Advanced Certificate candidates may petition to transfer up to two and one-half units of graduate credit earned at other universities after they have completed two units of graduate study at the University of Illinois. The courses must have been taken within five years with a grade of B or better, and not counted toward another degree. The student must consult with the advisor to determine if the graduate work is appropriate for inclusion in the degree program. The EdD degree is designed as a practitioners degree to provide students with advanced professional training and to develop further their abilities in the scholarly study of professional problems. The degree requires the completion of at least 16 units beyond the master's degree including a maximum of 4 units of thesis credit.
Course work includes area of specialization, perspective options, research, and thesis credit.
The continuous residence requirement for EdD candidates must include concurrent and reciprocal participation in an approved full-time combination of academic courses and professional experiences over four consecutive terms. This plan must be approved by the Graduate Programs Committee. Students must also complete a professional work experience, written qualifying exams, and preliminary and final oral exams for the thesis. The PhD degree is planned by the student with the advisor to develop the student's ability to conduct research in a specialized field of education. The student must satisfy a research methodology component in an area approved by the advisor and the Research Methodology Area Committee.