Doctor of Philosophy in Child Development and Early Education
The Ph.D. in Child Development and Early Education prepares students for advanced career opportunities in child care administration, child and family advocacy, early childhood intervention, public policy, research, and higher education. Students may choose a focus area in either Child Development or Early Childhood Education.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Critically consume research literature.
- Academic/scholarly writing skills.
- Quantitative and qualitative research skills.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
A minimum of 78 semester credit hours (SCH) above the bachelor’s degree (48 SCH beyond the master's), including 6 SCH for dissertation. 30 of the 78 SCH must be research courses. Consult with advisor for approved research courses.
Special Requirements
No grade below B is accepted towards any graduate degree in the Department of Human Development, Family Studies, and Counseling (HDFSC). If more than one grade below B is earned while enrolled in any HDFSC graduate program, the student will be dismissed from the program and will be ineligible to re-enroll in any program within the department for a period of 8 years.
Foundational Coursework
The following foundational/pre-requisite courses (or equivalent content) must be completed in the master's degree or prior to beginning doctoral-level work (consult with advisor):
Child Development Focus
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS 5223 | Child Growth and Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| HDFS 5243 | Adolescent Development Within the Family | 3 |
| HDFS 5593 | Play, Development, and the Young Learner | 3 |
| HDFS 5613 | Child Guidance | 3 |
| HDFS 5643 | The Development of Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
Early Childhood Education Focus
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
| ECE 5203 | Language and Literacy in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5213 | Curriculum Development in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5263 | Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ECE 5283 | Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 5283 | Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 5433 | Brain-Based Learning for the Young Child | 3 |
| ECE 5773 | School, Family, and Cultural Diversity: Community Connections | 3 |
Degree Plan
Students must submit a degree plan which follows the degree requirements listed below. The degree plan should be developed in collaboration with the student's advisor and committee, and it should be filed after the student has completed 18 SCH of coursework.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| A master's degree in a closely related field and foundational coursework* specific to the chosen focus area | ||
| Child Development and Early Education Core | ||
| HDFS 5193 | Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| ECE 6513 | Language and Cognitive Development in Young Children | 3 |
| ECE 6653 | Seminar in Developmental Theory | 3 |
| ECE 6673 | Advanced Seminar in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| HDFS 6693 | Advanced Quantitative Research Methods In Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 6193 | Advanced Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 6203 | Frameworks and Ethics for Qualitative Research in Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 6443 | Research and Issues in Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 6923 | Research in Family Sciences | 3 |
| or ECE 6923 | Research in Early Childhood Education | |
| Select one of the following Specialization/Focus Area | 6 | |
| Child Development Focus | ||
| Advanced Study of the Lifespan | ||
| Social and Emotional Development in Childhood and Adolescence | ||
| Early Childhood Education Focus | ||
| Social and Cultural Dimensions of Early Language Development | ||
| Foundations of Early Childhood Education | ||
| Additional Content | 9 | |
| Select three of the following | ||
| Academic Life and Scholarship | ||
| Effective College Teaching Methods | ||
| Grants Writing in Family Sciences | ||
| Advanced Qualitative Research Methods In Family Sciences | ||
| Multivariate Statistics | ||
| Dyadic and Longitudinal Analyses with Structural Equation Modeling | ||
| Practicum in Family Sciences (with consent of advisor) | ||
| Dissertation | 6-12 | |
| Dissertation | ||
or ECE 6983 | Dissertation | |
| Dissertation | ||
or ECE 6993 | Dissertation | |
| Total SCHs | 48-54 | |
Research Tools
The Department of HDFSC requires students to complete 12 SCH of research tools. The department has a list of courses that meet the research tool requirement, and these courses are part of the degree requirements listed below. They are also included in the 30 SCH of research-focused coursework required by the Graduate School.
Qualifying Exam
The Department of HDFSC administers a qualifying exam for each student prior to admission to candidacy. The student must complete the required research tools before being eligible to take the exam. Students must take the qualifying exam in their last or second-to-last semester of coursework. In no case may a student be excused from the qualifying exam, and students may not register for dissertation hours (HDFS 6983/ECE 6983 and HDFS 6993/ECE 6993) until they have successfully passed the exam and have been admitted to candidacy. The qualifying exam may only be repeated once. Students who fail two attempts at the qualifying exam will be dismissed from the program.
Dissertation and Final Examination
All students are required to complete a dissertation. Upon completion, the student will participate in an oral defense of the dissertation and the research upon which it is based. The student's advisory committee will determine the outcome of the exam. The final examination may only be repeated one time.
