Questions and Answers

A: Currently, the Department offers the Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) in Occupational Education with a specialization in Agricultural and  Extension Education.

A: There is virtually no difference between the quality and rigor of the Ed.D. offered at NCSU and the Ph.D. offered by other universities. Historically (in theory), the Ph.D. was a research based degree designed for scientists and the Ed.D. was designed for educational practitioners who needed advanced training in education but who did not need the heavy emphasis on research.  At some universities there may have been a difference in the requirements and implementation of the two degrees. However, that has not been the case at NCSU in Agricultural and Extension Education. The Ed.D. is a research based degree and does not differ from a Ph.D.  Some of the top leaders in the field have Ed.D. degrees and some have Ph.D. degrees. It is the person who makes the difference, not the degree. However, it should be noted there may be a few uninformed scientist who believe the Ph.D. is superior.

A. This is not a simple question. We have to go back 30 years to answer that question. Around 1970 a doctoral program was established in Agricultural Education. There was also a doctoral program in Adult and Community College Education. Both programs were in the College of Education. Extension agents tended to utilize the doctoral program in Adult and Community College Education while agriculture teachers tended to utilize the doctoral program in Agricultural Education. 

However, in the early 1970s NCSU was designated as one of two national research centers in vocational education. The doctoral program in agricultural education was converted to occupational education (which is a broad term used to describe the various vocational disciplines such as marketing education, technology education, health occupations education, family and consumer science education, etc.). This "new" doctorate was to compliment the national center. The various vocational teacher education departments at NCSU were combined into a new department--Occupational Education. Graduate students enrolled in this new degree and specialized in their specific vocational discipline. 

When the agricultural education faculty moved from the College of Education to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in 1994, they still participated in the Occupational Education doctoral program. The extension education faculty who were also moved in 1994 continued to participate in the doctoral program in Adult and Community College Education but also started to work with the doctoral program in Occupational Education.

In the late 1990s the Department of Occupational Education in the College of Education was disbanded. The faculty in the Occupational Education Department were reassigned to various departments in the College of Education and instructed to use the doctoral program of their new departments with their students. The administration of the Occupational Education doctoral program was transferred to the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education. The only new admissions allowed in the doctoral program in Occupational Education were in agricultural and extension education.  The Occupational Education doctoral has become a defacto doctoral program in Agricultural and Extension Education. When the last "general" Occupational Education doctoral student finishes, a request will be made to rename the doctoral program to Agricultural and Extension Education. 

A: The faculty involved in the doctoral program were originally in the College of Education where the Ed.D. is a common degree. When the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education was created in 1994 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the majority of the faculty in the new department were transferred from the College of Education. As part of the transfer, it was agreed the faculty would continue to be involved with the Ed.D. in Occupational Education. At some future time this degree may be changed to a Ph.D. since it is no longer administered in the College of Education.

A: No! The "general" doctoral program in Occupational Education no longer exists. In order to be admitted to the program, one must specialize in Agricultural and Extension Education.

A. The length of the doctoral program depends upon the student's prior educational background. Because of the diverse nature of professionals employed in agricultural and extension education positions, the length of time needed to get everybody "on the same page" varies. If a person has at least one prior degree in agricultural or extension education, then the minimum possible hours is 72 semester hours. If a person has no previous formal training in agricultural and extension education, the length of the doctoral program might be 90 hours. The student's graduate committee, in consultation with the student,  will determine what courses will be required and how many hours are needed.

A. Eighteen hours from the Master's program can be counted in the doctoral program unless the student immediately "rolls over" from the Master's program into the Doctoral program upon completion of the Master's degree. In those situations up to 36 hours completed in the Master's program can count toward the doctoral degree.

A. There are major differences in the Master's and Doctoral program!!! A doctoral program IS NOT an extension of the Master's program. Following are some of the differences:

• Knowledge - At the Master's level the student is expected to demonstrate an above average knowledge of the field. At the doctoral level the student is expected to possess an overwhelming, comprehensive mastery of the knowledge in the field. Not only should the doctoral student understand and know the major constructs, facts, principles and theories of the field, the student will also know who in the field are experts in the various components of agricultural and extension education, what these individuals have written, and how to apply this information to real world settings. 

• Quality of Work - Course expectations are different for doctoral students. Merely adequate assignments that were completed at the Master's level will not suffice at the doctoral level. Assignments turned in by doctoral students should be superior to those turned in by Master's students. Doctoral work should be high quality, perceptive, in-depth and demonstrate the mastery of knowledge mentioned in the previous section. At the doctoral level there is no excuse for sloppy, slovenly work. 

• Research - Master's student are expected to have a knowledge of the research process. Doctoral students must demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the research process, statistics, research in the field, and be able to conduct original research. Since the doctorate is a research based degree, doctoral students are expected to excel in this area.

A. Because of the varied background of the individuals in the program, it is difficult to have a laundry list of program requirements. The doctoral program is customized to meet the career goals of the individuals. Therefore each program will be different. However, there are some common components and requirements. The student's graduate committee will identify the remainder of the requirements.

Required courses:

• AEE 501 Foundations of Agricultural and Extension Education (3 hours)
• ST 507 Statistics For the Behavioral Sciences I (3 hours)
• ST 508 Statistics For the Behavioral Sciences II (3 hours)
• AEE 895 Doctoral Dissertation Research (12 hours)


The remainder of the courses should be in Agricultural and Extension Education, closely related fields and the minor field of study.

At the completion of the course work, there is a comprehensive examination to determine if the student can continue in the program. If the student does not pass this examination, the doctoral program is terminated. There are two parts to the exam -- a written component and an oral component.

The written part of the exam is 16 hours in length and occurs over four days (4 hours a day). This exam is over the student's factual knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge. The first part of the exam (4 hours) is over general knowledge in the field of agricultural and extension education. The second part of the exam (4 hours) concentrates on course work and knowledge in the field of the student's specialization (i.e., agricultural education, extension education, international development, etc.)  The third part of the exam (4 hours) concentrates on research and statistics. The final component of the exam (4 hours) is over the minor field of study.

After the written exam, there is a two hour oral exam over the written exam. This exam allows the student to clarify information from the written exam and allows the graduate committee to ascertain more accurately the depth and breadth of the student's knowledge.

The final requirement of the doctoral program is to make an original contribution to the field of agricultural and extension education through research. The student will identify a major problem or question in the the field of agricultural and extension education and design a research study to address this problem. The student will then conduct the research and report the results in the form of a dissertation. The finished dissertation will probably be around 150-200 pages in length. The student's graduate committee will provide guidance and support for the project. When the dissertation is complete the student will have to defend the dissertation before his or her graduate committee. The topic of the dissertation must be in the area of agricultural and extension and should be of such quality that the results can be published in the professional journals of the field. 

A. Complete the graduate school application. It is on-line at http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/grad/prospect.htm. As part of the application process students are to provide transcripts of all past course work and submit three letters of recommendation.

Students are also required to submit current scores on either the Graduate Record Exam or the Miller Analogies Test. There is no "set" score required for admission. This score is one of several factors considered in making an admissions decision.

A GPA of 3.5 (on a 4 point scale) on the Masters program is required.

Applicants are expected to have real world work experience in agricultural and extension education. In order to be employable after completing the program, it is recommended that applicants have at least 3-5 years of experience as a teacher of agriculture, as an extension agent, or work experience in a similar field.

A. Students have 10 years to complete the doctoral program (started with the first course that is to be counted in the doctoral program). Once admitted to the doctoral program, students are required to maintain continuous enrollment. This means a student must be enrolled in at least one course every fall and every spring semester. One leave of absence for one semester may be requested.

A. The doctoral student has the responsibility to identify whom he or she wants on the committee. The student should pick committee members who have a background and interest that are compatible with the career goals and direction of the student. After one semester of study, the student will form his or her committee. Three of the committee members including the chair must be from the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education. There should be one committee member from outside the department. A list of AEE faculty who serve on graduate committees can be found at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/agexed/grad/grad.html#FACULTY. 

A. Only the individual can answer that question. Enrolling a doctoral program is not something to be taken lightly. The decision to enroll in a doctoral program is a very serious decision. A doctoral program is very demanding. A person should have clearly defined goals and a reason for enrolling in a doctoral program. The best doctoral candidates are people who are successful in their careers. A doctoral program is not an escape from the real world. If one wants to teach at the university level, it should be realized that universities are reluctant to hire their own graduates and positions in agricultural and extension education are not available at most universities. In all likelihood, one would have to leave the state to secure a faculty position.