Ed.D Policies, Procedures and General Information

Financial Assistance

Ed.D. students are usually part-time graduate students and normally do not qualify for financial assistance. If an Ed.D. student is full time, however, the full-time Ed.D student is eligible to apply for the same assistantships and fellowships as full-time Ph.D. students.

Graduate Course Numbering System

Graduate credit may be earned for courses numbered 600 through 969. (Courses numbered 600 to 699 are graduate-level courses open to qualified, advanced undergraduates by permission of the instructor.)

Application for Advanced Degree

To initiate the process for degree conferral, candidates must submit an “Application for Advanced Degree” to the Office of Graduate Studies. The application deadlines are February 15 for Spring candidates, May 15 for Summer candidates, September 15 for Fall candidates, and December 15 for Winter candidates. The application fee payment is required when the application is submitted

Graduate Grade Point Average

Students must have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be eligible for the degree. In addition, the grades in courses applied toward the degree program must equal at least 3.0. All graduate-numbered courses taken with graduate student classification at the University of Delaware are applied to the cumulative index. Credit hours and courses for which the grade is below “C-” do not count toward the degree even though the grade is applied to the overall index.

Time Limits for the Completion of Degree Requirements

Time limits for the completion of degree requirements begin with the date of matriculation and are specifically expressed in the student’s letter of admission. Students entering a doctoral program with a master’s degree are given ten consecutive semesters to complete the requirements. Students who change their degree plan and have transferred from one degree program to another degree program are given ten consecutive semesters from the beginning of the first year in the latest program.

Extension of the Time Limit

An extension of time limit may be granted for circumstances beyond the student’s control. Requests for time extensions must be made in writing and approved by the student’s adviser and the School of Education Director or Designee. The Director/Designee will forward the request to the Office of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will determine the student’s eligibility for a time extension and will notify the student in writing of its decision to grant an extension of time.

Transfer of Credit Earned as a Continuing Education Student at the University of Delaware

Students who complete graduate credits with the classification of CEND (Continuing Education Non-Degree) at the University of Delaware may use a maximum of 9 graduate credits earned with this classification toward their graduate degree. The CEND credits, grades, and quality points become a part of the student’s academic record and grade point average. CEND credit can be transferred provided that (1) the course was at the 600 to 800 level, (2) the course was taken within the time limit appropriate for the degree, and (3) the course was approved by the student’s advisor and the School of Education Director or Designee.

Transfer of Credit from Another Institution

Graduate credit earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request of the student. Such a request should be submitted first to the student’s advisor using a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. A maximum of 9 credits required for the degree will be accepted provided that such credits (1) were earned with a grade of no less than B-, (2) are approved by the student’s adviser and the School of Education Director or Designee, (3) are in accord with the student’s program requirements, (4) are not older than five years, and (5) were completed at an accredited college or university. The credits, but not the grades or quality points, are transferable to University of Delaware graduate records. Graduate courses counted toward a degree received elsewhere may not be used. Credits earned at another institution while the student was classified as a continuing education student at that institution are not eligible to be transferred to one’s graduate degree at the University of Delaware. Credits from institutions outside of the United States are generally not transferable to the University of Delaware.

Transfer of Credit from the Undergraduate Division at the University of Delaware

Students who wish to transfer credits from their undergraduate record to their graduate record may transfer a limited number by arranging with the department to have these courses approved by their instructors before the courses are taken. These courses must be at the 600-level, and the student must perform at the graduate level. These courses must be in excess of the total required for the baccalaureate degree, must have grades of no less than B-, and must not be older than five years. The credits, grades, and quality points will transfer.