English Education Doctoral Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in English Education
Department of Middle and Secondary Education
College of Education
Florida State University
(Revised October 2003)

The Ph.D. in English Education at Florida State University is designed to prepare candidates for positions such as the following:

University Professor in English Education and/or Secondary Education programs
Community College Professor in English and/or Teacher Education programs
Curriculum Specialist at the local, state, regional, and/or national level
Lead Teacher in Secondary Schools
Educational Consultant/Editor/Writer

Entrance Requirements

The successful application must have a master's degree from an accredited university in English Education, English, Linguistics, or a closely related field. A minimum of three years of teaching experience is preferred. Applicants must score at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and be referred in writing by three people who know of their academic abilities and work ethic. Applicants must also submit a letter outlining their professional goals and their intent to begin the Ph.D. program to the Chair of the Department of Middle and Secondary Education, upon application to the University.

General Requirements

Residency: Continuous enrollment for a minimum of 24 graduate hours credit in any period or twelve consecutive months.

Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination: Successful completion of a written and/or oral diagnostic/qualifying examination, designed to assess the student's ability to pursue the doctorate in English Education, and to facilitate the planning of the student's Program of Studies. The nature of the examination will be determined by the Major Professor; it will be evaluated by the student's graduate committee, chaired by the student's Major Professor. The diagnostic/qualifying examination must be completed before the end of the second semester of doctoral work.

Credit Hours: Successful completion of a minimum of 64 semester hours of graduate course work, including graduate hours presented for the master's degree; of these, 49 semester hours must be in a combination of English Education and English courses.

Preliminary Examination: Upon completion of course work and before beginning the dissertation, the student must complete and successfully defend a preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is designed to assess the student's knowledge at advanced levels of English Education theory, research, and practices; of educational research methodologies; and of literature.

Prospectus: Preparation and defense of a prospectus of the dissertation must be approved at least four months prior to the defense of the dissertation.

Dissertation: Completion of a minimum of 24 dissertation credit hours (LAE6980) and the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation that clearly contributes new insights to the field of English Education. Students must register for a minimum of two (2) semester hours of LAE6980 in the semester their degree will be awarded.

Course Requirements

English Education Core Courses

Students must complete the following core courses in English Education, or their equivalents:

LAE 5064 Reader Response to Literature: Research and Practice
LAE 5736 Written Composition in the Secondary School: Theory and Research
LAE 5xxx Teaching Reading in the Secondary English Classroom
LAE 5637 Problems and Trends in Secondary English Curriculum

Students who have not had at least three years of teaching experience are also required to take the following courses, which are optional for students who have met the three-year teaching requirement:

LAE 5940 Field Laboratory Internship (1-8 hours)
And
LAE 5945 Supervised Teaching (1-4 hours) or LAE5915 Supervised Research in English Education

Research Core Courses

Students must satisfactorily complete no less than four courses in research.

Specific requirements include the following two courses:

EDF 5400 Basic Descriptive/Inferential Statistics
EDF 5481 Methods of Educational Research

And six hours chosen from the following, to be selected with approval of the Major Professor according to the student's research goals, but to include at least one course from Group A:

Group A

ENC 5720 Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition
EDF 5449 Survey Research Methods
EDG 6475 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (prerequisites EDF 5612 and EDF 5630)
LAE 5738 Linguistics Research in Language Education

Other approved courses in qualitative research methods.

Group B

EDG 5401 General Linear Model Applications
EDF 5432 Measurement Theory I
EDF 5443 Measurement and Evaluation in the Classroom
EDF 5445 Assessment of Learning Outcomes

In addition to these two courses, each student will take at least six hours in Educational Foundations and Policy Studies, to be selected with the approval of the Major Professor from the following courses:

EDF 5160 The School as a Social System: The Social Psychology of Education
EDP 5216 Theories of Learning and Cognition in Instruction
EDP 5285 Group Processes in Instruction
EDF 5517 History of Education in the United States
EDF 5543 Introduction to Philosophy of Education
EDF 5548 Philosophy of Teaching and Learning
EDF 5551 Social Philosophies and Education
EDF 5612 Education and Culture
EDF 5630 Sociology of Education
EDF 5631 Education and Equality
EDF 5641 Introduction to Policy Studies in Education
EDF 5710 Contemporary Readings in American Education
EDF 5890 Sociology of Nontraditional Approaches and Innovation in Education and Development
EDF 5896 Education and Political Development
EDF 5897 Sociology of Education and Development
EDF 6577 Seminar in Current Educational Philosophy

English Core Courses

Students must complete 12-15 credit hours of English courses in addition to those presented for the master's degree. Courses may be selected from a combination of literature, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and/or creative writing offerings, with approval of the Major Professor.

Minor Concentration Courses

In addition to the English Education, Educational Research, Educational Foundations, and English course requirements, the student must complete a minor concentration during the doctoral program. The minor concentration is typically a 9-15 semester hour sequence of graduate courses. These are some examples of possible areas for minor concentration, to be selected with approval of the Major Professor:

Educational Foundations and Policy Studies
Educational Leadership
Educational Psychology and Research
Higher Education
Instructional Systems and Design
Middle Grades Education
Multilingual/Multicultural Education (TESOL)
Reading/Language Arts
Special Education
Arts and Sciences, including English, Humanities, Philosophy, Classics, Psychology, Theatre, Sociology, Anthropology

Supervisory Committee

Upon acceptance into the program, each student will be assigned a temporary Major Professor. When the student has become familiar with the program and has decided upon the direction of his/her doctoral work, he/she may request any member of the English Education faculty who has earned Doctoral directive Status to serve as Major Professor. The committee will include the Major Professor, at least one other faculty member from the English Education Program, and two other professors who are familiar with the student's academic interests and directions. At least one of the four must represent a department other than Middle and Secondary Education in order to serve as the "outside member" who monitors the committee's actions. The selection of the Major Professor and committee must be made before the Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination, which is to be taken no later than the end of the second semester of work in the doctoral program.

Examinations, Writing, and Defenses

See information above about the series of examinations that are required as part of the doctoral program in English Education. These include, in order which the will be completed, the following:

Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination (by the end of second semester)
Preliminary Examination (written upon completion of course work and before work toward the dissertation may begin; the written essays are defended orally)
Prospectus of the Dissertation (to be defended orally, at least four months prior to the completion of the dissertation)
Dissertation (to be defended orally)

Financial Aid and Assistantship Possibilities

Various forms of financial aid are available, including teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, student teacher internship supervisory positions, and loans. Applicants who have had at least three years of secondary teaching experience are preferred for teaching assistantships and student teaching internship supervisory positions in English Education.

Please see the academic coordinator in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education for application forms for assistantship and fellowships, and contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and research, College of Education, for fellowship and scholarship applications. Be prepared to include the following with your applications:

Raw score on verbal and qualitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination;
Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work to date;
Three letters of recommendation from persons who can speak to the student's academic and professional ability and promise;
Student's statement of educational philosophy and goals.

The Specialist Degree in English Education

This degree is one that is available for experienced educators who seek further education, and whose goals might include working as a curriculum specialist or program specialist at a district or state educational office, in a community college English/Education program, as an educational consultant for publishers, and as a lead teacher. The degree may include reading endorsement, depending on the student's preference.

This degree includes the course work that is included for doctoral degree. The prospective specialist student will work with the English Education faculty to determine which courses from the master's degree can be applied to the specialist degree.

Graduate Faculty in English Education, with notes on primary areas of research:

Dr. Pamela S. Carroll, Professor and English Education Coordinator
pcarroll@garnet.fsu.edu
850-644-2997
young adult literature; middle grades literacy; literature theory and pedagogy

Dr. Susan Wood, Assistant Professor
wood@coe.fsu.edu
850-644-1909
student learning; assessment; work sample methodology; written composition

Dr. Sharilyn Steadman, Assistant Professor
steadman@coe.fsu.edu
850-644-2959
English teacher preparation; supervision of clinical field experiences

Dr. John S. Simmons, Professor Emeritus
ssimmon@mailer.fsu.edu
850-644-6553
methods of English instruction; censorship; language and literacy


	MSE Home English Education Home -Programs -Faculty -Undergraduate Program -Master's Program -Doctoral Program -Graduate FAQ -Doctoral Students -Recent Graduates FSU Writing Project			English Education Doctoral Degree Doctor of Philosophy in English Education Department of Middle and Secondary Education College of Education Florida State University (Revised October 2003) The Ph.D. in English Education at Florida State University is designed to prepare candidates for positions such as the following: University Professor in English Education and/or Secondary Education programs Community College Professor in English and/or Teacher Education programs Curriculum Specialist at the local, state, regional, and/or national level Lead Teacher in Secondary Schools Educational Consultant/Editor/Writer Entrance Requirements The successful application must have a master's degree from an accredited university in English Education, English, Linguistics, or a closely related field. A minimum of three years of teaching experience is preferred. Applicants must score at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and be referred in writing by three people who know of their academic abilities and work ethic. Applicants must also submit a letter outlining their professional goals and their intent to begin the Ph.D. program to the Chair of the Department of Middle and Secondary Education, upon application to the University. General Requirements Residency: Continuous enrollment for a minimum of 24 graduate hours credit in any period or twelve consecutive months. Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination: Successful completion of a written and/or oral diagnostic/qualifying examination, designed to assess the student's ability to pursue the doctorate in English Education, and to facilitate the planning of the student's Program of Studies. The nature of the examination will be determined by the Major Professor; it will be evaluated by the student's graduate committee, chaired by the student's Major Professor. The diagnostic/qualifying examination must be completed before the end of the second semester of doctoral work. Credit Hours: Successful completion of a minimum of 64 semester hours of graduate course work, including graduate hours presented for the master's degree; of these, 49 semester hours must be in a combination of English Education and English courses. Preliminary Examination: Upon completion of course work and before beginning the dissertation, the student must complete and successfully defend a preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is designed to assess the student's knowledge at advanced levels of English Education theory, research, and practices; of educational research methodologies; and of literature. Prospectus: Preparation and defense of a prospectus of the dissertation must be approved at least four months prior to the defense of the dissertation. Dissertation: Completion of a minimum of 24 dissertation credit hours (LAE6980) and the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation that clearly contributes new insights to the field of English Education. Students must register for a minimum of two (2) semester hours of LAE6980 in the semester their degree will be awarded. Course Requirements English Education Core Courses Students must complete the following core courses in English Education, or their equivalents: LAE 5064 Reader Response to Literature: Research and Practice LAE 5736 Written Composition in the Secondary School: Theory and Research LAE 5xxx Teaching Reading in the Secondary English Classroom LAE 5637 Problems and Trends in Secondary English Curriculum Students who have not had at least three years of teaching experience are also required to take the following courses, which are optional for students who have met the three-year teaching requirement: LAE 5940 Field Laboratory Internship (1-8 hours) And LAE 5945 Supervised Teaching (1-4 hours) or LAE5915 Supervised Research in English Education Research Core Courses Students must satisfactorily complete no less than four courses in research. Specific requirements include the following two courses: EDF 5400 Basic Descriptive/Inferential Statistics EDF 5481 Methods of Educational Research And six hours chosen from the following, to be selected with approval of the Major Professor according to the student's research goals, but to include at least one course from Group A: Group A ENC 5720 Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition EDF 5449 Survey Research Methods EDG 6475 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (prerequisites EDF 5612 and EDF 5630) LAE 5738 Linguistics Research in Language Education Other approved courses in qualitative research methods. Group B EDG 5401 General Linear Model Applications EDF 5432 Measurement Theory I EDF 5443 Measurement and Evaluation in the Classroom EDF 5445 Assessment of Learning Outcomes In addition to these two courses, each student will take at least six hours in Educational Foundations and Policy Studies, to be selected with the approval of the Major Professor from the following courses: EDF 5160 The School as a Social System: The Social Psychology of Education EDP 5216 Theories of Learning and Cognition in Instruction EDP 5285 Group Processes in Instruction EDF 5517 History of Education in the United States EDF 5543 Introduction to Philosophy of Education EDF 5548 Philosophy of Teaching and Learning EDF 5551 Social Philosophies and Education EDF 5612 Education and Culture EDF 5630 Sociology of Education EDF 5631 Education and Equality EDF 5641 Introduction to Policy Studies in Education EDF 5710 Contemporary Readings in American Education EDF 5890 Sociology of Nontraditional Approaches and Innovation in Education and Development EDF 5896 Education and Political Development EDF 5897 Sociology of Education and Development EDF 6577 Seminar in Current Educational Philosophy English Core Courses Students must complete 12-15 credit hours of English courses in addition to those presented for the master's degree. Courses may be selected from a combination of literature, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and/or creative writing offerings, with approval of the Major Professor. Minor Concentration Courses In addition to the English Education, Educational Research, Educational Foundations, and English course requirements, the student must complete a minor concentration during the doctoral program. The minor concentration is typically a 9-15 semester hour sequence of graduate courses. These are some examples of possible areas for minor concentration, to be selected with approval of the Major Professor: Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Educational Leadership Educational Psychology and Research Higher Education Instructional Systems and Design Middle Grades Education Multilingual/Multicultural Education (TESOL) Reading/Language Arts Special Education Arts and Sciences, including English, Humanities, Philosophy, Classics, Psychology, Theatre, Sociology, Anthropology Supervisory Committee Upon acceptance into the program, each student will be assigned a temporary Major Professor. When the student has become familiar with the program and has decided upon the direction of his/her doctoral work, he/she may request any member of the English Education faculty who has earned Doctoral directive Status to serve as Major Professor. The committee will include the Major Professor, at least one other faculty member from the English Education Program, and two other professors who are familiar with the student's academic interests and directions. At least one of the four must represent a department other than Middle and Secondary Education in order to serve as the "outside member" who monitors the committee's actions. The selection of the Major Professor and committee must be made before the Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination, which is to be taken no later than the end of the second semester of work in the doctoral program. Examinations, Writing, and Defenses See information above about the series of examinations that are required as part of the doctoral program in English Education. These include, in order which the will be completed, the following: Diagnostic/Qualifying Examination (by the end of second semester) Preliminary Examination (written upon completion of course work and before work toward the dissertation may begin; the written essays are defended orally) Prospectus of the Dissertation (to be defended orally, at least four months prior to the completion of the dissertation) Dissertation (to be defended orally) Financial Aid and Assistantship Possibilities Various forms of financial aid are available, including teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, student teacher internship supervisory positions, and loans. Applicants who have had at least three years of secondary teaching experience are preferred for teaching assistantships and student teaching internship supervisory positions in English Education. Please see the academic coordinator in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education for application forms for assistantship and fellowships, and contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and research, College of Education, for fellowship and scholarship applications. Be prepared to include the following with your applications: Raw score on verbal and qualitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination; Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work to date; Three letters of recommendation from persons who can speak to the student's academic and professional ability and promise; Student's statement of educational philosophy and goals. The Specialist Degree in English Education This degree is one that is available for experienced educators who seek further education, and whose goals might include working as a curriculum specialist or program specialist at a district or state educational office, in a community college English/Education program, as an educational consultant for publishers, and as a lead teacher. The degree may include reading endorsement, depending on the student's preference. This degree includes the course work that is included for doctoral degree. The prospective specialist student will work with the English Education faculty to determine which courses from the master's degree can be applied to the specialist degree. Graduate Faculty in English Education, with notes on primary areas of research: Dr. Pamela S. Carroll, Professor and English Education Coordinator pcarroll@garnet.fsu.edu 850-644-2997 young adult literature; middle grades literacy; literature theory and pedagogy Dr. Susan Wood, Assistant Professor wood@coe.fsu.edu 850-644-1909 student learning; assessment; work sample methodology; written composition Dr. Sharilyn Steadman, Assistant Professor steadman@coe.fsu.edu 850-644-2959 English teacher preparation; supervision of clinical field experiences Dr. John S. Simmons, Professor Emeritus ssimmon@mailer.fsu.edu 850-644-6553 methods of English instruction; censorship; language and literacy