Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Spring 2017
Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.
Catalog Copy
EDCI 8609. Curriculum and Instruction Seminar. (3) Cross-listed as MATH 6609.
GRAD 9999. Doctoral Degree Graduate Residency Credit. (1)
Curriculum and Instruction
- Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
Department of Middle, Secondary & K-12 Education
324 College of Education
704-687-8875
education.uncc.edu/mdsk/academic-programs/phd-ci
Director
Dr. Paul Fitchett
Concentration Coordinators
Dr. Vic Cifarelli, Mathematics Concentration Coordinator
Dr. Chance Lewis, Urban Concentration Coordinator
Dr. Pilar Blitvich, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator
Dr. Spencer Salas, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator
Dr. Brian Kissel, Literacy Concentration Co-coordinator
Dr. Bruce VanSledright, Elementary Education Concentration Coordinator
Other Graduate Faculty
Dr. Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell
Dr. Kelly Anderson
Dr. Julianna Avila
Dr. Ian Binns
Dr. Bettie Ray Butler
Dr. Anne Cash
Dr. Jeong-Lim Chae
Dr. Heather Coffey
Dr. Warren DiBiase
Dr. Amy Good
Dr. Anthony Fernandes
Dr. Claudia Flowers
Dr. Michael Green
Dr. Stephen Hancock
Dr. Tina Heafner
Dr. Charles Hutchison
Dr. Jeanneine Jones
Dr. LuAnn Jordan
Dr. Scott Kissau
Dr. Cy Knoblauch
Dr. Lan Kolano
Dr. Richard Lambert
Dr. Jae Hoon Lim
Dr. Christy Luce
Dr. Ron Lunsford
Dr. Adriana Medina
Dr. Lisa Merriweather
Dr. Greg Mixon
Dr. Chris O’Brien
Dr. Malin Pereira
Dr. Teresa Petty
Dr. Jack Piel
Dr. Paola Piloneta
Dr. Drew Polly
Dr. David Pugalee
Dr. Mike Putman
Dr. Brenda Romanoff
Dr. Adalira Saenz-Ludlow
Dr. Tehia Starker
Dr. Michelle Stephan
Dr. Bruce Taylor
Dr. Chuang Wang
Dr. Karen Wood
Dr. Greg Wiggan
Ph.D. In Curriculum and Instruction
The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction is designed to prepare teacher education faculty and other educational professionals for work in various agency and educational settings. The program is interdisciplinary and involves faculty from across the University campus, and primarily the Departments of English; Mathematics; Middle, Secondary, & K-12 Education; and Reading and Elementary Education. The program focuses on urban issues and perspectives related to curriculum and instruction with specializations in (1) urban education, (2) literacy education (oriented toward reading education, English education, or Teaching English as a Second Language), (3) mathematics education, and (4) elementary education. Studies include a substantive core in urban education and educational research. Students may focus their study on education for learners at elementary, middle grades, secondary, K-12, or post-secondary/adult levels.
Curriculum Objectives
- Lead inquiry into the nature of curriculum theory and the relationship that theory has upon the major sources, components, and processes required in curriculum development, particularly within expanding urban-regional environments.
- Demonstrate relationships among curriculum theory and design, models of and research about teaching and learning, variations among learners, and the ideological, social, and disciplinary contexts of teaching and learning, including the influence on urban-regional schools, state and national policies, curriculum philosophy, and political pressures.
- Guide curriculum development and evaluation in its pragmatic context by applying curriculum theory, policy, and practice for diverse learners within a variety of educational settings.
Research and Evaluation Objectives
- Use appropriate quantitative and qualitative research methods to solve problems in urban education and related disciplines, detect new patterns, and assess the effectiveness of instructional programs and teaching methodologies for all learners.
- Communicate research and evaluation findings in a variety of written and electronic formats, such as evaluation reports, professional articles, grant proposals, conference presentations, and technical reports, with the consistent underlying purpose of supporting educational effectiveness and reform in urban-regional environments.
Specialty Objectives
- Apply theory and research in one’s area of specialization to detecting new patterns, identifying problems, and solving urban-regional problems of curriculum, teaching, learning, and assessment through collaborative problem identification, research projects, policy formation, and professional development.
- Exhibit sustained intellectual curiosity, broad understandings, specialized knowledge, and professional commitments pertaining to one’s selected area of specialization within the context of urban-regional schools.
Additional Admission Requirements
Applicants should submit a current vitae and a professional writing sample. A review committee will conduct an initial review of application materials and recommend selected applicants for on-campus interviews. The selection committee will then make final recommendations to the Graduate School relative to acceptance into the program based on the merits of the application materials and the interview process.
Prerequisite Requirements
The intended audience for the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction includes education professionals who hold the master’s degree. It is anticipated that most applicants will be experienced teachers or school leaders with the North Carolina “G” or “M” license or equivalent licenses from other states. However, the program will welcome and accommodate non-licensed candidates with appropriate professional experiences who have been involved in teaching or educational program development and evaluation.
Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework, including the dissertation. A student must maintain a cumulative average of 3.0 in all coursework taken. An accumulation of more than two C grades will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program. If a student makes a grade of U in any course, enrollment in the program will be terminated. The program will consider the transfer of a limited number of courses from an accredited institution (typically no more than six hours), providing the Curriculum and Instruction Committee determines that the course or courses to be transferred are appropriate for the program of study and are graduate-level courses beyond the master’s degree. The grade in these transfer courses must be an A or B. All dissertation work must be completed at UNC Charlotte. Students must successfully complete requirements for the comprehensive examination and dissertation. All students must complete a residency requirement of at least 18 credit hours over three successive terms of enrollment. Students must complete their degree, including dissertation, within eight years. The Ph.D. website (education.uncc.edu/mdsk/programs/Ph.D) contains additional information, including updated planning sheets for each concentration.
Advising
An Advisor will be assigned to each student within the first year of study. The Advisor and the Concentration Coordinator will provide initial advising until the end of the first year (12 hours) when the advisor will assume responsibility. By the beginning of the second year the student is required to submit a Program of Study which is approved by the concentration advisor and t graduate program director. Advisors will also support the student in identifying faculty whose research interests and expertise are congruent with the student’s probable area of dissertation inquiry. The assistance of the advisor does not relieve the student of responsibility for completing required work and for following departmental or University procedures. In the semester in which the student takes the Comprehensive Examination, the student will reach agreement with a faculty member to serve as dissertation chair. The chair must be a member of the Curriculum & Instruction faculty.
Admission to Candidacy Requirements
Students are considered candidates for the doctoral degree upon: (a) successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, (b) approval of the Dissertation Proposal, and (c) submission of the Application for Candidacy form. Both the Petition for Topic Approval and the Application for Candidacy should be submitted together. Candidacy must be achieved at least six months before the degree is conferred.
Application for Degree
Students must submit an Application for Degree in the semester in which they successfully defend their dissertation proposal. Adherence to Graduate School deadlines and requirements is expected. Degree requirements are completed with the successful defense of the dissertation and when the final copy of the dissertation has been filed in the Graduate School.
Concentration Course Requirements
Each of the available concentrations offers a variety of required and concentration-specific course offerings at the doctoral level. Programs of study are as follows.
Required Core Coursework (12 to 15 credit hours)
Each concentration requires core coursework in urban foundations. The urban concentration requires 15 hours. Mathematics, literacy, and elementary education concentrations require 12 hours.
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§ EDCI 8314 Urban Educational Reform ( 3 hours, required only for the urban concentration) |
Required Research Methodology Coursework (15 credit hours)
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Each concentration must also complete at least 15 hours of research coursework.
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Five courses are required but not necessarily sufficient. Additional courses not listed require program director approval |
Specialization Coursework (21 to 24 credit hours)
Each concentration must also complete specialization coursework specific to the concentration (21 hours for the urban concentration, 24 hours for mathematics, literacy, and elementary concentrations)
Urban Concentration Specialization Requirements (21 hours). Choose from the following three hour credit courses:
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§ EDCI 8070 Topics in Urban Educational Leadership |
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§ EDCI 8133 Multiculturalism & Children’s Literature |
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§ EDCI 8134 Early Black American Literature |
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§ EDCI 8139 Perspectives in African American Literature |
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§ EDCI 8300 Social Stratification and Urban Schools and Communities |
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§ EDCI 8310 Transformative Black Education |
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§ EDCI 8311 Critical Readings in Urban Education Research |
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§ EDCI 8312 Urban Schooling, Curriculum, and Pedagogy |
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§ EDCI 8320 Social Deviance, Delinquency and Urban Education |
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§ EDCI 8330 History of Urbanization and Its Impact on Schooling |
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§ EDCI 8880 Independent Study in Urban Education |
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§ EDCI 8660 Readings in Urban Educational Research |
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§ EDCI 8682 Seminar in Professional and Grant Writing |
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Students may enroll in 6 hours of credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor. |
Mathematics Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours.) Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:
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[Mathematics Education] Must be taken in this order: |
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§ EDCI 8112 Theoretical Foundations of Learning Mathematics |
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§ EDCI 8113 Research in Mathematics Education |
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§ EDCI 8114 Advanced Topics in Mathematics Education |
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[Mathematics (a minimum of 6 hours of mathematics content is required)] |
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§ EDCI 8004 Topics in Analysis |
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§ EDCI 8008 Topics in Geometry and Topology |
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§ EDCI 8100 Foundations of Mathematics |
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§ EDCI 8101 Foundations of Real Analysis |
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§ EDCI 8102 Calculus from an Advanced Standpoint |
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§ EDCI 8103 Computer Techniques and Numerical Methods |
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§ EDCI 8105 Problem Solving in Discrete Mathematics |
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§ EDCI 8106 Modern Algebra |
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§ EDCI 8107 Linear Algebra |
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§ EDCI 8118 Non-Euclidean Geometry |
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Students may enroll in 6 hours of graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor. |
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[Additional Coursework in Mathematics Education, Mathematics, or related topics (9 hours)] |
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Literacy Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours). Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:
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Concentration Coordinator consultation is required to enroll in the above courses. Students may enroll in graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor. |
Elementary Education Concentration Specialization Requirements (24 hours). Choose from the following three-hour credit courses:
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Required (12 Hours) |
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Electives (an additional 12 hours required, consult with advisor) |
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Students may enroll in graduate-level credit outside of the above list with approval of the Program Advisor. |
Required Dissertation Coursework (9 credit hours)
All concentrations must complete 9 hours of dissertation credit.
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