Ph.D. Program Requirements

Doctoral Program Requirement Highlights

  1. Individuals seeking the Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) are expected to have the necessary background and experiences to enhance their success in the specialization area.
  2. Candidates possessing a master's degree accepted for 30 semester credit hours should plan to complete approximately 44 hours of course work and a minimum of six hours of dissertation research. Candidates without a master's degree must complete a minimum of 74 semester credit hours of course work (beyond the baccalaureate degree) and a minimum of six hours of dissertation research.
  3. Each Ph.D. degree shall be a program of course work and learning experiences designed to fulfill the needs and interests of each student in developing their academic potential as a scholar in their specialization and research. It should provide for depth and breadth of knowledge appropriate for the area of specialization. At least two cognate areas should be included in addition to the major specialization in AEE.
  4. Residency requirements involve full-time enrollment (8 hours/semester or 4 hours/summer) for two consecutive terms prior to candidacy and enrollment for a minimum of 6 graduate credit hours over at least two terms (semester or summer) after candidacy.
  5. Ph.D. students must successfully complete a written examination near the completion of their course work. All required "core" coursework for the degree and specialization must be completed prior to the start of the candidacy examination. Written and oral examinations will be conducted in accordance with the OSU Graduate School policies.
  6. A dissertation proposal, normally consisting of Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the dissertation, will be presented by the student to the dissertation committee for review and approval.
  7. The final oral examination will be conducted in accordance with current OSU Graduate School policies.
  8. Additional requirements and details are found in the department's Graduate Program Handbook.

Template of program for AEE Ph.D. degree: WordPDF