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E-Learning
E-learning is growing and continues to evolve, with everything from completely online class offerings, including massive open online courses (MOOCs) and hybrid classes, to web-enhanced on-campus classroom environments. The E-Learning specialization will develop your knowledge-base in curriculum development, design and course delivery using technology and online learning management systems. You will research and practice hands-on application in visioning, planning and designing an e-learning environment. You will also examine the legal aspects of e-learning; technology resources; teaching and learning in synchronous and asynchronous environments; and instructional design for e-learning.
General Degree Requirements
The PhD Program may be completed in 60 semester credit hours. However, up to an additional 15 credit hours will be allowed as needed to complete the dissertation research. If the program is not completed in 75 credit hours, the student will be dismissed from the program.
Completion Period for Doctoral Degrees
Northcentral University allows 7 years to complete all doctoral programs of 60 credits or less. Normal time to complete varies depending upon course take rate and credits transferred.
Certification and Licensing
The School of Education serves educational leaders by providing online graduate studies in education to reach worldwide populations. The PhD program is designed to reach national and international markets and does not purport to provide licensure or certification in any particular state or country.
PhD Degree Requirements
Admission to the doctorate programs at NCU requires a master's degree from an accredited institution. PhD students are also required to demonstrate competency in specific subject areas prior to enrolling in any of the specialization or elective courses.
Foundational Competencies for PhD Program
- Graduate Level Statistics Competency - PhD students are required to complete a Statistics in Education Research Course, EDU8003, and also EDU8006, Advanced Educational Statistics.
- Competency in Research Writing Skills - PhD students are required to show competency in writing skills for research purposes through their Northcentral University graduate coursework before being assigned to any dissertation courses. Students will be required to take EDU8001, Advanced Scholarly Writing, to improve APA formatting skills and to address advanced writing and research skills as necessary.
- Computer Competency - PhD students are required to use appropriate computer skills that are necessary in writing a dissertation. Students must be able to prepare documents using advanced word processing skills (e.g., creation of tables and figures, headers and footers, page breaks, tables of contents, hanging indents, etc.). In addition, students need to use computer programs for the statistical analysis and presentation of data (e.g., Excel, SPSS). The oral defense normally requires a computer-based presentation by the candidate (e.g., a PowerPoint presentation).
Course Length
All new students enrolling in the PhD in Education program are automatically enrolled in courses that are eight weeks in length. All eight-week courses are indicated by a "-8" (dash eight) at the end of the course code.
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
Specialization Course 1 | ||
EDU8002, EDU8002-8 | Educational Research Methodology | The purpose of this course is to enable students to gain a holistic understanding of the research process and examine the most common research designs used in educational research. In this course, students are prepared to make thoughtful and wise choices about their dissertation research project or capstone project through the exploration of different research design options. |
Specialization Course 2 | ||
EDU8003, EDU8003-8 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate Learner. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the Learner understand statistical methodology used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
Specialization Course 3 | ||
EDU8202, EDU8202-8 | Research Design | In this course, the Learner acquires the basic skills necessary for the interpretation and application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. The Learner will examine the formal research process carefully, with an emphasis on practical applications and skill development. Critical concepts and principles intrinsic to research paradigms, study designs, and methods of inquiry are presented to empower the Learners ability to formulate and respond to research questions. The resources listed below from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center are critical resources throughout the whole research process _ learners are highly encouraged to become deeply familiar with the resources from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center. |
EDU8005, EDU8005-8 | Qualitative Research Design | This course is an examination of qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, and case studies. |
Specialization Course 4 | ||
EDU8006, EDU8006-8 | Statistics II | This course is an intermediate examination of statistical analyses commonly used for research in education. It prepares the doctoral student with the skills required to plan, conduct (using SPSS), report, and interpret quantitative statistical analyses. Topics include: basic statistical knowledge, probability theory, exploratory data analysis, assumptions for statistical tests, parametric and nonparametric tests. Specific analyses include correlation, regression (simple, multiple, and logistic), basic ANOVA and advance ANOVA techniques. |
Specialization Course 5 | ||
EDU8007, EDU8007-8 | Quantitative Methods | This course provides students with the skills essential for designing experimental, quasi-experimental, and survey studies; analyzing the data collected in those studies, and interpreting the results of data analyses. Students will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research. |
Specialization Course 6 | ||
EDU8207, EDU8207-8 | Planning Dissertation Research in Education | Students in this course will begin the process of writing a dissertation for a research or professional doctorate. The course will address the University dissertation procedures and aids students in the process of successfully completing a dissertation, including attending to self-care and time management. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
EDU8000, EDU8000-8 | Foundations for Doctoral Study in Education (This course will be taken as the first course) | This course is an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a doctoral degree in Education. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of personal goals, strengths, and challenges, and a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations. |
EDU8001, EDU8001-8 | Advanced Scholarly Writing | The purpose of this course is to build advanced skills identifying and obtaining high quality sources through online library searches. In addition, the course addresses advanced writing and APA formatting skills, and it prepares students to be critically reflective consumers of research reports. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
EL7001-8 | Principles and Practices in E-Learning | This Doctoral level course is designed to introduce to the student the essential elements in the field of electronic, online learning. Students will develop an understanding of the principles, philosophies, practices, approaches, technologies and delivery models that are being used by practitioners in the field of electronic learning. Students will explore the various needs that e-learning practices can meet and the best ways to effectively implement e-learning to meet those needs. |
EL7002-8 | E-Learning Instructional Strategies | This course will introduce doctoral students to the strategies necessary to facilitate learning using information and communication technologies. Students will develop effective online learning facilitation skills such as establishing a safe learning environment for students, accommodating various learning styles, conducting effective online class discussions, monitoring the progress of students, guiding collaborating online learning activities, and administering online assessment and evaluations. |
EL7003-8 | Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning Activities | This Doctoral level course examines the process of instructional design in an online education and training context. Students will critically evaluate the relationship between instructional design and technology and have the opportunity to apply the instructional development process. The course will help students to develop skills in designing the best experiences and learning activities that will engage students in an online learning environment. Students who enroll in this course should be prepared to design activities and learning experiences for an online course. |
EL7004-8 | The Online student | This Doctoral level course offers an overview of the key issues of student online learning and provides practical guidance to working with students in the online environment. Course participants will examine the characteristics of online students and the factors that are critical to the success of any online student, such as multicultural issues, evaluation, and the challenges of plagiarism, cheating, and much more. |
EL7006-8 | Facilitating Adult Learning Online | Doctoral students will assess pedagogical learning theories and paradigms in teaching and learning as they impact adult learning and integrate effective adult learning principles into an online learning environment. Emphasis will be placed on theory into practice. Students will acquire skills necessary to create online community of adult students. |
EL7007-8 | Ethical and Legal Issues in an Online Course | The purpose of this doctoral level course is to provide students with a solid foundation in cyber law and the varied legal and ethical issues that pertain to the use of technology in organizations. Students will examine and evaluate issues involving plagiarism, public domain, copyright protection, infringement, and protection. Emphasis will be placed on gaining a clear understanding of the law in order to make polices for organizations. |
EL7008-8 | Online Learning Communities in an Online Course | Online discussions and interactions in online learning environments are a key component of any course delivered via distance learning. This course will help students develop skills and techniques to design and facilitate effective online discussions. Students will focus on the use of asynchronous discussion tools as well as synchronous tools that are found in most e-learning platforms. Assessment and evaluation strategies of synchronous and asynchronous activities will also be examined. |
EL7010-8 | Online Learning for K12 Students | This course examines the potential that the Internet offers to students in Grades K-12. Students will explore the challenges and the opportunities of Web-based learning in the K-12 environment as well as the questions that surround the key issues involved in successfully incorporating the wide-range of Web-based learning opportunities for the K-12 classroom, including technology, content, and implementation. |
ED7008-8 | Educating a Diversity of Students | As the United States continues to experience increasing cultural diversity, today's educators must appraise, assess, and argue the best means to reach diverse and exceptional students. Additionally, individuals differ in gender, sexual orientation, age, physical, and mental abilities. Students will choose and compare different means to address the nature of cultural diversity, its sources and importance to educators. Finally, students will organize, plan, prepare and write instructions that a district might use to meet the needs of diverse students, taking into consideration epistemological and axiological perspectives unique to each culture. |
CT7000-8 | Developing Curriculum Strategies and Curriculum | In Developing Instructional Strategies and Curriculum doctoral students will contrast and analyze instructional strategies based on a framework of architectural principles. Doctoral students will integrate and implement curriculum theories and models that can include differentiated instruction and the infusion of technology. Curriculum standards and requirements, issues, and trends will be evaluated for the production and promotion of recommendations for effective change. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
CMP9500E | Doctoral Comprehensive Examination | In pursuit of a research doctoral degree (PhD) at Northcentral University, students gain expertise in their academic discipline and in one or more specializations that complement their academic discipline. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination is intended to assure that students have mastered knowledge of their discipline before candidacy status is achieved and their dissertation work is initiated. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination is taken following the completion of all foundation, specialization, and methods courses. This course is graded using Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) grading criteria. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination must be successfully completed with an "S" grade prior to beginning any work in Dissertation courses. This course may only be retaken once. |
DIS9501E | PhD Doctoral Dissertation | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9502E | PhD Doctoral Dissertation | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9503E | PhD Doctoral Dissertation | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9504E | PhD Doctoral Dissertation | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
At Northcentral University, we pride ourselves in being completely transparent when it comes to tuition and fees. We have adopted an all-inclusive tuition model that gives you the cost of your Doctor of Philosophy in Education tuition and fees in one flat program rate*. The only additional cost above your PhD in Education program rate is books. Learn more about the NCU’s PhD in Education costs below:
- Per credit cost: $857
- Per 3 credit course cost: $2,570
- Program cost: $51,400
- Average book cost per course: $150
- Application Fee: $0
- Technology Fee: $0
- Registration Fee: $0
Click here to learn more about payment and financing options.
*Program rates are subject to change and generally increase at the start of each calendar year.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about our students, it’s that they are motivated and ambitious—but they are also busy! At Northcentral University, we’ve designed our education experience to work with you, not against you, so you can achieve your academic goals without sacrificing the quality, flexibility and support you need to be successful.
- Regionally Accredited
- No Physical Residency Requirements
- One-to-One Teaching
- 100% Doctoral Faculty
- Flexibility of Online Learning
- University Resources
To learn more, request information or call 1-866-776-0331 or start a live chat to speak with an enrollment advisor today. We offer new courses every Monday of the year so you can get started when it’s best for you.
