The Ph.D. program in Physical Education is designed to provide broad based preparation in the field of physical education and it offers students the opportunity to design a program of study to meet their educational goals. The intent of the program is to expose students to various sub- disciplines in the field from which they will build a specific area of research study. Graduates are well versed in their research area, yet knowledgeable about the many interrelated content areas in the field. This preparation ensures a more holistic and inclusive view of physical education than is found in many programs where specialization in one area is the emphasis.

This approach to graduate education is in concert with the mission of the College, which advocates the education of the whole person in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity. Graduates will have the necessary research expertise to continue as lifelong researchers and contributors to the body of knowledge in physical education. They will be prepared to teach in their research area as well as the various sub-disciplines at all educational levels. Graduates who have focused their studies in administration will be qualified to lead and develop programs in the private and public sectors. The completion of the program is viewed by the College as the first step taken by its graduates in assuming positions of leadership in the field of physical education.

Program of Study

The Ph.D. program in physical education, teaching and administration (generalist), consists of courses and learning experiences in the following areas:

Physical Education. This is the student’s field of professional specialization. A program of study provided by the physical education and health education, and exercise science and sport studies faculty will help the student attain a thorough preparation of high quality. The program includes course work in pedagogical content knowledge and issues in higher education designed to prepare Ph.D. students for entry to a higher education teaching career.

Research. Theory and practice in research are to include problems of logical and critical thinking, the scientific method, and techniques of research, as well as a piece of original research, the doctoral dissertation, conducted under faculty supervision. The dissertation is the crowning achievement of doctoral study. The problem selected should grow out of the candidate’s personal and professional interests. The dissertation may be an original contribution to knowledge or an original application of existing knowledge to the solution of a practical problem in the field.

General Education. Consistent with the Humanics philosophy, the educational program at Springfield College, both undergraduate and graduate, prepares students not only in their field of professional specialization, but also with liberal education, and personal growth and awareness of the surrounding social scene. Consequently, the program includes a series of non-professional courses as an integral part of the program to help the student develop as a sensitive and growing person, as a sophisticated citizen, and as an educator with wide interests and goals. A minimum of six semester hours of exclusively graduate (600-level) general education courses are designated specifically in the college offerings as “Core courses”.

Preparing Future Faculty Series. Modeled after the preparing future faculty program designed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, this series of coursework introduces students to academia; exposes students to the teaching, service, and scholarship responsibilities of faculty members; supports development of pedagogical skills and higher education settings; and aids the transition from doctoral student to faculty member.