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Doctoral Degree in Agricultural Education
The Doctoral Program in Agricultural Education began at Oklahoma State University in 1955. The program's graduates hold a variety of positions, including faculty and administrative positions in colleges and universities, Cooperative Extension, and 4-H; supervisory and administrative positions in state departments of education and vocational education; as well as numerous positions in agribusiness, government, and related industry.
In 1997, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved a program leading to the Ph.D. in Agricultural Education to replace the Ed.D. With the additional emphasis placed on research, it is believed that the Ph.D. program will better prepare graduates to compete and contribute in the global community. The program is designed to be tailored to the individual needs and goals of the student. There is a wide array of quality agriculture, education, administration, extension, occupational, and other course offerings from which to choose.
Admission Criteria
Program Requirements
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
Summary of Procedures for Completing a Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Departmental Employment Opportunities
Course Options
Agricultural Education and Communications Graduate Faculty
Graduate Student Handbook
Helpful Graduate Student Web Sites
Admission Criteria
• A master's degree in an appropriate field from an accredited university;
• An acceptable grade point average in graduate studies (an undergraduate GPA of 2.80 and a graduate GPA of 3.0 in 24 or more hours);
• An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination;
• Three years of appropriate professional experience;
• Recommendations from three people knowledgeable of the applicant's professional qualifications;
• A career goal consistent with a doctoral degree in agricultural education;
• A curriculum vitae and a statement of goals.
Program Requirements
The program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours above the master's degree. Required coursework includes 15 hours of agricultural education and education courses, 15 hours of specialty-area courses, 15 hours of statistics and research courses, and 15 dissertation hours. A minimum of 30 semester hours must be taken in residence at Oklahoma State University. One year (two concurrent semesters) of the last two years must be spent in continuous residence at the institution.
An advisory committee should be established early in the program. The committee can assist in planning the program of study, conducting research, and meeting the requirements of the degree. The committee consists of four faculty members, including three members of the Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership graduate faculty and one other graduate faculty member, usually from the specialty area. One of the graduate faculty members from the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership will serve as committee chair.
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
All graduate students are expected to read and to comply with the written regulations as printed in the general University Catalog. All matriculating students are eligible for one free catalog from the Graduate College upon their initial enrollment.
Enrollment Requirements
Graduate students must complete a minimum of six hours during each 12-month period to be continuously enrolled. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment requires reapplication and readmission to the program. Graduate students must be enrolled in at least two hours during any semester in which they are utilizing university resources including the semester in which they graduate. Graduate assistants must meet minimum enrollment requirements as follows: 0.50 or greater FTE-6 hours in fall or spring; 3 hours in summer; less than 0.50 FTE-9 hours in fall or spring; 3 hours in summer. All students (including those enrolling in research hours only) must be enrolled by the deadlines listed in the Schedule of Classes.
Time Limits
All requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed within nine years calculated from initial enrollment in the program. No course on the plan of study may be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation. Students must follow deadlines for submission of dissertations and for completing final exams as listed in the catalog.
Grade Point Requirements
Students whose cumulative graduate GPA falls below 3.0 are subject to being placed on Strict Academic Probation (SAP). Students on SAP may be suspended if they receive any grade below a B. To graduate, a student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in all coursework (excluding research and creative component hours) and also a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in research hours. These GPAs are calculated independently.
Transfer Hours
Doctoral students must take at least 30 hours at OSU.
Plan of Study
Doctoral candidates should file the plan of study prior to the completion of the 28th graduate credit hour of enrollment. All students must indicate on their plans of study whether or not their research will involve human subjects. If human subjects are to be used, approval must be received from the Institutional Review Board prior to the beginning of the research.
Office of Research Compliance
Federal regulations and Oklahoma State University policy require review and approval of all research studies that involve human subjects before investigators can begin their research. The Office of Research Compliance conducts this review to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in biomedical and behavioral research. In compliance with the aforementioned policy, each graduate student doing research involving human subjects is required to submit an application for Review of Human Subjects Research to Office of Research Compliance at 415 Whitehurst Hall, (405) 744-5700. Applications are available from the Office of Research Compliance (formerly IRB) and on the Web at http://compliance.vpr.okstate.edu.
Graduation
Students must file a diploma application in the Registrar's Office, 322 Student Union, at the beginning of the semester in which they are expecting to graduate. If they fail to graduate during that semester, a new diploma application must be filed. At the beginning of the semester of anticipated graduation, students should update their plans of study to ensure consistency with actual coursework. Published deadlines for dissertations are strictly enforced.
Summary of Procedures for Completing a Doctor of Philosophy Degree
1. Consult temporary advisor regarding enrollment in first semester of classes.
2. Select graduate committee. Four faculty members with graduate faculty membership are required, one of whom is from outside the department (usually from the area of specialty). The appointment of the committee is made by the Dean of the Graduate College after recommendation by the department.
3. Develop a Plan of Study with the major advisor.
4. Develop a dissertation research proposal with the major or thesis advisor.
5. Schedule Advisory Committee meeting and submit plan of study and dissertation research proposal for committee approval. All students must indicate on their plans of study whether or not their research will involve human subjects. If human subjects are to be used, approval must be received from the Official of Research Compliance prior to the beginning of research. (See Office of Research Compliance (formerly IRB) information in Graduate Rules and Regulations, p. 9.)
6. File Plan of Study prior to completion of the 28th graduate credit hour of enrollment with the Graduate College.
7. After completing a majority of coursework and receiving approval for the dissertation proposal from your doctoral advisory committee, file a letter of request with the graduate coordinator to take the comprehensive examination.
8. Take written comprehensive examination.
9. Schedule comprehensive oral examination with graduate committee. Upon completion, file Admission to Doctoral Candidacy form with the Graduate College.
10. At the beginning of the semester in which the degree will be conferred, complete a Diploma Application at the Registrar's Office, 322 Student Union.
11. After enrolling in the final semester, check the Plan of Study for accuracy. Turn in the Final Revision of Plan of Study only if the plan has changed since the last time it was filed with the Graduate College.
12. Submit a draft of your dissertation to Graduate College by the published deadline for the semester you plan to graduate
13. Schedule a committee meeting for oral examination over dissertation. Prepare the final copy of your dissertation by making changes requested by the committee and the Graduate College. Get committee members to sign all necessary signature pages for final dissertation copies.
14. Submit completed Result of Final Examination form to Graduate College.
15. Four copies of each dissertation and six copies of the abstract must be submitted in a manila envelope with the student's name and dissertation title at the top of each envelope. The six abstracts are to be in one envelope with the student's name and title of dissertation as well as department listed at the top of the envelope. One copy of the dissertation should be submitted to the departmental graduate secretary on regular copy paper, tape bound if you submit your dissertation to the Graduate College on thesis bond, two copies if you submit your dissertation to the Graduate College electronically. Two copies of the abstract must also be submitted to the secretary on regular copy paper.
Refer to the Oklahoma State University Thesis & Dissertation Handbook for additional information and, for information about the electronic submission of your dissertation, refer to the instructions on the Graduate College home page.
Department Employment Opportunities for Graduate Students
Graduate assistantships have been established at Oklahoma State University to encourage scholarship and the promotion of research. After admission by the Graduate College, a student who is making satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree may be appointed to an assistantship. A limited number of research and teaching assistantships are available in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership each year. Assistantships are usually one-quarter (.25 FTE) or one-half time (.50 FTE). According to University guidelines, all graduate assistants work 10 hours per week for a quarter-time appointment and 20 hours per week for a half-time appointment.
Graduate Research Assistantships
A graduate research assistant (RA) conducts research under the supervision of a faculty member in the department to develop not only technical and manipulative skills but also to foster originality, imagination, judgment, and patience-the traits of an independent scholar. Specific research responsibilities for an RA are determined by the supervising faculty member.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Graduate teaching assistants share the faculty's responsibility for undergraduate teaching. Graduate teaching assistants are assigned to a specific course and faculty member in the department.
Applications for Assistantships
Applications for departmental assistantships are available from the office assistant in 455 Agricultural Hall. Additionally, assistantship opportunities in other departments and offices are generally posted on the graduate student bulletin board in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership.
Student Organizations
Graduate students at OSU can participate in a number of student organizations. There are many undergraduate organizations in which graduate students can become involved. Those affiliated with the Department include Collegiate Farm Bureau, Collegiate FFA, ATA, Collegiate 4-H, and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, and Phi Delta Kappa, an honorary educational society, also meet monthly at OSU.
The Oklahoma State University Graduate Student Association is composed of representatives from every graduate degree-granting department. It operates independently of the undergraduate Student Government Association and is the voice of graduate students on all issues. Its goal is to improve all aspects of graduate education. Most work is completed through a committee structure and non-representatives are encouraged to become involved. The Association sponsors travel to professional meetings, professional development seminars, and external speakers for graduate students.
The Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership also has its own Graduate Student Association. The group holds monthly business meetings, discussing upcoming events and OSU Graduate Student Association updates, as well as various social and educational events throughout the year.
Agricultural Education and Communications Graduate Faculty
Robert Terry Jr., Department Head and Roger Howell Professor, Ph.D., Texas A&M University.
Research Interests: Teaching and learning in agriculture and natural resources. Including agricultural literacy, teacher development, content design and delivery.
Dwayne Cartmell, Ph.D., University of Missouri.
Research Interests: Media evaluation, urban/rural interface, and gatekeeping strategies.
Charles B. Cox, Ed.D., Oklahoma State University.
Research Interests: Youth development, volunteer management, and agricultural literacy.
Craig Edwards, Ph.D., Texas A&M University.
Research Interests: Time and teacher behaviors in student learning, preparation and induction of beginning agriculture teachers, the student teacher-cooperating teacher relationship, in-service education for mid- and late-career agriculture teachers, agricultural education in post-communist countries.
Kathleen D. Kelsey, Ph.D., Cornell University.
Research Interests: Stakeholder involvement in land-grant universities, and research and evaluation methods, especially qualitative methods.
James P. Key, Ed.D., North Carolina State University.
Research Interests: Water quality, evaluation, and distance education.
Traci Naile, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University.
Research Interests: disaster management and communications, branding agriculture, and new media.
Jon W. Ramsey, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University.
Research Interests: Teacher induction, professional development of agricultural educators.
Shane Robinson, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia.
Research Interests: Preparation of beginning agriculture teachers, recruitment and retention of secondary agricultural education teachers, assessment of the employability skills and job satisfaction of college-wide graduates in agricultural sciences.
Jeff Sallee, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University.
Research Interests: Youth leadership and life-skill development, youth-adult partnerships, STEM literacy.
Shelly R. Sitton, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University.
Research Interests: Agricultural communications, content analysis and curriculum evaluation.
Penny L. Weeks, Ph.D., Texas A&M University.
Research Interests: Leadership education and studies.
William G. Weeks, Ph.D., Texas A&M University.
Research Interests: Leadership, teaching and learning.
Helpful Graduate Student Web Sites
OSU Graduate College
GRE Web site
Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Stillwater Visitors and Convention Bureau
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