Doctoral Programs in WHRE

The two doctoral programs are equally rigorous but have different expectations designed to respond to different graduate student career goals. The Ph.D. in work and human resource education is designed for students committed to professional roles that emphasize conducting research. In contrast, the Ed.D. in work and human resource education is designed to prepare students for professional roles that emphasize applying research to practice. Both doctoral programs require a minimum of 84 semester credits (which includes 24 credits of thesis/field study work) beyond the baccalaureate.

Doctoral students are expected to plan programs of study and related experiences that develop, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge of:

• the purposes, practices, issues, and problems of vocational education;
  the social, economic, historical, political, cultural, educational, technological, and psychological contexts within which vocational education exists;
• the purposes, practices, issues, and problems of a specialization in vocational education; and
• modes of research that contribute to the knowledge base or apply the knowledge base to the area of specialization.

To meet these program objectives, student programs are designed around three basic components: general aspects, specialization, and research.

The general aspects component of the program refers to areas of study that are important in developing a scholarly perspective on work and human resource education. A common core of courses offered in the department is designed to address this program component. The courses focus on comparative systems in education for work and human resource education and the history and philosophy of work and human resource education. In these common courses, education is studied as it occurs in school, work, community, and family settings.

The specialization component emphasizes your career objectives. You will develop a cohesive program focusing on one of the six career specializations: adult education, agricultural, food, and environmental education, business and industry education, human resource development, and comprehensive work and human resource education.

You may also choose subspecializations in particular functional, subject-matter, or client-group areas to meet your specific career objectives. Functional subspecializations might include, for example, evaluation, planning, curriculum, administration, or teacher education. Among subject-matter subspecializations could be included entrepreneurship, family social science, nutrition, consumer economics, organizational development, management, marketing, industrial relations, office management, technology assessment, transportation, communications, horticulture, farm management, and accounting. Finally, client-group subspecializations refer to particular groups of individuals to be served and might include adult education, vocational education for learners with special needs, or parent education.

The research component of the program is designed to help you understand the role of research in improving professional practice, introduce you to alternative modes of research, and train you in one or more selected modes of research. You will develop research competence through your course work and through planning and writing a thesis for the Ph.D. or a field study for the Ed.D.

Your competence in meeting the objectives of the doctoral program is not determined by the number of courses you take. Rather, your coursework is considered as preparation for degree examinations. You and your adviser will plan your program to meet both the objectives and requirements of the doctoral program and your unique professional career objectives. Then you will write a program rationale, a crucial step in the program approval process.

As a doctoral student, you are expected to spend a minimum of two years after admission to the program making regular contacts with faculty and other graduate students. Your written and oral preliminary examinations, which you will take near the end of your course work, will assess your achievement of program objectives and ability to integrate and synthesize the program content. In your final oral examination, you will defend your thesis or field study.