TRACK DESCRIPTION
The Reading Education track in the Education PhD program is designed to provide further education for those aspiring to work in the area of education at the post-secondary level (four-year college and/or research university) or as a lead teacher/resource teacher for a school district. The program assumes prior study in reading education.
The program provides for an area of advanced study in the field of reading and a concentration in a closely related field. The program includes a strong research base through the research core and specialization course work and an internship during which a candidate gains professorial experience.
Students are required to have the equivalent of the Master of Education in Reading degree, 21 hours of graduate reading education credit, prior to entering the program. In the event that a student does not have 21 hours of graduate reading education credit, the student can be admitted to the program, but will be required to complete the 21 hours in addition to the required program hours.
CURRICULUM
| The Reading Education track in the Education PhD program requires a minimum of 78 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. Students must complete 24 credit hours of core courses, 15 credit hours of specialization courses, 9 credit hours of electives, 3-6 credit hours of internship, and 24 credit hours of dissertation. All students must also complete the candidacy examination. |
| Total Credit Hours Required: |
| 78
Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Master's Degree |
Required Courses—39 Credit Hours
Core—24 Credit Hours
- IDS 7501 Issues and Research in Education (3 credit hours)
- IDS 7500 Seminar in Educational Research (variable credit and repeatable, 6 credit hours)
- EDF 7475 Qualitative Research in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7403 Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7463 Analysis of Survey, Record and Other Qualitative Data (3 credit hours)
- IDS 7502 Case Studies in Research Design (3 credit hours) or one of the following approved research electives:
- EDF 7406 Multivariate Statistics in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7405 Quantitative Methods II (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7410 Application of Nonparametric and Categorical Data Analysis in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7415 Latent Variable Modeling in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7473 Ethnography in Educational Settings (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7474 Multilevel Data Analysis in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7488 Monte Carlo Simulation Research in Education (3 credit hours)
- SPA 7495 Doctoral Seminar II: Spoken and Written Language Disorders (Communication Sciences Track students only) (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7406 Multivariate Statistics in Education (3 credit hours) or one of the following approved research electives:
- IDS 7938 Research Cluster Seminar (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7405 Quantitative Methods II (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7410 Application of Nonparametric and Categorical Data Analysis in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7415 Latent Variable Modeling in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7473 Ethnography in Educational Settings (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7474 Multilevel Data Analysis in Education (3 credit hours)
- EDF 7488 Monte Carlo Simulation Research in Education (3 credit hours)
- SPA 7495 Doctoral Seminar II: Spoken and Written Language Disorders (Communication Sciences Track students only) (3 credit hours)
Specialization—15 Credit Hours
- RED 7797 Theoretical Processes of Reading Comprehension (3 credit hours)
- RED 7743 Reading and Writing Processes (3 credit hours)
- RED 7648 Analysis and Evaluation of Trends and Issues in Literacy Education (3 credit hours)
- RED 7745 Research in Reading Education Seminar (3 credit hours)
- RED 7697 Literacy for the Twenty-First Century (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses—9 Credit Hours
Students choose a minimum of 9 credit hours of elective courses from a concentration in a related field, such as Communication Sciences and Disorders, Exceptional Student Education, TESOL, Language Arts Education, Children’s/Adolescent Literature.
Dissertation—24 Credit Hours
- RED 7980 Dissertation Research (24 credit hours minimum)
Doctoral students must present a prospectus for the dissertation to the doctoral adviser, prepare a proposal and present to the dissertation committee, and defend the final research submission with the dissertation committee.
Internship—3-6 Credit Hours
- RED 7947 Internship in Reading Education (3 credit hours minimum) (repeat 1-2 times)
Candidacy
To enter candidacy for the PhD, students must have an overall 3.0 grade point average on all graduate work included in the planned program and pass all required examinations. Examinations will be scheduled by the student and major adviser. The associate dean for graduate studies and research must be notified of the date and location of the exam 30 days in advance. Students must be enrolled in the university during the semester an examination is taken.
The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours:
- Completion of all course work, except for dissertation hours.
- Successful completion of the candidacy examination.
- Successful defense of the written dissertation proposal.
- The dissertation advisory committee is formed, consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.
- Submission of an approved program of study.
Candidacy Examinations
All PhD candidates will be required to complete two examinations.
- Research in the Specialization—8-hour written examination.
- Specialization—3-hour oral examination.
Independent Learning
The dissertations fulfills the independent learning requirement.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- A master’s degree in a related field of study, including one Graduate Curriculum course, and master’s level competency in educational research and statistics.
- A minimum of 21 credit hours of graduate reading education courses.
- Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Goal statement.
- Resumé.
- Writing sample.
- Interview.
Application Deadlines
| Reading Education |
*Fall Priority
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Fall
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Spring
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Summer
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Domestic Applicants
| Dec 20 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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International Applicants
| Dec 20 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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International Transfer Applicants
| Dec 20 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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*Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date.
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FINANCIALS
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies
Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The
Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.