The request to revise Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and EDCI 8609 & GRAD 9999

Date: April 11, 2016
To: College of Education
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: March 24, 2016
Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Spring 2017


Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.


Catalog Copy

EDCI 8609. Curriculum and Instruction Seminar. (3) Cross-listed as MATH 6609.

GRAD 9999. Doctoral Degree Graduate Residency Credit. (1)

Curriculum and Instruction

  • Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction

Department of Middle, Secondary & K-12 Education

324 College of Education

704-687-8875

education.uncc.edu/mdsk/academic-programs/phd-ci

Director

Dr. Paul Fitchett

Concentration Coordinators

Dr. Vic Cifarelli, Mathematics Concentration Coordinator

Dr. Chance Lewis, Urban Concentration Coordinator

Dr. Pilar Blitvich, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator

Dr. Spencer Salas, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator

Dr. Brian Kissel, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator

Dr. Bruce VanSledright, Elementary Education Concentration Coordinator

Other Graduate Faculty

Dr. Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell

Dr. Kelly Anderson

Dr. Julianna Avila

Dr. Ian Binns

Dr. Bettie Ray Butler

Dr. Anne Cash

Dr. Jeong-Lim Chae

Dr. Heather Coffey

Dr. Warren DiBiase

Dr. Amy Good

Dr. Anthony Fernandes

Dr. Claudia Flowers

Dr. Michael Green

Dr. Stephen Hancock

Dr. Tina Heafner

Dr. Charles Hutchison

Dr. Jeanneine Jones

Dr. LuAnn Jordan

Dr. Scott Kissau

Dr. Cy Knoblauch

Dr. Lan Kolano

Dr. Richard Lambert

Dr. Jae Hoon Lim

Dr. Christy Luce

Dr. Ron Lunsford

Dr. Adriana Medina

Dr. Lisa Merriweather

Dr. Greg Mixon

Dr. Chris O’Brien

Dr. Malin Pereira

Dr. Teresa Petty

Dr. Jack Piel

Dr. Paola Piloneta

Dr. Drew Polly

Dr. David Pugalee

Dr. Mike Putman

Dr. Brenda Romanoff

Dr. Adalira Saenz-Ludlow

Dr. Tehia Starker

Dr. Michelle Stephan

Dr. Bruce Taylor

Dr. Chuang Wang

Dr. Karen Wood

Dr. Greg Wiggan

Ph.D. In Curriculum and Instruction

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction is designed to prepare teacher education faculty and other educational professionals for work in various agency and educational settings. The program is interdisciplinary and involves faculty from across the University campus, and primarily the Departments of English; Mathematics; Middle, Secondary, & K-12 Education; and Reading and Elementary Education. The program focuses on urban issues and perspectives related to curriculum and instruction with specializations in (1) urban education, (2) literacy education (oriented toward reading education, English education, or Teaching English as a Second Language), (3) mathematics education, and (4) elementary education. Studies include a substantive core in urban education and educational research. Students may focus their study on education for learners at elementary, middle grades, secondary, K-12, or post-secondary/adult levels.

Curriculum Objectives

  1. Lead inquiry into the nature of curriculum theory and the relationship that theory has upon the major sources, components, and processes required in curriculum development, particularly within expanding urban-regional environments.
  2. Demonstrate relationships among curriculum theory and design, models of and research about teaching and learning, variations among learners, and the ideological, social, and disciplinary contexts of teaching and learning, including the influence on urban-regional schools, state and national policies, curriculum philosophy, and political pressures.
  3. Guide curriculum development and evaluation in its pragmatic context by applying curriculum theory, policy, and practice for diverse learners within a variety of educational settings.

Research and Evaluation Objectives

  1. Use appropriate quantitative and qualitative research methods to solve problems in urban education and related disciplines, detect new patterns, and assess the effectiveness of instructional programs and teaching methodologies for all learners.
  2. Communicate research and evaluation findings in a variety of written and electronic formats, such as evaluation reports, professional articles, grant proposals, conference presentations, and technical reports, with the consistent underlying purpose of supporting educational effectiveness and reform in urban-regional environments.

Specialty Objectives

  1. Apply theory and research in one’s area of specialization to detecting new patterns, identifying problems, and solving urban-regional problems of curriculum, teaching, learning, and assessment through collaborative problem identification, research projects, policy formation, and professional development.
  2. Exhibit sustained intellectual curiosity, broad understandings, specialized knowledge, and professional commitments pertaining to one’s selected area of specialization within the context of urban-regional schools.

Additional Admission Requirements

Applicants should submit a current vitae and a professional writing sample. A review committee will conduct an initial review of application materials and recommend selected applicants for on-campus interviews. The selection committee will then make final recommendations to the Graduate School relative to acceptance into the program based on the merits of the application materials and the interview process.

Prerequisite Requirements

The intended audience for the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction includes education professionals who hold the master’s degree. It is anticipated that most applicants will be experienced teachers or school leaders with the North Carolina “G” or “M” license or equivalent licenses from other states. However, the program will welcome and accommodate non-licensed candidates with appropriate professional experiences who have been involved in teaching or educational program development and evaluation.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework, including the dissertation. A student must maintain a cumulative average of 3.0 in all coursework taken. An accumulation of more than two C grades will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program. If a student makes a grade of U in any course, enrollment in the program will be terminated. The program will consider the transfer of a limited number of courses from an accredited institution (typically no more than six hours), providing the Curriculum and Instruction Committee determines that the course or courses to be transferred are appropriate for the program of study and are graduate-level courses beyond the master’s degree. The grade in these transfer courses must be an A or B. All dissertation work must be completed at UNC Charlotte. Students must successfully complete requirements for the comprehensive examination and dissertation. All students must complete a residency requirement of at least 18 credit hours over three successive terms of enrollment. Students must complete their degree, including dissertation, within eight years. The Ph.D. website (education.uncc.edu/mdsk/programs/Ph.D) contains additional information, including updated planning sheets for each concentration.

Advising

An Advisor will be assigned to each student within the first year of study. The Advisor and the Concentration Coordinator will provide initial advising until the end of the first year (12 hours) when the advisor will assume responsibility. By the beginning of the second year the student is required to submit a Program of Study which is approved by the concentration advisor and t graduate program director. Advisors will also support the student in identifying faculty whose research interests and expertise are congruent with the student’s probable area of dissertation inquiry. The assistance of the advisor does not relieve the student of responsibility for completing required work and for following departmental or University procedures. In the semester in which the student takes the Comprehensive Examination, the student will reach agreement with a faculty member to serve as dissertation chair. The chair must be a member of the Curriculum & Instruction faculty.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

Students are considered candidates for the doctoral degree upon: (a) successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, (b) approval of the Dissertation Proposal, and (c) submission of the Application for Candidacy form. Both the Petition for Topic Approval and the Application for Candidacy should be submitted together. Candidacy must be achieved at least six months before the degree is conferred.

Application for Degree

Students must submit an Application for Degree in the semester in which they successfully defend their dissertation proposal. Adherence to Graduate School deadlines and requirements is expected. Degree requirements are completed with the successful defense of the dissertation and when the final copy of the dissertation has been filed in the Graduate School.

Concentration Course Requirements

Each of the available concentrations offers a variety of required and concentration-specific course offerings at the doctoral level. Programs of study are as follows.

Required Core Coursework (12 to 15 credit hours)

Each concentration requires core coursework in urban foundations. The urban concentration requires 15 hours. Mathematics, literacy, and elementary education concentrations require 12 hours.

  • EDCI 8180 Critical Issues and Perspectives in Urban Education (3 hours)
  • EDCI 8182 Power, Privilege and Education (3 hours)
  • EDCI 8186 Globalization, Urbanization and Urban Schools (3 hours)
  • EDCI 8184 Social Theory and Education (3 hours)

§ EDCI 8314 Urban Educational Reform ( 3 hours, required only for the urban concentration)

Required Research Methodology Coursework (15 credit hours)

Each concentration must also complete at least 15 hours of research coursework.

  • RSCH 8210 Applied Research Methods ( 3 hours, required)
  • RSCH 8110 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics (3 hours, required)
  • RSCH 8120 Advanced Statistics (3, hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8111 Qualitative Research Methods (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8121 Advanced Qualitative Methods (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8112 Survey Research Methods (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8113 Single-Case Research (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8130 Presentation and Computer Analysis of Data (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8150 Structural Equation Modeling (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8196 Program Evaluation Methods (3 hours, optional)
  • EDCI 8121 Applied Research Methods in the Teaching of English (3 hours, optional)
  • EDCI 8250 Applied Research in Literacy Education (3 hours, optional)
  • RSCH 8140 Multivariate Statistics (3 hours, optional)

Five courses are required but not necessarily sufficient. Additional courses not listed require program director approval

Specialization Coursework (21 to 24 credit hours)

Each concentration must also complete specialization coursework specific to the concentration (21 hours for the urban concentration, 24 hours for mathematics, literacy, and elementary concentrations)

Urban Concentration Specialization Requirements (21 hours). Choose from the following three hour credit courses:

§ EDCI 8070 Topics in Urban Educational Leadership

§ EDCI 8133 Multiculturalism & Children’s Literature

§ EDCI 8134 Early Black American Literature

§ EDCI 8139 Perspectives in African American Literature

§ EDCI 8300 Social Stratification and Urban Schools and Communities

§ EDCI 8310 Transformative Black Education

§ EDCI 8311 Critical Readings in Urban Education Research

§ EDCI 8312 Urban Schooling, Curriculum, and Pedagogy

§ EDCI 8320 Social Deviance, Delinquency and Urban Education

§ EDCI 8330 History of Urbanization and Its Impact on Schooling

§ EDCI 8880 Independent Study in Urban Education

§ EDCI 8660 Readings in Urban Educational Research

§ EDCI 8682 Seminar in Professional and Grant Writing

Students may enroll in 6 hours of credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor.

Mathematics Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours.) Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:

[Mathematics Education]

Must be taken in this order:

§ EDCI 8112 Theoretical Foundations of Learning Mathematics

§ EDCI 8113 Research in Mathematics Education

§ EDCI 8114 Advanced Topics in Mathematics Education

[Mathematics (a minimum of 6 hours of mathematics content is required)]

§ EDCI 8004 Topics in Analysis

§ EDCI 8008 Topics in Geometry and Topology

§ EDCI 8100 Foundations of Mathematics

§ EDCI 8101 Foundations of Real Analysis

§ EDCI 8102 Calculus from an Advanced Standpoint

§ EDCI 8103 Computer Techniques and Numerical Methods

§ EDCI 8105 Problem Solving in Discrete Mathematics

§ EDCI 8106 Modern Algebra

§ EDCI 8107 Linear Algebra

§ EDCI 8118 Non-Euclidean Geometry

Students may enroll in 6 hours of graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor.

[Additional Coursework in Mathematics Education, Mathematics, or

related topics (9 hours)]

  • EDCI 8115 Issues in the Teaching of Secondary Mathematics
  • EDCI 8610 Readings in Mathematics Education
  • EDCI 8609 Curriculum and Instruction Seminar

Literacy Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours). Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:

  • EDCI 8040 Topics in Reading Education
  • EDCI 8070 Topics in Urban Educational Leadership
  • EDCI 8120 Literacy and Educational Public Policy
  • EDCI 8129 Linguistics and Language Learning
  • EDCI 8131 Research in English Studies
  • EDCI 8132 Research in Literary Theory
  • EDCI 8133 Multiculturalism and Children’s Literature
  • EDCI 8134 Early Black American Literature
  • EDCI 8135 African American Literary Theory and Criticism
  • EDCI 8137 Language and Culture
  • EDCI 8138 Comparative Language Study
  • EDCI 8139 Perspectives in African American Literature
  • EDCI 8140 Current Issues and Practices in Literacy Education
  • EDCI 8183 Teaching English as a Second Language
  • EDCI 8201 Perspectives in Immigration and Urban Education
  • EDCI 8252 K-12 Writing Development and Instruction
  • EDCI 8254 Collaborative Leadership in Literacy Education
  • EDCI 8255 Middle/Secondary Reading and Writing
  • EDCI 8256 Diagnostic Assessment and Instruction in Reading
  • EDCI 8420 Writing Program Administration and Supervision
  • EDCI 8462 Supervision of Student Teachers
  • EDCI 8640 Readings in Literacy Research
  • EDCI 8681 Seminar in College Teaching
  • EDCI 8682 Seminar in Professional and Grant Writing
  • EDCI 8840 Individual Independent Study in Reading, Language and Literacy
  • ADMN 8101 Perspectives on Adult Learning Theory
  • TESL 6000 Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language
  • ENGL 6008 Topics in Advanced Technical Communication
  • ENGL 6062 Topics In Rhetoric
  • ENGL 6070 Topics in English
  • ENGL 6103 The Worlds of Juvenile Literature
  • ENGL 6111 Shakespeare’s Comedies and Histories
  • ENGL 6112 Shakespeare’s Tragedies
  • ENGL 6113 Milton
  • ENGL 6116 Technical/Professional Writing
  • ENGL 6123 The Augustan Age, 1660, 1785
  • ENGL 6125 The Romantic Era, 1785-1832
  • ENGL 6126 The Victorian Age, 1832-1900
  • ENGL 6127 Seminar in Language, Culture, and Society
  • ENGL 6141 American Romanticism
  • ENGL 6142 American Realism and Naturalism
  • ENGL 6143 American Modernism
  • ENGL 6144 Stylistics

Concentration Coordinator consultation is required to enroll in the above courses. Students may enroll in graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor.

Elementary Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours). Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:

Required (12 Hours)

  • EDCI 8650 Critical Readings in Elementary Education Research
  • EDCI 8153: Pro-seminar in Urban Elementary Education
  • EDCI 8156: Critical issues in Urban Elementary School Professional Development and Teacher Learning
  • EDCI 8157 Analysis of Inquiry Teaching and Learning in Elementary Schools

Electives (an additional 12 hours required, consult with advisor)

  • EDCI 8314 Urban Educational Reform
  • EDCI 8155: Using Process and Outcome Data to Drive Continuous Urban School Improvement
  • EDCI 8152: Varieties of Constructivism in Elementary Education
  • EDCI 8113. Research in Mathematics Education
  • EDCI 8120. Literacy and Educational Public Policy
  • EDCI 8129. Linguistics and Language Learning
  • EDCI 8133 Multiculturalism and Children’s Literature
  • EDCI 8681 Seminar in College Teaching
  • EDCI 8154: History of Education in America
  • ADMN 8160 Introduction to Educational Administration
  • ADMN 8130 Educational Governance and Policy Studies
  • PPOL 8689 Social Context of Schooling

Students may enroll in graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor.

Required Dissertation Coursework (9 credit hours)

All concentrations must complete 9 hours of dissertation credit.

  • EDCI 8699 Dissertation Proposal Seminar (3 hours, to be taken after successful completion of the comprehensive examinations and pre-proposal meeting with committee members)
  • EDCI 8999 Dissertation Hours (minimum of 6 hours)