Educational Theory and Policy

Joint Degree Program between The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law (J.D.) and the Educational Theory And Policy Program (M.A., & Ph.D.)

Joint Degree Program

The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law (DSL) and the Educational Theory and Policy (EDTHP) Program are offering a joint degree program leading to a Juris Doctor (J.D.); and a Master of Arts (M.A.), or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Educational Theory and Policy.

Admissions Requirements

The number of openings in the joint degree J.D./M.A., or Ph.D program will be limited to students with an outstanding academic record who have successfully completed the first-year curriculum at the Dickinson School of Law. Applicants to the joint degree program:

1. must have been admitted to the Dickinson School of Law
2. should have successfully completed two semesters of course work at the Dickinson School of Law with a grade point average of 3.0
3. must submit two letters of recommendations from the Dickinson School of Law faculty
4. must submit a career statement

Note: students are eligible to start taking courses in the EDTHP program after successfully completing two semesters of law school work.

College Specific Admissions Requirements

DSL: A bachelor’s or equivalent degree from an accredited college is a prerequisite for admission; however, there is no standard prescribed undergraduate curriculum. An applicant should have acquired significant oral and written communication skills before entering law school. The following are required of applicants: a completed application form for DSL; submission of the results of the law school admission test (LSAT); completion of an LSDAS report; a one-page personal statement; employment records since high school; and two letters of recommendation.
EDTHP: The following are required of all applicants: a completed application form to EDTHP; submission of the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or LSAT; an official undergraduate transcript or transcripts; a personal statement; employment records since high school; and three letters of recommendation.

The best qualified students will be accepted for admission into the doctoral programs up to the number of spaces available. Students with a 2.75 grade-point-average (GPA) will be considered to the master’s program, and with a 3.0 GPA at the master’s level for the Ph.D. program. Exceptions to the minimum GPA may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests.

All international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master’s degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) and submit the results of that test with the application for admission. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or a score of 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 points on the new Internet-based test with a minimum of 23 points on the new speaking portion; or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum composite score of 6.5 is required for admission.

Residency

Students will normally spend four semesters in residence at DSL and as many additional semesters in residence as needed to complete the additional requirements for the pertinent EDTHP degree. Ph.D. candidates must arrange the sequence of semesters to ensure that they are in residence as full-time students in the EDLDR program for at least two consecutive semesters (Fall-Spring or Spring-Fall) excluding summer in a single twelve-month period. D.Ed.

Liaisons

The department and faculty liaisons for DSL shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the student advisor shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or such other faculty member(s) as may be designated by the Dean. The liaison for EDTHP shall be the Professor-in-Charge (PIC) or such faculty member(s) as may be designated by the PIC.

Prescribed Courses

DSL: All students are required to take the first-year curriculum in DSL. In the second or third year, students must take CORE 934 (Professional Responsibility). The fall curriculum for the first year consists of the following courses:

CORE COURSES (CORE)
900. Civil Procedure (4)
910. Criminal Law (3)
912. Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (3)
925. Torts (4)

The spring curriculum of the first year consists of the following courses:

One three-credit Elective

CORE COURSES (CORE)
903. Constitutional Law (3)
905. Contracts (4)
914. Legal Analysis, Research & Writing II (3)
920. Property (4)

EDTHP: A minimum of 36 credits is required for the M.A. in EDTHP. At least 27 credits must be at the 500 level or above; at least 18 credits must be in EDTHP. At least 6 credits of thesis research (EDTHP 600 or 610) must be taken to fulfill the Graduate School’s requirements. Only 3 credits of EDTHP 596 (Independent Study) may be counted toward the M.A. requirements. Students who wish to transfer credits from other programs must receive prior approval from the EDTHP faculty. The required course is
EDTHP 500 (Proseminar).

Ph.D. requirements

Introduction to the EDTHP Program (3 credits)

EDTHP 500 Proseminar

Research Methods (12 credits)
EDTHP/EDLDR/HI ED 585: Research Design
EDTHP/EDLDR/HI ED 586: Qualitative Methods
Two quantitative methods courses.

Research Courses: 6 credits

These are research method courses specifically related to the student’s thesis.

Theory Foundations: 12 credits*

Four theory-based 500-level EDTHP courses are required. At least one course must be a 500-level EDTHP course in the area of history or philosophy of education (e.g., EDTHP 533, 536, 540, or 541), and another must be a 500-level EDTHP course in the area of sociology or demography of education (e.g., EDTHP 516, 557, or 597 classes such as Sociology of Education or Sociology of Adolescence). After a student has consulted with his or her advisor, one 400-level course may be substituted for EITHER one 500-level Theory course OR one 500-level Policy course, depending on the nature of the 400-level course. Students who take advantage of this option will need to do additional work beyond the 400-level requirements and should make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time.

Policy Foundations: 12 credits*

EDTHP/EDLDR/HI ED 587: Policy and Politics

In addition, three 500-level EDTHP courses in educational policy (e.g., EDTHP 516, 518, 520, 527, or 597 classes such as Comparative Analysis of Education Policy) are required. After a student has consulted with his or her advisor, one 400-level course may be substituted for EITHER one 500-level Theory course OR one 500-level Policy course, depending on the nature of the 400-level course. Students who take advantage of this option will need to do additional work beyond the 400-level requirements and should make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time.

*Note: Some EDTHP courses may be counted as either a Theory course or a Policy course, but they may not be double-counted.

Other: 21 credits

These include credits for minor or dual-title requirements, electives, and thesis research. A maximum of 9 professional credits and 15 academic transfer credits may be counted.

EDTHP independent study courses (EDTHP 596) will be counted only as electives unless the student consults with his or her advisor and then petitions the EDTHP faculty.

Interprogram Transfer of Credits

DSL: A maximum of twelve credits for EDTHP course work may be transferred for credit toward the J.D. degree at DSL. Students must obtain a grade satisfactory to DSL for the course work to be credited toward the J.D. degree. The following EDTHP courses may qualify for credit in DSL: (1) EDTHP 518 (Analysis of U.S. Educational Policy); EDTHP 520 (Theoretical Perspectives on School Reform); (3) EDTHP 533 (Social History and Educational Policy); (4) EDTHP 541 (Contemporary Philosophies of Education); and (5) EDTHP 587 (Education Policy and Politics).

EDTHP: What courses may be credited will be determined by the student’s degree program. Normally a maximum of twelve credits of DSL course work will be counted for credit for the minimum requirements for a master’s degree, subject to approval by the student’s advisory committee.

Normally, a maximum of 30 credits from a master’s degree program will be counted for credit for the minimum requirements for a Ph.D. degree.

Sequence

The sequence of courses will be determined by the students and their advisors.

Recommended Program of Study and Advising

All students in the program will have two advisors, one from DSL and one from EDTHP. Periodic interaction between the two advisors will be encouraged. A program of study will be developed for each student, taking into account the fact that some courses are offered on a rotating or intermittent basis. Many courses are offered every year but some are offered every two or three years. Advisors will have available a list of projected relevant courses or educational experiences in order to work with the student on an individualized program of study. The standard committee structure will apply to the EDTHP programs.

Tuition

Students will be charged the applicable DSL tuition to cover the J.D. program and the applicable graduate tuition to cover the EDLDR degree program. DSL tuition will be paid for the semesters in which the student is registered for DSL courses, and graduate tuition will be paid for the semesters in which the student is registered for graduate courses. A student may take up to one course (3 credit hours) per semester in the program where the student is not primarily registered without any change in tuition, but must pay additional tuition to the program that the student is not primarily registered if he or she wishes to take additional course work pursuant to that program during the semester.

Financial Aid and Assistantships

Decisions on financial aid and assistantships will be made by each school according to that school’s procedures.

Fulfillment of Degree Requirements and Graduation

All courses in one program that will count toward meeting the requirements of the other program must be completed before the awarding of either degree. Students will be required to fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the interprogram transfer of credits. With respect to EDTHP program requirements for a thesis or paper, work done while at DSL under the supervision of a DSL faculty member may be appropriate for incorporation into the thesis or paper with the approval of the EDTHP degree program committee (in such cases, the committee should consider whether the credits afforded such work will be subject to the twelve credit maximum for interprogram transfers). A DSL faculty member must be a member of the committee).

If for some reason the student cannot complete the requirements of the J.D., the student will still be allowed to count DSL courses already taken toward the pertinent EDTHP degree, even if he or she is no longer in the joint degree program.

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.