Program
Curriculum
To view the degree plan and curriculum requirements for the PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Education, please visit the USF Catalog.
Departmental Procedures
Students in the Interdisciplinary Education program will go through the curriculum by following steps with major professor in subsequent order.
STEP I: Plan a Program of Study
- Tentative Program of Study: Your major professor will assist you in developing and a tentative program of study after upon admission. The formal Ph.D. Program of Study form (approved by major professor and doctoral committee members) should be submitted by the end of the third semester.
- Committee selection: Your major professor will assist you in selecting committee members appropriate to disciplinary interests during the first year. The Appointment Form for Graduate Student Advanced Supervisory Committee must be completed and approved by the end of the 3rd semester.
- Submission of documentation: The major professor sends originals (signed by student, committee, and program coordinator) and two copies of all required documents to the College of Education’s Graduate Support Office (EDU 320).
- After approval: The College of Education Graduate Support Office files the originals and sends copies to the student and their major professor.
STEP II: Narrative Portfolio Description and Procedures
- Annual progress report: Your major professor will require you to submit a one-page progress report on an annual basis (due March 1st of each year). This report will summarize efforts toward meeting the Narrative Portfolio assessment.
- Compose narrative: Prior to the qualifying examination, you will compose a narrative that describes research productivity, teaching and service where applicable to date. The portfolio should include documentation discussed in narrative.
- Portfolio evaluation: Committee evaluates your portfolio (based on the Doctoral Student Narrative Rubric).
STEP III: Qualifying Exam Options and Procedures
- Plan and select qualifying exam option: The major professor will schedule a meeting with you and your doctoral committee members at least one semester prior to the qualifying exam to identify subject areas of expertise and interest. At the qualifying exam planning meeting, the doctoral committee and you will select exam Option I (a 3-day exam) or Option II (a scholarly paper) and agree upon the format and parameters of the exam/paper. See Qualifying Exam Options and Procedures for more details.
- Schedule exam: The student will complete the Application to Take Doctoral Qualifying Examination form. This completed form is signed by the student and major professor and submitted to the College of Education’s Graduate Support Office by the semester deadline.
- After the exam is completed: The student’s doctoral committee will evaluate the exam using the Qualifying Exam Rubric and notify student of a Pass or Fail grade within three weeks of submitting the completed exam. A Pass grade will advance the student to candidacy. If the criteria are not met for a Pass, the student must meet with their committee to determine next steps, including retaking the exam.
- Submission of Advanced Candidacy Form: Once a student has passed, the major professor will forward the program coordinator the exam rubrics. The completed Admission to Doctoral Candidacy Form with the required signatures must be submitted to the College of Education’s Graduate Support Office.
STEP IV: Dissertation Research Proposal Defense
- Design proposal: The student designs a dissertation proposal in consultation with their major professor and doctoral committee.
- Institutional Review Board (IRB): The student must submit the proposed study approved by their major professor to the IRB for approval either pre or post-defense. All modifications following defense must also be submitted to the IRB before data collection begins.
- Scheduling proposal defense: At least three weeks before the proposal defense, the student will submit 1 copy of the approved dissertation proposal (if Outside Chair is on the Committee, two copies if Outside Chair is not on the Committee) and the Request for PhD/EdD Proposal Defense Form signed by the major professor, each committee member, and the department chair to College of Education’s Graduate Support Office indicating the date, time, and place of the proposal defense.
- Proposal defense: Committee evaluates proposal and submits completed Dissertation Proposal Defense Rubric to Interdisciplinary Education Program Coordinator. If approved, committee members sign the proposal title page and outside chair completes the Chair’s report form, which are submitted to College of Education’s Graduate Support Office.
STEP V: Dissertation Defense
- Schedule defense date: The Doctoral Committee and student schedule a dissertation defense date and file completed Request for Dissertation Defense to the USF Office of Graduate Studies at least two weeks before the scheduled defense date.