Engineering and Science Education, PhD

Program Description

The PhD program in Engineering and Science Education is a nationally unique graduate program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research. The Department of Engineering and Science Education (ESE) in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences is the only department in the country that includes both engineering education and science education in a college of science and engineering. As such, it includes faculty who are experts in several areas of science education and engineering education, and who have active research programs in these fields. Students in this program are exposed to a wide breadth of STEM education research under current investigation and are prepared to interface between the development of new theory in STEM education and the implementation of new research findings in practice. This discipline-based education research (DBER) combines knowledge of teaching and learning with deep knowledge of discipline-specific science content. It describes the discipline-specific difficulties learners face and the specialized intellectual and instructional resources that can facilitate student understanding.

All students admitted into the program must have at least a Bachelor of Science degree in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discipline from a college or university that is acceptable to Clemson University, with preference being given to those who have completed graduate studies (masters level or higher) in a STEM discipline. Those who enter the program with a STEM Bachelor of Science degree must take 18 credit hours at the graduate level in a single STEM discipline (i.e., mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, etc.). Thus, the program is designed for students who are content specialists in a STEM discipline who seek to pursue discipline-based education research. Students are admitted into the PhD program in Engineering and Science Education in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Students interested in applying to the ESED doctoral program must be accepted to the Clemson University Graduate School. Application information and forms can be found on the Graduate School website. International students are welcome to apply and must meet Graduate School requirements for TOEFL and GRE scores. The deadline for applications for the PhD program for full consideration for admission and funding is December 1 of each year. There is a second round of consideration for any remaining places in the incoming fall cohort starting February 1.

Summary of Degree Requirements

This degree requires a minimum of 30 credits beyond the master’s degree, and at least 60 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. A minimum of 12 credit hours of non-research coursework and a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation research are required. This degree is not awarded solely on the basis of coursework completed, residence, completion of preliminary or comprehensive examinations, or other routine requirements. The final basis for granting this degree is the student’s grasp of the subject matter across a broad field of study, competence in planning and conducting research, and the ability to express themselves adequately and professionally both orally and in writing. Ultimately, only the student’s advisory committee can certify that the student has earned this degree.

Coursework

Coursework leading to the PhD in Engineering and Science Education is planned to give students a comprehensive knowledge of the field of STEM education and a mastery of the methods of research in this field.

Outcomes, Learning Objectives, and Graduation Requirements

The objectives of the ESE PhD program are to prepare students for academic careers in STEM education, science education policy in higher education or informal education institutions, or a range of other careers that require a deep disciplinary knowledge coupled with understanding of the factors that affect student learning, retention, and inclusion in STEM. Students who enroll in this program are expected to be content experts in a STEM discipline with at least a Master’s degree in their content area of expertise. Graduates from this program are prepared to become faculty in traditional departments of engineering or science, as well as STEM education departments. They are prepared to lead curricular and pedagogical reform at the post-secondary level as well as conduct research in the burgeoning fields of STEM education research.