Distinctions Between the Ed.D. and the Ph.D.
Each doctoral Student in Instructional Technology must choose between one of two programs: the Doctor of Education Degree or the Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Often the decision is based upon perceptions of popular image or the extent to which their work environment is familiar with a particular degree. While these are not totally irrelevant criteria, this document is designed to provide more substantive distinctions between the two degrees. Hopefully, this discussion will help you make your selection between the two degrees, and help you understand the program area's decision to admit a particular individual to one program or another.
The difference between the two degrees is typically summarized in the following manner: The Ed.D. is more applied; the Ph.D. is more research oriented. What does this really mean to the typical WSU doctoral student in Instructional Technology?
First, it should be clear that the distinctions do not relate to the quality of the degree, or the abilities of the student, or whether a student is employed by a school or a training organization. Rather, the distinction between the two degrees relates to the relative emphases placed by each program, as summarized in this table:
|
Ph.D.
|
Ed.D.
|
|
| theoretical foundations of the field |
vs. |
development of specialized practitioner skills |
| application of other foundational or related disciplines |
vs. |
application of other educational foundations and techniques to this field |
| research which is directed toward theory building |
vs. |
applied research which primarily addresses localized practitioner problems |
Therefore,
an Ed.D. student would typically be a person who is:
- planning
on working in the field primarily as a practitioner;
- especially
interested in developing new technological capabilities, and
- interested
in research which tends to emphasize development, evaluation, or descriptive
projects.
On the other hand, the Ph.D. student would typically be a person who is:
- anticipating an academic career or an area of practice which demands research expertise;
- excited by theory and conceptual analysis, and
- tending
toward research which is generalizable and has potential for primarily
advancing the theory in the field rather than practice.
These distinctions are reflected in the different patterns found in the plans of work for the Ed.D. and the Ph.D. (Microsoft Word 6.0 or later required). Following is a summary:
|
Ph.D. |
Type of Course |
Ed.D. |
|
25
hrs.
|
Required Doctoral IT Core |
25
hrs.
|
|
12
hrs.
|
IT Theory |
8
hrs.
|
|
14
hrs.
|
IT Specialty Areas |
20
hrs.
|
|
15
hrs.
|
Research Skills |
11
hrs.
|
|
10
hrs.
|
Cognate |
12
hrs.
|
|
6
hrs.
|
Non-IT Doctoral Seminars |
6
hrs.
|
|
30
hrs.
|
Dissertation Research |
20
hrs.
|
|
112+
hrs.
|
Total Hours |
112+
hrs.
|
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