The state-mandated ExCET test is required for persons who complete certification programs. For guidance concerning professional certification, the student should consult with an advisor or the university certification officer and the chairpersons of the various programs. Professional teacher's certificates are awarded in approved fields in elementary and secondary education. Graduate program endorsements are available for bilingual education, early childhood, English as a second language, gifted and talented, information processing technologies, learning resources, generic special education, and visual impairment. The Doctor of Education Degree.
Doctoral study consists of the mastery of a field of knowledge and successful pursuit of research.
Consequently, doctoral programs are more flexible and varied than those leading to other graduate degrees. The Graduate School does not specify a course of study for the Doctor of Education degree. The general requirement is that the program should be unified in relation to a clear objective, that it should have the considered approval of the student's advisory committee, and that it should have a strong research component. The Doctor of Education degree is not granted for a program of miscellaneous study. The program as a whole must be rationally unified, and all courses must contribute to an organized program of study and research.