Home » Online Doctorate Degree Programs in Curriculum Design

Online Doctorate Degree Programs in Curriculum Design

Schools are responsible for ensuring that today's diverse student population receives a quality education. Professionals who hold a doctorate in curriculum or instructional design are tasked with developing and applying the latest research to help schools create curricula, instructional materials and assessment programs.

Doctoral degree programs in instructional design are generally offered by colleges of education, and your degree may be a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Doctoral students in curriculum design take courses and complete a focused research project in an area of specialty, such as early childhood education, special education, education technology, science education, or reading and literacy education.

Choosing the direction of your doctoral program

The curriculum design doctoral degree that is best for you depends primarily on your career ambitions. The coursework required to earn an Ed.D. is tailored to provide an applied approach to current theory and practice in curriculum design. Sample courses offered in an Ed.D. program could include the following:

Instructional theories
Evaluation and assessment
Psychology of learning

In comparison, a Ph.D. in curriculum design requires students to focus on theory through pursuing original scholarship. This degree can prepare you for a career as a scholar and academic as well as an administrator or policymaker. Courses for this degree might include:

Introduction to scholarship in education
Methods of social investigation
Advanced research methods in social sciences

A handful of schools offer instructional design doctoral degrees online. These online doctoral programs often require students to complete short residency requirements, which are typically designed to blend both academic instruction and mentorship, as well as networking opportunities.

Earning your online doctorate degree in instructional design

Doctoral programs in curriculum design typically have two phases. During the first portion of the degree program, students complete core coursework and elective classes. Coursework usually takes two to three years. Some programs may also require students to complete an internship to gain experience with the day-to-day issues of curriculum design. Once coursework is complete, students are required to pass a set of oral and/or written exams demonstrating their academic competency.

Upon completion of coursework and exams, students advance to doctoral candidacy where they focus their time on completing a dissertation or doctoral project. The dissertation can take one to three years to complete, depending on the topic.

Admission requirements and course listings vary from one program to another. You can browse the schools below and request more information about program details or arrange to speak to an admissions counselor.

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