Instructional Leadership – Instructional Technology Concentration (PhD)
The Instructional Leadership PhD with a concentration in Instructional Technology is dedicated to the improvement of professional practice and to the work of school engagement. The PhD prepares individuals to conduct original research and to use current and emerging technologies and instructional strategies to help develop effective learning environments. The degree prepares individuals to assume positions tied to the preparation of researchers in the area of educational technology and to the design of instructional work in school and college environments, as well as to positions in business and industry settings.
Instructional Leadership – Social and Cultural Studies Concentration (PhD)
The Instructional Leadership PhD with a concentration in Social and Cultural Studies is dedicated to the improvement of professional practice and to the work of school engagement. The program aims to develop scholars, researchers, and instructional leaders for schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. The work of the program is guided by the principles of reflective practice, professional growth, democratic action, and individual responsibility. The overarching goal is to prepare theoretically informed leaders with a critical understanding of social and cultural issues necessary to enact insightful organizational, curricular, and pedagogic decisions within their respective institutional settings.
Doctoral Degrees
The PhD in instructional leadership prepares educational leaders, scholar practitioners, policy makers, professors, and researchers who can use—and contribute to—knowledge of learning processes, pedagogy, and the social foundations of schooling. Courses focus on curriculum, professional development, supervision, learning, pedagogy, and questions of diversity and social justice. Throughout, the overarching aim is to develop the skills of inquiry and reflective decision making needed to construct ethical and politically informed judgments that advance education while respecting diversity, honoring difference, and promoting social justice. The PhD offers two concentrations: instructional technology (preparing future researchers, teachers, and corporate trainers in the field of instructional design and e-learning) and social and cultural foundations of education (preparing students for academic positions in higher education or public policy and advocacy groups). Students enrolled in the PhD must select one of the concentrations.
Instructional Leadership, PhD (Instructional Technology)
Admissions
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
- An earned master's degree in any field.
- A curriculum vita or resume
- A writing sample.
During the application process, applicants should select the Instructional Technology concentration.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
When admitted to the program, applicants are assigned a temporary advisor–they may continue to work with this person or select another advisor when they get to know the faculty. Advisors work with students to complete a Plan of Study. This is your degree plan; it specifies the courses you must complete to graduate.
The Instructional Leadership PhD with an Instructional Technology concentration is comprised of 48 hours of coursework and 18 hours of dissertation credit.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional Technology Courses (21 hours required) | ||
| AIL 601 | Prin Instruct Technology | 3 |
| AIL 602 | Electrnc Instruct Design | 3 |
| AIL 604 | Distance Technologies | 3 |
| AIL 605 | Interact Multimedia Proc | 3 |
| AIL 608 | Div,Inclu,Equ, Access Inst Tec | 3 |
| AIL 689 | Practicum Instructional Tech | 3 |
| AIL 690 | Sem Instructional Technology | 3 |
| Research Courses (12 hours required) | ||
| BER 540 | Statistical Methods In Educ | 3 |
| BER Electives: Select 3 additional BER courses with advisor approval. BER courses should include at least one qualitative course and one quantitative course. | 9 | |
| Foundations Courses (BEF/BEP/out of program) (6 hours required) | 6 | |
| Select courses with advisor. Courses must be outside of the Instructional Technology program. | ||
| Elective Courses | 9 | |
| Elective courses are to be decided with your advisor. They can include AIL 606 and/or AIL 607, research courses, higher education courses, educational leadership courses, or foundational courses. | ||
| Dissertation Research | 18 | |
| Dissertation Research | ||
| Total Hours | 66 | |
Transfer Credit
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement
Graduate School information on the Doctoral Plan of Study.
Comprehensive Exams
The comprehensive examination consists of the development of an electronic portfolio. The portfolio is due at the end of coursework and must be successfully passed before enrolling in dissertation hours (AIL 699). A student does not have to be enrolled in courses when completing the comprehensive examination (i.e., a student might finish courses in the spring, planning to start dissertation hours in the fall and complete the comprehensive examination during the summer).
Graduate School information on the Comprehensive Exam.
Admission to Candidacy Requirements
A student is admitted to candidacy after successfully passing the comprehensive examination electronic portfolio requirement.
Graduate School information on Admission to Candidacy.
Continuous Enrollment Policy
Graduate School information on Continuous Enrollment.
Dissertation Requirements
When a student has completed coursework, they will select a dissertation committee chair and send a request to that professor, who must be in the ELPTS department and a full member of the graduate faculty. If that professor accepts, they will help the student select the additional committee members. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the committee members and request that they serve on the student’s committee. If the professor requested as the chair does not accept, then the student will make the request of another professor. The student will enroll for dissertation hours under their dissertation committee chair’s section following the Graduate School’s requirements for continuous enrollment.
Some dissertation chairs in the Instructional Technology program require a prospectus while others do not; it is at the discretion of the dissertation committee chair. The student will work with their committee chair to develop their prospectus and/or proposal and final dissertation document and send it to the other committee members once the chair has approved it. Committee members must have the document two weeks before a meeting. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the dissertation committee members to set up a meeting once the chair has approved a meeting and provided times they are available.
Once a student has had their proposal approved by the dissertation committee, they will submit their protocol to IRB. Once a student has successfully defended their final dissertation, they will hire an editor recommended by their chair to check the final document for APA, grammar and UA requirements. When the dissertation chair approves the final document, a student will then submit the document to ProQuest.
Time Limit for Degree Completion
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence information
Academic Grievances Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation
Information on the Application for Graduation.
Instructional Leadership, PhD (Social and Cultural Studies)
Admissions
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
- A Curriculum Vitae
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- A writing sample
An entrance exam is not required for the application to the Instructional Leadership PhD with concentration in Social and Cultural Studies. However, students who have already taken the GRE or MAT and scored at or above the 50th percentile are encouraged to submit their results to supplement their application.
Applicants with grade point averages below 3.0, but not below 2.5, may be considered for Admission with Permission to Continue.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The doctoral program requires a minimum of 66 credit hours beyond the master’s degree or 84 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. A typical 66-credit hour PhD is comprised of 48 hours of coursework (including a minimum of 18 hours of BEF classes), a comprehensive examination, 18 hours of dissertation credit, and the University residency requirement.
In consultation with their advisors, students are encouraged to seek relevant courses outside the program and College to fulfill both disciplinary and elective needs according to their academic interests and professional goals.
A majority of courses in the program of study must be at the 600 level or higher.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Foundations Courses | ||
| BEF 644 | Phil Science Rel Ed Res | 3 |
| BEF 667 | Multicult Soc Ed Leadershp | 3 |
| BEF 681 | Ethics And Education | 3 |
| BEF 690 | Social Theory Analysis | 3 |
| Additional Foundations Courses | 6 | |
| Students are encouraged to complete at least one course in each of the constituent program disciplines. Pre-approved courses include the following: | ||
| Sociology: BEF 507/607, BEF 641, BEF 650 | ||
| History: BEF 503, BEF 640, BEF 653 | ||
| Philosophy: BEF 504, BEF 642, BEF 654 | ||
| Remaining hours of coursework may come from any disciplinary course not taken from above and/or the following elective courses: | ||
| Multicultural Education (Remaining hours of BEF coursework may come from the courses above and/or any of the following courses:) | ||
| Found Educn Through Film | ||
| Language Politics & Education | ||
| Readings In Soc Of Ed | ||
| Educ Theory And Policy | ||
| Politics Of Education | ||
| Ed Policy/Dynamics of Change | ||
| Curriculum Study Schooling | ||
| Sem Curriculum Leadership | ||
| Elective Courses | 15 | |
| Research Courses (quantitative and/or qualitative research methods) | 15 | |
| Elective hours may be taken from BEF courses not taken. Additionally, students are encouraged to take courses outside the program that inform issues in SCS, as approved by their advisor. | ||
| Dissertation | 18 | |
| Dissertation Research (Continuous enrollment is required until the dissertation is complete. The number of hours will vary depending on the workload of the student and professor.) | ||
| Total Hours | 66 | |
Transfer Credit
Up to 21 hours of required course work may be transferred if credit meets conditions stated in the Doctoral Degrees section of the Graduate Catalog. Use the Transfer Graduate Credit Form.
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement
When admitted to the program you will be assigned a temporary advisor–you may continue to work with this person or select another advisor when you get to know the faculty. One of the first projects, usually completed in the first or second semester, is to form a Program Advisory Committee and complete a Program of Study Form. This is your degree plan; it lays out the courses you must complete in order to graduate.
Graduate School information on the Doctoral Plan of Study.
Comprehensive Exams
Upon completion of coursework or during their last semester of coursework, students may complete a traditional, on-site exam or pursue a publication option to fulfill the exam requirement. Students completing the on-site exam must also complete an oral defense. This requirement will be waived if the student has presented their work at two approved conferences.
Graduate School information on the Comprehensive Exam.
Admission to Candidacy Requirements
Students will be admitted to doctoral candidacy upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam.
Graduate School information on Admission to Candidacy.
Continuous Enrollment Policy
Graduate School information on Continuous Enrollment.
Dissertation Requirements
Students will choose their dissertation chair and, in consultation with their chair, form a 5 member committee. The committee must include one member outside the student’s home department.
Proposal. The dissertation proposal normally constitutes the first three chapters of the dissertation study. Typically, this comes after the student has met to discuss a 12-15 page prospectus.
Graduate School information on Dissertation Requirements.
Time Limit for Degree Completion
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Additional Academic Requirements
Graduate School information on Doctoral Residency.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
Graduate School Information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence information.
Academic Grievances Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation
Information on the Application for Graduation.
While a GRE score is not required for admission, preference for a limited number of college-funded assistantships is given to applicants for full-time study who take the GRE and achieve a composite score of 300 or better. Other competitive assistantship, fellowship, and scholarship opportunities may be available for applicants without GRE scores.
Students who are interested in or need other assistantships or funding are encouraged to apply for College of Education scholarships (https://education.ua.edu/students/scholarships/) and through the student employment websites (Careers at University of Alabama (ua.edu); Job Search (ua.edu).
Graduate School information on Financial Assistance.