Students choosing the traditional residency must enroll for at least 18 hours of course work over two consecutive semesters, nine of which must be graded. One of those residency terms can be a Summer semester. Students choosing the alternative residency must enroll for at least nine hours of course work during each of three consecutive Summer semesters. At least half of the hours taken during the alternative residency summer semesters must be graded. Students choosing the alternative residency must also enroll for a residency seminar during each of the two semesters between the first and second summers.
Doctoral committees consist of at least three qualified faculty members, including the advisor.
The doctoral committee must approve the student's plan of study, professional experiences contract, dissertation proposal, and dissertation. The doctoral committee also conducts the student's general examination and final examination. The Doctor of Education program in Vocational and Adult Education requires at least 60 semester hours, distributed much as they are in Ph.D. programs. Although students' doctoral committees are authorized to accept credit for appropriate graduate courses completed at other accredited institutions, at least 24 hours, in addition to the 10 hours of Dissertation Research, must be earned at Auburn University, Auburn campus. Before the degree is conferred, each student must develop at least one scholarly manuscript and submit it to the editor of a refereed professional journal.