January 5, 2004
To: Faculty Policy Council
From: Ad Hoc Committee on Doctoral Research Requirements
Re: Research Requirements
Attached is a proposed revised college-wide research requirement prepared by the Ad Hoc Committee on Doctoral Research Requirements (J. Algina, P. Clark, T. Dana, H. Daniels, M. Koro-Ljungberg, J. McLeskey, and A. Seraphine, J. Kranzler–ex officio).
The major issues discussed by the committee were
- Whether there should be a college-wide requirement.
- Whether there should be a college-wide requirement of specific courses or of a minimum number of hours.
- How to add flexibility in meeting a college-wide research requirement.
- Whether EdD and PhD students should have different requirements.
The major differences between the old requirements and the new requirements are
- In the old requirements, a student had to complete requirements in one of three tracks: quantitative, qualitative, or mixed. There are no tracks in the new requirements.
- In the old requirements, specific courses were required within the tracks with freedom to choose one advanced course in each of the quantitative and qualitative tracks. In the new requirements a minimum number of hours is required. Students can choose specific courses from a list of educational psychology courses and/or can propose substitutes and alternative courses from throughout the university.
- In the old requirements, the requirements were different for EdD and PhD students. In the new requirements, the requirements are the same for EdD and PhD students.
College of Education
College-Wide Research Methodology Requirements
for Doctoral Students
Ed.D. and Ph. D. students must complete a minimum of 12 hours to meet the college-wide requirement for preparation in research methodology. The courses will be selected from the following two lists of courses, with the proviso that the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Technology has the authority to approve substitute and alternative courses.
Departments and Supervisory committees have the discretion to require more than 12 hours and the courses used to meet these additional requirements are not subject to review by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Technology
Qualitative Methods
EDF 6475–Qualitative Foundations of Educational Research (4)
EDF 6938–Qualitative data collection (3) Prereq: EDF 6475
EDF 6938–Qualitative data analysis (3) Prereq: EDF 6475
EDF 7639–Research in Educational Sociology (3) Prereq: EDF 6475
Quantitative Methods
EDF 6403–Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research (6) Prereq: A couse that includes descriptive statistics including measures of location, dispersion, and correlation and inferential statistics through t tests on means (e.g., EDF 6401).
EDF 6436–Theory of Measurement (4) Prereq: EDF 6403
EDF 6471–Survey Design and Analysis in Educational Research (3) Prereq: EDF 6403
EDF 6481–Quantitative Research Methods in Education (4) Prereq: EDF 6403
EDF 7405–Advanced Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research (4) Prereq: EDF 6403
EDF 7412–Structural Equation Models (3) Prereq: EDF 7405
EDF 7432–Advanced Psychometric Theory (3) Prereq: EDF 6436
EDF 7435–Rating Scale Design and Analysis in Educational Research (3) Prereq: EDF 6403 and 6434 or 6436
EDF 7439–Item Response Theory (3) Prereq: EDF 6436
EDF 7474–Multilevel Models (3) Prereq: EDF 6403 or 6481 and 7405
EDF 7491–Evaluation of Educational Products and Systems (3) Prereq: EDF 6403
EDF 7932–Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research (3) Prereq: EDF 6403 or 6481 and 7405
Alternative and Substitute Courses
A substitute course is a course that covers the same methodologies as are covered in a listed course and covers the methodologies at the same level of difficulty as in the listed course. Courses that cover the material at a lower level of difficulty are not appropriate substitute courses.
An alternative course is a course that covers different methodologies than are covered in any of the listed courses. Proposing an alternative course presumes that the methodology covered in the alternative course is not covered in any of the listed courses. An example of an alternative quantitative methods course is STA 5507–Applied Nonparametric Methods. None of the listed quantitative methods courses cover nonparametric methods. An example of an alternative qualitative methods course is HIS 6060–Historical Method. None of the listed qualitative methods courses cover methods of historical research.
Procedures
To request a substitute or alternative course(s) submit a completed “Substitute and/or Alternative Course Form” (available in the departmental offices and the Office of Graduate Studies and Technology) to the College of Education Office of Graduate Studies and Technology. The Chair of the student’s Supervisory Committee, on behalf of the Supervisory Committee, shall transmit the request. Approval of the Request by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Technology authorizes the substitute and/or alternative course(s). Requests for substitute or alternative courses should be submitted by the second semester of graduate study or as soon thereafter as possible.
Prospective requests must include the most recent syllabus for the proposed course. Retrospective requests must include the syllabus for the semester in which the proposed course was taken.
Requests for a substitute course must identify the course for which substitution is requested and include an explanation about why a substitution is necessary. When a course substitution is requested, the Associate Dean will solicit advice from the Director of the Program for Research and Evaluation Methodology about the equivalence of the listed and substituted course. In the event an alternative course, with content similar to that of a listed course, is proposed, the Associate Dean will solicit advice from the Director of the Program for Research and Evaluation Methodology about the equivalence of the course. In the event of substantial similarity the Associate Dean will treat the alternative course as a substitute course.
Proposed substitute or alternative courses taken before admission for doctoral study to the UF Graduate School must have been completed within four years of admission.
Proposed substitute or alternative courses taken after admission for doctoral study to the UF Graduate School must be approved before enrolling in the requested courses.
