Research Experience
Research experience is a critical element of the student's doctoral program. Doctoral students are expected to be actively involved in research each semester they are enrolled in the university.
There are two components of the research experience
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completion of analytic paper and
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completion of at least two research projects. These requirements are considered the minimum experiences.
Students are required to complete an analytic paper, presented for review and approval by the Advisory Committee. It is recommended that the focus of this paper be theory or a critical review during the first year of doctoral study. However, the exact nature and timing of the assignment will be at the discretion of the Advisory Committee.
Students also must plan and conduct a minimum of two research projects under the supervision of at least two different mentors. A project proposal should be approved by the project/faculty mentor prior to initiation. In accordance with UT policy, the student must receive IRB approval before initiating any research project. It is expected that these projects will involve development of a research design, data collection and analysis, and will be reported in journal article format in APA style. The reports summarizing the results of these studies should be of publishable quality and must be approved by the Advisory Committee.
It is expected that some or all of these papers will be submitted to juried research conferences and/or peer-reviewed journals, but this is not a requirement to meet this competency. It is a requirement, however, that present ONE of the two research projects at a CSD Friday Research Colloquium. Each of the other two required papers will be discussed, at separate times, in oral defense format before the student's Advisory Committee. The first part of each of these meetings will be open to other members of the departmental community (other doctoral students are particularly urged to attend), and will consist of a presentation and questions from the committee and the audience. The second part will be closed to the public; the student will defend his/her work before the committee. The committee will then deliberate privately to determine whether the work is considered acceptable, and if not, to formulate recommendations for improvement and later resubmission for approval.
Teaching Experience
The teaching experiences will enable students to:
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Plan and present lectures,
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Participate in the planning of a course, and
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Participate in the evaluation of student performance.
One or more teaching experiences is required of all students regardless of whether they receive funding as a teaching assistant. To assist students with the development of their teaching skills, they are required course to take the course offered by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness (CSD 398T).
Students are also expected to design a course that is presented to the Advisory Committee for review and approval. The material shall include a detailed syllabus, reading list, assignments, and handouts/overheads/slides if applicable. At the discretion of the committee, the course may be an adaptation of an existing course, or it may be a course in a topic area in which the student has not previously taught.
The student may receive credit for this activity by registering for a CSD 380E. Implementation of this requirement is left to the student and his/her advisory committee. However, the following guidelines are recommended as minimal requirements:
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Prepare and present five consecutive lectures,
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Plan for the evaluation and grading of material presented in the lectures, and
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Critique and update a syllabus for a course the student has completed or audited.
Successful completion of the teaching experience requirement will be determined by the doctoral committee.
