Ph.D. Program

The objectives of the ESED Ph.D. program are to prepare students for academic careers in STEM education, science education policy in higher education or informal teaching institutions. It also includes a range of other careers that require deep disciplinary knowledge and an understanding of the factors that affect student learning, retention, and inclusion in STEM.

Students who enroll in this program will be expected to be content experts in a STEM discipline with at least a master's degree in their content area of expertise. Graduates from this program will be prepared to become faculty in traditional departments of engineering or science and STEM education departments. They will be prepared to advance curricular and pedagogical reform at the post-secondary level and conduct research in the burgeoning fields of STEM education research.

Students in the ESED doctoral program will be exposed to the wide breadth of STEM education research under current investigation as well as be prepared to interface between the development of new theories in STEM education and the implementation of new research findings in practice. All students will take 18 or more hours of coursework in discipline-based education research courses.

Students who enter the degree without a master's degree in a STEM discipline will take 18 additional hours of coursework in their discipline.

Required Courses

Students will be required to take a minimum of 12 credits from core ESED courses, which include (but are not limited to) the following:

• ESED 8000 - Seminar in Engineering and Science Education (1 Credit)
• ESED 8100 - Orientation to Engineering and Science Education (1 Credit)
• ESED 8400 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research in STEM Education (3 Credit)
• ESED 8620 - Practicum in Engineering and Science Education Research (1 Credit)
• ESED 8710 - Foundations of Research Methods in Engineering, Science, and Mathematics Education (3 Credit)
• ESED 9700 - Advanced Research Methods in Postsecondary STEM Education (3 Credit)

As directed and approved by each student's doctoral committee, students will take a minimum of 3 credit hours in supporting areas, which include (but are not limited to) education, psychology, sociology, or statistics.

Additional Requirements

• Enrollment in ESED 9910 - 18 credit hours in Dissertation Research and Writing
• STEM Disciplinary Requirement - 18 credit hours at the graduate level in a single STEM discipline (i.e., mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, etc.) unless a student holds an M.S., M.E., or higher in their STEM discipline.
• Qualifying and Comprehensive Examinations - In addition to the regular course requirements detailed above, students in the Engineering & Science Education Ph.D. program will be required to pass a Qualifying examination as well as a dissertation proposal defense (which serves as a comprehensive examination) before undertaking their dissertation research. The qualifying examination must be scheduled within 12 months after students have completed their required coursework. The dissertation proposal defense (comprehensive examination) will follow within another 12 months after successfully passing the qualifying examination.

A full description of the requirements and policies for the ESED Ph.D. program can be found in the ESED Graduate Student Handbook.

Research Projects

Current ESED faculty members have active research projects in the broad areas of chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering education, including, for example, assessment and improvement of problem-solving, relationships between motivation and learning, student-centered learning environments, equity and gender issues in STEM disciplines, identity development, modeling of large-scale data, the graduate school experience, and students' academic and career development and success.

It is expected that each ESED doctoral student will choose a research project in conjunction with their faculty advisor in one of these or a similar area. Assistantships are stipends paid to graduate students to conduct research (research assistantship, or RA) or teach (teaching assistantship, or TA). RA and TA positions are subject to the availability of funds and may be offered to selected full-time students upon acceptance into the Clemson University Graduate School.

ESED Assistantships

If you have been awarded an assistantship, you must report to the departmental staff prior to the beginning of your assistantship and complete the required forms. The ESED department expects you to approach your graduate study in a serious and focused manner. Students on assistantship will have a weekly time commitment for work obligations stated in their letter of appointment (typically 20 hours per week). Coursework and dissertation research or professional activities will occupy an additional 20-30 hours per week for satisfactory progress to the degree.

Requirements

All students admitted into the program must have at least a Bachelor of Science degree in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discipline from a college or university that is acceptable to Clemson University, with preference being given to those who have completed graduate studies (masters level or higher) in a STEM discipline. Those who enter the program with a STEM Bachelor of Science degree must take 18 credit hours at the graduate level in a single STEM discipline (i.e., mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, etc.). Thus, the program is designed for students who are content specialists in a STEM discipline who seek to pursue discipline-based education research. Students will be admitted into the Ph.D. program in Engineering & Science Education in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Important Note for international students and students on a fellowship or assistantship: University guidelines require you to be enrolled in a minimum of 9 (nine) graduate credits for fall and spring and 6 graduate credits for summer that are Traditional or Hybrid/Blended (AAA) to meet visa, fellowship, or assistantship requirements; and to qualify for health insurance. Most ESED Certificate classes are classified as Hybrid/Blended, except for ESED 8240 Teaching Postsecondary STEM through E-Learning, which is delivered as an asynchronous class (AAC). If you enroll in ESED 8240, be sure to have enough other credits, including research credits, to meet the requirements of your visa, fellowship, assistantship, and to qualify for health insurance. International students may consult with the international office for further guidance.

How to Apply

Students interested in applying to the ESED doctoral program must be accepted to the Clemson University Graduate School. Application information and forms can be found on the Graduate School website. International students are welcome to apply and must meet Graduate School requirements for TOEFL and GRE scores.

The deadline for applications for the Ph.D. program for full consideration for admission and funding is December 1 of each year. There will be a second round of consideration for any remaining places in the incoming fall cohort starting February 1.