which the comprehensive qualifying examination and the preliminary dissertation proposal oral defense are completed, and for each subsequent term (fall and winter) until all the degree requirements are met and the dissertation is submitted to Oakland University Graduate School.

Some agency and graduate assistantship eligibility may have course-load requirements that exceed the minimum registration requirements of the Continuous Enrollment Policy (e.g., Veterans Affairs, Immigration and Naturalization for international students, and federal financial aid programs). Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to register for the appropriate number of credits that are required for funding eligibility and/or compliance as outlined by specific agency regulations under which they are governed.

Time limits

The maximum time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree is no more than ten years from the term of the first course enrollment in the doctoral program.

The Time Limit for Completing a Ph.D. Degree policy requires a student to achieve candidacy within six years from the first course enrollment in the doctoral program. After being advanced to candidacy, a student is expected to complete the remaining degree requirements within four years (including the dissertation defense).

Graduation

Three copies of the approved dissertation manuscript must be submitted to Oakland University Graduate School by the date published in the Schedule of Classes for the term in which the student expects to graduate. (See Thesis and Dissertation ).