PhD vs EdD

Within the field of Education in recent years, I've seen many Ed.D.s hired for education departments. It's becoming less of an issue, it seems. There also seems to be less of a difference in course content these days. Within the last couple of years, I've been on two university search committees and one went to an Ed.D. and the other went to a Ph.D. At least in front of me no differentiation was ever made between the two.

However, in other departments, this tends not to be the case. For example, in my other field, you can earn an Ed.D. in Applied Linguistics or TESOL. While it is possible to do so, good luck in find a university position within a linguistics department in the U.S. It mostly just doesn't happen. The preference is still for the Ph.D.

Tom Nixon
--
Co-author, Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning

 

I agree that the difference between EdD and PhD depends more on the University than the title of the degree. In addition, the quality of the research is also important. You can get some PhD without too much rigorous effort.
I also think what is a substantiate contribution to knowledge is highly subjective.
Too certain extent, it is like asking the difference between a MS and a MEng for an engineering master in the case of a UK-system. Nobody asks. But, it is almost a common issue in every country that people talks about the difference between a DBA, EdD, etc and the classic PhD.

 

I think what is research-based and what is substantial contribution to knowledge depend on the quality of the doctoral candidate and the university granting the degree (whether it be EdD or PhD). It is too simplistic to generalise the difference between the 2 degrees.

One can take a PhD and either:
1)contribute to theory and knowledge, or
2) just get a doctoral degree

Same for the EdD.

So, I dont see how generalization is possible.

------------------
MS in Asia

 

From Nova's web-pages ...

Each student must complete eight courses, four projects, and a dissertation. A student may declare a degree preference (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) at any time during the program. The difference between these degrees is a name difference only.

Reference: http://scis.nova.edu/Common/Catalogs/dcte.html

(See ... I didn't make this up!)

 

Note that we are talking about two different schools and two different programs.

1. Fischler Graduate School of Education (FGSE) offers Ed.D, D.Aud, and SLP.D.

2. Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS) offers both Ph.D and Ed.D in CTE.

 

I was replying to an earlier post about Nova.

 

Barry, I must respectfully disagree with your generalization of PhD vs. EdD dissertations. PhD and EdD dissertation emphases may indeed be different within a specific program or institution. However, to state that EdD dissertations are "normally" practitioner-based while PhD dissertations (in education) "generate new knowledge" or that there are differences in "design, data collection & analysis, theoretical formation" or the amount of "sweat" is simply not accurate.

The major research studies that have examined the differences between EdD and PhD course work, research preparation and dissertations have found no significant difference between the two, other than the fact that EdD dissertations tend to utilize more survey instruments. The research has found no difference in rigour between the programs or the dissertations.

The EdD was designed by Harvard to professionalize and separate the field of education from other social science disciplines (as the JD, MBA and MD have done for law, business and medicine). Unfortunately, education "wimped out" and did not eliminate the PhD, leaving the current unenviable position where colleges of education much choose which degree they wish to offer. The situation is worse at the masters level (MA, MS, MEd, MAT, MAEd, etc.)

Anthony Pina

 

My ears must have been ringing.

Ike covered it pretty well. The NSU educcation school awards the Ed.D. while the School for Computer and Information Science (SCIS) offers a Computing Technology in Education doctorate where one can earn the Ed.D. or else the Ph.D. and SCIS specifies that the difference in the degree is name only. The education scool discussion the Ed.D. in terms of "applied research" and "practicing education." For example in the NSU Ed. Leadership Ed.D. program the dissertation is an outgrowth of Field Study courses which to me implies a more apllied approach.

John