Degree Completion

Requirements for Continuous Enrollment

Two conditions of continuous enrollment apply to all students in the doctoral degree program in order to maintain satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree. They are as follows:

  1. Students are expected to achieve a satisfactory grade (A or B) in all coursework attempted for doctoral graduate credit. Students must also maintain a 3.3 GPA at all times. A student who receives more than one grade of C, or one D, or one F, or U grade in any course will be withdrawn from the doctoral program. When special circumstances warrant, students may appeal for withdrawal by petitioning the Policy and Petitions Committee of the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Outreach.
  2. Students who have completed their coursework and the number of dissertation hours for credit required in the doctoral program and continue to use university resources must enroll in and pay tuition for not less than three semester hours of dissertation credit each semester until all degree requirements are met. These hours will not count toward the degree but will be reflected in the variable credit of EDAS 740- Dissertation in Educational Administration and Supervision.

Progress Examination

A progress examination will be administered to all doctoral students after the first 18 semester hours of the program. This exam is for diagnostic and prescriptive purposes and will provide a comprehensive assessment of the student's progress to date. Enhancements to the student's program of study, if any, will be identified at that time.

Comprehensive Examination

A successfully completed written comprehensive examination is required for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The comprehensive examination will cover topics as outlined by the doctoral program faculty. The topics will cover the knowledge base of the following components of the program: core, research methodology, internship, and academic area of concentration. The examination will be administered through the Department of Educational Leadership. A candidate is eligible to take the examination after completion of all coursework or when the final courses are in progress. Candidates may take the examination twice, but they must wait at least one semester to retake the examination if they are unsuccessful on the first attempt. Candidates who fail to pass the written examination on the second attempt will be dropped from the program. Applications for the Comprehensive Examination will be available through the Department of Educational Leadership. It will be the student's responsibility to fulfill this requirement.

Time to Degree Completion

All requirements for the Doctor of Education degree must be completed within five years from the date of initial registration in the graduate program, excluding periods for military service. Students who encounter unique problems which prevent compliance with this regulation may appeal through the doctoral program to the Chair of the Policies and Petitions Committee in care of the College of Graduate Studies.

Under compelling circumstances, students may be awarded extensions, totaling not more than one year, to the present limit of five years. This provision restricts the period for completion of the degree to a maximum of six years.

Withdrawal from the Doctoral Program

Students who withdraw officially from the doctoral program and the University will receive grades of “W” in the courses in which they are registered. Doctoral students withdrawing from the program will not normally be permitted to enroll in future doctoral courses. Students who encounter unique problems which prevent compliance with this regulation may appeal through the doctoral program advisor to the Chair of the Policies and Petitions Committee, in care of the College of Graduate Studies.

Transfer Credits

The Doctoral Degree Program in Educational Administration and Supervision is a 60-semester hour program, which must be completed in its entirety at Virginia State University. Semester hours from another accredited college or university in a student's academic area of concentration (AAC) may be reflected in the student's plan of study but will not be applied to the 60 semester hours required for degree completion at Virginia State University.

Residency

For the purposes of the Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Supervision, residency is defined as at least two consecutive academic semesters when professional employment does not override academic pursuits. The first academic year of doctoral studies is extremely demanding. Therefore, residency requirements will be completed during this time. Students will complete 30 semester hours of their program during the first year and will be classified as full-time doctoral students. Students enrolled in nine (9) semester hours of coursework in any given semester will be considered to have full-time status.