Application Process

Applications for admission are accepted continuously. Students must apply to both the Ball State Graduate School and the Department of Educational Studies.

To learn more about admission requirements and procedures and complete an online application, visit the Graduate School Web site. Upon acceptance by the Graduate School, your materials will be forwarded to the Department of Educational Studies.

The following application materials should be sent directly to the director of the Ph.D. program in educational studies at the same time materials are sent to the Graduate School. You will also be asked to complete an interview with Advanced Graduate Committee for the Ph.D. program in educational studies.

• A cover letter detailing you interest in and expectations from the doctoral program.
• Current educational and employment vitae.
• Evidence of high levels of competence in written and oral expression in English. (Usually the materials submitted in completion of the application process are adequate evidence.)

Send your materials to:

Department of Educational Studies

TC 810

Ball State University

Muncie, IN 47306

Contact Department of Educational Studies

TC 810

Ball State University

Muncie, IN 47306

Contact Dr. Thalia M. Mulvihill, Director of Doctoral Programs, with questions. Email: tmulvihi@bsu.edu

Criteria for Selection

The Advanced Graduate Committee for the Ph.D. in educational studies considers the following criteria in reaching its recommendation:

• Graduate Record Examination scores
• the grade point average in previous graduate work
• the content of the reference letters
• the interview
• the applicant's professional and personal goals, relevant career, or life experiences and accomplishments
• evidence of advanced study skills including writing, speaking, and completing research

Assistantships

A limited number of doctoral assistantships requiring 20 hours of work per week are awarded on a competitive basis. Assistantships are available to full-time students. Assistants are paid a stipend, tuition is waived, and students pay only the student service fee.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum integrates complementary disciplines in common core of courses drawn from three areas of specialization--curriculum, educational technology, social foundation/multicultural education (27 hours)--plus additional courses in educational psychology, pedagogy, and supervision (9 hours). The program is also heavily grounded in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies (17 hours). Students will complete a specialization track (15 hours), cognate(s) (24-30 hours), and a dissertation (10 hours). Course requirements and titles are listed below.

Cognate Requirements (24-30 hours)

Students will complete two cognates (minors) of 15 hours or more, or one cognate of 24 hours or more. Nine hours of each 15-hour cognate must be completed at all areas in which Ball State University offers graduate degrees. The Graduate Catalog lists cognate areas. The faculty member on the student's committee who represents the cognate area, cooperatively with the student, sets the expectations for the cognate courses and the cognate examination.

Dissertation (10 hours)

By competing the dissertation, students earn the final 10 credits for the doctoral degree. A student may not register for dissertation hours until all course work has been completed, the doctoral comprehensive exams have been passed, and the student's committee has approved the dissertation proposal.

Total Hours Earned May Vary

Students may find it necessary to earn more the minimum of 90 hours to meet all program requirements and their own individual requirements. Relevant courses in a master's program at Ball State or other approved courses can be applied to the doctoral program.

Residence Requirements

Students meet the residence requirements by earning a total of 15 semester hours of credit in two consecutive semesters. Summer semester can be one of those semesters.

Meeting Times

Classes meet in the evenings, weekends, or other times convenient to groups of students.

It is possible to complete up to nine hours in one registration as a non-degree student. A limit of 9 hours or credit earned as a non-degree student can be counted toward program requirements, if the student is subsequently admitted to the program.

Course Requirements for Ph.D. in Educational Studies

Curriculum Core (9 hours):

EDCUR 725 (required)

EDCUR 601

EDCUR 610

EDCUR 620

EDCUR 630

Technology Core (9 hours):

EDTEC 670(required)

EDTEC 520

or

EDTEC 550

EDTEC 655

EDTEC 660

EDTEC 650

EDTEC 770

Social Foundations/Multicultural Core (9 hours):

EDFON 631

EDFON 641

EDFON 651

EDMUL 660

Educational Psychology (6 hours):

EDPSY 600

EDPSY 603

EDPSY 646

Pedagogy and Supervision (3 hours):

EDSUP 650

EDSEC 695

EDJHM 512

EDEL 626

EDEL 640

EDEL 644

EDRDG 620

SPCED 520

SPCED 600

SPCED 625

Research (17 hours):

EDJHM/EDSEC 676

EDPSY 641

EDPSY 642

EDCUR 660

or

EDCUR 661

or

HIST 613

EDCUR 671

ID 705 (2 hours)

Dissertation (10 hours):

DISS 799

Cognate(s): one 24-hour cognate or two15-hour cognates

Curriculum Track (15 hours)

Educational Technology Track (15 hours)

Educational Foundations Track (15 hours)

Internship (3 hours):

EDCUR 799 Internship (3 hours):

EDTEC 790

EDMUL (3 hours):

EDMUL 660

EDMUL 670

EDMUL 699

EDCUR (9 hours):

EDCUR 700

EDCUR 798

Elective (3 hours)

EDTEC (9 hours):

EDTEC 585

EDTEC 655

EDTEC 660

EDTEC 665

EDTEC 675

EDTEC 680

EDTEC 685

EDTEC 690

EDTEC 699

EDTEC 770 (required)

EDFON (9 hours):

EDFON 610

EDFON 621

EDFON 631

EDFON 632

EDFON 641

EDFON 642

EDFON 651

EDFON 652

EDFON 660

Educational Administration (3 hours):

EDAD 610

EDAD 620

EDAD 630

EDAD 640

EDAD 686

Relevant course outside of the department in technology, media, or computing (3 hours)

Relevant courses outside of the college in areas such as sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, or linguistics (3 hours)