Doctor of Philosophy - Teacher Education

Plan Description

The Ph.D. in Teacher Education in the Department of Teaching & Learning is projected for professional educators who have an interest in becoming practitioner-oriented scholars in teacher education and who are interested in teacher education as a content area for research. Completing this degree will enable individuals to answer the national call for teacher educators and researchers in this field. The program is one of only a few in the nation devoted to teacher education.

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate college-level teaching experience;
2. Connect theory and research related to teaching and learning to the practice of teaching in schools and to the practice of teaching university courses;
3. Design and conduct research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies with particular emphasis on applied research in the context of diverse schools.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

1. All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements. 
2. Hold a master’s degree from an accredited program in an area closely related to the chosen field of specialization. Normally, 18 semester hours in education are required.
3. Have a grade point average of 3.0 of higher in all graduate level coursework. *Please note that one third of the total program hours may be transferred from another accredited doctoral program.
4. Have satisfactory teaching experience, preferably licensed.
5. Obtain three letters of recommendation from individuals who can specifically address the applicant’s potential for success in the doctoral program. These letters of recommendation will be requested and submitted through the Graduate College online application system. One of the letters must be from a university faculty member addressing your past academic success and future potential in a doctoral program.
6. Submit one set of official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities as requested in the Graduate College online application. You may upload unofficial transcripts via the online application as a supplement if you have the documents in a digital computer file (e.g., PDF). Unofficial transcripts do NOT substitute for the official documents.
7. Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the General Exam. The scores should be sent directly to the Doctoral Studies Office in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Applicants are encouraged to provide self-reported scores for the GRE in the Standardized Tests section of the Graduate College online application.
8. Submit a Personal Statement via the Graduate College online application that addresses in detail:
   1. Reasons for pursuing a doctorate in teacher education
   2. Expectations concerning the doctoral program
   3. Potential areas of study within teacher education
   4. The name of a faculty member in the department with whom you would like to work [optional]
9. Submit a written statement regarding when the residency requirement will be met (see the Doctoral Handbook. This statement should be uploaded via the Graduate College online application in the Supplementary Information section as an “Other Required Document.”
10. Demonstrate oral communication skills through an interview conducted by members of the T & L graduate faculty. Out-of-state applicants must contact the Coordinator of Doctoral Studies directly to make alternate arrangements to the on-campus interview.

Once requirements are met, members of the T & L Graduate Faculty will evaluate all evidence for admission submitted by the applicant and then make their recommendations to the entire T& L faculty. The T & L faculty will make a recommendation to the Graduate College, and the Graduate College will post the decision letter to the student’s online application. Only complete applications will be considered.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements 

Plan Graduation Requirements

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here. 
4. The student must also file a copy of the dissertation with the Teaching and Learning Department.