Admission Requirements
See General Admission Requirements. An applicant is not required to have majored in education on the undergraduate level. However, some curriculum and instruction specializations do have additional admission requirements.
Students may not earn both a master’s degree and an Ed.S. or Ed.D. from PCC in the same specialization, except educational leadership. Those who completed a Master of Science degree in educational leadership and want to pursue a higher degree in the same area should contact the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office for adjustments to required courses.
Requirements for the Ed.D.
Doctoral study consists of the mastery of a field of knowledge and the successful pursuit of research. Requirements for the doctoral degree include a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond master’s degree or 90 credit hours beyond bachelor’s degree and doctoral research.
Residence Requirements
Each education doctoral student must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework. All coursework for Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction may be completed online. Coursework may also be completed through on-campus summer sessions and online learning. Up to 12 credit hours may be earned during the 7-week summer term. See upcoming summer courses.
Students must be registered for Continuing Dissertation Services to be completed at the student’s home residence when they are doing their independent
research.
Plan of Study
Students should plan to take the core courses early in their program. Within one year after completing all coursework, comprehensive examinations must be taken. At the completion of all required coursework or upon approval of the Dissertation Topic Approval Form (whichever comes first), the doctoral student must register for Continuing Dissertation Services (equivalent to a minimum of 6 terms) continuously until the dissertation is successfully defended and presented ready for binding. Defense of the dissertation will be scheduled after the dissertation has been acknowledged by the Dissertation Committee as worthy of the formal defense procedures.
All work including the final oral defense of the dissertation must be completed within 7 years. The 7 years begins with the first course taken in the doctoral program.
The Doctor of Education degree will be conferred only upon those of strong character, displaying qualities of leadership and evidencing a high degree of scholarship in their chosen fields.
Dissertation
Every candidate for a doctoral degree is required to prepare and present a dissertation acceptable in form and content to the student’s Dissertation Committee. It is necessary that the work be of publishable quality. The dissertation must exhibit originality and thoroughness of research and must be an exhaustive treatment of the subject chosen. Matters of format, grammar, and mechanics must be approved by the college dissertation reviewer. Mere technical form is not enough; the material should reflect the high quality of research and knowledge expected of a doctor of education.
The student must register for Continuing Dissertation Services until the project is completed, whether or not the student resides in Pensacola. If the final copy is not acceptable and not presented for binding within 30 days after the defense, a $150 Dissertation Final Copy Extension Fee will be charged for each additional 45 days.
All dissertations and other projects prepared as part of the requirements for a graduate degree automatically become the property of Pensacola Christian College and may not be published or reproduced without the written consent of the College.
Candidacy
Students are eligible for candidacy for a doctoral degree when they have (1) completed all coursework, (2) passed their written and oral comprehensive examinations, and (3) received the College Doctoral Committee’s approval of their prospectus.
Graduation Requirements
See Graduation Requirements.
Technology Requirements
Students enrolled in ED 718 and 726 are required to own a personal laptop for use in class. An SPSS subscription is also required; laptop specifications must meet minimum SPSS system requirements.