Program Highlights

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Required Credits: 64

School: School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership

Department: Physical Education and Health Education

Modality: On-Ground

Locations: Main Campus (Springfield)

Website: https://springfield.edu/programs/physical-education-doctoral

Program of Study

The Ph.D. program in physical education consists of courses and learning experiences in the following areas:

Physical Education/Athletic Administration/ General Studies. 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.

Dissertation area. Where the general nature of the intended dissertation can be identified sufficiently early in a student’s program, course work and other registrations are recommended to enhance the student’s qualifications to conduct the dissertation.

Electives. Selection of selectives provides effective support of the total Ph.D. program and results from consultation between the student and the advisor.

The actual number of semester hours is likely to be more than the minimum stated. Flexibility is encouraged to provide for the particular educational needs of each student. The requirements in each case will be determined not only on the extent of graduate credit accumulated, but with a view toward optimum preparation for the student in the intended field of service.

Learning Outcomes

A. Professional Preparation

The curriculum provides a foundation through courses and other learning experiences for successful candidates to obtain a high degree of preparation in a chosen field of specialization. This includes:

1. advanced knowledge and skills;
2. critical examination of the assumptions underlying the knowledge and techniques in the field;
3. re-evaluation of the techniques in light of increasing knowledge and in respect to the effect on humanity;
4. creative contribution to the advancement of physical education;
5. understanding of the relation of physical education to other fields of knowledge;
6. awareness of ethical responsibility in the use of knowledge and skills for humane purposes.

B. Research

Through the doctoral program, successful candidates acquire new skills, an interest in the discovery of new knowledge, and the ability to carefully validate such knowledge.  The research portion of the program includes:

1. the history, development and critical examination of the various methods of logical thought and the application of these to the discovery of new knowledge;
2. understanding the scientific method including its assumptions and implications;
3. learning new techniques of research: laboratory, clinical, statistical, and beyond;
4. developing an intellectual approach toward development and testing of hypotheses;
5. conducting original research under the supervision of appropriate faculty.

C.  Humanics Orientation

Springfield College is dedicated to the education of the whole person - in spirit, mind, and body - for leadership in service to others.  The focus of education at Springfield College is not only imparting knowledge and the search for knowledge but also applying wisdom in the use of that knowledge in service to people.  This implies:

1. wide gauged sophistication of the student and not merely a narrow specialization in any given field;
2. achievement of an optimal balance of knowledge, skill, attitude and purpose;
3. attainment of a personal integration of thought, feeling, and action in terms of a philosophy of life.

One purpose of the doctoral program is to produce professional persons who add the goal of serving humankind to scholarly and scientific interests.

Accepted Standards

The PhD program in Physical Education at Springfield College is aligned with the overall objectives of the College and fully meets generally accepted standards for the highest professional attainment in graduate education in the United States.  The following sections of this document describe the specific requirements and procedures for the Ph.D. in Physical Education.

Transfer Credit

Graduate courses in which the student earned a grade of B or better from accredited institutions may be transferred and applied toward the Doctor of Philosophy degree provided that:

• Such work fits into the student’s doctoral program
• It falls within the acceptable time limit for doctoral credit or as otherwise approved with an extension of the default time period.

General Program Requirements

The minimum residency requirement for the Ph.D. in Physical Education is one academic year in full-time graduate study at Springfield College. Residence for the master’s degree at Springfield College or elsewhere does not meet this requirement.  Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) in all coursework. A grade of a C+ or lower on any 12 hours of graduate work will disqualify a student from the Ph.D. in Physical Education program.

A. Required Courses (34 credits)

• AEXS 716 - Scholarly Writing Credits: 2
• PHED 710 - Doctoral Seminar Credits: 2
• PHED 715 - Instructional Effectiveness in Higher Education Credits: 3
• PHED 718 - Seminar in Higher Education Credits: 2
• RSCH 615 - Qualitative Research Methodology Credits: 3
• RSCH 620 - Educational and Psychological Statistics I Credits: 3
• RSCH 712 - Dissertation Proposal Design Credits: 2
• RSCH 720 - Educational Psychology Statistics II Credits: 3
• RSCH 735 - Doctoral Dissertation Credits: 1-14

• (taken for a total of 14 credits to meet program requirements)

B. Track Selectives (24 credits)

Select 24 credits from the following list:

Students seeking a Physical Education Teacher Education track are recommended to take PHED 629, PHED 660, PHED 670, PHED 680, PHED 721, PHED 731, PHED 741, and MOST 624 or PHED 635.

Students seeking an Athletic Administration Track are recommended to take PHED 627, PHED 633, PHED 645, PHED 660, PHED 670, PHED 670, PHED 675, PHED 681, PHED 683, and PHED 686 (for 4 credits to meet program requirements).

Students seeking a General Studies track are recommended to select from MOST 624, PHED 627, PHED 629, PHED 633, PHED 635, PHED 645, PHED 660, PHED 670, PHED 675, PHED 680, PHED 683, PHED 686, PHED 721, PHED 731, and PHED 741.

• MOST 624 - Motor Learning and Control Credits: 3
• PHED 627 - Facility Design, Operation and Maintenance in Athletics Credits: 3
• PHED 629 - Curriculum Construction in Physical Education Credits: 3
• PHED 633 - Athletic Administration Credits: 3
• PHED 635 - Motor Development and Analysis Credits: 3
• PHED 645 - Finance in Athletics Credits: 3
• PHED 660 - Advanced Instructional Strategies Credits: 3
• PHED 670 - Supervision and Mentoring Credits: 3
• PHED 675 - Legal Issues in Physical Education and Athletics Credits: 3
• PHED 680 - Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Physical Education Credits: 3
• PHED 681 - Inclusive and Critical Approaches to Sport Credits: 3
• PHED 683 - Seminar in Athletic Leadership Credits: 2
• PHED 686 - Graduate Field Experience Credits: 1-8
• PHED 721 - Research on Teaching K-12 Physical Education Credits: 3
• PHED 731 - Seminar in Physical Education Teacher Education Credits: 2
• PHED 741 - Fieldwork in Physical Education Teacher Education Credits: 4

C. Cognate Studies (6 credits)

Select 6 credits from one of the following areas/groups: