Doctor of Philosophy Education with a Concentration in Instructional Design and Technology (PhD)
John Baaki, Graduate Program Director
The Doctor of Philosophy in Education Instructional Design and Technology (ID&T) concentration prepares individuals to conduct research and assume leadership roles in the field of instructional technology. Students will master a number of instructional design skills, ranging from instructional problem identification, task and audience analysis, strategy design, assessment, evaluation, and implementation that they can use in a variety of settings including traditional classrooms, distance education, business, health care, military, K-12 and higher education, and government. Courses explore theories and research that provide a foundation for the field. Students are also expected to participate in and conduct research studies as part of their program. Completing the PhD in ID&T will prepare students to take jobs as instructional design and human performance practitioners in business, military, government, health care, and educational settings. They are also prepared to take positions as faculty members in higher education and as researchers for private organizations. The PhD in Education Instructional Design Technology (ID&T) concentration is offered on-campus and online.
Admission
For admission to this program, individuals should have completed master’s degree in an appropriate discipline from a regionally accredited university. Degrees that are equivalent to a master’s degree such as LLB, JD, and DDS are also acceptable. Prospective students should also have prior course work in statistics and instructional technology. If this requirement is not met, then additional course work may be added to the candidate’s graduate program of study at the discretion of the advisor and graduate program director. Please see prerequisites on the curriculum description for specifics.
Admission to the instructional design and technology PhD program is competitive. A number of criteria are considered including graduate and undergraduate GPAs, GRE scores, writing ability, a personal interview, and the match between student interests and faculty expertise. Meeting the minimum requirements established by the department does not ensure admission to the program. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8 and a minimum graduate GPA of 3.25 are recommended.
Application Requirements
Application requirements for the PhD in instructional design and technology are as follows:
- a completed application which is available online or from the Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate courses and degrees completed.
- Official report scores from the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) taken within the last five years. GRE scores expire after five years; however, candidates who have completed the exam prior to five years before the application deadline may submit those scores for consideration if they are provided from an official source such as a transcript or form provided by the Educational Testing Service. Old Dominion University reserves the right to determine what is an “official source.”
- Applicants whose native language is not English (or who do not have a BS or MS degree from an accredited institution in a country where English is the native language) must submit a current score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 600 (written) or 250 (computer based).
- Applicants must submit a 500 word statement of their academic and professional goals with an emphasis on how the PhD degree in instructional design and technology will contribute to the achievement of the stated goals.
- Three letters of reference from sources capable of commenting on the applicant’s readiness for advanced graduate study. It is recommended that at least two of the letters come from university faculty members. Other letters may come from work supervisors or managers.
- An interview with the instructional design and technology program faculty. This committee will also review applications for admission.
Under normal circumstances, admissions will be offered at least three times a year for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Acceptance is competitive to assure that there is an adequate number of full-time faculty to serve the students through advising, mentoring, and other duties, particularly when individuals reach the dissertation stage of the program.
Students interested in attending full-time and applying for financial aid should submit their applications by February 1 prior to the fall semester they wish to start.
Admission Application Deadlines
Applicants must submit completed applications and all related material no later than the following dates:
- May 1st for the Fall Semester
- November 1st for the Spring Semester
- March 1st for the Summer Semester
Curriculum Requirements
Program Requirements
The Ph.D. program in Education with a concentration in instructional design and technology is comprised of courses totaling a minimum of 60 academic credit hours beyond the master’s degree. The curriculum includes an program core of 21 credit hours, 9 credit hours in the instructional design concentration, and a research core of 15 credit hours, the three credit dissertation seminar and the dissertation, which will include a minimum of 12 credit hours. The dissertation will often include more than 12 credit hours depending on the length of time necessary for completion. Students entering the program may also need to complete introductory statistics courses and an instructional technology foundations course if they have not had equivalent courses or cannot demonstrate competency at a satisfactory level. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree in an academic field that is unrelated to instructional design and technology and/or who have not completed courses to develop competency in specified areas may need to complete these courses in addition to the required courses. All courses are offered online. All students must complete the research residency project (IDT 879 and IDT 898) that results in a submission for publication or presentation to a nationally refereed journal or conference prior to taking comprehensive exams The residency project must be completed within two years of the start of IDT 879. If not, the student must repeat IDT 879 without credit.
All IDT students are expected to have regular and reliable access to a multimedia computer (headphones, microphone, and web cam) and a high speed internet connection.
Prerequisites: All students admitted into the Ph.D. in instructional design and technology must complete the following prerequisite courses unless they have previously completed equivalent graduate level coursework or have appropriate educational experience.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites * | ||
| Introduction to Applied Statistics and Data Analysis | ||
| Foundations of Instructional Technology | ||
| ID&T Core Courses | ||
| IDT 730/830 | Principles and Practices of Human Performance Technology | 3 |
| IDT 751/851 | Computer-Based Multi-Media Design | 3 |
| IDT 760/860 | Cognition and Instructional Design | 3 |
| IDT 773/873 | Advanced Instructional Design Techniques | 3 |
| IDT 801 | Instructional Design and Technology Seminar | 3 |
| IDT 810 | Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology | 3 |
| IDT 849 | Instructional Systems Design | 3 |
| Research Core | ||
| FOUN 812 | Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| TLCI 814 | Qualitative Research Design in Education | 3 |
| FOUN 823 | Analysis of Variance Applied to Educational Research | 3 |
| IDT 725/825 | Human Performance Assessment | 3 |
| IDT 879 | Research Residency in Instructional Design and Technology | 3 |
| Instructional Design Concentration | 9 | |
Choose courses from the following: | ||
Design & Theory | ||
| Foundations of Distance Education | ||
| Applied Instructional Design Tools | ||
| Instructional Design Theory | ||
| Instructional Message Design | ||
| Research Residency II | ||
Technology | ||
| Diffusion and Adoption of Instructional Technology Innovations | ||
| Theory and Design of Instructional Simulation | ||
| Instructional Gaming: Theories and Practice | ||
| Designing Online Instruction | ||
| Participatory Research: Theory and Methods | ||
Human Performance Technology | ||
| Noninstructional Interventions | ||
| Consulting Skills for Instructional Designers | ||
| Needs Analysis and Assessment | ||
| Electives ** | ||
| Complete electives | ||
| Capstone Courses | ||
| FOUN 881 | Dissertation Seminar *** | 3 |
| SEPS 899 | Dissertation in Occupational Education | 12 |
| Total Credit Hours | 60 | |
- *
All students admitted into the Ph.D. program in instructional design and technology must complete the prerequisite courses unless they have previously completed equivalent graduate level coursework or have appropriate educational experience.
- **
Electives are chosen from the list above, or from related areas, e.g., modeling & simulation, psychology, engineering, speech-communications, business, I/O psychology.
- ***
If seminar is waived by the doctoral committee, the credits are added to the content.
Additional courses or substitutions may be used as approved by student’s advisory committee.
Additional Requirements
Program Continuance
After completing 12 hours in ID&T course work, students must maintain a 3.25 GPA in ID&T courses. Failure to do so will result in one year probation. If the student's GPA in ID&T courses is less than 3.25 at the end of the probation period, the student will be suspended. Students who earn a grade of C+ or lower (including U) in a graduate course in their program of study are considered to be making unsatisfactory progress. Students earning one or more grades of C+ or lower must meet with the program director prior to enrolling in courses in future semesters. Students must provide a plan for making satisfactory progress or they will be suspended. If a student earns three or more grades of C+ or lower, they will be suspended from the program. Students wishing to be considered for reinstatement must follow the procedures set forth in the ODU Graduate Catalog.
In addition, the ODU Graduate Catalog states students who have less than a 3.0 GPA on courses at ODU will be placed on probation and may be suspended if conditions prescribed in the catalog are not met.
Continuous Enrollment and Exams
Doctoral students who do not meet the conditions for continuous enrollment and who do not have an approved leave of absence will be suspended from the degree program. Doctoral students who fail the comprehensive exam (either oral or written) or the doctoral final examination (e.g., dissertation defense) twice will be suspended from the degree program.
Satisfactory Progress
Doctoral students who do not complete at least 12 hours of course credits towards their degree each year with a grade of B- or higher prior to candidacy will be evaluated for continuation in the program. If the program faculty do not feel the student is making adequate progress, the student will be placed on program probation for one year. If the student has not completed 12 hours of course credits toward the degree with a grade of B- or higher, they will be suspended.
Research and Dissertation
Doctoral students will be evaluated annually for their progress in completing their research or dissertation. Students who have not made progress towards the completion as demonstrated evidence of a finished proposal, data collection, data analysis, or drafts of the manuscript/dissertation will be evaluated by faculty for continuance in the program. If faculty feel the student has not made adequate progress, the student will be placed on probation for one year. If the student has not made adequate progress after one year of probation, faculty may recommend dismissal from the program for failing to make adequate progress towards completion of the degree.
Plagiarism
Any student found guilty of plagiarism will be suspended immediately from the program.
Program Completion and Exit
To complete the program students must fully comply with the curriculum below and all requirements noted elsewhere in the University catalog for graduate students and within the Ph.D. in Education Handbook. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain these materials and complete required portions.