Educational Technology Ph.D.

1.	Research Design/Applied Statistics/Quantitative/Qualitative Methods: Students must complete the 12 semester hours (excluding ET 797) in research methodology courses with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.

2.	Computer Applications — Students must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours in graduate courses relating to computer use with grades of “A” or “B.” (3.0 GPA or higher).

A student can develop and demonstrate a computer program written to meet a specific application in education. This program will be judged as “acceptable” or “unacceptable” by the student's doctoral committee.

3.	Evaluation — Students must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours in evaluation courses with grades of “A” or “B" (3.0 GPA or higher).

4.	Foreign Language — Students must pass the Educational Testing Service or other faculty approved examination in any major modern foreign language with a score at the 50th percentile or higher.

Deficiencies

Since the program of study builds upon the requirements for the M.A. degree in educational technology, students must have taken comparable coursework to satisfy the educational technology core requirements of the UNC M.A. degree in educational technology or must take these courses as electives in the doctoral program. All doctoral students must complete the common educational technology core, the research methodology core, and specialize in at least one of the four concentration areas.

Master’s Degree en Route to the Ph.D.

Students may apply for admission to the Ph.D. in Educational Technology and complete their M.A. in Educational Technology or School Library Education on the way to completion of the doctoral degree. The application process and the admission criteria are the same as for the Ph.D. program. Once admitted, the student will work closely with their academic advisor to develop a Plan of Study that meets both M.A. and Ph.D. program requirements. Students must complete all program requirements (including comprehensive examination) for the M.A. in addition to the minimum 67 hours required for the Ph.D. Students must be conferred with the M.A. degree prior to admission to doctoral candidacy.

Program and Graduation Requirements

Once admitted to a program, students must maintain a satisfactory grade point average of 3.2. The student must complete a minimum of two consecutive semesters as a full-time student (9 semester hours) and be registered for resident credit offered on-campus and applicable to the doctoral degree. A minimum of 67 semester hours beyond the master's degree is required for the doctorate in educational technology.

Students will receive an annual letter of progress providing feedback regarding their individual progress toward completion of their doctoral program. Each doctoral student must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination and portfolio review for the degree. This examination cannot be taken until the student has completed the residency requirement and at least 36 semester hours beyond the master's degree with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher.

The oral examination may include questions from any part of the student's program and is designed to test the student's understanding of the field of educational technology. The dissertation research advisor and the research committee for the dissertation are appointed after the student has passed both written and oral comprehensive examinations. The dissertation proposal and dissertation are completed under the supervision of the research advisor and research committee.