Doctoral Degrees, Specific Requirements
Doctor of Audiology degrees (Au.D.) are awarded for completion of the professional practitioner program designed for entry level activity as an audiologist. Audiologists are professional practitioners responsible for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of hearing disorders in children and adults.
Doctor of Arts degrees (D.A.) are awarded for completion of content-oriented programs to prepare the candidate for a career in college or university teaching. The student is expected to specialize in a specific field of study but is not expected to specialize in a single facet of the chosen field. General components of the program include coursework in the major area, supervised practica in college teaching, and individual studies in effective teaching. Students are offered considerable flexibility in program development. The degree is not research-oriented, but the recipient will demonstrate research competence by preparing a dissertation designed to support college/university teaching. A wide range of topics is permitted for this document, and the study may develop a presentation that is unique to the discipline.
Doctor of Education degrees (Ed.D.) are awarded for completion of professional or practitioner programs designed to prepare candidates for positions of leadership in all fields including elementary and secondary education, higher education, business, industry, government, and the military. These doctoral programs prepare graduates for service in instructional, supervisory, and administrative capacities.
Doctor of Philosophy degrees (Ph.D.) are awarded for completion of the research degree granted only to students who have 1) mastery of definite fields of knowledge to the extent they are familiar both with what has been done in their specific field and with the potentialities and opportunities for further advances, 2) a demonstrated capacity to do original and independent scholarly investigation or creative work in their specific field, and 3) the ability to integrate their specific field or specialization with the larger domains of knowledge and understanding.
Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees (D.N.P.) are awarded for completion of the expert clinicians programs designed to prepare candidates for advanced practice roles in healthcare. This doctoral program prepares graduates for practice in virtually any area within the healthcare industry. These highly skilled practitioners will be the leaders in healthcare delivery and care management.
Post-Doctoral Programs of research and advanced study are available in selected areas to persons holding the earned Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Work at the post-doctoral level may be taken in areas such as educational leadership and policy studies, educational technology, educational psychology, counseling psychology, elementary education, special education, applied statistics, and other disciplines.
The specific research project or program of study is planned by the post-doctoral student in conference with a faculty committee appointed to advise the student throughout the program and to assess the student's progress at the end of the program.
Doctoral Admission
Each applicant for the doctoral degree must:
-
Possess a baccalaureate degree or master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university,
-
Submit three letters of recommendation confirming that the applicant has the ability to do doctoral work in the proposed discipline(s),
-
Have a minimum level of achievement combining GPA and GRE performance.
-
Submit GRE scores that are less than five years old.
Doctoral applicants meet the Graduate School minimum criteria for admission if they have:
- GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on their master's degree or in the most recently 60 semester of their bachelor degree
- GRE scores of at least 146 on the verbal, and 140 on the quantitative with a combined score of at least 297 and an analytical writing score of at least 3.5.
For doctoral applicants who do not meet the Graduate School standard, a rationale must be provided by the school or department stating the factors which were considered in recommending the student: GPA in the discipline, maturity, letters of recommendation, samples of their work, GRE scores or other compelling factors. All recommendations for admission of applicants with a GPA below 3.0 will be reviewed by the Graduate Dean and his/her designee.
The doctoral programs at UNC do not utilize quantitative rating systems and standard criteria weightings as sole determining factors for decisions concerning the acceptance of doctoral applicants. Quantitative information such as GPA or GRE scores is considered in combination with qualitative information derived from letters of recommendation, applicant goal statements, as well as past academic and professional accomplishments. Because of the specialized nature of doctoral work, it is incumbent on the faculty to utilize their professional judgment in determining to what extent a student is qualified for entry into a particular program. The information requested by each school or department upon which their decision is to be based, gives the faculty the opportunity to thoroughly and carefully evaluate the strengths and potential of each applicant.
Master's Enroute to the Doctoral Degree
Students who have been admitted to a doctoral program may complete a master's degree in the same discipline enroute to completion of the doctoral degree if this option has been previously requested by the program and approved as a program modification for this degree program through the curriculum approval process. Students should contact the Graduate School for details.