International Educational Development EdD

International Educational Development (IED – code: INTL)

Check the Course Planning sheet in the Student Handbook for the most recent degree requirements.

Coursework (at least 75 graduate level points, including up to 30 transferred credits).

Ed.D. coursework falls into four broad areas:

Area 1: Core Courses (9 credits)

• ITSF 6580: Advanced Seminar in Comparative Education

• ITSF 6581: Advanced Seminar in International Educational Development

• ITSF Research Methods Course

Area 2: Cluster-related courses (at least 30 credits)

• Courses counting towards the cluster must be advisor-approved.

• In some cases, transferred credits may be applied in this area.

Area 3: Transcultural/Area Studies/Research Methods ( 18 credits)

• At least 6 credits must be in research methods

• Other Area 3 courses must come from at least two of the following categories: topics, professional skills, internship/practicum

• In some cases, transferred credits may be applied in this area.

• In some cases, language credits may be applied in this area. Please check with the Registrar for restrictions on applying language credits

Area 4: Broad & Basic/Electives (18 credits)

• Can include courses dealing with the nature of education, the nature of a person’s learning processes, and the methods of evaluation and research

• Can include courses that do not fit into any of the previous categories such as courses in related scholarly disciplines, and/or those which give an understanding of the functions of related specialties.

• Transferred credits may be applied in this area

Languages:

Only graduate-level language courses at an advanced level of proficiency count towards the degree. These require approval from your advisor and the Registrar. No more than six credits of language courses can be used towards a graduate degree.

Courses Outside of TC:

Please see the TC Catalog for information about taking courses through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

Transfer credit:

A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred from other accredited institutions. Only graduate courses which have been (1) completed with grades of B or higher, (2) submitted on an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution, (3) granted/assigned graduate credit on the transcript of that institution, and (4) completed prior to enrollment at Teachers College may be considered for transfer credit. Transfer credit is awarded at the discretion of the faculty advisor and according to College policy. After registering for the first semester, students should obtain and fill out an Advanced Standing Review (ASR) application from the Office of the Registrar and return it to the Office of the Registrar. Transcripts will be evaluated and sent to the International and Comparative Education Program Assistant, who will then contact the student with further instructions. The entire process can take several months.

Departmental certification examination

• The program certification examination is integrated with the Advanced Seminar and covers all major areas of the International & Comparative Education field, as identified by the certification examination bibliography. It consists of a doctoral portfolio, in which students submit an academic theory paper, an academic CV, an academic statement, a short writing piece, and a transcript. The portfolio is due in May (end of the Spring semester) and is evaluated by three faculty examiners from the program. The portfolio will receive a grade of pass or fail. Students must pass the examination in the spring.  Students who fail it in the spring can retake it one more time the following semester. Students must be authorized by the Office of Doctoral Studies (ODS) to take this exam;  Please see advisor for more details. 

Specialization examination

• Each professional specialization has different examination requirements. Students must register for the exam with ODS during the first week of the semester and should consult the main advisor for more information.

Defense of a dissertation proposal

• The dissertation proposal defense requires two readers. The advisor/sponsor is the first reader, and students are responsible for finding a second reader appropriate for the concentration.

• Students should register for ITSF 7500 during the semester of the proposal hearing.

• Students are responsible for making arrangements with the two readers for the proposal hearing. Students should fill out the “Dissertation Proposal Hearing Report,” available from the ODS website. After a successful hearing, this form needs to be signed by both readers and the department chair. A copy should be submitted to the International and Comparative Education program office and the original should be turned into ODS.

• After a successful proposal hearing, students must submit an application to TC’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the research project.

Please refer to the TC IRB website for more information (https://www.tc.columbia.edu/institutional-review-board/). Once approved, copies of the IRB approval letter must be filed with the International and Comparative Education program office and ODS.

Program Plan

• Download the document "Ed.D. Program Plan Form" from the ODS website. Students should complete the Program Plan and obtain the advisor's signature on the form. This should be done by the time of the proposal hearing.

Ed.D. Certification

• Once students have 1) completed most of the required coursework, 2) passed the department exam, the specialization exam, and the proposal hearing, 3) received IRB approval for the dissertation research, and 4) submitted the approved Program Plan, students are eligible for Ed.D. certification. This process must be completed through the International and Comparative Education Program office with the assistance of the International and Comparative Education Program Assistant. Final determination of certification is by the Office of Doctoral Studies.

Fieldwork Outside of the United States

• Students who are conducting fieldwork outside of the United States may register for ITSF 6200  up to four semesters. This is a 0-credit course. If this course will be taken, it should be included in the Program Plan.

Preparation and defense of a research dissertation

• All Ed.D. students must register for ITSF8900, Doctoral Dissertation Advisement, after the Dissertation Proposal Hearing or the submission of the Recommendation for Certification to the Office of Doctoral Studies, whichever comes first. Students who are unable to receive advisement may be eligible for a waiver. Contact the Office of Doctoral Studies for more information.

• Students may also refer to the document "General Instructions for the Preparation of Dissertations for the Doctor of Education Degree: A Manual of Style" downloadable from the ODS website for more information on dissertation preparation.

• The “Guide to the Dissertation Oral Defense” is available on the ODS website for general guidance on preparing for the dissertation defense.

• Consult the Office of Doctoral Studies for requirements on continuous enrollment.

For more information, review the full International and Comparative Education Student Handbook here.