Frequently Asked Questions

Contents

 

Transfer of Course Credit

Course-Taking Options 

Independent Studies     

Courses on the Selectives List (TE 915-925) 

Area of Concentration 

Doctoral Dissertation Credits (TE 999)

Academic Progress

The Research Practicum

Guidance Committee Membership

Technicalities 

Defining Terms

Advisors

Residency Requirement

Deferred and Incomplete Grades        

This document provides answers to some questions that are commonly asked by students and advisors about the doctoral program in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy.  The Handbook for Advanced Graduate Study includes expanded discussions of many of these questions. 

Transfer of Course Credit

Can a student transfer courses to the Ph.D. program that were originally counted for an MSU master’s degree?

No.

How about courses taken at another university, whether or not a degree was received?

There is no fixed limit for transfer courses for other institutions.  However, all transfer credits must be approved as part of the student’s program plan by his or her guidance committee and confirmed by the program coordinator and associate dean.  This means that the question of whether transfer courses will count cannot be firmly resolved until the second year of a student’s enrollment, when the program planning process occurs within a guidance committee.  The central question is always  what courses will best serve the student’s program needs.  Realistically, students should not expect to transfer in a large number of courses from another institution, since they will need to construct a course of study that reflects the areas of emphasis within this program.  It is difficult to imagine an appropriate program plan that would include more than three transfer courses.

Are there any other limitations on transfer credit?

In order to count toward the Ph.D. degree, a course must be less than eight years old at the time when the degree is to be conferred.  That means, for example, that if a student took courses at Ohio State in 1999, then entered the doctoral program here in 2001, was here for seven years and was getting the degree in 2008, credit  for the Ohio State courses would not count since they were taken more than eight years prior to graduation.

Can a student apply MSU courses taken through Lifelong Learning toward doctoral program requirements?  (Typically this arises in cases where the student took doctoral courses prior to enrollment in the doctoral program.)

Yes, but only as part of an approved program plan.  The procedure is this:  First, the student and guidance committee develop an appropriate program plan that includes one or more Lifelong Learning course.  Then, once this plan has received approval, the advisor needs to file an administrative action form.  (Check “Other” and request that courses be transferred to doctoral program.)  According to the Academic Programs book, “No more than 10 credits earned while under the Lifelong Education status may be applied to the graduate degree program.  Courses earned under the Undergraduate Lifelong Education status may not be applied to a graduate degree program."

Course-Taking Options

Can 800-level courses – either in TE or in other departments – count towards the Ph.D.?

Yes, you can even take undergraduate courses for Ph.D. credit.  However, only a very limited number of such courses are generally appropriate.  These must be approved as part of a program plan by the guidance committee, program coordinator, and associate dean.  Most master’s courses in education focus on meeting the professional development needs of educational practitioners and are not well suited to a research-oriented academic program such as the TE doctoral program.  But, as in the case of transfer credit, the central question is what classes a guidance committee feels are appropriate for a student’s doctoral program.  The same holds true for independent studies.

Can a student take courses offered in other colleges and other departments within the College of Education and have them count towards his/her program?

Yes.  We encourage students to draw widely from the resources in the College and University when planning their programs. In addition you can take courses through the "traveling scholars" program at any of the Big Ten universities. Check out the Grad School's website descritption of the Committee on Instititutional Cooperation (CIC) www.grad.msu.edu/cic.htm

Does course sequence matter?  Can students take courses in any order that suits them?

It is worth asking course instructors if they think prior and particular coursework is either assumed for their course.  While prerequisites may not appear in the course book, it may be that the instructor in some cases is assuming that students in the class will have a particular kind of academic background.  One way of getting such insight it so examine the syllabus to see if some prior reading would be necessary for the course. 

The proseminar, the inquiry course, and the courses that make up the selectives group are often used as background for subsequent courses,

Is there a list of courses that will be taught over the next few years in the COE so a student can plan a course of study without too many complications?

Such a list can be found on the program web page (under Course Information) and at the back of The Handbook for Advanced Graduate Study.

Independent Studies

How do you sign up for independent studies (TE 990)?

There are two steps required in signing up for an independent study.  First, the student and professor need to fill out the College’s independent study Project Agreement Form.  This requires both parties to agree to a title and brief description of the project, including whatever requirements must be fulfilled in order to complete the project (such as submitting a 20-page paper on a particular topic, for example).  This form must be signed by the student, the professor directing the project, and the student’s academic advisor.  Once completed, it should go to Paul Kurf (graduate secretary) in the Office of Student Affairs (134 Erickson), who will give a copy to Barbara Reeves for departmental records.  Second, the student needs to sign up for the agreed upon number of credits of TE 990 on the computer during the desired semester.  In general, enrollment in 990 requires a departmental over-ride, which is available from Barbara Reeves upon proof that a project agreement form is on file in Student Affairs.

How many credits should you sign up for when you take an independent study?

If the amount of effort involved, for both student and professor, is similar to what might be expected in a regular course, then the 990 should be treated as such and recorded at three credits.  If the effort is more or less than this amount, then the number of credits should be adjusted accordingly.

What is the limit on the number of independent studies a student can take?

There is no fixed limit on the number of these that a student can take at the doctoral level.  However, these 990 courses should be limited to specialized pursuits that cannot be carried out within an existing university course and must be part of an approved program plan.  It is difficult to imagine circumstances that would require more than three 990s in a particular program plan.

Courses on the Selectives List (TE 915-925)

What is the selectives requirement?

Students must take at least three courses from the selectives list.  With guidance committee approval, they may take more than three.

What is the purpose of this requirement?

As a large and heterogeneous department with a single comprehensive doctoral program, we need to provide students with a good general background in the major areas represented in the department.  The selectives provide an overview of issues within the four emphasis areas and in educational foundations.

Can you make substitutions for the selectives?

No.  Substituting more specialized courses would undermine the broadening function that these courses serve within a student’s program.

           

Area of Concentration

What is an area of concentration within a doctoral program plan?

Doctoral Dissertation Credits (TE 999)

Can a student sign up for TE 999 credit before taking comps?

Yes, and this often makes sense.  for example, there are times when a student’s assistantship or fellowship will pay for more credits than he or she is  either willing or able to take during a semester.  In that case it is worthwhile to use that support for dissertation credits rather than losing it, since students will need to buy a minimum of 24 credits at some point in order to graduate.  It is not a good idea to accumulate a large number of 999 credits before taking comprehensive exams.  A student can gain approval for a dissertation proposal only after passing comps.  If a student fails to pass comps and therefore is prevented from continuing in the program, accumulated dissertation credits would be wasted.

Is there a limit on the number of dissertation credits a student can accumulate?

Yes.  The university sets a limit of 50 credits.  Students who have accumulated more than this number will find that the computer will block them from enrolling for more 999  credits in the following semester.  This over-accumulation occurs when students take a long time in completing their dissertations while continuing to work at graduate assistantships.  Since these students need to enroll for 6 credits per semester in order to qualify for an assistantship and since the assistantship pays for these credits, the number of 999 credits can pile up fast.  The Graduate School is concerned about students who are making slow progress toward graduation, and they now require students to seek a waiver of the 50-credit limit in order to continue to enroll.  The procedure is for the student’s advisor to write a letter to the Associate Dean for External Relations and Student Affairs requesting this waiver.  In the letter, the advisor needs to make a case that the student is making academic progress and that a realistic schedule for completion has been worked out between the advisor and student.

Academic Progress

When should a student put together a guidance committee and develop a program plan?

Very few students know enough faculty members or enough about the possibilities inherent in the program to assemble a guidance committee and develop a program plan during their first year of doctoral study.  However, by the start of the second year in the program, they can and should start into this process in earnest.  Students are required to form a guidance committee and present a program plan for approval by department and college before they have completed 8 courses (that is, more than half of the 15 courses required by the doctoral program).  Waiting longer than this leaves both the student and the guidance committee in a difficult position.  Students who wait until the third year have usually already made most of the decisions about their program, leaving the guidance committee with little remaining space for giving guidance.  The risks for the student are high, since the guidance committee may determine that some of the courses already taken are not appropriate for the students program of study.

How limiting is the University’s limit of eight years to complete a doctoral program?  What happens if a student leaves the program for several years and then comes back?

Yes, students have eight years to complete the program – including courses, comps, dissertation, defense, and graduation.  That means eight years from the start of the semester in which they first enrolled in the program all the way through to the day they graduate, no matter what the reasons for delay along the way.  If additional time is needed beyond that, the Graduate School requires that students request an extension.  Extensions are handled through the Associate Dean for External Relations and Student Affairs, who makes a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School.  The advisor needs to fill out an time-extension form (see web page and the back of the Handbook for a copy) and  write an accompanying letter requesting the extension.   In this letter, the advisor has to make a case that the student is now making satisfactory progress, laying out a timeline for completing the remaining work (with appropriate benchmarks all the way through to graduation), and providing reasons for confidence that the student can meet the new graduation deadline.

The Research Practicum

What does the research practicum entail?

The Practicum (TE 995) is intended to provide all students with the change to design and carry out their own research project.  There are several key aspects of this department’s practicum requirement.  First, the research is to be the student’s own design and work (rather than merely being a part of someone else’s research project).  Second, there is to be a tangible, finished product (rather than a proposal for work to be done).  Third, students need to find a faculty member to be their advisor for the project, and their guidance committee needs to approve of the topic.  Fourth, students need to work with a “community of scholars” as they design and complete their practicum.  (See pages 21-24 of the Handbook.)

Guidance Committee Membership

What are the university requirements about the membership of a guidance or dissertation committee?

The MSU Faculty Handbook (p. 124) says the following:  “The guidance committee will consist of at least four Michigan State University regular faculty, at least three of whom, including the committee chairperson, possess an earned doctoral degree….”  Regular faculty are those in the tenure stream.  This means that if a student wants to include on the committee an MSU faculty member who is not in the tenure stream or a faculty member from another university, the committee must be expanded to five people.

Technicalities

Who signs for the department chair on forms relating to the doctoral program?

The coordinator of the doctoral program signs for the department chair on all forms relating to the doctoral program.  This includes all of the forms appended to the Handbook and available on the program web page.

How many credits should a student sign up for when taking a research practicum (995) or independent study (990)?

You should sign up for a number of credits in TE 995 that properly reflects the amount of faculty effort involved in your research practicum.  If you sign up for a practicum as an adjunct to a regular seminar, then one credit for 995 is appropriate.  If you sign up for the 995 course offered every semester, you should treat it as a regular course and sign up for three credits.  The same logic applies to independent studies.  If the amount of effort involved, for both student and professor, is similar to what might be expected in a regular course, then the 990 should be treated as such and recorded at three credits.  If the effort is more or less than this amount, then the number of credits should be adjusted accordingly.

What should be attached to a program plan form when it is submitted for approval?

When students submit a committee-approved program plan to the doctoral coordinator for departmental signoff, they must attach a page to this university form containing the following additional information:

1.       a list of course numbers and titles (with specific topics included for generic course titles, such as 982, 990, and 991), organized under headings by program requirement (proseminars, research courses, selectives, and electives);

2.       for courses already completed or in process, the name of the instructor and the grade received; and

3.       a paragraph defining the program’s overall rationale and defining the nature of the specialization that it represents.

Defining Terms

What is the difference between an advisor and a committee chair, or a committee chair and a dissertation director?

Very little.  An advisor also becomes a committee chair at the point when a student forms a guidance committee.  At that point, the two titles are interchangeable.  A dissertation director is the primary guide for a student writing a dissertation.  This may be the same person as the advisor/chairperson, or the student may elect to have different faculty member occupy these two positions.

What is the difference between a guidance committee and a dissertation committee?

It’s all a matter of timing.  The committee is called a guidance committee during the period when the student is forming a program, taking courses, and taking comps.  The dissertation committee is the group that helps the student through the dissertation stage.  A guidance committee may simply evolve into a dissertation committee, if the student wishes to continue working with the same group of faculty members.  Or the student may wish to replace some or all of the member (including the advisor/chair) at the point when he/she begins working on a dissertation proposal.  It all depends on which faculty members can be most helpful at particular stages of a student’s academic career in the program.

What is the difference between an oral examination and a doctoral defense?

None.  These are two names for the same thing.  They both refer to the meeting of the dissertation committee at the end of the dissertation process at which the candidate defends his or her dissertation draft.

Advisors

What is a temporary advisor and how can a student change advisors?

Temporary advising assignments should be treated by both students and faculty as just what the name suggests -- temporary arrangements.  When a student is admitted to the program, the APPC and coordinator assign a temporary advisor to that student based on general area of interest and current advising loads.  This relationship helps get a student started in his or her studies, but there is no reason for either party to assume that this temporary advising connection should become permanent.  Once students start taking courses, meeting faculty, and exploring their interests, it is normal that they begin developing relationships with a variety of faculty members.  As soon as students find someone with whom they would like to work in developing their program plan, they should initiate a formal change of advisor.  This change merely formalizes a shift in advising roles that has already taken place.  For a student to make such a choice is neither surprising nor insulting to the temporary advisor, because the assumption from the start is that students are likely to move on once they get their feet on the ground.  To make the change official, the student needs to have both old and new advisors sign a change-of-advisor form.  (For more information, see the Handbook, p. 15.)

How permanent is a permanent advisor?

Students can select their temporary advisor as their "permanent" advisor if they wish.  But the key point is this is their choice, and faculty members should encourage them to exercise it in whatever ways best fit their professional and programmatic needs.  Despite the name we often use to identify this person, there is nothing permanent about the advisor that a student chooses to help him or her through the process of program planning and comprehensive exams.  It is quite normal for a student to choose a new advisor at the point when the student launches into a dissertation (and/or to select another person to serve as dissertation director).  Temporary advisor, advisor, and dissertation director are three different roles and are frequently occupied by different faculty members during the course of a student's career in the doctoral program.  It is useful for both faculty and students to consider this the norm and to encourage students to exercise their choice at each of these stages. (For more information, see the Handbook, p. 16-17.)

Residency Requirement

What is the University residency requirement for doctoral students and how can it be fulfilled?

The University’s Academic Programs book (1997-99, p. 26) says the following:  “One year of residence on the campus after first enrollment for doctoral degree credit is required to permit the student to work with and under the direction of the faculty, and to engage in independent and cooperative research utilizing University facilities.  A year of residence will be made up of at least six credits of graduate work each semester.”

In practice this means that sometime prior to graduation a doctoral student must enroll for at least 6 credits during each of two consecutive semesters.  This can include a summer semester (for example, six credits in the summer and six more the following fall).  These credits can for anything that fulfills program requirements, and that includes dissertation credits (TE 999).

Deferred and Incomplete Grades

How does a “deferred” (DF) grade work?

A deferred grade gives a student as long as two years to complete the work for the course.  Work needs to be presented to the faculty member in time to evaluate it and make a grade change for the student before the two-year deadline is up, which is the day grades are due at the end of the semester two years after the semester in which the course was taken.  Changing a DF to a regular grade is done with an Administrative Action Form, requiring only the faculty member’s signature.  If a DF grade is not made up during the two-year period, it automatically converts to the grade of DF/U on the student’s transcript.  This grade is not counted in a student’s grade point average. 

How does an “incomplete” (I) grade work?

An incomplete grade lasts only until the mid-point of the semester following the semester in which the course was taken.  At this point, the grade turns to 0.0, which counts towards a student’s grade point average.  For courses taken in the spring and summer, this would be the middle of the fall semester; for courses taken in the fall, it would be the middle of the spring semester.  Work needs to be presented to the faculty member in time to evaluate it and make a grade change before this deadline.  The midpoint of the semester is announced as part of the university calendar each year. Changing an I to a regular grade is done with an Administrative Action Form, requiring only the faculty member’s signature.

Can deferred or incomplete grades be extended?

Yes, but only under extraordinary circumstances.  The reasons must be spelled out on an Administrative Action Form and must be approved by both the Doctoral Program Coordinator and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The paper work assumes that only " instructor error" is an acceptable explanation, you should as well.

What problems arise from having deferred and/or incomplete grades on your record?

The program and the College want to see students make steady progress through their academic program.  A DF or I grade on your record is a sign that you are having trouble making such progress.  If you accumulate more than one, you will come under the department’s policy for tracking students who are not making adequate progress in their programs.  (See the Handbook, p. 24.)  Such a record will also work against you if you seek a waiver in order to take on a graduate assistantship of more than three-quarter time or more than five years, or if you seek to extend the time required for completion of degree.  It will also make it difficult to qualify for a third-course fellowship or for any of the competitive awards available to doctoral students (such as a Dissertation Completion Fellowship or Spencer Research Training Fellowship).  In short, it is best to avoid deferred or incomplete grades if at all possible and to give top priority to completing these obligations before taking on new responsibilities.