Doctoral Program in Developmental Education

Welcome to the official website of the Doctoral Program in Developmental Education (DE). We appreciate your interest in our program and the field of developmental education. Our Graduate Program in Developmental Education offers M.A., Ed.D., and Ph.D. degrees in developmental education. We also offer a graduate minor. This website is specific to our doctoral program and graduate minor.

Our website contains detailed information for current and prospective students. As you explore our degree plans and funding opportunities, we also hope you will become more familiar with our community of graduate students, staff, and faculty, and the research and educational initiatives in which we are involved.

Should you have any questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Sincerely,  

Taylor W. Acee, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator

Email:  ta19@txstate.edu

Office Phone: 512.245.7903

Developmental Education is a field of research, policy, and practice focused on student success at the postsecondary level. Attuned especially to those students who struggle, due to a variety of factors, in their first year (and beyond) of a 2- or 4-year college, the field seeks to understand the reasons for those struggles, support those students who struggle, and define the role of higher education as a place where all learners can succeed. Traditional areas of the field have included course-based aspects of support, such as developmental reading, basic writing, developmental math, study skills, and learning frameworks courses, as well as non-course-based aspects of support like tutoring, supplemental instruction, and mentoring. Developmental Education has a multi-dimensional focus and is concerned with student issues of cognition, affect, identity, and other aspects of the college context. In short, Developmental Education is about student success for college students, especially those underprepared or misprepared for the postsecondary educational context.

Below is a list of a few key professional organizations related to the fields in and around Developmental Education:

• National Organization for Student Success (NOSS)

• College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA)

• National College Learning Center Association (NCLCA)

• Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance (ACTLA)

• Association for the Coaching and Tutoring Profession (ATP)

• Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations (CLADEA)

• National Center for Developmental Education (NCDE) 

• Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC)

Also, below are a few other professional organizations related to educational research that have connections to postsecondary teaching and learning that may be of interest:

• American Educational Research Association (AERA)

• Literacy Research Association (LRA)

Applicants for the doctoral program are interested in the field of developmental education, and are focused on issues related to postsecondary learners. Many applicants are current and future developmental education instructors, coordinators, and administrators. Each student's degree plan will be designed by the student in consultation with the doctoral program director and program faculty, during the first year of study. Degree plans depend on each student's academic preparation, scholarly accomplishments, experience, and professional goals. This process creates a highly flexible and personalized degree that also ensures strong preparation for graduates to address pressing needs of this important field.

The graduate program in developmental education within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction prepares future scholars, researchers, leaders, administrators, instructors, and practitioners in the field of developmental education. Both rigorous and supportive, our program aims to advance theory, research, and practice in multiple areas of developmental education—including developmental literacy, learning support, and developmental mathematics—by actively engaging students in teaching, scholarship and professional service. As a multidisciplinary program, the faculty, staff, and students work collaboratively across various academic disciplines, diverse communities and geographic boundaries.

Two degree tracks:  PhD and EdD.

Three concentration areas:  Developmental Literacy, Developmental Mathematics, and Learning Support.

Core coursework and degree requirements focused on Developmental Education theory and research, research methods, and professional development.

Preparing developmental education professionals who engage in divergent and critical thinking, are culturally competent, and are skilled in maximizing technology applications for learning.

Preparing developmental education professionals who understand and can respond to the nature and need of students enrolled in developmental education programs; the complexities of motivation, teaching, learning, and assessment in developmental education settings; and the political, cultural and social systems that create inequities in educational settings.