Plan of Study
During the first year of study, students form a guidance committee (complete the Guidance Committee Membership form). The purpose of the guidance committee is to assist the student in formulating a plan of study that meets the degree requirements while fulfilling the professional needs of the individual student. The guidance committee is typically composed of four faculty members and at least one of those faculty members is from a program other than MQM.
In consultation with each guidance committee member, the student formulates a plan of study. That plan of study is approved at a meeting of the guidance committee in which the student describes how their previous experiences, interests and professional goals relate to the courses included in the plan of study. Members of the guidance committee will sign Doctoral Program Plan form approving the plan of study.
The Preliminary Examination
Preliminary Exam Date: Typically in August.
The Preliminary Examination is taken at the end of your first year of study, and it requires you to demonstrate proficiency in reading and critiquing research in education. You need to apply to take the examination by completing the Preliminary Examination Application form a few months prior to the examination. Contact Kimberly Kelly for the current deadline.
The Apprenticeship
The Apprenticeship (sometimes referred to as the research practicum in the College of Education) is an integral part of the graduate student experience, linking course work and research experiences, while providing the support of a mentor and a community of scholars. Through the apprenticeship, students may identify areas of research of particular interest, perhaps leading to the choice of a topic for the dissertation.
The Comprehensive Examination
Fall Comprehensive Exam Dates: Typically in August.
Spring Comprehensive Exam Dates: Typically in January.
The Comprehensive Examination in MQM consists of three, three-hour testing sessions (each on a separate, consecutive day). Each student will take two days of examinations on the major area of concentration (measurement or statistics) and one day of examination in the minor area of concentration.
The Dissertation
All Ph.D. students in MQM complete a dissertation as the final step of the degree. The dissertation experience is probably the most important of all of the requirements because it allows students to develop expertise in a very specific area of research; develop, conduct, analyze and summarize an original piece of research; and work closely with several faculty members who have expertise in the student’s are of emphasis.
The MQM faculty conducts an annual review of each student’s academic/professional development. The annual review gives the student and the program an opportunity to reflect upon the student’s strengths, weaknesses and needed areas for professional growth.
College Requirements
All doctoral candidates in the college are required to have basic knowledge in four of the following areas of general professional education:
- Administration
- Curriculum
- Psychological Foundations
- Research and Evaluation Methods
- Social, Philosophical and Historical Foundations
- Motor Development and Motor Learning
- Biological Foundations
- Ethical Considerations
- Issues of Diversity in Education
The specific areas selected shall be determined by the student’s guidance committee in consultation with the student.
Previous Coursework
Some students enter the MQM Program having had previous graduate course work. Many times, that course work allows them to satisfy a cognate area or College of Education general requirements. Sometimes that course work allows them to begin taking intermediate level courses during their first year of study. Students who have taken previous relevant courses from another university or MSU department and would like to substitute that work for MQM required courses (e.g., CEP 900, CEP 920, CEP 921, CEP 930, CEP 932 or CEP 933) should request a review of the previous course’s suitability as a substitution by submitting a Credit Evaluations Request. All course substitutions are subject to approval by the student’s guidance committee.