Doctor of Philosophy Degree Admission Requirements

Applications will be accepted for the Fall semester only and must be received by March 1.

QPA--Consideration for admission to the program is based on the applicant's grade point average (GPA) in the last graduate degree or the last sixty hours of undergraduate work if no graduate degree has been completed. An average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or above from a recognized baccalaureate, graduate, or professional degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or an international equivalent based on a four-year curriculum is required for admission.

GRE--A combined score of 1000 or above on the verbal and quantitative sections and a 4.0 on the writing component of the GRE is required for admission. In some rare instances, a prospective student with a score slightly lower than 1000 may petition the Ph.D. Coordinating Committee for admission, but tangible evidence of the student's academic achievement or aptitude (other than a high GPA) must be presented. International students are required to submit TOEFL scores. A minimum of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the internet-based test is required.

Scholarly Writing--Students must demonstrate the ability to do scholarly writing by submitting a reference-based paper, thesis, or other written document in which information from various sources has been synthesized. The applicant must be the sole author.

Statement of Intent--One to two pages should be sufficient to include intended enrollment (fall admission only), intended concentration, autobiographical statement, education and professional goals, area of interest for future research, and how your interest fits with faculty in your chosen area of study.

Three Letters of Recommendation--At least one letter should be from a professor who is able to comment on your qualifications for graduate study. Consideration will be made based upon the content of the letters.

Professional Vitae

Interviews with Ph.D. doctoral program faculty.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The student must maintain a cumulative point average of 3.25 and, in addition to adhering to the general regulations of the Graduate School, adhere to the specific regulations for the Ph.D. in Exceptional Learning program. These regulations, standards, and expectations include:

1. A minimum of 78/79 semester hours of course work, including 36 semester hours in the research component and dissertation requirements and built upon the student's course of study.
2. A residency requirement of three full-time semesters (at least 9 hours each) must be met following matriculation.
3. All requirements, including the dissertation, must be completed within a period of no more than eight consecutive years.
4. Following completion of all course work, excluding EDU 7920 and EDU 7990, or during the last semester during which such course work is to be completed, students should complete their Comprehensive Examinations.
5. Satisfactory completion of the dissertation requires an oral defense.
6. The fifteen hours required for the dissertation may be completed in no fewer than two semester.
7. A's and B's are required in coursework. A grade of "C" is considered a failing grade in doctoral programs. The student is allowed to maintain a grade of "C" in only one course completed toward the Ph.D. degree. If a student receives two "C's" they will be dismissed from the program.
8. "F's" are not acceptable in the Ph.D. in Exceptional Learning program. If a student receives a grade of "F" in a course, they will be dismissed from the program.
9. If an Incomplete is granted, the student has one academic year to complete the requirements. If the requirements have not been met in the allotted time period, the grade is converted to an "F," and the student will be dismissed from the program.
10. Approval of the dissertation topic and a successful proposal to the entire Committee must precede any significant work on the dissertation. Approval from the Institutional Review Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects must be obtained for any research project initiated by a student (or faculty member).
11. A maximum of 12 credit hours may be taken in one semester. Written approval from the Ph.D. Coordinator, the student's concentration leader, and advisor is required to register and take more than 12 credit hours in one semester.

          

Major Field/General Core
Course	Semester hours
EDU 7010* Educational Policy and Cultural Diversity	3
EDU 7020* At-Risk Populations: Research, Service, Delivery		3
EDU 7040* Program Planning and Evaluation	3
CUED 7430 Specialized Applications of Technology to Education OR		3
EDU 7440 Technology Applications for Institutional Dissemination of Information	3

          

Guided Electives
Course			Semester hours
CUED 7030* Rural Schools and Communities			3
EDU 7050* Advanced Learning and Cognition			3
EDU 7060* Issues in Education			3
EDU 7950* Doctoral Seminar: Special Topics in Education			3
SPED 7110 Family Collaboration			3
ENG 6010 Teaching Composition			3
READ 6350 Secondary School Reading Program			3
*Only students admitted to the Ph.D. program are permitted to enroll in these courses
Concentrations
Applied Behavior Analysis
Course	Semester hours
EDUB 7030* Functional Analysis of Behavior	3
EDUB 7810* Practicum in Behavior Analysis	3
SPED 6000 Behavioral Interventions and Supports	3
Pre-School Aged Children and Their Families
ABAP 7910* Independent Study in Early Chilldhood Special Education	2
ABAP 7920* Topics, Issues, Research in Early Childhood Special Education	2
ABAP 7120* Positive Behavior Support and Families	3
EDUB 7040* Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
EDUB 7050* Intervention and Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
SPED 6050 Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis	3
SPED 6120 ECSE Evaluation, Assessment, and Methods	4
School Aged Children and Their Families
EDUB 7010* Advanced Systematic Instruction	3
EDUB 7040* Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
EDUB 7050* Intervention and Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
SPED 6050 Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis	3
Literacy
Course	Semester hours
EDUL 7000 Seminar in Literacy	3
EDUL 7800 Professional Development in the Educational Setting			3
READ 6100 Technology in the Information Age			3
READ 6310 Assessment and Diagnosis: Theory and Practice OR			3
SPED 6320 Assessment of Persons with Disabilities			3
READ 6600 Liturature Across the Curriculum			3
READ 7010 Literacy Across the Curiculum			3
READ 7020 Family Literacy	3
READ 7370 Linguistics	3
Program Planning and Evaluation
Course	Semester hours
EDUP 7410 Advanced Program Planning and Evaluation Methods I	3
EDUP 7420 Advanced Program Planning and Evaluation Methods II	3
EDUP 7810 Practicum in Planning and Evaluation	3
EDUP 7810 Practicum in Planning and Evaluation	3
EDUP 7810 Practicum in Planning and Evaluation	3
Research Component
Course	Semester hours
EDU 7300* Research Design	3
EDU 7310* Research in Literacy OR	3
EDU 7320* Single Subject Design	3
EDU 7330* Qualitative Inquiry in Education	3
EDU 7340* Ethnographic Inquiry in Education	3
EDU 7420* Quantitative Inquiry in Education I	3
EDU 7430* Quantitative Inquiry in Educaiton II	3
EDU 7920* Research Seminar in Education	3
Dissertation
Course	Semester hours
EDU 7990* Research and Dissertation			15
*Only students admitted to the Ph.D. program are permitted to enroll in these courses

Page last updated: 4/10/07

Graduate Studies
Tennessee Tech Univesity
P.O. Box 5036
Phone: (931) 372-3233 Fax: (931) 372-3497
E-Mail: Gradstudies@tntech.edu