Doctoral Milestones
During a student’s studies in the EDRE program, several milestones mark progress toward degree completion.
EDRE Brownbags & Research Credit
Each fall and spring semester, doctoral students in the EDRE program should enroll for at least 1 credit hour of EDAE 7994 and attend the EDRE brownbag presentations to receive credit for research hours.
Annual Evaluations
An evaluation of doctoral students in EDRE is conducted at the end of the Spring semester of each academic year. The purpose of the evaluation is to assure that each student is making adequate progress toward the program milestones. This evaluation involves the review of courses taken, grades earned, progress toward milestones, and professional accomplishments. The basis of this review is an annual evaluation form that is completed by each student. If necessary, a meeting will be scheduled with the student to discuss the committee's evaluation and to answer student questions. If a student fails to make satisfactory progress toward the degree, permission to continue may be denied. In accordance with Graduate School policy, this denial decision may be initiated by the Advisory Committee and may be recommended to the Graduate School. A grade of less than B in any course in the program of study is viewed as less than satisfactory unless the student can demonstrate a conceptual knowledge of the material through other means. The Advisory Committee may also request a conference with any student during the academic year.
Plan of Study
During the first year of study, under the guidance of a temporary advisor, students take core courses in EDRE, begin to formulate a plan of study, identify potential directions for research, and identify potential faculty members who can contribute to those research efforts. Plans of study are due by the end of the third academic semester for doctoral students. Relevant Forms: Change of Advisor or Committee, Course Justification Request, PhD/EdD Degree - Proposed Plan of Study, Request for Plan of Study Changes
Qualifying Examination
After taking 12 to 15 semester hours of coursework, students formalize their plan of study by choosing and Advisory Committee who will help guide the student’s initial research efforts. This committee must (a) be chaired by a full-time EDRE faculty member and (b) contain a minimum of three additional full-time faculty members at Virginia Tech (at least one of whom must be a faculty member from the EDRE program). Students take the Qualifying Examination, with written and oral components provided by the Advisory Committee, which serves the purpose of identifying the coursework needs of the student and formalizing the student’s plan of study. Written and oral components of the qualifying examination may include, but are not limited to, a description of the student’s background, presentation of the student’s professional goals, presentation of the student’s proposed Plan of Study, and presentation of the student’s current research interests. Relevant Forms: Results of Qualifying Examination
Research Apprenticeship
During the second and third years, students engage in guided research projects with faculty members and begin working toward presenting papers at conferences and submitting manuscripts for publication by completing an apprenticeship research project and presenting the results of that research project in writing and orally to faculty members and students. EDRE Ph.D. students must undertake a research project under the direction of an EDRE faculty member that results in both a public presentation of the results of that research and a written research report that is deemed suitable for publication by the student’s Advisory Committee. Students who join the EDRE Ph.D. Program with prior research experience may use those projects as the basis of a research apprenticeship project, but they must still produce a written report that is deemed suitable for publication by the student’s EDRE Advisory Committee and must present the results of that project in a public presentation while a Ph.D. student in the EDRE Program. The Research Apprenticeship project must be completed prior to taking Preliminary Examination.
Preliminary Examination
When students complete at least 80% of the coursework on the formal plan of study (including most if not all of the required core research courses), they take the Preliminary Examination. The EDRE Preliminary Examination contains two components—a written component, composed of questions that and are written and graded by EDRE faculty, and an oral component, composed of questions written by members of the Advisory Committee. The written component of the Preliminary Examination assesses mastery of EDRE content as well as depth of knowledge in an area of specialization, and it affords students the opportunity to strengthen any deficiencies prior to the dissertation. Students must declare their intent to take the written component of the Preliminary Examination by the end of the second week of the semester during which they plan to take the written component of the examination. Once the student passes the written component of the examination, the oral component may be scheduled. The oral component focuses on both EDRE content knowledge as well as the development of an initial dissertation topic and identifying members of the Dissertation Committee. The EDRE Preliminary Examination Policy provides a detailed description of these procedures. Relevant Forms: Request to Admit Candidate to Preliminary Examination (Note that this form must be submitted to the Office of Academic Programs in the School of Education at least three weeks prior to the date of the Preliminary Examination.)
Prospectus Examination
When students have completed courses listed on the plan of study, they form a Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee must: (a) be chaired (or co-chaired) by a full-time EDRE faculty member and (b) contain a minimum of three additional full-time Virginia Tech faculty members (at least one of whom must be a faculty member from the EDRE Program). In addition, the committee may include individuals who are not faculty members or are not at Virginia Tech under the provisions set forth by and subject to the approval of the Graduate School. Students must take the Prospectus Examination (normally one to two semesters after the Preliminary Examination) which serves as the opportunity for the student to present a formal written and oral dissertation proposal to the Dissertation Committee. Students write the dissertation proposal under the guidance of the Chair of the Dissertation Committee, and they they must distribute the dissertation prospectus to the Dissertation Committee at least two weeks prior to the Prospectus Examination. Relevant Forms: Non-Virginia Tech Committee Member, Request to Schedule Dissertation Prospectus Examination (Note that this form must be submitted to the Office of Academic Programs in the School of Education at least three weeks prior to the date of the Prospectus Examination.), Results of Dissertation Prospectus Examination
Dissertation Research
EDRE Ph.D. students must take a minimum of 30 hours of credit of dissertation research during the duration of their studies. The Dissertation Committee must: (a) be chaired (or co-chaired) by a full-time EDRE faculty member and (b) contain a minimum of three additional full-time Virginia Tech faculty members (at least one of whom must be a faculty member from the EDRE Program). In addition, the committee may include individuals who are not faculty members or are not at Virginia Tech under the provisions set forth by and subject to the approval of the Graduate School. Students conduct the dissertation research and write the dissertation under the guidance of the Dissertation Committee.
Final Examination
The final examination, administered by the Dissertation Committee, is taken at least six months after the preliminary examination and at least one semester after the prospectus examination, and it serves as the culminating doctoral experience in which the student presents and defends the dissertation research. Students conduct the dissertation research and write the dissertation under the guidance of the Dissertation Committee. Students must distribute a final draft of the dissertation to all committee members at least five weeks prior to the intended date of defense. This draft is reviewed by committee members who will then sign the Request to Admit Candidate to Final Doctoral Examination form indicating that the dissertation is ready for defense three weeks prior to the defense date. Students must distribute the dissertation to be defended to the Dissertation Committee at least two weeks prior to the Final Examination. During the examination, students provide an oral presentation of their dissertation research and answer questions posed by the Dissertation Committee. Visit the Graduate School’s website for information about upcoming commencement deadlines. . Relevant Forms: Application for Degree, Certification of Defending Student Status, Request to Admit Candidate to Final Doctoral Examination (Note that this form must be submitted to the Office of Academic Programs in the School of Education at least three weeks prior to the date of the Final Examination.)
EDRE Residency Requirements
Each student must be engaged in full-time study during two consecutive academic year semesters in residence at the Blacksburg campus. Relevant Forms: Change of Campus