Program of Study
1. Major Core (30 credit hours).
ADM 788* Organization and Administration of the American Education System (3)
ADM 796 Executive Communication Skills (3)
ADM 809 Theory of Management and Leadership (3)
ADM 810 Public Policy and Persons with Disabilities (3)
ADM 821 Issues in the Administration of Programs for People with Disabilities (3)
ADM 822 Executive Management Skills (3)
ADM 834 Program Development and Evaluation in Special Education and Human Services (3)
ADM 837 Interpersonal and Group Behavior in Organizations (3)
ADM 838 Organization Development and the Management of Change (3)
ADM 880 Human Resource Administration (3)
ADM 888 Higher Education Organization and Administration (3)
*ADM 888 may be substituted for ADM 788
2. A minimum 12 credit hour sequence of Research Tools is mandated for all doctoral students.
Students without prior graduate coursework in research are required to take EDF 720, Introduction to Basic Concepts and Methods of Educational Research, prior to beginning this sequence. Once the sequence is started, it must not be interrupted.
EDF 801 Principles of Statistics I (3)
EDF 802 Principles of Statistics II (3)
EDF 810 Advanced Research Design I (3)
EDF 811 Advanced Research Design II (3)
Students are encouraged to take EDF 803, Multivariate Statistics (3). If students are contemplating a dissertation study involving qualitative analysis methodology, then EDF 812, Qualitative Research Methods (3), is mandatory, in addition to the existing 12 credit hour core.
3. Electives in the Major Field (15 credit hours).
Students must select a minimum of 15 credit hours of electives that are in synchrony with the student's professional goals and are approved by the student's PAC. The following listing of courses is simply a representative sampling and is not meant to be all-encompassing:
ADM 839 Organization Theory and Design (3)
ADM 840 Organizational Diagnosis (3)
ADM 841 Redesigning Organizations (3)
ADM 842 Advanced Seminar in Educational Administration (Spring) (1-3)
ADM 845 Curriculum Development (3)
ADM 855 Field Experiences in Special Education Administration and Supervision (3)
ADM 858 Supervising and Evaluating Teaching (3)
ADM 860 Ethics in Management (3)
ADM 862 Gender Issues in Management (3)
ADM 865 School and Community Relations (3)
ADM 888 Higher Education Organization and Administration (3)
ADM 899 Independent Study (1-3)
EDF 803 Multivariate Statistics (3)
EDF 812 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
Students may also select courses from other departments at Gallaudet University or from the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area (subject to approval of the Program Advisory Committee).
The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 57 credit hours of coursework, plus three credit hours of internship, plus six credit hours of dissertation. This 66 credit hour total is in addition to whatever has not been satisfied by the 21 credit hours of prerequisites. Seventy percent of all credit hours (excluding the hours for the dissertation and internship) must be taken at Gallaudet University. This percentage will satisfy the residency requirement.
4. Internship
ADM 890 (3 credit hours).
Students without substantial administrative experience must design and participate in an internship in special education administration. The internship is for a minimum of 360 clock hours. The internship requirement may be waived for students who have substantial documented administrative experience.
5. Dissertation Research
ADM 900 (minimum of 6 credit hours).
Every doctoral student must complete a dissertation. The dissertation must be an original and empirical effort that moves the frontier of knowledge forward in special education administration. During the fall and spring semesters wherein dissertation work is underway, the student must register for three credit hours of ADM 900, even if the minimum of six credit hours has already been reached. Summer registration is not required.
Students select their own Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). Each DAC is composed of exactly five members, who themselves possess earned doctorates.
Students complete their dissertation research as described in their proposal, working with their dissertation committee chairperson and research advisor to develop a defensible dissertation. Once the DAC chair and the research advisor approve the dissertation draft, it is then distributed to remaining members of the DAC for their review and comment. Permission of the chair of the DAC is necessary to schedule and announce the dissertation defense. The defense will only be scheduled when all members of the DAC have reviewed all chapters of the dissertation and all substantive and editorial changes have been incorporated into the document to the DAC chair's satisfaction. The student is responsible for coordinating with the department staff to schedule his or her defense.
6. Other Mandatory Requirements for the Ph.D. Program.
In addition to the curricular requirements for the program, each student must comply with the following requirements.
a. Pass the Qualifying Examination. Students must successfully complete the seven-hour Qualifying Examination at the conclusion of 24 credit hours of coursework. Program Advisory Committee (PAC) permission is needed for further coursework beyond this milestone, pending results of the Qualifying Examination. Successful completion of the examination admits a student to Ph.D. candidacy status.
b. Achieve Candidacy. To continue in the doctoral program, students must be admitted to candidacy. The PAC may grant candidacy on either a provisional or full basis. Provisional candidacy must remediate. Full candidacy means the faculty believe the student is fully capable of completing the program successfully, including completing the dissertation.
c. Possess a Disposition for Leadership. A student's disposition for leadership is an important part of the ongoing assessment of student attitudes, knowledge, and skills. A student's disposition is reflected in his or her demeanor with peers in class, in his or her expressed attitudes about leading people, and in his or her dominant personality traits as identified in a leadership assessment instrument administered in the program. If, in the opinion of the faculty, a student is not disposed to leadership, he or she may be dismissed from the program at any time.
d. Have Excellent Communication Skills. Another important aspect of disposition for leadership is a student's communication skills, including verbal, nonverbal, written, and signed communication. Platform presentation skills are also important. Future leaders in special education, deaf education, and human services need superior communication skills and these will be evaluated throughout the program. It should be emphasized here that writing skills are of paramount importance to students wishing to successfully complete the doctoral program. Students with weak writing skills may be admitted to candidacy on a provisional basis, but they will need to develop a remediation plan and demonstrate proficiency in writing on their comprehensive examination to avoid dismissal following that examination. The PAC approves the evaluation of proficiency in sign language via the Gallaudet University American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (GU-ASLPI). Proficiency levels are determined on a student-by-student basis according to his or her career goals. Oral/Written Competency is also evaluated. Evidence of competence in these areas is attested to by either (a) a paper presented at a professional conference or (b) a publishable article.
e. Maintain High Academic Performance. Another obviously important criterion for admission to candidacy is a student's performance in courses. This criterion is discussed in the "Minimum Standards of Scholarship" section of the Academic Standards and Policies chapter in this catalog.
f. Avoid Dismissal from the Program. Students must be aware that faculty have the authority to recommend the dismissal of a student from graduate programs if, in their professional judgment, that student does not possess the attitudes, knowledge, or skills, partially outlined above, that are needed to join a profession. The "Standards of Professional Behavior and Communication" in the Academic Standards and Policies section of this catalog describes other possible grounds for dismissal.
g. Pass the Comprehensive Examination. Near the end of a student's program of study, each student must successfully pass a three-part comprehensive examination. Part 1 is an open book examination of six weeks duration. Part 2 is a timed, closed-book examination. Part 3 is an oral examination in which the student presents a paper on an approved topic reflecting his/her professional expertise. The oral component also allows for an opportunity to address any deficiencies noted in the written portions of the comprehensive examination. Students must pass all three parts. Students who fail the open book portion of the comprehensive examination may not proceed to the closed book portion of the comprehensive examination. Further, failing the open book portion of the examination may lead to a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School and Professional Programs that the student be dismissed from the program.
7. Statute of Limitations Policy.
Once "Full Candidacy" status is granted at the completion of the Qualifying Examination, the student will have 60 months to mount a successful defense of the dissertation. An additional 12 months may be granted by petitioning the department chair. If, during that 12 months, the dissertation proposal is successfully defended, then an automatic additional 12 months is granted to complete and to defend the dissertation itself. Otherwise, this second 12 month extension is retracted.
7 (a). Restrictive Re-Entry Option.
When all extensions of a student's program of study have been exhausted, a student may be dismissed from the doctoral program. However, the student may re-apply to the program within 12 months of the separation date. The department re-interviews the applicant, giving special attention to the applicant's ability to muster the financial and motivational resources necessary to complete a mandatory 15+ credit hour, 36 month re-entry program, with the following conditions:
9 credit hours of course work within 12 months of re-entry to update the applicant's knowledge base in: (a) special education policy; (b) administration or ethics; and, (c) advanced statistics or research methodology.
1 credit hour under Continuous Enrollment while taking within 14 months of matriculation a closed-book Comprehensive Examination, pending successful completion of all course work within the prescribed time period.
3 credit hours of Dissertation Research per semester, while successfully composing and defending a dissertation proposal within 24 months of re-entry, pending successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination within the prescribed time period.
3 credit hours of Dissertation Research per semester, while successfully completing and mounting the final dissertation defense within 36 months of the matriculation.
