Higher Education Doctorate

The Doctor of Education degree in Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction-Higher Education (SCIH) is available through the Department of Educational Leadership. The student may select one of two options:
a 90 semester-hour program including a minor field or fields of study or
a 60 semester-hour alternative without a minor.

The 90 semester-hour program consists of 36 credits of coursework including:
three (3) core courses -
   HIED 528 Philosophy of Education,
   HIED 627 History of Education in the United States, and
   HIED 656 Higher Education and the Law;
12 credits of electives;
12 credits of research tools; and a
30 credit minor in some related field or fields.

Additionally, the student is required to earn 12 dissertation credits.

Each student’s advisement committee will be composed of faculty members from HIED and other involved academic areas and will be involved in planning the program, evaluating the written and oral qualifying examinations, the dissertation proposal and the final defense. A comprehensive minor requires that all coursework be completed in some field other than HIED while a split minor permits coursework in two outside areas (6-4 or 5-5 format).

The 60 semester-hour program, available to persons above and beyond the master’s degree, requires everything from the 90 semester-hour program with the exception of the minor.

The research tools for both options are proficiency in educational statistics and in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Students must also be proficient in the use of technology as some courses throughout the doctoral program are delivered on the Internet.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate overall GPA of 2.75 or 3.00 on the last 60 under-graduate hours or a 3.40 on all master’s work and beyond, completion of Doctoral Pre-Test, and an acceptable GRE score, vita and references.

Each student is required to complete residency after admission to the doctoral program. Residency provides students with opportunities to work with other doctoral students and faculty as colleagues in projects that provide experience and training toward independent application of skills commensurate with holders of doctoral degrees. The student will plan the residency activities with the approval of the major advisor.

Residency is defined as full-time (9 acceptable semester hour credits) enrollment for 2 consecutive semester and may be satisfied by any of the following formats:

    fall/spring
    spring/fall
    spring/summer
    summer/fall
    summer/summer/summer

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board - which regulates all of higher education - students in this doctoral program must take at least 51% of their coursework on the campus where the Chief Executive Office has his or her main office. This means that at least 51% of the coursework toward the Higher Education Doctorate must be taken physically on the Commerce campus. Internship and Practicum courses DO count toward the 51% requirement. On-line courses DO NOT count toward the required 51%. An Instructional Television (ITV) course counts ONLY if the student is enrolled in, and attending a section of the course meeting on the Commerce Campus.