COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Texas A&M University

PhD Pathway through program

Here we provide an overview of the journey towards a Ph.D. in our program. More details are provided elsewhere on our departmental website; the major ones are noted below.

Admission

The first step is, of course, being admitted to the program. For details on the process, refer to the Admissions Requirements. As program faculty we make admission decisions based on a combination of factors:

  • Evidence that you have clear purpose in seeking this degree, to include what your research interests are and how this degree will help advance your career
  • Ability to write well
  • Ability to present ideas and concepts logically and persuasively
  • Awareness of and commitment to diversity
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Masters program GPA
  • GRE scores

Overall we try to assess your ability to complete this program successfully and look for a "goodness of fit" between you and this program. And we expect that you, during the admissions process, will also be assessing us to make your own judgment about how well our program will enable you to accomplish your goals.

Entering the Program

A New Student Orientation will be scheduled before your first semester and you will be required to attend. You will be assigned one of the Adult Education faculty as your Temporary Chair and you are encouraged to work with this professor in making decisions about what courses to take each semester.  Course registration is done online, but we urge you to consult with your Temporary Advisor before registering. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Taking Courses

The doctoral program requires a minimum of 72 hours of course work. The courses are scheduled in several formats to increase their accessibility:  weekends on campus (usually five meetings each semester, supplemented by web-based instruction); evenings on campus, often with TTVN (a compressed-video system) connected to sites in Houston and San Antonio; and hybrids that combine face-to-face meetings and web-based instruction. It is also possible to arrange an Directed Study with a faculty member in order to pursue a particular topic for credit.

The focus in the doctoral program is to develop practitioner-scholars of adult education who are equipped to make a significant contribution to the field in multiple arenas. To that end we have developed a curriculum that is focused in three domains:  the discipline of adult education; commitment to social justice; and research and inquiry skills. Course registration is assessible online at http://register.tamu.edu, but we urge you to consult with your Temporary Chair until your permanent chair as been established. For more detail information for selection of courses, go to Required Courses.

Filing a Degree Plan and Choosing your Dissertation Committee

By the end of your fifth semester of coursework or completion of 36 credit hours, you are required to file a degree plan. You will be required to file the degree plan online from the Office of Graduate Studies Website. This is a list of the courses, both what you've taken and what you plan to take, that will make up the 72 hours required for the Ph.D. Included are the core courses in adult education (24 hours), adult education electives (9 hours), electives from a related field (9 hours), the research core courses (18 hours), and dissertation research hours (12 hours). For an example, review the Sample Ph.D. Degree Plan. 

In filing your degree plan you also identify you dissertation committee. This should be done with care and forethought-you want a group of four faculty who will be best able to assist you with your dissertation research. The University requires that the chair be a professor in the program, and one member must be from outside the department; the other two can be program faculty or other faculty in or outside of the department. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Residency Requirement

The University requirement for residency is completion of two consecutive semesters in which you enroll for 9 hours. One of the semesters can be the summer sessions. Six hours each semester must be courses taught on campus (an independent study qualifies as an on-campus course); the third course can be online or taken through TTVN. Our faculty will work with you to plan a residency that is manageable for your personal circumstances. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Preliminary Examination

At the end of your coursework you must take the preliminary examination (prelims). This consists of written questions from the members of your committee and an oral examination. Guidance about this process will be provided by your chair. Upon completion of the written examination, you will meet with your committee for an oral examination. The intent of prelims is to assure that you have a command of the knowledge base of the field of adult education. Students who fail prelims have one opportunity to retake the exam; if they fail again they exit the doctoral program, but their coursework may be applied towards a second masters degree. At least two weeks prior to the confirmed date and time, you must contact the Office of Academic Advising to schedule the exam. Notification will be sent out to the committee members and a copy will be sent to you. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Proposal Defense

Once you have chosen a topic for your dissertation (we expect that you will come into the program with some ideas about what you want to research, but it is normal for this focus to evolve), you will work with your dissertation committee chair to develop your proposal. This document outlines the background of your topic, what specific question your research will answer, how you propose to study this topic, and what your study will contribute to the knowledge base in this area. This document is submitted to your committee members in advance for their review and feedback. At least two weeks prior to the confirmed date and time of the meeting, you must contact the Office of Academic Advising to schedule a room. Notification will be sent out to the committee members and a copy will be sent to you. At the defense, you will present your proposal and the committee will work with you to strengthen it. You may bring the proposal title page to this meeting in the case that committee members are ready to sign off (see Forms link). Once the committee signs off on the proposal, then the proposal, the IRB approval, and the signed title page can be forwarded to Bill Ashwortth, Administrative Coordinator. Bill will submit your packet to OGS to formally admit you as a Ph.D. candidate. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook or contact Bill Ashworth.

Writing the Dissertation

Prior to collecting any data, you are required to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Bill Ashworth, Administrative Coordinator, will help you with this process. Please contact him for this information. This phase of your program is less structured. You will be working closely with your chair as you analyze your data and begin writing your dissertation. This happens in multiple ways:  in face-to-face meetings, through phone calls, and by email. Some faculty meet monthly with all their advisees who are either approaching or are at candidacy, and this provides some degree of group support during this period. There are informal doctoral writing groups that are formed on campus or in other cities, and we will help connect you with existing groups, or assist you in forming your own group. The writing stage can be a lonely time and it is helpful to be connected to other doctoral students who are also writing.

Final Defense

Once you have completed the draft of your dissertation and your chair determines that it is ready to be defended, then you will provide each of your committee members with a copy and schedule your final defense. In this meeting, you present your research and the members of your committee will ask questions, provide feedback for any revisions, and make their judgment as to whether you have successfully defended. The defense must be scheduled by the OGS deadlines for the intended semester for graduation. A calendar of deadlines can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies Website. At least three weeks prior to the confirmed date and time of the defense, you must contact the Office of Academic Advising to schedule a room. Notification will be sent out to the committee members and a copy will be sent to you. You are required to bring two items to the defense, the signature approval page and the copyright availability form. (refer to the Thesis Office Website for forms). It is your responsibility to submit these forms to the Thesis Office along with the PDF submission of the dissertation. For more information, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Final Dissertation Submission

Now you have successfully defended your dissertation. You next task is to prepare the work for the Thesis Office of the Office of Graduate Studies. Proceed to the Thesis Office website (http://thesis.tamu.edu) and carefully follow all the instructions outlined on the site. Reading the Thesis Manual will help you immensely. Make sure you schedule the Pre-Submittal Conference. Be sure you understand all deadlines and what approval forms need to be submitted in addition to your dissertation. A calendar of deadlines can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies Website. The process takes time and can take up to two months or longer depending on the extent of corrections required.

Graduation

This is a happy day for all of us! As you step on stage you will receive your degree, then walk to the middle of the stage where the Dean of Faculties and your chair will be waiting; your chair will then place the doctoral hood over your shoulders, symbolizing that you are now a Doctor. And the celebrating will begin!

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