Frequently Asked Questions when
Applying to UND's T&L Doctoral Program
When are applications due? If I am accepted when do I start taking classes?
The program has two application deadlines: October 31st and March 31st.
Once you are accepted, you may elect to begin the next semester. For example, if you are
accepted into the program with the October 31st deadline you may begin taking courses in
January of that next year. If you apply and are accepted into the program with the March
31st deadline, you may begin taking classes in the summer or fall semesters.
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Should I earn a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. degree?
There is no right or wrong answer to your question! What I suggest you consider in
making this decision is your long term goal. An important difference is in course
requirements. The total number of credits required for the Ph.D. is 90 credits and for the
Ed.D. it is 96 credits . Ed.D. students are required to take 12 credits in the area of
educational foundations (Psychological, Sociological, Historical, Anthropological, etc.
foundations) and Ph.D. students take 6 foundations credits. Ph.D. and Ed.D. students are
required to take EFR 500, Foundations of Educational Thought in addition to the other
foundation requirements. Additionally, Ed.D. students take six credits in the area of
research (qualitative or quantitative statistics) and Ph.D. students take 12 credits of
research courses.
A Ph.D. dissertation must reveal new findings; it must represent an original and
independent investigation in the major field of study while an Ed.D. dissertation is often
based on a practice in the field of education. This is not to say that Ed.D. students do not
do original research, because most of the time they do. We do not differentiate as clearly
as perhaps we should between the Ed.D. dissertation and the Ph.D. dissertation.
As stated at the beginning, examine your end goal. If you intend to work and teach at a
University, sometimes there is bias for the Ph.D. I do not believe this to be the case at
UND and some of our faculty in education have the Ed.D. degree. There has been quite a
bit written about the Ed.D. degree versus the Ph.D. in the past few years because many
schools do not do much to differentiate between the two degrees.
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What is the typical length of time it takes to get a doctorate?
This depends on how many classes you are able to take a semester. The Graduate School
is tracking this data and they report from Spring of 2003 to Summer of 2008, the average
time-to-degree for Ph.D. students in T&L was a little over four years and for Ed.D.
students the average was a little under four years. Students have seven years to complete
a doctoral program. Graduate courses more than seven years old are considered obsolete.
Obsolete courses may be revalidated.
It really depends on your schedule and how your research comes together for your
dissertation. The Ph.D. requires students to complete 90 credits and the Ed.D. requires
96 credits. Thirty credits can be used from your master's degree towards your doctoral
degree.
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When are classes offered?
Currently, our class schedule is such that classes meet once a week from either 4 to 7
p.m. or 7 to 10 p.m. There are a few online classes and we are trying to develop more. In
the summer, classes are held once a week in three-hour time frames. In the summer,
there are classes offered all through the day, Monday through Thursday. For example
from 8:30 to noon; 12:30 to 4:00 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Doctoral Seminars are held on weekends (Friday-Saturday). There are three 1-credit seminars that help students understand the various procedures and processes required of doctoral students. The seminars only meet one weekend during the summer.
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Are there any online courses?
The majority of the courses are face-to-face and are held at the University of North
Dakota in Grand Forks. Faculty members are in the process of developing more online
courses. Some of the courses are a combination of both face-to-face and online and a few
are entirely online.
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Are there graduate teaching assistant opportunities? If so, how would I apply? What
classes would I teach? What are the benefits (# of credits paid for, etc.)?
Every year we need graduate teaching assistants (GTA). You apply through the College
of Education and Human Development Dean's office. There is a GTA application form on the
website that you would need to complete. You would
receive a stipend and very likely a waiver of tuition. The department chair would
consider your strengths and what experiences you have. The department's needs are also
taken under consideration and then we try to place you in a setting that is a good fit for
both.
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I’m interested in research. Are there graduate research assistantships available? What are the benefits.
Yes! The T&L program does have a few graduate research assistantships available.
Similar to the graduate teaching assistantships, students are given a stipend and often a
waiver of tuition. Students work with a professor in helping with their research or a few
students work in the Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research. You apply
through the College of Education and Human Development Dean's office. There is a GTA application form on the
website that you would need to complete. You would receive a stipend and very likely a waiver of tuition. The
department chair would consider your strengths and what experiences you have. The
department's needs are also taken under consideration and then we try to place you in a
setting that is a good fit for both.
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Are there tuition waivers and if, how do I apply for one?
The Teaching and Learning program has some tuition waivers available. Students ask for
tuition support through the director of the doctoral program and this is forwarded to the
Chair of the T&L department who makes the final decision.
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Are there any scholarships or awards available?
The Graduate School of the University of North Dakota does offer a few scholarships.
To learn about the criteria and how to apply to them, consult the Graduate School website. The scholarships are listed under
“Awards.” The College of Education and Human Development also offers some scholarships. For information, go to the 2009-2010 Teaching and Learning Doctoral
Student Handbook.
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Who do I ask if I have more questions about the doctoral programs in Teaching and
Learning?
Please contact Glenn Olsen, Doctoral Program Director at 701-777-3145 or glennolsen@mail.und.edu
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Last Updated:
2/22/10
