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Students working toward an Educational Theory & Policy degree with an interest in Comparative and International Education may choose to also pursue a dual-title PhD or Master's degree in the Comparative and International Education Program (CIED). Please discuss this with your advisor by the end of your first semester.

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Dual-title Degrees

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Educational Theory & Policy and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Comparative and International Education dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Comparative and International Education Bulletin page. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Comparative and International Education prior to taking the qualifying examination in their primary graduate program. Students cannot be admitted after the qualifying examination.

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the degree requirements for the degree in which they are enrolled in Educational Theory & Policy. In addition, students must complete the degree requirements for the dual-title in Comparative and International Education, listed on the Comparative and International Education Bulletin page. Some courses may satisfy both Educational Theory & Policy and Comparative and International Education degree requirements. Final course selection must be approved by the student's doctoral committee.

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Educational Theory & Policy and must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from the Comparative and International Education program. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. There will be a single qualifying examination, containing elements of both Educational Theory & Policy and Comparative and International Education. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for doctoral committees, the doctoral committee of an Educational Theory & Policy and Comparative and International Education dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least one member of the Comparative and International Education Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the doctoral committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Comparative and International Education, the member of the committee representing Comparative and International Education must be appointed as co-chair. The Comparative and International Education representative on the student’s doctoral committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.

Students in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that is approved in advance by their doctoral committee and reflects their original research and education in Educational Theory & Policy and Comparative and International Education. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the doctoral committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Students who choose the CIED doctoral minor should:

Complete a minimum of 15 CIED credits with study in the following curriculum categories:

  • 3 credits, CIED Pro-Seminar
  • 6 credits, advanced comparative and international education content courses
  • 6 credits, advanced or focused comparative and international education content courses.

Include a CIED representative on the doctoral committee in the role of “Minor Field Member.” The chair may not be the sole CIED representative on the doctoral committee; he or she must represent the major program and therefore cannot also represent CIED. If the chair is a CIED faculty member, the student must select another CIED faculty member to be the minor field member. Indicate on the CIED Doctoral Committee form, obtained from the CIED program office, which CIED faculty member has agreed to serve as the minor field member.