Doctor of Philosophy
The School of Education offers Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs with two main degrees: Curriculum & Instruction, and Educational Leadership & Research.
- Curriculum & Instruction: This degree offers specializations in various areas such as language arts/children’s literature, curriculum studies, early childhood education, English education, foreign language education, gifted education, mathematics education, reading/literacy, science education, social studies education, and special education.
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Educational Leadership & Research: This degree offers specializations in educational leadership, higher education administration, educational research methodology, and educational technology (please note that admissions to the educational technology specialization are currently suspended).
The academic course plan for each student is individually tailored in consultation with a graduate advisory committee, consisting of the student’s major advisor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty to meet the LSU Graduate School’s requirements.
Application deadlines Curriculum & Instruction:
- Fall admission - February 1 for Priority Admission, April 15 deadline
- Spring admission - November 15
Application deadlines Educational Leadership & Research:
- Higher Education Administration specialization
- Fall admission - February 1 for priority admission, April 15 deadline
- Spring admission - November 15
- Summer admission - April 15
- PK-12 Educational Leadership specialization
- Fall admission - March 1 for priority admission, April 15 deadline
Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum & Instruction | PhD
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum & Instruction (PhD) prepares graduates for careers as scholars, researchers or teacher educators in higher education or to hold research-oriented leadership positions.
Admitted students are anticipated to have a master’s degree; students who do not have a master’s degree must complete a 90-hour curriculum required for the PhD.
The PhD degree program requires passing of a General Exam consisting of written questions and a comprehensive oral exam; write a dissertation proposal and pass an oral defense of the proposal; and write a dissertation and pass an oral defense of the dissertation. To graduate, students must earn a total of 90 graduate-level credit hours, including 9-18 credit hours dedicated to the dissertation.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
ELRC 7243 (3)
EDCI 9000 (12-15)
EDCI 7901 (3)
Plus, at least 3 courses from the following list in consultation with your advisor:
EDCI 4800 (3)
EDCI 5880 (1-3)
EDCI 7821/7822 (2 - 4)
EDCI 7824 (3)
EDCI 7825 (3)
EDCI 7903 (3)
EDCI 7904 (3)
EDCI 7930/7931 (1 - 6)
ELRC 7890 (1 - 3)
Select in consultation with your advisor.
Select in consultation with your advisor. Possibilities include African American Studies, International Studies, Political Science, or Women’s & Gender Studies. 12 to 18 hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.
The remaining courses to complete the program of studies must be selected with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor committee.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- To be eligible for this specialization, students should have a minimum composite score of 297, with a minimum verbal score of 153 and a minimum quantitative score of 144.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
ELRC 7243 (3)
EDCI 7850 (3)
EDCI 9000 (12-15)
Required:
EDCI 7054 (3)
EDCI 7055 (3 - 6 if topics vary)
EDCI 7056 (3)
Select at least 3 from list below in consultation with your advisor:
CFS 7051 (3)
EDCI 4060 (3)
EDCI 4382 (3)
EDCI 7059 (3)
EDCI 7307 (3 - 6 if topics vary)
EDCI 7112 (3)
EDCI 7843 (3)
EDCI 7902 (3)
EDCI 7903 (3)
EDCI 7904 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
EDCI 7920 (3)
EDCI 7921 (3)
Select in consultation with your advisor. Possibilities include Statistics, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or Political Science.
The remaining courses to complete the program of studies must be selected with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor committee.
If you are interested in policy electives, you may consider these courses:
EDCI 7107 (3)
ELRC 7001 (3)
ELRC 7407 (3)
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
Dissertation hours (EDCI 9000): a minimum of twelve hours and a maximum of eighteen hours must be taken within the 90-hour program. (Additional hours may be taken beyond the 18 hours but cannot be used to satisfy the research requirement.)
Three research courses ELRC 7006 or equivalent; ELRC 7241 or equivalent; ELRC 7243 or equivalent. Students may use courses from the list below or other courses approved by the major advisor:
Generic Methods Courses
EDCI 7475 (3)
LHRD 7921 (3)
SOCL 7211 (3)
Qualitative Methods Courses
ANTH 4090 (3)
ELRC 7243 (4)
ENGL 7621 (3)
HIST 7957 (3)
Quantitative Methods Courses
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7016 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
PSYC 7117 (3)
SOCL 7201 (3)
SOCL 7203/POLI 7963 (3)
Select in consultation with your advisor. 12 to 18 hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
Dissertation hours (EDCI 9000): normally fifteen (15) credit hours are to be taken within the 90-hour program. (Additional hours may be taken, but cannot be used to satisfy the research requirement.)
Three (3) research courses: ELRC 7006 or equivalent; ELRC 7241 or equivalent; ELRC 7243 or equivalent.
These courses, except EDCI 7920, are offered on a two-year cycle:
EDCI 7109 (fall) (3)
EDCI 7141 (fall) (3)
EDCI 7312 (spring) (3)
EDCI 7309 (summer) (3)
EDCI 7920 (occasional) (3)
Students entering the program with less than a master's degree in mathematics are expected to take a minimum of 2-3 mathematics courses as part of their major area of study.
Select in consultation with your advisor. 12 to 18 hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.
The remaining courses to complete the program of studies must be selected with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor committee.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
Students may use courses from the list below or other courses approved by the major advisor.
Generic Methods Courses
EDCI 7475 (3)
SOCL 7211 (3)
Qualitative Methods Courses
ANTH 4090 (3)
ELRC 7243 (4)
ENGL 7621 (3)
LHRD 7921 (3)
Quantitative Methods Courses
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7016 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
PSYC 7117 (3)
SOCL 7201 (3)
SOCL 7203/POLI 7963 (3)
Dissertation hours (EDCI 9000): a minimum of twelve hours and a maximum of eighteen hours must be taken within the 90-hour program. (Additional hours may be taken beyond the 18 hours but cannot be used to satisfy the research requirement.)
Select in consultation with your advisor. 12 to 18 hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.
The remaining courses to complete the program of studies must be selected with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor committee.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
Required coursework:
These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
Dissertation hours (EDCI 9000): a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 18 hours are to be taken within the 90-hour program. Additional hours may be taken beyond the 18 but cannot be used to satisfy the research requirement.
Three research courses: ELRC 7006 or equivalent; ELRC 7241 or equivalent; ELRC 7243 or equivalent. Students may use courses from the list below or other courses approved by the major advisor:
Generic methods courses
LHRD 7921 (3)
SOCL 7211 (3)
or approved equivalent
Qualitative methods courses
ANTH 4090 (3)
ELRC 7243 (4)
or approved equivalent
Quantitative methods courses
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7016 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
PSYC 7117 (3)
SOCL 7201 3)
SOCL 7203/POLI 7963 (3)
or approved equivalent
Students will develop a plan of study in consultation with and approved by their graduate advisory committee. The following course topics have been offered in the past and are specific to the Science Education area of specialization:
EDCI 5880 (3)
EDCI 7307 (3)
EDCI 7308 (3)
EDCI 7308 (3)
EDCI 7921 (3)
EDCI 7930 (3)
EDCI 7931 (3)
EDCI 7931 (3)
Select in consultation with your advisor. 12 to 18 hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.
The remaining courses to complete the program of studies must be selected with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor committee.
Curricular requirements include:
- Six hours of core courses
- Nine hours in research methods
- 12 - 18 hours of dissertation research
- 50 hours in the area of specialization
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership & Research | PhD
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership & Research (PhD) prepares graduates to become scholars and administrators in colleges and universities, and to use research and data to implement academic structures that address student needs.
Admitted students are anticipated to have a master’s degree; students who do not have a master’s degree must complete a 90-hour curriculum required for the PhD.
The PhD degree program requires passing of a General Exam consisting of written questions and a comprehensive oral exam; write a dissertation proposal and pass an oral defense of the proposal; and write a dissertation and pass an oral defense of the dissertation. To graduate, students must earn a total of 90 graduate-level credit hours, including 9-18 credit hours dedicated to the dissertation.
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
The curricular requirements for Educational Research Methodology include:
- A school core area of six hours.
- 14 hours in educational leadership and research program courses.
- 12 hours in the primary area of educational research methodology.
- 12 hours in an allied field.
- Three hours of advanced research practicum.
- Nine hours of dissertation research.
- Admitted students are anticipated to have a master’s degree; students who do not have a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 34 hours in addition to the 56 hours required for the PhD.
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
ELRC 7243 (4)
Leadership course: choose a leadership course from CHSE offerings
Select 4 courses:
ELRC 7010 (3)
ELRC 7016 (4)
ELRC 7220 (3)
ELRC 7280 (3)
ELRC 7290 (3)
ELRC 7263 (3)
ELRC 7270 (3)
You may choose a research course (3 hours) from other program or departments to meet your needs.
Select courses from an allied field (e.g., curriculum & instruction, sociology, anthropology, marketing) or establish a formal minor with a minor professor in another department (e.g., anthropology, experimental statistics, political science, psychology).
ELRC 7249 (3)
ELRC 9000 (9)
Admission Requirements:
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international students)
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or the last 60 hours of coursework
- The minimum requirements for admission are a score of 153 on the verbal and 144 on the quantitative sections of the GRE; Lower GRE scores may be considered contingent on the GPA.
The curricular requirements for Higher Education Administration include:
- A core area of 19 hours which includes 11 of research, and six hours in a school core.
- 24 hours in the primary area of higher education, of which at least 15 hours must be completed during the doctoral program. If a student does not have a previously earned graduate degree in higher education, all 24 hours must be in the primary area of higher education.
- Nine hours of dissertation research.
- Admitted students are anticipated to have a master’s degree; students who do not have a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 38 hours in addition to the 52 hours required for the PhD.
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
ELRC 7006 (4)
ELRC 7241 (3)
ELRC 7243 (4)
Additional research course selected with advisor’s approval
Examples of Higher Education Courses Recently Offered
ELRC 7601 (3)
ELRC 7602 (3)
ELRC 7603 (3)
ELRC 7604 (3)
ELRC 7607 (3)
ELRC 7609 (3)
ELRC 7610 (3)
ELRC 7611 (3)
ELRC 7612 (3)
ELRC 7613 (3)
ELRC 7614 (3)
ELRC 7870 (3)
ELRC 7890 (3)
All concentration courses must be chosen in consultation with and approved by your advisor.
Continuous enrollment is required beyond nine hours until completion of degree.
Admission Requirements:
Candidates must have at least 3 years of teaching experience to be admitted. Students pursuing the PK-12 Educational Leadership Specialization are expected to ideally have earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. We occasionally accept students with a Master’s in an educational field; however, these students may be required to take additional coursework on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to the Graduate School requirements, the Educational Leadership Specialization requires:
- Minimum one-page letter of intent that explains the reasons why you are seeking a PhD
- Current curriculum vitae
- At least two professional letters of recommendation, and
- Competitive scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), verbal, quantitative, and writing sections.
The curricular requirements for Educational Leadership include:
- A core area of 20 hours including 14 hours of research,and six hours in a school core.
- 24 hours in the primary area of PK-12 Leadership specialization.
- 12 hours of the Writing Pedagogy Minor coursework.
- Nine hours of dissertation research.
- Admitted students are anticipated to have a master’s degree; students who do not have a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 37 hours in addition to the 53 hours required for the PhD.
Milestones:
- successfully complete a General Exam consisting of written responses to questions and a comprehensive oral exam
- successfully propose a Dissertation Proposal which is typically the first 3 chapters of a proposed dissertation study, including an oral defense of the proposal
- gain Internal Review Board (IRB) approval
- complete a dissertation study, collecting, analyzing, and writing up research results and successfully passing an oral defense of the dissertation study
Meet current doctoral students and recent graduates on this webpage.
Required coursework:
ELRC 7299 (3)
EDCI 7910 (3)
ELRC 7000 (3)
ELRC 7001 (3)
ELRC 7402 (3)
ELRC 7407 (3)
ELRC 7805 (3)
ELRC 7806 (3)
EDCI 7311.1 and .2 T(6) offered each summer
EDCI 7314 T(3) OR
EDCI 7142 (3)
EDCI 7129 (3) offered every fall as a Saturday seminar