Program Design
The program will be three years in length. Coursework will be offered over the initial two years and six months of the program. Student participation in coursework will entail attendance at three residential summer programs (three weeks each summer) and monthly weekend attendance (Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning) during the fall, winter, and spring terms of each year. Guided independent study will be prominent in the program and will occur during and between participation in weekend and summer sessions. Students will make full use of the InterNet in this process, sharing their writings with their peers as well as faculty, and accessing a variety of resources.
The final product of this program is called a Critical Engagement Project (CEP), rather than the more traditional academic term: dissertation. After completion of the coursework, monthly CEP clinics will be required to facilitate the completion of both the coursework and dissertation within a three year period of time. Students will participate in the program as a member of a cohort of approximately 25 students. They will be encouraged to conduct their doctoral work, including a CEP, within a group support and learning model.
In order to foster this group learning model, the program begins with an intensive residential summer session. The residential format provides an immersion experience in doctoral study. The initial residential session includes an orientation to the program and coursework. By the end of the three weeks, students will have experienced the academic process of the doctoral program. They will also have developed relationships with their colleagues and faculty. Interdependence among learners will be nurtured to promote accelerated learning and successful completion of the program.
Particular features of the program are:
- it mirrors what are generally agreed to be exemplary features of adult education practice;
- it encourages peer learning formats;
- it emphasizes student experience as a major piece of the curriculum to be critically examined, and;
- it integrates the development and conduct of CEP research into regular coursework.
ACE Doctoral Program Design
Contact: thea@chicago1.nl.edu
