Early Childhood Education, Ph.D.

General Program Information

Jane Broderick, EdD, Professor, Co-Coordinator, Doctoral Program
Graduate Coordinator
214 Warf-Pickel Hall
Box 70548
(423) 439-7695
e-mail: broderic@etsu.edu

Pamela Evanshen, EdD, Professor, Department Chair, Co-Coordinator, Doctoral Program
209 Warf-Pickel Hall
Box 70548
(423) 439-7694
e-mail: evanshep@etsu.edu

Faculty: Julia Atiles; Jane Broderick; Pamela Evanshen; Ruth Facun-Granadozo; Rebecca Isbell; Alissa Lange; Amy Malkus; Kathryn Sharp; Carol Trivette

Admission Requirements

Applications to the Ph.D. in Early Childhood program are evaluated once each year for admission in the fall semester. All application information must be received by March 15^th. This deadline is flexible until enrollment is filled. Students will be admitted on a competitive basis. Admission to the Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education program has the same requirements as existing graduate school requirements plus additional specific requirements (in italics):

1. Application fee.
2. Application form.
3. One official transcript of all previous undergraduate and graduate work.
4. Personal resume.
5. A personal essay that includes a written statement of career and educational goals, professional experience, and area of interest for the dissertation.
6. Submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past 5 years, except for those with a prior doctoral degree from an accredited institution within the United States. The preferred scores are 50^th percentile or higher for verbal and quantitative sections.
7. Four letters of recommendation.
8. Master’s Degree in Early Childhood or a related field from an accredited university.
9. An interview by members of the admission committee, when warranted.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of the Ph.D. in Early Childhood includes all of the following:

1. A minimum of 69 semester credits of coursework beyond the master’s degree.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Completion of a required research apprenticeship and at least one of the additional apprenticeship options (university teaching, development of teachers, early intervention, or early childhood leadership).
4. Passing the doctoral comprehensive candidacy written and oral examinations.
5. Passing the preliminary oral examination, dissertation prospectus defense.
6. Completion of a dissertation of publishable quality.
7. Passing the final dissertation defense.

A student in the Early Childhood Ph.D. program shall have seven calendar years from the date of initial registration to complete and successfully defend a dissertation. All students must have Institutional Review Board approval by ETSU.