Hybrid Online Ed.D. Courses

Once admitted, to remain in the program, a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA for all course work per semester. If at any point in time a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation. The student will be required to meet the 3.0 GPA standards by the end of the following semester and maintain that GPA continuously in order to remain in the program. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 a second time, that student will be subject to dismissal from the doctoral program. The minimum grade eligible for doctoral credit for any single course is a "B-."

University of Bridgeport allows the transfer of up to six (6) credits earned in a regionally accredited institution in which the student was enrolled at the graduate level. The courses should have been completed with a grade of “B” or better and be comparable to UB’s doctoral courses. Such coursework cannot have been used toward a degree at another institution. Only credit that was earned during the five-year period (15 fall, spring, and summer semesters) preceding admission to the doctoral program may be considered for transfer. Revalidation (recertification) of credits more than 15 semesters old at the time of admission to a doctoral program is not an option.

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within the seven-year period (21 fall, spring, and summer semesters) following admission to the doctoral program. In exceptional cases, the department may recommend that the Dean grant an extension of this limit.

Once the student has successfully passed the Comprehensive Examinations (EDLD 845) and completed the Dissertation Proposal (EDLD 846), they are eligible to apply to be a Doctoral Candidate. The student should submit the form “Admission to Doctoral Candidacy” to the Program Director. This designation is conveyed to the student by an official letter from the School of Education. Doctoral Candidacy allows the student to register for dissertation advising (EDLD 850), which is a 0-credit course but is deemed to be full time. Once students are advanced to candidacy, they must be enrolled in EDLD 850 continuously for dissertation advising and supervision until graduation. If the student is not advanced to candidacy within five years from the time of admission to the doctoral program, the student should be dismissed from the program. The dissertation committee is composed by three faculty members.

The EdD program requires a minimum of 62 post-Master’s credits, or 42 credits for students with an accredited Sixth-Year or Education Specialist post-Master’s degree, to meet the credit requirement of the doctoral degree. All coursework from other institutions must be approved by both the Director of the Education Leadership doctoral program and the Director of the School of Education.

A period of residence must be included in a doctoral program to provide significant faculty-student interaction, opportunities for exposure to and engagement with cognate disciplines and research scholars working in those disciplines, and significant face-to-face peer interaction among graduate students. Residency is established through continuous enrollment, fall, spring, and summer with a minimum of 3 credits per semester in the first two years. It is also established through two on-campus summer Doctoral Residency weeks. Residency provides the opportunity for a mentor-apprentice relationship between faculty and students and time for in-depth and direct faculty support of students. Thus, the intent of the residency requirement is to ensure that doctoral students contribute to and benefit from the complete spectrum of educational, professional, and enrichment opportunities provided on and off the University of Bridgeport campus. In addition to registration for Fall and Spring semesters, domestic students must register for at least 3 credit hours each summer for the first two years. EDLD 845-DL Comprehensive examination and EDLD 846-DL Dissertation Proposal Defense should be taken in sequence and are the last two courses required in the program. Students enrolled in EDLD 845-DL or EDLD 846-DL receive mentorship from the doctoral committee and are evaluated for making adequate progress in the program. These two courses precede enrollment in Continuous Dissertation (EDLD 850). Students enrolled in EDLD 850-DL Continuous Dissertation, which is a 0 credit course, are considered full time.

All matriculated doctoral students wishing to become doctoral candidates must pass the EDLD 845 course inclusive of the written comprehensive examinations. The comprehensive exams consist of: (a) one research methodological question; (b) one program focus question, and (c) one area of specialization question related to the students’ dissertation topic. Questions for the comprehensive examination are created by doctoral faculty with input from the student to rigorously assess mastery and knowledge garnered during coursework. The comprehensive examinations also gauge the students’ potential for independent dissertation research. Students should take the exams after all coursework has been completed.

Doctoral students who passed their comprehensive examinations can consequently enroll in the EDLD 846 course inclusive of the defense of the dissertation proposal.

The UB doctoral program guidelines are derived from standard practices among universities, libraries, and publishers. The student, their committee, and the School of Education expects careful attention to APA 7th style and format of the proposal document. The proposal includes the student’s statement of a research problem, the research questions and the chosen method of investigation. The proposal is the first step toward completion of the dissertation, which is an original contribution to one’s field of study. The study may be applied research; it may be experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental in its design; it may include quantitative, qualitative, action, mixed or critical methodology.

The dissertation proposal is an overview of the student’s ideas for their dissertation. The purpose for the dissertation proposal is to state the problem and its significance, compile a comprehensive literature review, formulate research questions, and outline the method and procedures to conduct the research project. The proposal will include a graphic depiction of the methods proposed and a timeline for completion of the dissertation including the Institutional Review Board approval. Discussing the research proposal in draft format with members of the dissertation committee chair will enable the student to obtain advice early in the dissertation process regarding the suitability of the topic and the validity of the research questions, method, and proposed procedures.