N I U Instructional Technology Doctoral Program

IT Doctoral Program

IT Ed.D.
Hours Required	93
For Whom	SAL or Graduate

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree is the highest professional degree offered by Northern Illinois University in the field of education. The doctoral program has as its aims:

the development of competence,
the extension of understanding,
the advancement of knowledge, and
an increased capacity for intellectual and professional adaptability.

This degree is awarded only to those individuals who have met rigorous standards and who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship.

The Doctor of Education program in Instructional Technology prepares students to be leaders in research and the development of new knowledge and applications in the field. Program alumni are employed in positions of leadership in the use of technology in diverse settings including all levels of education, business and industry, the health care professions, government, and not-for-profit organizations in the U.S. and other countries. The doctoral program is not narrowly career-oriented, but rather focuses on the conceptual framework of the field. Building on the competencies of practice acquired at the master's degree level or from remediation of deficiencies, emphasis is placed on developing a unified grasp of the knowledge, skills, and theory inherent in the field, as the base for original research.

Goals for students enrolled in the Ed.D. Program in Instructional Technology stress competence and originality. Students completing the program demonstrate a wide range of skills and abilities related to application of technology to learning. Whereas master's graduates can correctly follow and apply methodologies and models, doctoral graduates are able to develop theories and conduct research in appropriate methodologies. The following skills summarize our expectations of all doctoral graduates:

organize theory and research, synthesize past experiences and training in instructional technology applications, and use those backgrounds in the development of theoretical constructs for new or better applications.
engage in and produce research in the applications or implications of instructional technology in educational contexts and society in general.
demonstrate mastery of research design and techniques by engaging in research activities within courses and independently.
demonstrate mastery of common educational theory, including human development and learning, human behavior, and the organization or administration of education.
demonstrate the ability to test theory, research, and ideas while developing an appreciation for different points of view, by engaging in spirited interchange among faculty and other graduate students in courses and through creation of written papers and projects assessed by faculty and peers. These skills may be demonstrated in courses and/or in independent study settings.

Doctoral Admission Requirements

The faculty of Instructional Technology selects the best-qualified applicants for admission to the doctoral program. When the number of qualified applicants exceeds program capacity, some applicants must be denied admission. Such individuals may request reconsideration of their application at a later date. Decisions about admissions are normally made once each term. To be considered for admission, prospective students must submit to the Graduate School the following:

Completed Application for Admission to the Graduate School form. The degree program is Doctor of Education - the major department is Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (ETRA) and the major is Instructional Technology.
Transcripts showing undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall GPA of at least 2.75, based on a 4.00 system.
Transcript showing graduate degree(s) (at least a master's degree) from an accredited college or university with an overall GPA of at least 3.20.
Scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination. (Contact the Instructional Technology office regarding possible alternatives.)
A personal statement of your career goals and qualifications for the program.
Three letters of reference from professors, employers, or supervisors that address professional qualifications and potential for success in the field of Instructional Technology at the doctoral level.

Prospective doctoral applicants will be scheduled for an appointment with the Admissions Committee, which meets once each semester. This meeting, usually attended by all regular faculty in the program, will serve to get everyone better acquainted. Your qualifications, interests, and future plans will be discussed. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the program.

Individuals who fail to satisfy the GPA criteria or whose test scores are low may request special consideration of their application. Such a request must be made in writing, must include a description of compensatory evidence related to the deficiency, and should accompany the Application for Admission to the Graduate School. Compensatory evidence may include relevant work experience, length of time since the previous degrees, or other extenuating circumstances.

If review of the above materials supports further consideration of the application, applicants must submit a writing sample that demonstrates research and writing skills and attend a personal interview with the doctoral admissions committee. (These two elements of the application determine the applicant's final standing in the pool of applicants.)

Doctoral Program Advising

Following admission to the doctoral program in Instructional Technology, each new student is assigned an advisory committee of three faculty members. The chair of the committee is the major advisor and works with the student to develop a proposed program of courses. The remaining members review the proposal before final approval and submission to the Graduate School. Students are urged to maintain close contact with their major advisor throughout the program. Changes in the program of courses must be approved by the advisor, who is responsible for notifying the Graduate School of such changes.

Doctoral Program Requirements

Program requirements are flexible and are designed in light of the individual student's background and professional goals. The student has significant input into the selection of specific courses for his or her program, in consultation with the advisory committee. The Graduate School defines the doctoral degree as 93 semester hours (minimum) beyond the baccalaureate degree, toward which 30 hours from the master's degree are normally applied. Within the minimum 63 hours beyond the master's degree, a doctoral program consists of three broad areas of work: research and learning theory, the major and the dissertation.

Research, Learning Theory, and Foundations (15 hrs):

Courses related to the development of research skills, learning and development theory, and educational foundations. Such course work may include research design, statistical analysis, computerized data manipulation, the analyses of human development and learning theories, psychology of human behavior, history and philosophy of education, and organization or administration of educational systems.

Typical courses in this area include:

LECI 603 Design of Curriculum and Instruction
LECI 657 Seminar in Higher Education
ETR 521 Educational Statistics I
ETR 525 Qualitative Research
ETR 530 Test Construction
ETR 613 Advanced Educational Psychology
ETR 620 Educational Research Planning and Interpretation
ETR 639X Fieldwork Methods in Educational Research
ETR 640X Interpretive Methods in Educational Research
EPFE 615 Foundations of Educational Policy
EPFE 621 Seminar in American Educational Thought
EPFE 623 History of Higher Education
COMS 554 Media & Society

Instructional Technology Major (18-33 hrs):

A major is also commonly referred to as a field of specialization. The major includes a complement of courses that provide an opportunity to master a defined area of study. A minimum of 18 semester hours of advanced level course work (excluding dissertation hours) is required in Instructional Technology courses - the major area. Four doctoral seminars are required as part of the major, with ETT 549, 640, 641, 642, & 643 included in nearly all programs. ETT 698 is also recommended. Ordinarily, courses are taken in numerical order.

A cognate or minor specialization may be chosen to meet a specific goal. Cognates are courses taken in some other specialization area. Ordinarily only doctoral students whose master's degree is in Instructional Technology complete a cognate.

Courses in other departments may be selected for cognate or research areas, most commonly in Art, Business, Communications, Computer Science, and Journalism.

Dissertation (15 hrs):

As the culminating experience of the doctoral program, candidates plan, complete, and successfully defend a research-based dissertation. The dissertation should represent a major contribution to knowledge in the candidate's field of study as defined under Dissertation and Oral Defense below.

A minimum of 15 dissertation credit hours is required, in blocks of at least 3 hours per term. After completing 15 hours, enrollment may be for 1 hour per term. From the term of first enrollment in ETT 699 (Dissertation), you must maintain continuous enrollment every semester until graduation.

Summary

Students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree in Instructional Technology will, therefore, generally complete 48 hours of coursework (including a cognate) beyond the master's, plus 15 hours of dissertation credit. Students whose master's degree is not in Instructional Technology normally take three or four additional courses to gain background in their new field; they may also complete additional hours for a cognate.

Student-at-Large and Transfer Credit

Students-at-large are normally prohibited from registering for graduate courses in instructional technology unless they are pursuing an approved certification or endorsement in school library media. A maximum of 15 student-at-large and transfer semester hours in combination may be applied toward the master’s degree in instructional technology. With the approval of the student’s faculty adviser, a student who has completed endorsement and/or certification requirements in school library media at NIU as a student-at-large may apply some or all of those student-at-large hours towards the master’s degree in instructional technology. The faculty adviser has the authority to refuse any course credit he or she judges to be irrelevant to the doctoral degree in instructional technology.

Internships and Practica

Students are encouraged to pursue and may be required to include internship or practicum experiences within their program requirements. Normally this will be determined by the student and the advisory committee during initial program planning.

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

A candidacy examination, administered each term by the faculty in Instructional Technology, is required of all students in the doctoral program near the end of coursework. The examination includes sections on research skills and learning theory as well as in the major area of specialization. Early contact with the major advisor to discuss the exam is highly recommended.

Students have two opportunities to successfully complete the candidacy exam. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, the advisory committee will determine what remediation appears to be warranted and when the student may again attempt the exam. The outcome of the second attempt is final. Students must be enrolled for at least one credit hour in the term in which they take their candidacy exam.

Students are admitted to candidacy following successful completion of the examination and may begin to enroll in ETT 699. Students must select a dissertation director within the first semester after admission to candidacy.

Dissertation Director and Committee

Upon admission to candidacy and prior to beginning work on the dissertation, the student will choose a dissertation director and, with the director's advice, a dissertation committee consisting of a minimum of two additional members. At least two members of the committee must be senior members of the graduate faculty. The Dissertation Director Appointment Form must be on file at the Graduate School by the end of the first term of registration for ETT 699. The candidate is expected to work closely with the director and committee members at all times, first to achieve acceptance of a research proposal, then as the research is conducted and reported.

Human Subjects Research

Research involving human subjects in any situation must be approved by the department and the Graduate School Committee on Human Subject Research. Such approval MUST be obtained prior to beginning dissertation research. Forms are available from your director or the Instructional Technology Office or online at http://www.grad.niu.edu/orc/irb_homepage.htm.

Dissertation and Oral Defense

A dissertation represents a substantial contribution to knowledge in the student's major field of study. Candidates for the doctoral degree are expected to conduct original scholarship appropriate to the field of Instructional Technology and to communicate the results of their research effectively. Following completion of the written dissertation and with the approval of the dissertation committee, a public presentation of the research is scheduled, followed immediately by an oral defense of the dissertation. This final examination of the candidate and the research is conducted by the dissertation committee, in accordance with the guidelines of the Graduate School. Successful completion of the oral defense is usually the final major step prior to graduation.

Doctoral Program Time Limit

Doctoral students have nine years (less one semester) to complete all requirements for the degree, i.e., no courses may be over nine years old at the time of graduation, except those master's degree courses accepted toward the doctorate.

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IT Doctoral Program

Doctoral Admission Requirements

Doctoral Program Advising

Doctoral Program Requirements

Student-at-Large and Transfer Credit

Internships and Practica

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

Dissertation Director and Committee

Human Subjects Research

Dissertation and Oral Defense

Doctoral Program Time Limit

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