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» Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders » Programs » Workforce Development Education » Degrees » Ed.D. in Workforce Development Education » Procedures Manual

PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
M.Ed. Workforce Development Education
Concentrations (Adult Education, Human Resource Development Education,
Vocational Education)

Ed.D. Workforce Development Education
In The Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

To The Student: This document is provided to make critical information available to you as you progress through your WDED program of graduate study in the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders, College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. The information in this document is taken from the Graduate Catalog, the COEHP Graduate Handbook, and departmental policies. This is designed to be an aid for your use and is not intended to replace or supersede the Graduate Catalog, the Graduate School Handbook, or the COEHP Graduate Handbook. This document is available as a downloadable PDF.

Please work closely with your advisor as you progress through all phases of your graduate work.

Graduate Studies

Graduate studies in the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders at the University of Arkansas provide rigorous and intellectually stimulating programs compatible with graduate students' needs and goals and the requirements of the Workforce Development Education program for the future. Individualized programs are designed to advance communications, critical thinking, human resource development, pedagogy/andragogy, problem solving, professional and personal development, research and scholarship, and technical skills.

Purpose

The purpose of this publication is to provide information that will assist students, advisors, and advisory committees with the process of program admission, progression, and completion. The information in this document is taken from the Graduate Catalog, the COEHP Graduate Handbook, and departmental policies. This is designed to be an aid for your use and is not intended to replace or supersede the Graduate Catalog, the Graduate School Handbook (http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/), or the COEHP Graduate Handbook. Although the responsibility for meeting and completing all requirements for degree completion is on the student, the student must work closely with the major advisor to be certain that all procedures are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Annual Graduate Student Academic Review

It is the policy of the Graduate Council that every master's, specialist, and doctoral student be reviewed annually for progress toward the degree. To complete this review, the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders has the following policy and procedures:

It will be the policy of the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders that every master's and doctoral student be reviewed annually for progress toward the degree. Progress toward the degree will be determined using the following criteria:

Master of Education (M.Ed.): The master's degree requires 33 semester hours in a planned program. All requirements for the master's must be completed in six (6) consecutive years after the date of admission.
1. Normal Progress: The student will be making normal progress if they: (a) average 9 prescribed hours per year with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; and (b) if appropriate, have applied for the Comprehensive Examination.
2. Adequate Progress: The student will be making adequate progress if they: (a) average 6 prescribed hours per year with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; and (b) if appropriate, have applied for the Comprehensive Examination.
3. Neither Adequate nor Normal Progress: Anything less than the criteria specified in items 1 or 2.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.): The Ed.D. requires a minimum of 96 semester hours of graduate study in a planned program. The degree must be completed within seven consecutive calendar years from the date of the Declaration of Intent.
1. Normal Progress: The student will be making normal progress if they: (a) average 9 prescribed semester hours per year with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25; (b) have formed the Doctoral Advisory Committee prior to the completion of 12 semester hours and in cooperation with the major advisor and Advisory Committee shall have developed a specific Program of Study; (c) if appropriate, have applied to take the Comprehensive Examination; (d) have, if the Comprehensive Examination has been completed, formed the Doctoral Dissertation Committee; (e) will be in the process of, or will have completed the consecutive semester residency requirement, and (f) will be making acceptable progress toward completing and defending the dissertation.
2. Adequate Progress: The student will be making adequate progress if they: (a) average 6 prescribed semester hours per year with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25; (b) have formed the Doctoral Advisory Committee prior to the completion of 12 semester hours and in cooperation with the major advisor and Advisory Committee shall have developed a specific Program of Study; (c) if appropriate, have applied to take the Comprehensive Examination; (d) have, if the Comprehensive Examination has been completed formed the Doctoral Dissertation Committee; (e) will be in the process of, or will have completed the consecutive semester residency requirement, and (f) will be making acceptable progress toward completing and defending the dissertation.
3. Neither Adequate nor Normal Progress: Anything less than the criteria specified in items 1 or 2.
Review Committee: The WDED review committee will consist of the student's major advisor, the assistant department head, and one departmental faculty member who holds at least Group II Graduate Faculty Status.
The results of the review will be communicated to the student by face-to-face interview if possible, or by other means such as telephone interview or e-mail. The interview will be conducted by the student's major advisor. Results of the review will be conveyed to the dean of the Graduate School.

If a student refuses to participate in the review process and interview, they will be notified in writing that the opportunity for review was provided. If the student is not making adequate progress, that information will also be included in the letter.

Master of Education Degree (M.Ed.)

The basic M.Ed. in the Workforce Development Education degree is a minimum 33-hour non-thesis program. There are three concentrations: Adult Education (ADED), Human Resource Development Education (HRDE), and Vocational Education (VOED). All requirements for a master's degree must be satisfied within six consecutive calendar years. The six-year time begins with the date of admission to the program.

Admission
1. After admission to Graduate School, the student is admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders. Regular admission to the program will be granted when the student meets all requirements for full admission to the program.
Advising
1. When the student is admitted to the M.Ed. program, an advisor is assigned by the WDED Graduate Coordinator. Advisors are assigned on a rotation basis to ensure balanced advisory loads for WDED graduate faculty. The degree is a general degree in Workforce Development Education. All advisors are well versed in the requirements for the degrees; therefore, advisors are not assigned for particular concentrations such as adult education, human resource development, and vocational education.
2. A change of advisor may be requested at any time. The student who seeks a change in advisor will submit a written request to the WDED Coordinator of Graduate Studies/Assistant Department Head. The request will include a rationale for the requested change. The request may be referred to the WDED Admissions Committee with a recommendation to grant the change or to reject the request. Both the current advisor and the requested advisor must agree to the change.
Program of Study
1. General minimum requirements for the degree
  1. 33 semester hours without a thesis (Adult Education, Human Resource Development or Vocational Education)
  2. A written comprehensive examination
  3. A cumulative GPA of 3.00
  4. A minimum residence of 24 weeks
2. Nine semester hours of basic core courses are required.
  1. Research Tools (students must select one course from this category), EDFD 5013 Research Methods in Education (online), or EDFD 5393 Applied Educational Statistics (Taught on campus).
  2. Learning/Development (students must select one course from this category). EDFD 5373 Psychological Foundations of Teaching and Learning, EDFD 5473 Adolescent Psychology in Education, EDFD 5573 Life-Span Human Development. WDED students may satisfy this requirement with WDED 5513 Principles of Adult Learning.
  3. History/Philosophy (students must select one course from this category). EDFD 5303 Historical Foundations of Modern Education, EDFD 5353 Philosophy of Education, EDFD 5323 Global Education, or EDFD 5683: Issues in Educational Policy. WDED students may satisfy this requirement with WDED 5523 Diversity Issues and Globalization.
3. College Core: WDED 5523 Diversity Issues and Globalization, EDFD 5013 Research Methods in Education (On-campus can take EDFD 5393 Applied Educational Statistics). Meets requirements 1 and 3 above.
4. WDED Core: WDED 5543 Computer Technology; WDED 5533 Change Process in Adult Education.
5. Specialty Core: 9 hours of courses must be chosen from Adult Education (WDED 5213 Foundations of Adult Education, WDED 5223 Principles of ABE/GED/ESL, WDED 5233 Teaching Disadvantaged Adults), Human Resource Development (WDED 5313 Foundations of HRD, WDED 5323 Organizational Analysis, WDED 5333 Developing Human Resources), Vocational Education (WDED 5413 Foundations of VOED, WDED 5423 Advanced Methods in VAED, WDED 5433 School to Workforce).
6. Electives: 3-9 credit hours that must be taken from:
  1. Adult Education Concentration (WDED 574v Internship, WDED 5553 Career Development in the Workplace, WDED 5573 Instructional Materials in VAED, WDED 5563 Introduction to Distance Learning, WDED 571v Independent Study, WDED 572v Workshop)
  2. Human Resource Development Concentration (WDED 5343 Facilitating Learning in the Workplace, WDED 574v Internship, WDED 5553 Career Development in the Workplace, WDED 5573 Instructional Materials in VAED, WDED 5563 Introduction to Distance Learning, WDED 571v Independent Study, WDED 572v Workshop)
  3. Vocational Education Concentration (WDED 5443 Supervision in Vocational and Adult Education, WDED 574v Internship, WDED 5553 Career Development in the Workplace, WDED 5573 Instructional Materials in VAED, WDED 5563 Introduction to Distance Learning, WDED 571v Independent Study, WDED 572v Workshop, WDED 5453 Career Orientation Programs, WDED 5463 Applications in Career Orientation
Note: The University of Arkansas will permit a student to transfer six hours of graduate credit from another recognized graduate school in the United States as a part of the master's program. These hours must be approved by the student's advisor and Graduate School and must have been taken within the six-year time limit for the master's degree.
Program Completion
1. Comprehensive Examination: M.Ed. students must participate in a comprehensive examination. The exam is normally scheduled during the student's last semester of degree work, providing the student has completed a minimum 27 hours of accepted degree work. Written comprehensive examinations are administered through the Office of the Assistant Department Head.
2. Comprehensive Examination Procedures:
  1. The master's comprehensive examination is a five day take home examination that is electronically mailed to the candidate. On the receipt of the examination the candidate is required to sign an honor code and send it back to the Office of the Assistant Department Head by fax, mail, or e-mail as a scanned document.
  2. Applications for the comprehensive examination must be initiated at the departmental level (see your advisor for application form and further instructions). The application must be received on or before the application deadline for the student to be eligible to take the exam. No late applications will be accepted unless prior approval has been secured from the Assistant Department Head.
  3. Students are required to type their responses using a computer with Microsoft software, and submit the answers by e-mail to the Office of the Assistant Department Head.
3. M.Ed. students must present minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all graduate courses required for the degree.
4. The College of Education and Health Professions will not accept "D" grades for graduate credit.
5. During the last term of enrollment and after the Comprehensive Examination, the advisor will submit to Graduate School, the Program Completion Form (Record of Progress) along with the student's Program of Study. This is the responsibility of the advisor; however the student should follow up with the advisor to be sure that this task is completed.
6. Application for the degree: A student cannot be cleared for graduation until an application for the degree has been filed with the Registrar's Office and the appropriate graduation fee has been paid. The degree application is obtained from the Graduate School Office and filed with the Registrar in the semester in which the student expects to receive the degree.

Doctor of Education Degree (Ed.D.)

The Doctor of Education Degree in Workforce Development Education has two areas of concentration: Human Resource Development Education and Leadership in Workforce Development Education. A minimum of 99 semester hours of graduate study is required for the Ed.D. degree. The degree must be completed within seven consecutive calendar years from the date of the Declaration of Intent.

Admission
1. After admission to Graduate School, the student must begin the process for admission to the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders and to the appropriate degree program, Workforce Development Education. All students seeking admission must meet the following criteria:
  1. Must have completed a master's degree in a related field.
  2. Must present a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Score on three parts (verbal, quantitative, and analytical). Although the minimum score (see item 4 below) is not required for admission if the GPA is at least 3.5, a strong test score is important as the Admissions Committee considers the total student profile. No score will be accepted that is less than 841 on the first two parts of the GRE, and less than 3.0 on Analytical Writing.
  3. Must have attained a 3.5 cumulative GPA on all graduate courses previous to being admitted into the Ed.D. program.
  4. Students with a 3.0 to 3.5 cumulative GPA in all graduate courses must present a combined minimum GRE score in the 50th percentile.
  5. Submit a completed copy of the College of Education and Health Professions application form.
  6. Submit an autobiographical sketch.
  7. Must have three years of successful professional experience or equivalent in an area related to the degree program prior to the completion of the degree. If appropriate experience, as deemed by the WDED Admissions Committee, is not present, the student may be assessed Internship hours that may or may not count toward the total program of study.
  8. Must have on file a minimum of three recommendation forms.
  9. Must have a personal interview with the WDED Graduate Admissions Committee.
Advising
1. Upon acceptance into the Ed.D. Program in Workforce Development Education, the student is assigned a temporary advisor. The temporary advisor will be a member of the WDED Graduate Faculty who holds Graduate Faculty status Level I.
2. Prior to the completion of twelve (12) semester credit hours the student, in consultation with the temporary advisor, shall select a Doctoral Advisory Committee. The Doctoral Advisory Committee will serve as a program advisory committee until all coursework is completed and the written and oral examinations have been successfully completed. The Doctoral Advisory Committee will approve the Program of Study, develop and evaluate the written comprehensive examination, and conduct the oral examination. When this occurs the student is admitted to candidacy.
3. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee will be formed after admission to candidacy. Candidates must submit a Dissertation Committee Appointment Form to the Graduate Studies Committee within 20 working days of admission to candidacy. The Dissertation Committee shall be composed of: 1) two faculty from the program; 2) at least one member from the department but not from the program; 3) at least one member from outside the department. This person may be from outside the College.
4. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee will work with the student through the dissertation research.
5. The Doctoral Advisory Committee or the Doctoral Dissertation Committee may be changed by submitting the Doctoral Committee Appointment/Change Form and submitting to the WDED Coordinator of Graduate Studies for approval.
Program of Study
1. Prior to the completion of twelve (12) semester hours, the student, in cooperation with the major advisor and the advisory committee, shall develop a specific Program of Study. One copy must be filed in the Office of Research, Graduate Studies and Faculty Development. One copy must be filed with the Department.
2. Candidates are required to complete M.Ed. core requirements (see M.Ed.).
3. A minimum of 99 semester hours of graduate study is required for the Ed.D. Degree. This includes up to 45 hours on the masters degree. It may also include 30 hours on the Specialist if the student has such a degree.
4. Candidates for the Ed.D. degree will be required to complete EDFD 6403: Educational Statistics and Data Processing; EDFD 6623: Techniques of Research; and at least one advanced statistics course.
5. Each student is required to elect nine hours in a related field (cognate).
6. Six hours from the following courses are required: WDED 6123; 6213; 6303.
7. Eighteen hours of dissertation are required.
8. The Program of Study must allow for Required Residency. The residence requirement for the Ed.D. may be fulfilled in one of four ways as follows:
  Plan 1 — Enrollment for at least 9 semester hours of degree related graduate courses each semester during two consecutive semesters (fall-spring or spring-fall) in an academic year.
  
  Plan 2 — Enrollment for at least 9 semester hours of degree related graduate courses during a fall or spring semester and enrollment of at least 9 semester hours in the adjacent summer sessions (minimum of two five-week sessions).
  
  Plan 3 — Continuous enrollment for a minimum of 24 semester hours of degree related graduate courses in any period of eighteen consecutive months with a minimum of six semester hours of enrollment in any semester or summer.
  
  Plan 4 — A two-year residence consisting of enrollment in four consecutive fall and spring semesters for a minimal total of 30 semester hours of degree related graduate courses during the residence period with a minimum enrollment of six semester hours in any one semester.
  
  Not more than three semester hours of independent study and three semester hours of dissertation may be used in meeting the residence requirements unless prior approval is obtained from the Graduate Education Committee and filed with the Dean of the Graduate School.
  
  In meeting the doctoral residency requirement, candidates who hold a master's degree from the University of Arkansas must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours on the Fayetteville campus; candidates who hold a master's degree from another institution must earn a minimum of 36 semester hours on the Fayetteville campus.
Program Completion
1. The College of Education and Health Professions will not accept "D" grades for graduate credit.
2. The College of Education and Health Professions requires a 3.25 GPA for the Ed.D. on all work presented as part of their degree program.
3. Doctoral Candidacy Examinations. The doctoral candidacy examination should be taken in the last six (6) hours of coursework. The examination will consist of both written and oral examinations.
4. Procedures for Written Candidacy Examination
  1. The doctoral candidacy examination, scheduled only on campus, will be the seventh weekend of the semester counting the week of registration as the first week. The examination will be held: Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  2. Applications must be initiated at the departmental level and must be submitted by the deadline (two weeks before the scheduled examination date). The student should work with the advisor to facilitate this process.
  3. Unless prior approval is secured from the Associate Dean, no late applications will be accepted.
The Dissertation Proposal: A flow chart for completing the research proposal follows:
1. Within 30 days of passing the candidacy examination, submit membership for the Doctoral Dissertation Committee to the Department (Doctoral Dissertation Committee form). Indicate chair and members of the Committee. One member from outside the program will be attached to the Committee to insure the integrity of the process.
2. Submit a 2 to 4 page pre-proposal (Prospectus) to the Committee Chair that presents the research problem, purpose of the study, and research methodology. Develop the pre-proposal with the Committee Chair. The Chair may approve the proposal for submission to the Committee members or request further revision before distribution to the Committee.
  Action: After the prospectus is approved by the Chair, the document will be distributed to the Dissertation Committee.
3. After an appropriate amount of time (approximately 1 week), schedule a Committee meeting in order to present and review the prospectus.
  Action: The Committee will approve, approve with recommended changes, or not approve the prospectus. The prospectus cover sheet will be signed by the Committee as a department record.
4. Prepare a draft of the full proposal using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the Guide for Preparing Theses and Dissertations available on the Graduate School website and from the University bookstore. The importance of the dissertation proposal must be emphasized: an accurate, complete, and detailed proposal facilitates completion of the research. The full proposal generally consists of the first three chapters of the dissertation. The proposal will typically include the following (Some deviation from this outline may be required for qualitative proposals.):
  Chapter 1: Introduction
  - Rationale/Justification
  - Statement of the Problem
  - Purpose of the Study
  - Research questions or hypotheses
  - Significance of the Study
  - Theoretical or Conceptual Framework (i.e., the case for doing the study)
  - Definition of terms
  - Assumptions
  - Delimitations
  - Definition of terms that have special meaning to the study
  Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature
  
  Acquaint the reader with existing studies pertinent to the research topic; describe the source, currency, and nature of the findings. The literature review should support the study in general and the research questions in particular. The literature review is the foundation for the study; use it to define the problem and develop the purpose, objectives, and/or hypotheses of the study. This chapter normally ends with a summary.
  - Summarize, analyze, and synthesize pertinent studies.
  - Report objectively on the relevance of findings for the proposed research.
  - Use subheadings to report on topics related to the study.
  Information in the literature review will help to:
  - Clarify the research problem, specific questions and/or hypotheses, variables, and expected outcomes of the study.
  - Identify an appropriate theory or theories to guide the research.
  - Decide about population and sample, design issues, and data collection and statistical analysis procedures.
  - Describe significant findings pertaining to conduct of the study, as well as conflicts, flaws, or gaps in existing work pertinent to the proposed study.
  Chapter 3: Methodology
  
  The methodology is based on information presented in Chapter 1. A suggested outline for the methodology section is as follows:
  - Purpose of the Study
  - Research questions and/or hypotheses
  - Description of research methodology or approach
  - Selection and description of subjects: target population, sample size, sampling techniques
  - Instrumentation: instruments to be used, reliability and validity of instruments or procedures for establishing reliability and validity, if developing new instruments
  - Data collection and recording procedures
  - Data analysis
  - Limitations
5. Submit proposal to Committee Chair for review.
6. After an appropriate amount of time (approximately 2 weeks), meet with the Committee Chair to discuss and review the proposal. The Chair may approve the proposal for submission to the Committee members or request further revisions before distribution to the Committee.
  Action: When the proposal is approved by the Chair, the document will then be distributed to the Dissertation Committee.
7. After an appropriate amount of time (approximately 2 weeks), schedule a committee meeting in order to present and review the proposal.
  Action: The Committee will approve, approve with recommended changes, or not approve the proposal. The proposal cover sheet will be signed by the Committee as a department record.
Dissertation
Each candidate must complete a doctoral dissertation on a topic related to his or her major field. A proposal must be presented to and approved by the Dissertation Committee. Immediately after the proposal has been approved by the doctoral dissertation committee, the student in consultation with the advisor should submit appropriate forms to the Institutional Review Board. When the IRB (Institutional Review Board) approves the protocols for the research, the Doctoral Dissertation Title form, with IRB approval attached, should be submitted to the Graduate School.

The dissertation should conform to the "Guide For Preparing Theses and Dissertations" a publication of the Graduate School. This publication may be accessed from the Graduate School website.
Final Examination (Dissertation Defense)
The major advisor will forward to the Dean of the Graduate School, not less than ten (10) days before the date of the final oral examination, an abstract of the dissertation accompanied by a memorandum announcing the date, time, and place of the oral examination.
Upon completion of the final oral defense, the advisor should submit the Official Residence Plan, Record of Progress with Program of Study, and the Intellectual Property form to the Office of Research, Graduate Studies and Faculty Development. This is the responsibility of the advisor; however the student should follow up with the advisor to be sure that this task is completed.
Degree Application
The student must make formal application for the degree. The degree application is obtained from the Graduate School Office and filed with the Registrar in the semester in which the student expects to receive the degree.
Final Manuscript
After approval by the dissertation committee, three copies of the final manuscript must be submitted. One copy to the Department, and two copies to the Graduate School.

Page last updated: 10/25/2006 11:23