Doctoral program: The doctoral program consists of three phases:

Phase 1

Phase 1 stresses the core knowledge base of the field of adult learning and technology. It also includes formation of a doctoral committee and filing of a program of study.

Phase 2

Phase 2 stresses the research component of the program and culminates in the preliminary examination. This exam evaluates the student's research skills and his/her expertise in the subject area of their final project or dissertation.

Phase 3

Phase 3 of the program is the project report (Ed.D.); this phase culminates in the successful defense of the conducted study.

Explanation of Program Phases

The following information provides responses to frequently asked questions regarding completion of the doctoral program.

Once admitted to the program you may see your assigned advisor for additional information. The doctoral degree is awarded only to those students meeting rigorous academic and professional standards and have demonstrated excellence in scholarship. Doctoral students typically follow the procedures described below:

Phase 1

Faculty advisement during this phase of doctoral study is the responsibility of the student's assigned advisor.

With the assistance of their faculty advisor, students select a five-member doctoral committee:

	three members will be from the program unit, additional members must be from other units in the college or outside the College of Education,
	the chairperson and one committee member from outside the unit, must be members of the graduate faculty (members from outside the academic unit should have expertise in either the subject area addressed in the dissertation/project report and/or research methodology appropriate for the investigation).

Once the doctoral committee is selected/approved, students arrange for a meeting of all committee members to both approve both their program of study and the topic of the final project of the dissertation.

Phase 2

Faculty advisement during this phase of doctoral study is primarily the chairperson of the doctoral committee.

Students must successfully pass the preliminary examination; this is both a written and oral examination. The written examination is developed by the students' doctoral committee; it covers the subject area of the project report or dissertation and addresses research methodology/interpretation appropriate to the final investigation. The student's doctoral committee determines the length and format of the examination. Students can generally expect to receive results of the written examination in four-to-six weeks. If successful in the written examination, students sit for an oral examination with members of the doctoral committee, the focus being the student's responses on the written examination. Both the written and oral examination are pass/fail.

Phase 3

Faculty advisement during this phase of doctoral study is primarily the chairperson of the doctoral committee.

Students prepare a formal prospectus for their project report or dissertation upon completion of all required course work in the program and successfully passing the preliminary examination. The prospectus generally includes the initial chapters of the study: statement of the problem, methodology and/or data sources, and an initial review of pertinent literature.

Once the prospectus is completed a general meeting of the doctoral committee is arranged and the prospectus is discussed. When satisfied, the committee formally approves the prospectus and a time line for completion and defense of the study is determined.

Students should note that a complete draft of the project report or dissertation is expected at the beginning of the semester in which they hope to graduate.

Working with their doctoral committee, students construct a final draft of their study and arrange a final defense. (It is important that students work closely with the UW graduate school and degree analysis to meet all time lines.

Phase 2

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