Curriculum and Instruction, Ph.D.
In the spirit of the Jesuit tradition of education, this program is committed to providing students with:
- Individualized academic experiences that focus on their specific content area of intellectual interest.
- In-depth preparation in both pedagogical and research skills to apply theory to practice.
- Opportunities to address social and moral issues related to education, especially in urban settings.
Curriculum Overview
This program emphasizes the tools of research and the interplay of theory and practice in education. The degree requires the completion of 27-36 credits of course work, 12 credits of dissertation research, a comprehensive written examination, an oral examination/proposal defense, and a public presentation and defense of the dissertation.
Careers
Possible career paths for someone with a graduate degree in curriculum and instruction include curriculum coordinator, teacher educator, educational outreach coordinator, nonprofit specialist, special educator and adult educator.
Admission Requirements
- Application form and fee
- Transcript(s)
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE or other applicable graduate entry exam scores
- Résumé
- Professional goal statement
Requirements for International Students
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
- Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
- Proof of financial support must include:
- A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
- A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
- Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
Please note that application deadlines for this program differ for international students.
Application Deadlines
Domestic students should apply for the fall semester by July 1, for the spring semester by November 1 and for the summer semester by April 1. International students should apply by May 1 for the fall semester, Oct. 1 for the spring semester and February 1 for the summer semester.
Review Process
A committee reviews each application wholly.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.
Accreditation
The School of Education at Saint Louis University is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). NCATE and TEAC (Teacher Education Accreditation Council) consolidated to form CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) July 2013. To contact CAEP:
1140 19th St NW #400
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 223-0077
- Graduates will be able to explain learning and curriculum theories.
- Graduates will be able to research questions in the field of curriculum and instruction.
- Graduates will be able to analyze social justice issues in education.
- Graduates will be able to explain how learning and curriculum theories are used to develop education programs.
- Graduates will be able to use oral and written communication.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research Courses | 0-9 | |
| Curriculum and Instruction | ||
| Select nine credits of the following: | 9 | |
| Seminar in Instruction | ||
| The Supv Process in Elem Sc | ||
or EDI 6320 | Supv Process Sec School | |
| Elem School Curriculum | ||
or EDI 6420 | Secondary School Curriculum | |
or EDI 6430 | Middle School C&I | |
or EDI 6440 | Curriculum Dev in Parochial Sc | |
| Curriculum Development | ||
| Curriculum Theory | ||
| Special Study for Written Comprehensive Exams | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Adv Educational Psychology | ||
| Foundations of Urban Educ | ||
| Adv. Growth & Development | ||
| Studies in Educational Philosophy | ||
| History Amer Educ Since 1865 | ||
| Education in American Culture | ||
| Psychology of Reading | ||
| Models of Teaching | ||
| Doctoral Residency | ||
| Practicum C&I | ||
| Principles of Assessment for Education Settings | ||
| Project Guidance | ||
| Doctoral Research Courses | ||
| EDR 6970 | Research Topics in Education | 3 |
| Select either a Quantitative or Qualitative option: | 6 | |
| Quantitative Dissertation | ||
| Research Design and Analysis and Intermed Applied Stats for Ed | ||
| Qualitative Dissertation | ||
| Evaluation of Ed. Programs and Advanced Qual Research for Ed | ||
| Dissertation Research | ||
| EDR 6990 | Dissertation Research | 12 |
| Total Credits | 39-48 | |
Research Courses
Students must complete master’s level graduate research coursework as prerequisites for advanced research courses. Students are required to successfully complete the following three research courses prior to enrolling in advanced research courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDR 5000 | General Research Methods for Education | 3 |
| EDR 5100 | Intro to Inferential Stats: Ed | 3 |
| EDR 5400 | Qual Research in Education | 3 |
Non-Course Requirements
- Students must complete a comprehensive written examination,
- an oral examination/proposal defense, and
- a public presentation and defense of the dissertation.
Continuation Standards
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| EDI 6460 | Curriculum Theory | 3 |
| EDR 5000 | General Research Methods for Education | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDI 6450 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDF 5700 | Adv. Growth & Development | 3 |
| EDR 5400 or EDR 5100 |
Qual Research in Education (if not already completed as a prerequisite) or Intro to Inferential Stats: Ed |
0 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| Delete summers if not needed | ||
| EDR 5400 or EDR 5100 |
Qual Research in Education (if not already completed as a prerequisite) or Intro to Inferential Stats: Ed |
0 |
| Optional elective (see below) | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDI 6500 | 3 | |
| Content elective OR research elective (see below) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDI 6310/6320 | The Supv Process in Elem Sc | 3 |
| Content elective OR research elective (see below) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| Delete summers if not needed | ||
| Optional elective (see below) | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDI 6410/6420/6430 | Elem School Curriculum | 3 |
| EDR 6970 | Research Topics in Education | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDI 6950 | Special Study for Written Comprehensive Exams (Please register in your advisor’s section number.) | 0 |
| EDR 6990 | Dissertation Research (Please register in your advisor’s section number. NOTE: for each remaining semester in the program, students may take as many of the 12-hour total in dissertation research as preferred.) | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Summer | ||
| Delete summers if not needed | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDR 6990 | Dissertation Research (Please register in your advisor’s section number.) | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDR 6990 | Dissertation Research (Please register in your advisor’s section number.) | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Program Notes
- 6 credits of prerequisite research classes are required
- 24 credits of research coursework is required (including 12 credits of dissertation research).
- 12 credits of research coursework is required as follows:
- All Ph.D. students take EDR 5000 General Research Methods for Education (3 cr) and an advanced research class with either a qualitative or quantitative focus (6 hours total).
- Students then choose 6 additional hours from either the qualitative or quantitative focus (6 hours total; see lists of research electives below).
Research Electives: Qualitative Research Focus
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDR 5500 | Evaluation of Ed. Programs | 3 |
| EDR 6000 | Professional Writing | 3 |
| EDR 6400 | Advanced Qual Research for Ed | 3 |
| EDR 6600 | Designing Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| EDR 6930 | Special Topics | 3 |
Research Electives: Quantitative Research Focus
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDR 6060 | Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| EDR 6100 | Intermed Applied Stats for Ed | 3 |
| EDR 6150 | Single Subject Experimental Research Design | 3 |
| EDR 6500 | Mulit-level Regression Models | 3 |
| EDR 6600 | Designing Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
Content Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDF 6100 | Studies in Educational Philosophy | 3 |
| EDF 6460 | History Amer Educ Since 1865 | 3 |
| EDF 6500 | SEM: Education Psychology 1 | 3 |
| EDF 5300 | Adv Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDI 6230 | Seminar in Instruction 1 | 3 |
| EDI 6550 | Principles of Assessment for Education Settings | 3 |
| EDI 5390 | Psychology of Reading | 3 |
| EDI 5600 | Models of Teaching | 3 |
| EDSP 6020 | History and Philosophy of Special Education | 3 |
| 1 | Indicates available as a summer elective |