Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Health, and Behavior Studies

Admission Requirements

The following criteria will be used to assess a student’s application for admission into the Education, Health, and Behavior Studies (EHBS) doctoral program. No single criterion can adequately predict a student’s probable success in graduate work; as such, candidates for admission to the doctoral program are evaluated on the following criteria:

  1. Completion of a master’s degree from an accredited college or university

  2. Grade point average from all previous graduate work (minimum of 3.5 required)

  3. Statement of goals

  4. Professional resume

  5. Writing sample

  6. Three (3) letters of recommendation that address the academic and professional qualities that support you for doctoral-level work

  7. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.

The applicant must meet the School of Graduate Studies' current minimum general admission requirements as published in the academic catalog. 

Statement of Goals

Submit a statement discussing your professional goals and aspirations, including how your current skills along with advanced study will aid you in the attainment of these goals.

Professional Resume

Submit a professional curriculum vitae (C.V.) or resume (no more than five pages) that includes the following information:

  • Educational background
  • Work-related experience
  • Conference presentations (if applicable)
  • Publications (if applicable)
  • Professional honors and awards
  • Any other experiences you believe may aid the admission committee in evaluating your application

Writing Sample

  • Include with your application an individually-authored sample of your writing that the admission committee can use to evaluate your ability as a writer and potential success in the doctoral program.
  • The minimum length of the sample is five pages and should not exceed 30 pages. Examples of possible writing samples include, but are not limited to, journal articles, paper from a course, or some written work product such as a manual or technical report.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the EHBS program.

Ph.D. candidates are expected to have undertaken and completed independent research leading to an original contribution of knowledge in the field. It is generally expected that the Ph.D. dissertation will be publishable. This degree option typically provides preparation for careers in research and teaching at colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. 

  1. A minimum of 90 semester credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s degree.

  2. With approval of a student’s Faculty Advisory Committee, up to 30 credits from a master’s degree may be transferred from another institution.

  3. Maintenance of at least a 3.0 GPA for all classes completed as a graduate student.

  4. Successful completion of comprehensive examinations. 

  5. Completion of a dissertation, which incorporates independent work that is an original contribution to knowledge.

  6. Successful completion of a final examination.

Minor/Master's transfer credits (30 credits)30
Scholarly Tools (12 credits)
(Prerequisite: EFR 509 or equivalent)
(Prerequisite: EFR 515 or equivalent)
EFR 510Participatory Qualitative Research Methods3
EFR 516Statistics II3
Advanced Scholarly Tool elective 13
Advanced Scholarly Tool elective 23
Specialization Core Courses (12 credits)
Students choose a specialization area (Higher Education, Instructional Design and Technology; Kinesiology). Higher Education and Instructional Design and Technology students complete the four courses listed for their specialization. Students in Kinesiology select four courses to complete from the list of course offerings in their specialization.
3
Higher Education
Students in the Higher Education specialization take the following courses:
HE 532Principles and Practices in Higher Education3
HE 541History of Higher Education in the United States3
HE 569Diversity Systems and Policy in Education3
HE 571Introduction to Research Traditions in Higher Education3
Instructional Design and Technology
Students in Instructional Design and Technology specialization take the following courses:
IDT 500Survey of Instructional Design3
IDT 520Instructional Systems Analysis and Design3
IDT 525Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Instructional Materials3
IDT 550Theories and Models of Instructional Design3
Kinesiology
Students in the Kinesiology specialization choose four courses from the following:
KIN 511Sports Administration3
KIN 512Sports Risk Management3
KIN 513Skill Acquisition in Sport3
KIN 524Adapted Physical Activities3
KIN 529Exercise Psychology3
KIN 530Sports Biomechanics3
KIN 531Psychology of Sports Leadership3
KIN 534Social Issues in Sports3
KIN 535Applied Exercise Physiology3
KIN 536Bioenergetics and Skeletal Muscle Function3
KIN 537Applied Sports Psychology3
KIN 5393
KIN 5403
KIN 541Exercise Program Design3
Faculty Guided Research (12 credits)12
HE 598Individual Research in Higher Education1-9
IDT 592Research in Instructional Design and Technology1-3
KIN 590Individual Research in Kinesiology1-4
Dissertation Writing Seminar (3 credits)3
HE 549Dissertation Orientation3
Electives (9 credits)9
Selected with consent of advisor and faculty from area of specialization
Dissertation (12 credits)12