FPC Approval: May 12, 2010
FPC Revision Approved: April 25, 2016
FPC Revision Approved: April 18, 2022
PhD and EdD students enrolled in on-campus programs must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours to meet the college-wide requirement for preparation in research methodology. For all doctoral students, two 3-credit foundations courses are required and the remaining 6 credits must be selected from the below list of approved courses, with the proviso that the COE Associate Dean overseeing graduate education has the authority to approve substitute and alternative courses. At the direction of FPC, a periodically appointed ad-hoc committee will review the content of the required 6 hours of foundations courses to ensure they are meeting the needs of the College. In the cases of approved substitutions or alternative courses, students are still expected to complete the minimum 12 credit hour requirement, which can include transfer credits from approved substitute and alternative courses for a portion (but not all) of the 12 credit hours.
This policy only covers the minimum 12 credit hours to satisfy the college research requirement. Students should discuss with their advisor and supervisory committee about additional research recommendations or requirements to complete their program plan and the goals set in their Individualized Development Plan (IDP).
Required Foundations Coursework
- EDF 6475- Qualitative Foundations of Educational Research (3 credits)
- EDF 6400*- Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research Overview (3 credits)
* EDF 6403 (6 credits) can also be taken to fulfill this requirement because EDF 6403 is equivalent to the combination of EDF 6400 and EDF 6402 in one 6 credit course to be taken in one semester. Doctoral students should note that many of the quantitative courses in REM require EDF 6403 as a prerequisite, and hence a student interested in continuing quantitative studies beyond EDF 6400 may benefit from completing EDF 6403 to fulfill the required foundations coursework.
Approved Courses for On-campus Research Doctorates (PhD and EdD)
See (https://education.ufl.edu/faculty-policy/files/2022/11/REM-Courses-
APPROVED.pdf for a list of approved courses. The courses all fall within one of
the below four areas.
- Quantitative REM Courses
- Qualitative REM Courses
- Program Evaluation REM Courses
- Non-REM Methods Courses
Research Requirements for Online or Hybrid EdD Programs
Students completing the requirements for an online or hybrid EdD program will take a minimum of 12 credit hours of program-determined research courses to satisfy the college-wide research requirements.
Substitute and Alternative Research 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. 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.
To request a substitute or alternative course(s), submit a completed “Substitute and/or Alternative Course Request Form” (available here ) to the COE Associate Dean overseeing graduate education. 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 authorizes the substitute and/or alternative course(s). Requests for substitute or alternative courses should be submitted by the second year 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 Program Coordinator of Research and Evaluation Methodology (REM) 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 Program Coordinator of REM about the equivalence of the listed 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 seven 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.