Doctoral Student Information
Program overview and admissions information
Mission Statement
The mission of aviation and space program has three essential components:
- Cultivate exemplary graduate instruction through a professional atmosphere in which students learn, develop, promote integrity and contribute to the broader aviation community.
- Engage in applied aerospace research and scholarly initiatives that benefit industry, general aviation, government and the public.
- Provide leadership, expertise and professional development opportunities for aerospace professionals and the aerospace industry, and to promote a greater understanding of aerospace among the general public.
Student Learning Outcomes
Doctoral students will be able to analyze and evaluate scholarly information covering a broad spectrum of aviation/aerospace topics and present their findings and conclusions in well-ordered written and oral presentations that accurately assesses the meaningfulness of each topical area. Students will select a special area of interest in aviation/aerospace, thoroughly investigate the current research in this area, and produce a well-researched and well-written doctoral dissertation that enriches to the body of knowledge within the aviation/aerospace environment.
Time Limit to Earn Degree
Doctoral students are expected to complete the requirements for the EdD within nine years from first enrollment after admission to the graduate program. After that time, a student must submit a written petition to the OSU Graduate College requesting an extension of time-to-degree limits. Credit for all courses (including transfer credits) on the Plan of Study must have been awarded within ten years of completion of all degree requirements.
Enrollment
First semester doctoral students must first obtain their faculty chair/dissertation advisor's clearance prior to attempting to enroll. The student’s faculty chair/dissertation advisor is appointed at the time of admittance to the program. üTo be considered a “full-time” graduate student, the doctoral student must be enrolled in at least nine hours in either fall or spring semester and at least four hours during the summer sessions. A student may not enroll in more than 12 credit hours in the fall or spring semester without approval of the OSU Graduate College.
Doctoral students must be enrolled in at least two hours of courses eligible for graduate credit during their graduating semester (defined as the semester in which they satisfactorily complete all degree requirements). Also, students must enroll in research and/or dissertation hours, as appropriate, during each semester in which they are involved in research leading to a thesis or dissertation.
Responsible Conduct of Research Training
OSU implemented a policy in 2009 requiring degree-seeking graduate students to receive appropriate, institutionally-endorsed education and training in responsible conduct of research. Graduate students are required to complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training during their first semester at OSU.
All doctoral students must complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements, including plagiarism and the social and behavioral modules prior to the submission of a Plan of Study. A Plan of Study will not be approved by the OSU Graduate College until the student has completed the RCR training component.
Plan of Study
A Plan of Study (POS) serves as a contract between the student and OSU. Graduate education at OSU is highly personalized, and the POS is the blueprint for successful completion of all degree requirements. The original POS must be submitted to the OSU Graduate College prior to the end of the third semester (excluding summer sessions) of enrollment for the EdD degree.
Transfer of Graduate Credits
Doctoral students may transfer up to 30 credit hours of master’s coursework towards the required 61 credit hours for the EdD with “approval” from the student’s faculty committee. As an example, if a student has been approved to transfer 30 credit hours from their previous master’s degree coursework, the student will only be required to complete 31 hours of additional graduate coursework at OSU (instead of 61 credit hours) to earn the EdD. Doctoral students must include a minimum of 30 hours of OSU credit on their Plan of Study. Credit for all courses on the EdD Plan of Study must have been awarded within 10 years of completion of all degree requirements (includes “transfer hours”).
OSU awards credit as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE), as published in “The Guide to the Evaluation of Military Experiences in the Armed Services, “for educational experiences provided by the armed forces. OSU also accepts credit earned through the DANTES Subject Standardized tests for active military personnel.
Graduate transfer credit information
Dissertation, Doctoral Candidacy and Dissertation Oral Defense
Every EdD student will complete a doctoral dissertation, which includes preparing a dissertation proposal. The doctoral student is admitted “candidacy” after an approved Plan of Study is on file with the OSU Graduate College and the student’s dissertation proposal has been approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. Once the final draft of the dissertation is approved, the oral dissertation defense is scheduled.
University Research Compliance (IRB)
The Office of University Research Compliance assists OSU graduate students involved in research using human subjects in meeting the basic requirements and procedures that arise from ethical principles and the resulting regulations that promote responsible conduct in scholastic research.
Graduate Clearance Form and Graduate Application
At the time of enrollment for the last semester or summer session of work toward a degree, master’s students must complete and submit a Graduation Clearance form to the OSU Graduate College before they can submit a Graduate Application with the Office of the Registrar.
OSU holds one Graduate Commencement Ceremony at the close of the fall and spring semesters. Students who plan to meet graduation requirements at the close of the summer session are invited and encouraged to participate in the Graduate Commencement Ceremony at the close of the previous spring semester.