For the Education Track Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, a student must complete a total of 90 credit hours. Most of these hours, 61 credits, come from this list of required coursework.
Biomedical Core (35-37 hours)
Biomedical Core courses offer rigorous training in the major biomedical disciplines of gross anatomy, histology, neuroscience, cell biology and physiology as well as supervised and mentored teaching experiences with medical students and graduate students.
| Course | Credit Hours | Notes |
| MED X620 Human Structure | 9 | |
| MED X630 Molecules to Cells and Tissues | 7 | |
| MED X660 Neuroscience and Behavior | 6 | |
| OR ANAT D701 Translational Neuroscience | 5 | |
| MED X640 Fundamentals of Health and Disease | 6 | |
| OR PHSL F503 Human Physiology | 5 | |
| ANAT D861 Anatomy Education Seminar | 1 | Required yearly, which sums to 5 credit hours assuming a 5-year degree completion time. This seminar series focuses on educational topics rather than bench research. |
| ANAT D878 Anatomy Teaching Practicum | 2 | Supervised teaching in Gross Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience (repeated twice for 4 hours total). This teaching involves lecturing as well as assisting in laboratory instruction. |
Education Core (18 hours)
Education Core courses cover fundamentals of pedagogy and assessment, including educational research and scholarship.
| Course | Credit Hours |
| MSCI M620 Pedagogical Methods in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| OR SHRS W672 College Teaching Methodologies | 3 |
| EDUC J500 Instruction in the Context of Curriculum | 3 |
| OR EDUC C750 Curriculum in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDUC P540 Learning and Cognition in Education | 3 |
| EDUC Y611 Qualitative Inquiry in Education | 3 |
| EDUC Y521 Methodological Approaches to Educational Inquiry (preferred) | 3 |
| OR EDUC Y520 Strategies for Educational Inquiry | 3 |
In special circumstances, either of the following courses may substitute for Y521 or Y520 with permission of the student’s advisory committee: EDUC Y510 Action Research (3) or EDUC C750 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (3). Along with ONE of the following courses:
- EDUC Y525 Survey Research (3)
- EDUC Y603 Statistical Design of Educational Research (3)
- EDUC C750 Topical Seminar (3)
- Other education course if approved by the student’s advisory committee
Statistics (6-7 hours)
Statistics courses provide statistical tools needed to properly design and evaluate educational research projects.
| Course | Credit Hours | Notes |
| EDUC Y502 Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education | 3 | Requires concurrent registration with EDUC Y500 Computer Lab for Educational Statistics (1) (prerequisite: EDUC Y520 Strategies for Educational Inquiry or a course in basic statistics) OR PBHL B551 Biostatistics for Public Health I (3). |
| EDUC Y604 Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research | 3 | |
| OR PBHL B652 Biostatistics for Public Health II | 3 |
Electives (28-31 hours)
Electives must be selected in consultation with advisor. Students are encouraged to take at least 9 hours of advanced coursework in the biomedical sciences, education or statistics. Examples of suitable electives include but are not limited to:| Elective | Credit Hours |
| ANAT D864 Advanced Gross Anatomy | 2 |
| ANAT D856 Advanced Histology | 2 |
| ANAT D875 Advanced Neuroanatomy | 2 |
| ANAT D700 Educational Research Practicum | 2 |
| ANAT D878 Anatomy Teaching Practicum | 2 |
| ANAT D853 Human Developmental Anatomy | 3 |
| GRDM G655 Research Communications Seminar | 1 |
| STAT 53300 Nonparametric Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 60800 Measurement Theory and Interpretation of Data | 3 |
| TECH 58100 Mixed Methods Research | 4 |
| EDUC Y612 Critical Qualitative Inquiry | 3 |
| EDUC C795 Dissertation Proposal Preparation | 3 |
Exams and Dissertation
After completing the coursework, students are required to pass a qualifying examination that tests knowledge of anatomy, grasp of relevant literature, and ability to form educational research hypotheses and design studies to test these hypotheses. Students must successfully complete a doctoral research project, including the writing and defense of a Dissertation. ANAT D860 Dissertation Research (credit arranged) sufficient to complete the 90-credit-hour degree requirement.