Higher Edcuation Doctoral Student Handbook

Table of Contents

Introduction

This handbook outlines the procedures to be followed by students pursuing the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Higher Education (HIED) through HELT at East Texas A&M University (ETAMU). It is designed to assist doctoral students in meeting all the departmental, college, and university requirements and deadlines, from the time of admission until graduation.

Doctoral Program Checklist

Requirements

  • Admitted to doctoral program
  • Meet with assigned major advisor for a formal introduction and to discuss your learning needs and professional aspirations.
  • Complete doctoral residency and required coursework reflected in DegreeWorks
  • Work with major advisor to develop doctoral/dissertation committee, which consists of your major advisor, one internal (HELT) faculty member, and one external (non-HELT) faculty member.
  • Discuss with major advisor your plan to take the doctoral comprehensive exam. There are two parts to the exam. The first is the written portion. Once you pass the written portion, the oral portion can be scheduled. You must pass both to pass the exam. All research tools courses must be completed first before taking the exam. Complete the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination(s) Form.
  • Upon successful completion of the doctoral comprehensive examinations, major advisor will submit the comprehensive examinations results to the Graduate School. Your next step is the dissertation process.
  • Register for HIED 718. Work on your dissertation proposal. Upon major advisor approval, submit a digital form Schedule Form for the Proposal Defense to the Graduate School by the 20th day of the month prior to the month of the proposal defense. Detailed information is available on the Graduate School website.
  • Upon major advisor approval, ensure that committee members have received the complete proposal (Chapters 1-3) at least 2 weeks before the scheduled defense date. Compile all required forms and documentations.
  • Complete all required research training through CITI
  • Complete proposal defense satisfactorily
  • Submit IRB protocol and the CITI certificate(s) to the major advisor
  • Major advisor or student will submit IRB application for review.
  • Submit to the Office of Thesis and Dissertation Services (TDS) of the Graduate School the Dissertation Proposal Submission Packet Form. Include the dissertation proposal in Word format, iThenticate report, CITI training reports, and IRB approval letter.
  • After receiving approval from the IRB committee, candidate will begin to collect data, analyze data, and write Chapters 4 and 5. Candidate will also update Chapters 1-3.
  • Complete dissertation
  • File for graduation through the Graduate School. Refer to the Graduate School website for the deadline.
  • Submit the Final Dissertation Defense Schedule Form to Graduate School by the 20th day of the month prior to the month of the scheduled defense. Detailed information is available on the Graduate School website.
  • Upon advisor approval, ensure that committee members have received the complete dissertation at least 2 weeks before the scheduled final defense.
  • Complete final dissertation defense satisfactorily. Edit final dissertation document per major advisor and committee members' recommendation.
  • Order graduation regalia (NOTE: Check with bookstore for details)
  • Complete Final Dissertation Submission Form. Attach the final approved dissertation (in Word format), iThenticate report, and dissertation information sheet.
  • Obtain a list of needed changes from the Office of Thesis and Dissertation Services (TDS) and make the required changes accordingly. Then, submit the revised dissertation to TDS.
  • After TDS approves the final copy, upload the approved dissertation PDF to ProQuest and pay the required ProQuest fee and any remaining Graduate School student fee.
  • Attend graduation! Congratulations!

Admission to the EdD Program

The first step toward the doctoral degree is a formal application and admission to the university through the Graduate School at ETAMU. After filling a complete admission application to the Graduate School, the application materials are sent to HELT for review. Admission is a committee decision based upon previous grade-point-averages, a writing sample, statement of goals, and two letters of reference. After the review, the HELT doctoral program coordinator will recommend admission or denial. Recommendations will be forwarded to the dean of the Graduate School If denied, the Graduate School will notify the applicant. If accepted, applicants should receive two letters: one from the HELT department head and one from the dean of the Graduate School. The letter from the department head will provide the name of a faculty member who will serve as the student's major advisor in the program.

New Student Orientation

An online doctoral orientation program has been designed to welcome and support newly admitted doctoral students in the Fall and Spring semesters. The HELT doctoral program coordinator will notify all newly admitted students the date and time of the meeting. The meeting will cover basic information about the history of the program, the coursework required for the degree, faculty profiles, residency requirements, the role of advisors, tips for becoming a successful doctoral student, the doctoral comprehensive exam, IRB, and the dissertation process.

DegreeWorks

After official admission to ETAMU, students should contact their major advisor to arrange for a first meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for students to 6 discuss their educational and professional background as well as short- and long-term learning and professional development goals. Students can check their course progress and remaining requirements through DegreeWorks, an online portal that can be accessed through MyLeo. Students should communicate their degree progress with their major advisor preferably at the end of every semester but minimally once a year.

Coursework

Students should plan their class schedules based on courses listed on their DegreeWorks. These are the current requirements for the Ed.D. degree:

  • Core Courses (18 hours): (a) Introduction to Higher Education (HIED 615); (b) History of Higher Education in the U.S. (HIED 627); (c) The Law of Higher Education (HIED 656); (d) Internship (HIED 622); (e) Writing a Literature Review (HIED 650); and (f) Dissertation Prospectus (HIED 710).
    • HIED 622, HIED 650, and HIED 710 are designed to assist students' enculturation into higher education and their preparation of the dissertation proposal. The Internship (HIED 622) is required for all students who have no prior full-time working experience at a college or university. Students who are currently or previously employed at a college or university may substitute HIED 622 with another HIED course if they wish to not take the Internship course. Writing a Literature Review (HIED 650) includes the development of Chapter 2 (Review of Related Research) of the dissertation proposal. In the Dissertation Prospectus (HIED 710) course, students will develop Chapters 1 (Introduction) and 3 (Method of Procedure) of the proposal. Prerequisite for HIED 710 include all the research tools, the core classes, and HIED 650. Ideally, HIED 710 should be the last course taken before beginning of HIED 718 (dissertation) and may be taken in the same semester as the comprehensive exams. While meeting all prerequisites is generally required for HIED 710 enrollment, students facing unique circumstances may submit a petition for consideration. This petition must be addressed to their major advisor and the doctoral program coordinator for approval. It is important to understand that the granting of such requests is not guaranteed.
  • Additional courses in the Major (21 hours): The purpose of these additional 7 courses is to allow student flexibility of choosing courses based on their educational and professional needs and interests. The listing of these courses appears in DegreeWorks. Student should consult with their major advisor about course selection.
  • Research Tools (12 Hours): Students should take Research Methodology (HIED 695) first since it is the prerequisite for the remainder of the three research tools courses. It is recommended that student takes this course in the first year of the program. The other three research tools courses are (a) Qualitative Research Methods (HIED 696), (b) Intro to Quantitative Research (HIED 617), and (c) Advanced Quantitative Research (HIED 619) or Advanced Qualitative Research (HIED 698). Student cannot take their doctoral comprehensive exams until they have completed all their research tools courses. Students facing unique circumstances may submit a petition for consideration. This petition must be addressed to their major advisor and the doctoral program coordinator for approval. It is important to understand that the granting of such requests is not guaranteed.
  • Electives and course substitutions: A variety of topics are offered as electives. Limited numbers of courses can also be taken from HELT's master's program in Organization, Learning, and Technology (OLT) or Educational Technology (ETEC), or from other programs at ETAMU. If any course substitution is desired, approval from the major advisor and the doctoral program coordinator is required before taking the substituted course.

Students should retain class syllabi and course notes as well as books and other reference materials that will be helpful when studying for the doctoral comprehensive examinations.

Doctoral Residency Requirements

Each student is required to complete a residency on a college or university campus after admission. The purpose of residency is to promote active student engagement in learning and other developmental activities. Currently, this departmental requirement can be satisfied by taking and completing at least 6 graduate hours per semester in three consecutive semesters, which can include the summer term as an option, and the completion of campus-based activities. This requirement is different from the HIED 622 8 Internship class, which requires a supervised project within a semester. Students should meet their residency requirements before taking their doctoral comprehensive examination. The required form and information about the department's residency rules is available here.

The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

Taken at or near the end of all coursework, the doctoral comprehensive examination represents a very important step in the doctoral preparation process and demand extensive preparation. Designed to test the students' in-depth knowledge and understanding of core course materials and research methodology covered throughout the doctoral program, the comprehensive examination may not be scheduled until the students have completed all of the research tools and core classes, have met the department's residency requirements, and have no more than 6 hours of general coursework remaining, excluding HIED 718. Students facing unique circumstances may submit a petition for consideration. This petition must be addressed to their major advisor and the doctoral program coordinator for approval. It is important to understand that the granting of such requests is not guaranteed.

Comprehensive exams are offered during the regular semesters (i.e., fall and spring) and may be offered during the summer term, by discretion from the faculty. The exam consists of two parts: (a) the take-home written part, and (b) the oral part. In the written part, students are allowed 1 week to write their answers and to send back their responses to the department for evaluation by multiple teams of faculty members. Once students pass the written part of the exam, the oral part can be scheduled. This will be conducted virtually. As a first step toward taking the exam, students should inform their major advisor of their plan to take the exam. This should be done as early as possible. Deciding NOT to complete the written part after receiving the questions is a violation of academic integrity; therefore, it will count as a failed attempt unless there are mitigating reasons that the faculty should consider on a case-by-case basis. To plan for the oral part, students should

  1. Schedule a conference with the major advisor to confirm that no more than 6 hours of 9 coursework, excluding 718, are remaining. The major advisor will then notify the doctoral program coordinator.
  2. Students will complete and submit the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination(s) Form when students determine when their comprehensive examination is scheduled.
  3. Notification of the written part results will be sent during the fourth week after the exam. If the student passes, they should contact the major advisor and arrange for the oral part. If the student fails the written part, only failed portions will be retaken. However, a study plan must be completed by working together with the major advisor, and the plan must be approved from the Graduate School before a retake is arranged. If the repeated written part is unsatisfactory, the student will be withdrawn from the program.
  4. After student passes both written and oral parts, the major advisor will complete and submit the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination(s) Form that the students submitted to officially register the comprehensive exam results.

Upon verification of the completed Doctoral Comprehensive Examination(s) Form by the Graduate School, the Graduate School will email the student of their doctoral candidacy and itemize any restrictions such as uncompleted coursework and the timing requirement of completion for the degree. Once admitted to candidacy, the student (now titled the “candidate”) must enroll in HIED 718 (dissertation) every fall and spring semester until graduation. In addition, the candidate may apply for reduced tuition for HIED 718 through the Graduate School. To receive doctoral advisement or to use ETAMU facilities and resources during the summer sessions, the candidate also must be enrolled in HIED 718 for the summer term.

The Doctoral Proposal

Note: This section is long, but critically important. So please read carefully.

Once the comprehensive exam is passed, the doctoral candidate focuses upon the completion of remaining coursework and the dissertation proposal defense. All non-718 coursework must be completed, and the candidate must be enrolled in HIED 718 at the time of the proposal defense.

The dissertation is an extensive, comprehensive research project to be completed by the doctoral candidate and planned and coordinated in conjunction with the candidate's committee working primarily through the major advisor. Throughout the dissertation process, final approval at all levels lies with the committee and the ultimate authority rests with the major advisor. Once the committee has approved the proposal, it must then be approved by the HELT department head, the dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and the dean of the Graduate School.

The dissertation proposal may be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods and must consist of the following parts:

  • Title Page, Signature Page, and Abstract
  • Table of Contents
  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
    • Statement of the Problem
    • Purpose of the Study
    • Hypotheses/ Research Question
    • Significance of the Study
    • Definitions of Terms
    • Limitations
    • Delimitations
    • Assumptions
    • Organization of Chapters
  • Chapter 2 – Review of The Literature
  • Chapter 3 – Method of Procedure
    • Design of the Study
    • Instrumentation
    • Sample Selection
    • Data Gathering
    • Treatment of Data
  • Chapter 4 – Presentation of Findings
  • Chapter 5 – Summary of the Study and the Findings, Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations for Future Research
  • References

As a rule of thumb, the dissertation proposal must be comprehensive with each chapter thoroughly developed (i.e., each chapter must be able to stand on its own). It is essential to note that it is the candidate's responsibility to be knowledgeable about their chosen method (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods).

The dissertation proposal should be developed in conjunction with the major advisor and must be based upon a high-quality review of the literature whose topic and topic sequence must match and align well with the research purpose and questions.

Throughout the dissertation process, the major advisor will be the candidate's primary contact, providing guidance, as needed, and reviews of the dissertation chapters. The major advisor must approve the dissertation chapters before submission to other committee members, and the candidate should not work directly with non-advisor committee members without the direction of the major advisor.

The candidate should schedule meetings with their major advisor and other committee members, as per the major advisor's approval, to discuss potential study topics and appropriate research methods. When applicable, a statistics expert should be consulted to determine the appropriate statistical approach and to assist with data analysis planning and execution. Ideally, initial work on the project should begin in HIED 650: Writing a Literature Review and continue in HIED 710: Dissertation Prospectus. However, successful completion of these courses does not guarantee committee approval of the proposal. In collaboration with the major advisor, the candidate may, by the end of HIED 710, have developed the core elements of the proposal.

IRB – Research with Human Participants

After the candidate's proposal meets the requirements of the major advisor and the committee members, they must then comply with the federal regulations regarding research with human subjects and the guidelines of ETAMU's Institutional Review Board (IRB).

A candidate cannot gather any data from human subjects without ETAMU's IRB approval. The IRB process takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months or longer depending upon the complexity of the research design (e.g., number of sites, types of participants, method). The Graduate School registers the completion of the proposal defense when it 12 receives IRB approval. Because IRB approval takes time, a candidate will want to submit the IRB application as soon as the proposal is successfully defended; thus, candidates should ensure the work for the proposal defense includes a completed draft of the IRB Protocol Form (forms and review schedule and procedure can be found from the preceding link; please check with the major advisor regarding which protocol form to complete). The candidate will also need to complete the CITI online training as part of research compliance and submit the clearance record together. For more information visit Research Compliance.

Setting up a proposal defense* satisfying all these requirements takes time. Remember the proposal defense will not require the IRB application to be included, and one cannot submit the IRB without a successful proposal defense. To schedule the proposal defense, the candidate must complete the Schedule Form for the Proposal Defense Form. The form must be completed by the candidate by the 20th day of the month preceding the month in which the candidate plans to defend the proposal. If the 20th day falls on a weekend, the form must be filed to the Graduate School on the Friday prior to the 20th . Once the form is submitted, it will route automatically to the major advisor, committee members, and the HELT department head before being received by the Graduate School. It is the responsibility of the candidate to get all required signatures. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the candidate starts this form 4-5 days prior to the 20th due date. The Graduate School will then publish the date of the defense and the name of the person who will serve as the representative of the Graduate School—a nonvoting member of the committee who attends to assure compliance with the policies of the Graduate School.

The major advisor must allow at least 2 weeks for the committee members to review the candidate's proposal before the proposal defense. To do so, the proposal must be approved by the major advisor before being disseminated to the committee members. If the candidate has worked closely with their major advisor, no major surprises should occur at the proposal defense. However, some committee suggestions or required changes to the proposal invariably are necessary.

The proposal defense is of paramount importance for the candidate and should be regarded as such. Both the candidate and committee members should log on to the virtual (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) platform using the link provided by the major advisor prior to the scheduled time for the defense. It is recommended the candidate log on to the platform 13 10-15 minutes earlier to ensure their equipment and sound system are working properly. The candidate should have a contingency plan in case of equipment failure.

At the proposal defense, the candidate should take notes concerning suggested and required changes and should confirm with the committee members the title for the dissertation. The title may be adjusted further before the dissertation is submitted to TDS in the Graduate School. The candidate is responsible for addressing the changes and responding to any clarification requested by the committee. After candidate has successfully defended the proposal, made all changes suggested by the committee, and received approval from the major advisor, candidate will complete and submit the digital Dissertation Proposal Submission Form and upload the required documents. The required documents include (a) Dissertation proposal in Word format, (b) Current iThenticate report (major advisor will provide candidate with a copy), (c) CITI training report, and (d) IRB approval letter. More detailed information can be found on the Graduate School website.

* Proposal defense will not be scheduled at the student's request alone but rather when the major advisor has approved the readiness of the proposal.

The Dissertation

Upon completion of the proposal defense, the candidate should begin to convert the proposal to appropriate dissertation chapters (including changing future tense to past tense and making any revisions suggested by the committee). The candidate MUST NOT begin collecting data until the IRB protocol has been approved.

Chapter 4 (Presentation of Findings) reports the findings of the study. Quantitative researchers will include their statistical data in this chapter whereas qualitative researchers will include narrative documentation for their findings. Chapter 5 (Summary of the Study and the Findings, Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations for Future Research) includes discussion, followed by implications, limitations, recommendations/suggestions for future research, and conclusion. This chapter is of major importance because it presents what the candidate has interpreted from the findings of the study. A typical error made by candidate is confusing presentation of findings with a discussion of the findings. A discussion is not a repetition of the findings. A discussion typically begins with a statement 14 of key findings followed by a comparison of these findings with past, relevant studies coupled with insights or new meanings that the findings add. Thus, this section should highlight what the study adds to the body of the literature.

Once all five chapters have been approved by the advisor, the candidate, with the guidance of their major advisor, may schedule the final defense*. The candidate must be registered in HIED 718 during the semester of the defense and cannot complete both proposal and final defense in the same semester. The procedure of scheduling the final defense is similar to the proposal defense and cannot be scheduled until the advisor has determined that the candidate is ready to defend. Committee members must have the complete dissertation NO LESS than 2 weeks before the final defense. Of course, changes may be recommended or required at the defense. The defense must be scheduled by the 20th day of the month proceeding the month of the scheduled defense.

*Final dissertation defense is scheduled once the candidate has a clean, reviewed dissertation. Final dissertation defense will not be scheduled at the candidate's request alone but rather when the advisor has approved the readiness of the final dissertation.

The Final Defense

To schedule the final defense, the candidate must secure the Schedule for the Presentation of the Final Examination/Dissertation Defense. The final defense schedule form must be completed by the candidate and signed by all appropriate persons. The form requires the date, time, and place for the defense. As with the proposal defense, the candidate is responsible for scheduling a time that is convenient to all committee members. The completed form, including the dissertation title and the signatures of all committee members, must be submitted to the Graduate School by the 20th day of the month preceding the defense. The candidate must defend the dissertation at the scheduled time. Subject to changes, the last day to defend the dissertation in the fall semester is the fourth Friday in October, and for the spring semester the fourth Friday in March. Please see the “Deadlines for Theses and Dissertation Submissions” on the Graduate School website.

After the final defense, the candidate should make final corrections and/or modifications to the dissertation. Once the candidate has completed this task and an iThenticate report (must be less than 12% of similarity) is generated by the advisor, they 15 can complete and submit the Final Dissertation Submission Form to the Graduate School for final checking. The candidate must include the following documents with their final dissertation submission:

  • Final dissertation in Word format
  • iThenticate report
  • Dissertation Information Sheet (this is in the email provided by the Graduate School when student has successfully become a candidate)

Once the form is complete, Graduate School will route the form to the major advisor, committee members, HELT department head, and College dean for signatures. The final copy of the dissertation is required in the Graduate School approximately 1 month before graduation. The candidate is required to confirm the exact date for this submission as it is listed on the Graduate School website. The candidate should also remember that the submission of the dissertation to the Graduate School does NOT mean that the candidate is registered for graduation. The candidate must apply for graduation with the Registrar's office before the deadline early in the semester of graduation. The candidate should note that there are graduation filing deadlines published each semester in the Schedule of Classes, and these deadlines are enforced. Candidates should also be aware that doctoral academic regalia must be secured well in advance as it is not a stock item in the ETAMU bookstore. This handbook was revised by Tony Lee, June 2025.

Student Expectations

Instruction: Please read this document carefully and contact your major advisor or the doctoral program coordinator if you have any questions.

Congratulations, you are a graduate student at the highest distinction. What does that mean exactly?

  • First, you have reached a new level of education.
    • Educational opportunities over and above the college experience are called “higher education” thatimplies a new level of scholarship.
    • Graduate doctoral level educational experiences are “higher” than “master's” and “undergraduate” learning experiences, which implies rigor, quality, and ethical work.
    • As a doctoral student, you will be expected to read, write, and converse at a scholarly level, which is deeper, more analytical, more critical, more insightful, and conforms to the demands of an academic discipline tradition.
  • Second, you have made a choice to be here.
    • The very nature of the program is to meet the needs of working professionals.
    • However, having a commitment at work does not negate or circumvent your commitment to the demands of this program of graduate study.
    • Only you can decide what kind of course load to take for each semester.
    • Whatever your course load, you will be expected to meet the expectations of the faculty and the demands of the program.
  • Third, you will be expected to be responsible for your own learning.
    • Typically, in graduate level courses, the instructors are the facilitators of the learning experiences for a course. Their job is to provide intellectual challenges, guidance, and support to you on your journey. HIED courses have been designed to leverage principles of adult learning implying authentic tasks, peer interactions, and research-based reading and discussion.
    • This means you must be self-motivated to engage in the learning opportunities and self-disciplined as a learner to get the most out of each learning opportunity.
    • To do this you must be committed, dedicated, disciplined, engaged, prepared, and persistent.
  • Fourth, you will be expected to produce work that will be held to high standards.
    • Why should this be so? There are several reasons:
      • First, mediocrity is not acceptable. Anything worth doing, should be worth doing well. 17
      • Second, your professional growth is dependent upon achieving at high standards of performance.
      • Finally, our reputation depends upon it, and our reputation influences the reputation of the degree you are pursuing.
    • In every course you take, make explicit efforts to apply learning to advance your dissertation. Our curriculum has laid out research methods/tools courses to best prepare and guide you through dissertation writing. Actively share your semester and yearly progress with your advisor.

What do you get in exchange for your time, effort, and money?

  • First, you get an educational experience that is a blend of academic rigor and practical application.
    • The very nature of a graduate degree is embedded in the commitment to scholarly activities with an academic focus. That commitment includes exposure to and interaction with the literature and theories that are currently in the field of higher education.
  • Second, you get capable and qualified professors.
    • All of our faculty have earned a doctorate from an established and accredited university.
    • All of our faculty have backgrounds and experiences in higher education.
    • All of our faculty are researchers in higher education and cognate fields.
    • All of our faculty are published in the academic literature of the field.
    • All of our faculty are dedicated learners in some aspect(s) of the field of higher education.
  • Third, you get an education rather than training.
    • Training implies gaining knowledge and skills necessary to do a particular job. Often the scope of what is learned is applicable to only one setting or situation.
    • Education implies gaining knowledge and skills as well. But an education goes beyond a single setting or situation by challenging students to read/watch, analyze, understand, evaluate, and apply. In addition, the knowledge encountered may be factual, conceptual, procedural, or metacognitive in nature.
  • Fourth, you get professors who care about your progress and development as a future leader in higher education.
    • The HELT professors are dedicated to your success.
    • With this in mind, we are interested in your development as a student, as a colleague, as a scholar and consumer of research and best practice, and as a future leader in higher education.
  • Fifth, you get a degree that means something and the satisfaction that you have accomplished your goal.
    • When you complete your degree, you will be proud to know that ETAMU holds a respected reputation among educators and leaders of the state.
    • A doctoral degree from an established university means the highest distinction, personal achievement, qualification, and peer recognition.
    • You will be pleased with yourself as you remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it.

Writing in a Scholarly Setting: Some Issues to Consider

  • First, writing is part and parcel of a graduate education.
    • You should expect to write in each course you take. Length of assignments will vary, but the product—that you understand and can write in a scholarly style—is critical to your success as a graduate student.
    • Writing is important to your development as a thinker and as an effective communicator.
    • It takes practice to gain the comfort level and ease of use that is required to be a successful scholarly writer.
  • Second, scholarly writing is very different and a discipline of its own.
    • A writer is simply reporting the facts, opinions, and results without being assessed for originality and accuracy.
    • Scholarly writing strives to get to the point, builds up on others' relevant work, and emphasizes a higher level of analysis, reflection, synthesis, integration, and application.
  • Third, the department subscribes to a specific type of scholarly writing style.
    • The designated style guide for scholarly writing, references, and citations in HELT is the following:
      • American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
    • Get the manual and learn to do it right. Apply it in your course work and dissertation writing.
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