Ph.D. and Designated Emphasis Advising

Staff advising

Please email edgradadvising@ucsc.edu with any questions, requests and assistance.

Key reference documents

Education Ph.D. student handbook: Use the handbook of your program entrance year.

General forms

Below are some of the most commonly used forms for Ph.D. students in our program.

Designated emphasis requirements

The Designated Emphasis in Education enables doctoral students in other departments to pursue interests in education and obtain formal certification of competence in the field of education. Most Education Department Ph.D. courses are offered every other year; Students should work closely with their education advisor to develop a plan for taking the coursework in a timely fashion.

Declaring intent to pursue a DE in Education

Students wishing to pursue the Designated Emphasis in Education should consult with their respective Graduate Program Coordinators – both in education and their home department – and their faculty advisors before submitting the application.

They must identify an Education Department faculty advisor and come up with a plan to take required D.E. coursework. Students should declare their intent to undertake the DE prior to the execution of their Qualifying Exams.

Application process

Please apply through the Education Department Application Form. Make sure to upload the filled and signed Petition to Enroll in the Education Designated Emphasis Form along with a PDF of your CV.

Second-year project

Students are required to complete a small independent research project, under the close supervision of their Faculty Academic Advisor, by the end of their second year. Students submit a resulting paper that reflects original data collection and/or analysis, as well as a substantial literature review and discussion of the theoretical implications of the research. Once the project is approved and all requirements met, the student is eligible to apply for a non terminal master’s degree.

In preparation for their Second Year project students may enroll in Independent Study code EDUC 294. See the Ph.D student handbook above for details, and use the forms on this page to make related submissions.

Qualifying Examination

Advancement to candidacy (ATC) is a critical milestone in the Ph.D. program that occurs once a student has met all the necessary requirements to begin their dissertation research. It means that the student has completed all required coursework, a second year research project, a teaching requirement, and has successfully passed their Qualifying Examination (QE). Advancement to candidacy is a key step in a student’s progress, and only after advancing can a student form their Dissertation Reading Committee and officially begin work on their dissertation. It marks the transition between a Ph.D. Student and Ph.D. Candidate. Furthermore, students must advance to candidacy by the end of their third year to remain in good academic standing. A student who has not advanced to candidacy within four years of entering the program will be recommended for probation unless there are extenuating circumstances.

In order for the Advancement to candidacy to take effect on the first day of the quarter following the submission of the QE Report and the Dissertation Reading Committee forms to the Graduate Division. The documentation must be submitted before the last day of instruction of the quarter the student has taken their Qualifying Exam. See the Ph.D. student handbook above for details.

Advancement to Candidacy

Taken during the end of the third year of the program, the Qualifying Examination (QE) is a two-part assessment intended to evaluate a student’s knowledge in their focal areas of study and their competence to conduct dissertation research. The QE includes both a written and an oral examination. The written portion consists of two position papers and a dissertation prospectus. The position papers should critically examine literature, while the dissertation prospectus introduces the student’s dissertation research plans. The oral exam typically lasts 3 hours, involving the student presenting and defending their work to a committee, which will then decide to pass, conditionally pass, or fail the student. Successful completion of the QE is a key milestone toward Advancing to Candidacy (ATC). See the Ph.D student handbook above for more details.

Requirements to advance to candidacy

Coursework: All required coursework must be completed. This includes foundational core courses and research methodology courses.

Second-Year Research Project and Paper: The student must complete a satisfactory Second Year Research Project and Paper. Alternatively, if the student has already completed a research Master’s thesis equivalent, they may be able to complete an alternative second-year project with the approval of the Faculty Academic Advisor and the Doctoral Program Committee.

Qualifying Examination (QE): The student must pass the Qualifying Examination and submit all subsequent documentation – QE Report and the Dissertation Reading Committee forms.

Teaching Requirement: The student must complete at least one-quarter of teaching, which can be a TA-ship or a Teaching Apprenticeship (EDUC 298).

Conference or Grant Proposal: The student must complete a conference or grant proposal.

Incompletes: All incomplete grades must be cleared from the student’s record.

Dissertation

A dissertation is a scholarly contribution to the field of education based on original research, which demonstrates expertise, coherent organization, and proper citation. An acceptable dissertation meets the following criteria:

Is an original study that reports on a thorough analysis of data collected by the author around a researchable problem;
Draws on established theoretical domains/foundations, while simultaneously moving the theoretical landscape forward;
Sufficiently attends to methodologies and methods appropriate to the student’s research questions(s);
Presents a meticulous analysis which offers a transparent path of inference and visibly supports all claims with appropriate evidence;
Seeks to produce knowledge that is in some way generalizable to larger audiences and/or education contexts;
Demonstrates expertise in the field education;
Is coherently organized, well written and appropriately cited.

See the Ph.D student handbook for additional details.

Dissertation checklist

Communicate early and often with your Faculty Academic Advisor regarding the status of your dissertation and your plans and timing for defending.

Apply for the Ph.D. Degree: Fill out and submit the Application for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree at the start of the quarter in which you plan to graduate and submit it to the Graduation Application Form.
Apply for Filing Fee Status (if eligible): Submit the Application for Filing Fee Status, signed by all members of the Reading Committee. This is only used in the student’s final quarter and if approved, reduces costs but also means that the student is no longer considered a registered student.
Complete the Dissertation: Write and revise the dissertation to meet the standards of the reading committee.
Submit the Final Draft: Submit the final dissertation draft to the Dissertation Reading Committee at least a month prior to the defense date.
Dissertation Defense: Schedule date and book a room to defend the dissertation in an oral exam.
Submit the Dissertation: Submit the dissertation electronically through the ProQuest website.
Submit the Title Page: Submit two title pages
- Signed Title Page: Use DocuSign to collect signatures from your committee members and email it to vlarkin@ucsc.edu for the Graduate Division Dean’s signature.
- Unsigned Title Page: Submit this version to ProQuest.
Meet Deadlines: Adhere to the submission deadlines listed on the Academic and Administrative Calendar, noting that spring deadlines vary depending on participation in Commencement.

Independent Study

Independent study courses offer students the opportunity to pursue individualized research, reading under the guidance of faculty members. These courses are designed to complement required coursework and allow students to explore specific areas of interest, develop research skills.

After completing their required coursework, PhD students typically enroll in independent study courses in order to maintain student status – before ATC students must be enrolled in 10 units, while students that have ATC must be enrolled in 5 units per quarter.

How to request an Independent Study

To enroll in an independent study, students must submit a written request, in PDF format to edgrada@ucsc.edu, with their advisor and instructor in copy. The faculty members must then email the PhD advisor to confirm their approval of supervising the described work. The PhD advisor then provides the student with a enrollment codes.

The requests must include:

A header with the following information: Student Name Quarter/Year Class ID, Course Title, Units Independent Study Faculty Sponsor, Faculty Advisor
Brief description of the work you will do during the quarter and what you expect to complete for the independent study.

Students are responsible for ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of their enrollments by the quarterly enrollment deadlines as listed on the Academic and Administrative Calendar.

Types of Independent Study Courses and Documentation Required

EDUC 279, Directed Reading (5 units): Describe topic(s) and attach proposed reading list (5 book-length works, 15-20 articles, or equivalent). No paper required. Meet from 15-30 hours during quarter.
EDUC 279F, Directed Reading (2 units): Describe topic(s) and attach proposed reading list (2 book-length works, 5-10 articles, or equivalent). No paper required. Meet from 10-15 hours during quarter.
EDUC 293A, Research Apprenticeship (2 units): Describe research purpose, activities, and mentorship arrangement.
EDUC 293B, Research Apprenticeship (5 units): Describe research purpose, activities, and mentorship arrangement.
EDUC 294, 2^nd Year Project (5 units): Describe work to be completed during the quarter for 2^nd year project.
EDUC 297, Independent Study (5 units): Describe purpose, readings, fieldwork, written assignments, frequency of meetings, or projects, as appropriate.
EDUC 297F, Independent Study (2 units): Describe purpose, readings, fieldwork, written assignments, frequency of meetings, or projects, as appropriate.
EDUC 298, TA Apprenticeship (2 units): Describe expected duties. Include the course # and title.
EDUC 299, Thesis Research (5 units): Dissertation proposal should be submitted in first quarter only. In subsequent quarters, describe the actual work to be done that quarter.