Chapter 6: The Role of Research Courses

At the apex of graduate work, the doctorate degree stands as the highest level of education in a given field of study. During a student’s journey to completion of the doctorate degree, two prevalent overarching activities related to research are emphasized: developing a knowledge base using existing research and conducting research to reach a defined goal (e.g., answering an unanswered question, more deeply understanding a phenomenon, etc.). As a result, research courses generally are a major part of the student experience. This chapter examines the role that research courses fill in Education Doctorate (EdD) programs in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Phase I institutions. In addition, this chapter explores the emerging philosophy and ideology that perhaps undergirds the emerging purpose of research courses belonging to EdD programs in CPED-affiliated institutions.