Doctoral Degrees and Specialist in School Psychology
Doctoral degrees are offered for the Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Audiology, and Doctor of Nursing Practice, as well as a Specialist in School Psychology.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is designed for the preparation of individuals competent in research and scholarly inquiry whose career objectives are generally in research, teaching, consultation, or leadership roles in universities, colleges, institutes, educational agencies or private practice.
Minor Fields
A doctoral student may select a minor field (or fields) of study. The selection and composition of a minor field (or fields) must have the approval of the Graduate School and the major and minor departments. A minor field may, under certain circumstances, be in the same department or school as a major field.
Curriculum Requirements
A doctoral degree is not granted on the basis of a student having successfully completed a certain number of courses, but upon evidence of scholarly attainment as demonstrated especially by competence in research.
Students may transfer up to 40% of the required program coursework, not including comprehensive exams and dissertation hours, toward the completion of the doctoral degree with approval from the department/school. The transferred coursework must be graduate level, with a grade of B or higher (or equivalent as verified on the transcript), and may or may not have been used toward another graduate level degree. The coursework being considered for transfer will be reviewed on an individual basis with final approval from the department/school.
Time Limitations
All requirements for a doctoral degree, including the dissertation, must be completed by the end of eight calendar years beginning with the date the student first registers as a doctoral degree student. This time limit applies to enrollment in all graduate coursework in the student’s program. If a course taken to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is not taken within the eight-year period allowed for the degree program, the student’s department may require the student to retake the course for credit or allow the student to demonstrate current knowledge of the subject matter. If the latter is used, currency must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the department offering the course through successful completion of an appropriate examination or other assessment if available from the department. Courses from other institutions falling outside the limitation of time may not be used in a graduate program. When graduate study is interrupted by military service or other contingencies, the eight-year limit may be extended by the Graduate School. A Request to Extend Time to Complete Graduate Degree Program must be completed by the student, graduate coordinator/director, and if applicable, dissertation chair, and submitted to the Graduate School for approval or denial. The Request to Extend Time to Complete Graduate Degree form is available at Grad.IllinoisState.edu/students/forms.
Admission to Candidacy
A doctoral student will be admitted to candidacy after: a Degree Audit has been submitted to the Graduate School and approved, (b) the comprehensive/preliminary examination has been successfully completed and reported to the Graduate School, (c) the research tool requirement has been met, and (d) the dissertation proposal has been approved by the dissertation committee and by the Graduate School. (Both the Degree Audit and Proposal Approval forms are available at Grad.IllinoisState.edu/students/forms.
Comprehensive/Preliminary Examination
The comprehensive/preliminary examination is written, or, written and oral. It is also concerned with the student’s professional competence and ability to undertake independent research. The content, process, scheduling, administration, and evaluation of the examination is to be determined by each department and school. To apply for comprehensive examinations a student must:
be in good standing in a program, and
have a Degree Audit on file in the department or school,
not be on academic probation,
and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of the examination.
A student who fails the examination must wait until the next academic term before repeating the entire examination unless there are reasons that make an exception advisable. Exceptions must be requested from the Graduate School in writing by the student and advisor/director. Students who have twice failed the examination are not to repeat the exam unless they have completed further study as prescribed by the department chair or school director. Comprehensive examinations may not be administered more than three times to individual students. Department chairs and school directors are to notify students, by letter, of examination results within thirty days from the examination date. A copy of this letter is to be sent to the Graduate School. (If it is a student’s second failure, recommendations for further study and appropriate warning of the situation are to be included in the letter.) At the point of the third failure of comprehensive examination, the department or school will recommend to the Graduate School that the student be dismissed from the degree program.
The Graduate School must receive the results from the department or school within 5 working days of notifying the student.
Registration for Dissertation Work
Fifteen semester hours of 599 Doctoral Research are required for the doctoral degree. Any student using the services of the academic staff or the facilities of the University must be registered for the semester or term during which the services are rendered or facilities are used. Also, to register for 599 the student must be working on the research under the direction of the advisor or dissertation chairperson.
Continuous Registration
Once admitted to candidacy in a doctoral degree program, as defined by the Admission to Candidacy policy, and after the student has completed all coursework on the Degree Audit and the required number of hours (15) of 599 Doctoral Research, the student is required to maintain continuous registration until the submission of all final deposit materials to the Graduate School. The requirement for continuous registration may be fulfilled by maintaining registration in 1 hour of 599 each semester through the semester of degree completion. (Students registering for less than 9 credit hours in fall or spring, or less than 6 credit hours in summer, will not have the insurance fee automatically assessed. (See the Health Insurance website for further information.) The requirement for continuous registration does not apply during a summer term unless the student is proposing, defending, or graduating in that term. Registration for 599 may be in absentia. If circumstances prohibit continuous registration, a student must request a leave of absence. Any student interrupting registration without obtaining a leave of absence, upon re-enrollment and/or reinstatement, must pay tuition and fees for one credit hour of 599, at the current tuition and fee rates, for each of the delinquent semesters. Any student requesting reinstatement in a degree program after a lapse of one calendar year must complete an application for readmission to the program. Continuous registration for an upcoming term may be waived if all materials are submitted to the Graduate School by the Friday before the next semester starts. Consult with the Graduate School for more information.
Dissertation Committee
A dissertation is written under the direction of a dissertation committee appointed in a manner specified by the department. Dissertation committees require a minimum of 3 people, a chair from the student’s department/school and at least two other committee members. In all cases the chair must have full graduate faculty status. The majority of the committee, which includes the chair, should have full graduate faculty status. Inquire with your department/school for any additional requirements. Proposed committee members who are not members of the Illinois State University Graduate Faculty must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education and Internationalization Initiatives. See the “Graduate Committee Information” section on the Proposal Approval Form to indicate the faculty that need approval to serve on the committee. All committee members must have terminal degrees.
Dissertation Proposal
The student is required to file a Proposal Approval Form with the department or school and with the Graduate School for approval before embarking on dissertation research. Institutional policy also requires that all research proposals involving human subjects be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Research proposals involving animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Research proposals involving biohazards must be reviewed by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The dissertation for the doctorate must involve independent research and an original contribution to knowledge. See Research.IllinoisState.edu.
Academic Advisor
Each department is responsible for advising each student upon admittance to the program and informing the student of the source of this assistance. The student's Degree Audit must have the approval of appropriate departmental or school officials and the Graduate School and should be submitted early in the student's program. For a complete listing of each program’s graduate coordinator(s) or director(s) please visit Grad.IllinoisState.edu/Faculty/coordinators.
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education degree is designed for the preparation of practitioners competent in identifying and solving complex educational problems and who have the ability to understand and conduct research in their field. The career objectives of program graduates generally lie in areas of education at any academic level.
For information on Academic Advisor, Minor Fields, Time Limitations, Course Requirements, Comprehensive/Preliminary Examination, Admission to Candidacy, Registration for Dissertation Work, Continuous Registration, Dissertation Committee, Dissertation Acceptance, Dissertation Proposal, see the Doctor of Philosophy section.
Research Tool Requirement for an Ed.D.
Candidates are expected to have developed research competencies appropriate to doctoral candidates in their fields. These involve proficiencies in quantitative and/or qualitative research and may include such areas as statistics, measurement and evaluation, and field studies/ethnography.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
The DNP program is based on national expectations and competencies for graduates of DNP programs as stated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Please see the College of Nursing for more information: Nursing.IllinoisState.edu/academics
Doctor of Audiology
This four-year post-baccalaureate professional degree is designed to produce audiologists who are competent to perform a wide array of diagnostic, remedial, and other services associated with the practice of audiology. Students must meet all the academic requirements and clinical practicum requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Please see the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders for more information: CSD.IllinoisState.edu/academics/audiology
Advanced Standing Credit for Students Enrolling in a Doctoral Professional Practice Program
A limit of 24 hours of advanced standing credit may be granted to a doctoral student with a previous master’s degree in a related field of study. The graduate program coordinator will determine whether the 24 hours should be granted when the student applies for admission to the program. Technically, this is not transfer credit and does apply to any of the limits listed below.
Doctoral candidates who have previously earned a master’s degree or its equivalent approved by one of the regional accreditation associations or by the agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation may be granted 24 semester hours of advanced standing credit toward the doctoral degree if approved by the program and the Graduate School at the time of admission. The 24 hours are subtracted from the total hours required for the doctorate from the baccalaureate, if applicable. The 24 hours are not counted toward the maximum allowed transfer credit limit or computed in the cumulative graduate GPA. A copy of the transcript showing the earned degree is required. Degree equivalency from foreign institutions is determined by International Admissions. Advanced standing credit will only be granted for courses completed within five years of admission to the doctoral professional practice program and a grade of B or higher must have been achieved.
Specialist in School Psychology
The Specialist in School Psychology degree is offered in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Approved 1991. The Specialist in School Psychology degree requires the completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate level course work including practicum experiences; a full- time, nine-month internship in a school setting, and completion of a thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a minimum of 4 semester hours of PSY 499 credit. The non-thesis option requires 4 semester hours of an applied research experience in School Psychology.
Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 throughout their graduate training. Additionally, no more than 9 semester hours with grades of “C” are permissible.
Students must present, exclusive of Thesis 499 or the applied research experience, not less than 30 hours of 400-level course work.
Credit Requirements
The S.S.P. degree requires the completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate level coursework including practicum experiences; a thesis or applied research experience in school psychology and a full-time internship in a school setting.
Deficiencies
When an applicant has been accepted, the department will indicate any courses that may be required to remove undergraduate deficiencies. The department also may specify certain graduate courses which will be required in addition to those listed in the catalog and will designate which, if any, of these courses may be used in meeting requirements for the degree.
Time Limitations
All requirements for the S.S.P. degree must be completed within six calendar years, beginning with the date the student first registers as a Specialist in School Psychology degree student. See Master’s Degree Time Limitations section for complete policy. The form is available at Grad.IllinoisState.edu/students/forms.
Transfer Credit
Upon recommendation of the department and with the approval of the Graduate School, a student may present a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit from another college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association for use in meeting the requirements of the
S.S.P. degree. See entire policy under Master’s Transfer Credit section.
Admission to Candidacy
To be admitted to candidacy for the S.S.P. degree the student must have a minimum grade point average of
3.0 in graduate coursework at Illinois State, completed all deficiencies, successful completion of PSY 402 or a Thesis Proposal Approval form for PSY 499, on file in the Graduate School, if a thesis is the culminating experience for the specialist program, and an approved Degree Audit on file in the Graduate School.
Registration for Thesis Work
The student under the thesis option must register for four hours of 499 Thesis. Any student using the services of the academic staff or the facilities of the University must be registered for the semester or term during which the services are rendered or the facilities are used including the thesis proposal or defense. Also, to register for 499 the student must be working on the subject under the direction of the advisor or thesis chairperson. No grade will be given for the course but credit (CR) will be entered on the student's record at the time the approved thesis is deposited in the Graduate School Office. No credit for 499 may be given to a student who does not complete a thesis.
Continuous Registration - SSP
After the Thesis Proposal approval form has been accepted in the Graduate School and a student has completed the courses on the approved Degree Audit and registered for four hours of 499 Thesis, the student is required to maintain continuous registration. The requirement for continuous registration may be fulfilled by registering for Thesis 499.00. The requirement for continuous registration does not apply during a summer term unless the student is proposing, defending, or graduating in that term. Registration for 499.00 may be in absentia. If circumstances prohibit continuing registration a student must request a leave of absence from the University. Any student interrupting registration without obtaining a leave of absence must pay tuition for one credit hour of 499.00 for each of the delinquent semesters upon re-enrollment and/or reinstatement. Any student requesting reinstatement in a degree program must complete an application for readmission to the program. Continuous registration is required until the submission of all final deposit materials to the Graduate School. Consult with the Graduate School for more information. (See also Academic Load for Graduate Assistant insurance information.)
Thesis Committee
A thesis is written under the direction of a thesis committee appointed in a manner specified by the department. The committee normally consists of three or more full members of the Graduate Faculty, but shall not be fewer than two members. In all cases the chair must have full graduate faculty status. The majority of the committee, which includes the chair, should have full graduate faculty status. An associate Member may co-chair a thesis with a Full Member. Inquire with your department for any additional requirements. Proposed committee members who are not members of the Illinois State University Graduate Faculty must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education and Internationalization Initiatives. A student must be admitted to a Specialist degree program in the Graduate School before a thesis committee can be appointed.
Thesis Proposal
The Proposal for Research, including the title, scope, and design, must be approved by the student's thesis committee before a student is admitted to candidacy. The student is required to file an approved Proposal for Research with the department at a time and in a manner specified by the department. Institutional policy requires that all research involving human subjects be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Research involving animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Research involving biohazards must be reviewed by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). A copy of the Thesis Proposal approval form shall be deposited in the Graduate School Office by the early part of the semester or term in which completion of the S.S.P. degree is expected, according to the deadlines published by the Graduate School.