Ph.D in Engineering Education

Program Overview

The University of Cincinnati's Ph.D. in Engineering Education program prepares students for careers in academia, industry, or government. The program emphasizes developing in-depth educational research skills while advancing expertise in a chosen technical engineering discipline. It offers three focus areas: higher education in engineering, engineering education in PreK-12, and engineering industry and workforce development. Graduates are employed in roles such as university professors, corporate trainers, and policy makers.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The University of Cincinnati's Ph.D. in Engineering Education program is designed to prepare students for careers in academia, industry, or government. The program aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to design and execute research agendas that advance the knowledge base in engineering education while simultaneously enhancing their expertise in a chosen technical engineering discipline. The program offers three focus area options:

• Higher Education in Engineering: Research focuses on higher education contexts (e.g., undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty).
• Engineering Education in PreK-12: Research focuses on PreK-12 contexts (e.g., students, parents, teachers, administration; formal and informal environments, for- or non-profit).
• Engineering Industry and Workforce Development: Research focuses on industry and workforce development contexts (e.g., practicing engineers; management; translating among technical content, management, leadership, and andragogy).
The program emphasizes developing in-depth educational research skills, requiring students to advance their expertise in their technical engineering discipline. It also leverages the College of Engineering and Applied Science's (CEAS) strong foundation of experiential learning by requiring students to complete a reflective experiential activity.

Careers:

The Ph.D. ENED program prepares graduates for careers in:

• Universities: Traditional technical disciplines and/or departments of engineering education
• Community Colleges: Teaching and research roles
• PreK-12 Schools: Teaching and curriculum development
• For-profit and Non-profit Organizations: Testing organizations, foundations, governmental agencies
• Programmatic Roles: Assessment and accreditation coordinators, curriculum designers, policy makers, program officers
• Corporate Training and Workforce Development: Corporate trainers, workforce development specialists
• Leadership Positions: Directors of teaching/learning centers, diversity programs, or outreach programs

Other:

• Engineering Education Research Areas:
• Engineering Epistemologies: Research on what constitutes engineering now and into the future
• Engineering Learning Mechanisms: Research on developing engineering learners' knowledge and expertise
• Engineering Learning Systems: Research on the instructional culture and knowledge required of engineering educators
• Engineering Diversity and Inclusiveness: Research on how diverse human talents contribute to the social and global relevance of our profession
• Engineering Education Research Methodologies:
• Quantitative Research:
Emphasizes objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data.
• Qualitative Research: Seeks to produce in-depth descriptions and interpretations of human behaviors and experiences based primarily on the words of selected individuals (e.g., through interviews) and/or through the interpretation of actions (e.g., observations) or artifacts (e.g., analysis of documents).
• Mixed Methods Research: Characterized by drawing on the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods for generating possible solutions or holistic understandings of the problem that may not have been possible using either method by itself.
• Strong emphasis on developing in-depth educational research skills
• Requirement for students to advance their expertise in their technical engineering discipline
• Three focus area options: higher education in engineering, engineering education in PreK-12 levels, or engineering industry and workforce development
• Leverage of the CEAS's strong foundation of experiential learning through a reflective experiential activity requirement
• Curriculum:
• Guide: 20DOC-ENED-PHD-2024
• Accreditation:
• The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.