Getting Started Information in the PhD in Technology Management
All written information about the program is at the PhD course site. At the Graduate School site you can apply on line and get other useful information.To begin with, the first thing you should do is read all the information found below
as it will answer several of your basic questions and focus your remaining ones. Next, you should familiarize yourself with the web sites above and all the information therein. The PhD site contains all written information about the program. After you have digested what you can from the web site it is most likely that you will want to communicate with a person directly involved in the program. Please contact a Campus Coordinator to clarify ambiguities. Coordinators will do her or his best to help you. Program coordinators are as follows:
Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Dr. Donna Trautman dktraut@bgsu.edu
University of Central Missouri (UCM), Dr. John Sutton jsutton@ucmo.edu
East Carolina University (ECU) Dr. Tijjani Mohammed, mohammedt@ecu.edu
Indiana State University (ISU), Dr. Gerald W. Cockrell gcockrell@isugw.indstate.edu
North Carolina A&T (NCA&T), Dr. Musibau Shofoluwe msuibaus@ncat.edu
The program director is Dr. George Maughan and is located on the ISU campus. His Email is gmaughan@isugw.indstate.edu. We can best help you if you have specific
questions.
This page attempts to answer some of the more commonly asked questions
regarding initial advisement. Some FAQs are listed at the FAQ page of the PhD site. The PhD in Technology Management is offered by a consortium of universities. The degree is awarded by Indiana State University (ISU). Every Consortium University has a Coordinator who is the initial advisor for students at that campus. The initial advisor will probably not be your program planning chair or dissertation chair. Before the end of your first semester of study you should select a Program Chair with whom you will develop a program of study. In the meantime, this document has been
prepared to answer your questions and get you started.
You can apply to the program online at the ISU Graduate School web site. Once you have been admitted you may enroll in PhD courses. Contact persons are listed at the PhD web site for course registration.
Likely, you want information about course load and sequence. While every person's path to the PhD will be somewhat different, the following is the best general advice available.
Unless you have successful recent experience in taking web courses, take only one course your first semester.
The first course you must take is ITEC 6050 (offered every semester by East Carolina University).
If you are working full-time, think carefully about taking more than two courses in any semester (one in the summer). "Web" doesn't mean "easy" or all "browsing." In any PhD program, you will have to do extensive non-web reading, research, and writing. Each course will occupy at least 10 hours a week of your time.
A typical student will average taking two courses each Fall and Spring, and one course each Summer or Summer term. Some institutions have two summer terms. Please think carefully about taking more than one course at a time in the Summer if you are working full time. At this pace, students should complete coursework in 3 – 4 years. It is also prudent to assume that prelims, dissertation proposal, dissertation, dissertation defense, and corrections will take 1 to 2 years.
At some point you will also have to complete 6 semester hours of Internship and meet Residency requirements.
o The Internship carries credit. You must pay tuition and the internship experience counts as a regular course for purposes of residency. The internship must be approved by your Program Chair.
o Residency requires completing 18 semester hours over one calendar year with a minimum of one semester having 9 hours minimum. Summer may be used as one of the semesters. Please consult the PhD web site for additional Residency details.
o As you plan your Program of Study, please pay attention to both internship and residency requirements.
Course scheduling is such that courses in your technical specialization are typically offered once every 2 years.
Some specializations have recommended sequencing of courses. Also, some of the specialization coursework may have pre-requisites. Course pre-requisites are found in course descriptions on the PhD web site.
Students may have identified deficiencies to complete before they can start work in their technical specialization. This is decided by the Program Planning
To summarize:
It is very important to form a Program Planning Committee and develop a program of study as soon as possible after admission.
Give the highest priority to taking Technical Specialization courses. These courses are typically offered once every 2 years.
Give second priority to the Research Core courses. These courses are offered once per year, and must be taken in sequence.
Give third priority to Technology Core courses. These 5 courses are offered once or more a year and need not be taken in sequence.
Remember that the above is general advice to get you started. Consult with your Program Chair to work out the course sequencing/scheduling details.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What is the nature of this program?
In short, this doctoral program prepares students for technical management
positions in industry, government, or business. It also prepares selected candidates for faculty positions in colleges and universities.
Is the on-line delivery of a PhD program for me?
This is an Internet-based asynchronous program of study. As such, the student must be highly self-motivated and goal-oriented. Excellent skills in time-management are essential.
How is the coursework delivered?
All of the content-based coursework is taught via the Internet. The internship and dissertation (other than the dissertation defense) do not require attendance on campus. The Research Seminar (COT 709) is offered each spring semester at Indiana State University, and requires two 5-day on-campus sessions at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.
What type of background should I have?
The successful applicant will have at least 3 years of documented work experience in industry/business/government which closely relates to one of the Technical Specializations in the doctoral program. Further, applicants should have an
appropriate educational background either at the BS or MS level. For those without the expected educational background, addition coursework, of a deficiency nature, may be added to the candidates program of study. Even though this is a post-baccalaureate degree, normally the student will hold a masters degree prior to admission.
How do I get additional information?
assurance of talking with a human. After completely browsing the web site, please contact a Campus Coordinator. A Coordinator can best help you if you have specific questions. If you are close enough (geographically), we would like you to call one of the coordinators or director and visit face-to-face.
How do I apply?
You can apply online. The URL on the PhD website is:
http://web.indstate.edu/ConsortPhD/application/. The following chart summarizes admissions criteria for the PhD in Technology Management program.
Admissions Criteria
Criteria Category Criteria Standard Notes
Prior course work Prior technology course work of an industrial nature applicable to technology
management and the specialization.
The amount of necessary prior course work is dependent upon level (e.g., associate, bachelor, etc.), nature of instruction (e.g., how much was theory, how much was hands on), nature of the course work (i.e., how central was it to industry and
technology), and the selected specialization (e.g., the HRD and Ind. Training
Specialization may require less industrial technology hands-on lab work than does Digital Communications which requires substantial prior lab course work). Please see the PhD web site for detailed
information about each Technical Specialization.
Graduate GPA Minimum 3.5 on a 4 point scale.
Cumulative for all prior graduate course work. Industrial work experience Minimum of 3 years industrial work experience of a technology nature.
Examples of applicable work experience include technical industrial trainer, electronics technician, manufacturing supervisor, and other technical and technical management positions. Work experience must be validated by letter(s) from employer(s).
GRE Scores (or GMAT)
Minimum of 500 on each of the subtests.
Scores can be no more than 5 years old. GMAT Scores (or
GRE)
Minimum of 31 on each of the subtests
Scores can be no more than 5 years old. Career Goal
Manuscript
A written document which describes the students future goals and how this program
This document, in no more than two pages, identifies why a student feels this is the proper program for them, how it fits their future career goals, what areas of interest
fits into those goals. they have for future research as well as general statements on why they desire to pursue an advance degree.
Letters of
Recommendation
5 letters that support the other criteria listed above.
Letters should be from individuals who are qualified to address your standing on the criteria above.
What if I don't meet all the criteria?
Applicants who do not meet one of the criteria may be considered for conditional admission; However, it is rare that a student would be conditionally admitted due to the large number and high quality of applications received by the Consortium. We are currently accepting approximately 20 – 25% of those that apply for admission.
What is conditional admission?
If you are conditionally admitted, the condition may take many forms but will focus on resolving the deficiency. Additional course work (at the undergraduate and/or masters level), a specified internship, and/or maintaining a specified GPA in specified courses are common conditions. If you are deficient in more than one category or have a deficiency that is considered major, e.g., no industrial work experience, you will probably not be admitted to the program.
Is there a way to start courses under some sort of temporary admission until all my materials are in?
No, you must be admitted to the program before beginning coursework.
Can I take courses outside my Technical Specialization?
Generally, the answer is no, however in special circumstances with program
planning committee approval, it is possible. It is not possible, however, to graduate from the degree program with two specializations.
Can I take courses outside by Program Of Study?
It would be ill-advised to take courses outside your program of study if you have visions of them counting toward your graduation requirements. There are no “back doors” to other specializations in the program, so the specialization area that you begin in is what you should finish in. It is also very important that you make constant progress towards meeting your degree requirements.
Can I change my specialization after being admitted to the program?
Yes, it is possible, however a student that wishes to do that would be required to go through a new admission evaluation. You would essentially be asking to begin a new program and your materials would be evaluated to see if your background is appropriate for you to be in the new technical specialization.
When can I enroll?
As soon as you get a letter saying you are admitted, you are eligible to enroll. A complicating factor is that every participating university has slightly different
semesters and enrollment times. The information and/or the person to ask is linked to the PhD web site.
Do I have to register at each university that offers each course?
Yes. Please contact the registration person listed at the PhD web site. This is really easier than it sounds; just call or email the contact person listed on the PhD web site.
When will I be able to find out about courses that will be offered for the upcoming semester?
The schedule for courses and registration procedure should be posted at the courses offered link as soon as information is obtained from all the consortium universities. Schedules will include courses offered on each of the consortium campuses. In addition, information for signing up for courses will also be listed on each of the campus specific pages.
What is the tuition?
Each university charges a different tuition rate. Regardless of the state you live in, you will pay distance-based tuition at each Consortium university. These rates are typically far below the rates charged to out-of-state students. You can refer to the PhD web site for additional details.
Do I have to send tuition payments to each different institution from which I am taking courses?
Yes. Please contact the registration person listed at the PhD web site.
Do I really have to take the GRE or GMAT, even though I have a M.S. degree and am a successful corporate executive?
Yes. The GRE or GMAT minimum scores and other application materials are all required and used to determine your eligibility for admission into the program.
How long will it take for me to be considered for admission?
Indiana State University's Ph.D. in Technology Management Program admits a limited number of students two times each year; early June, and early October. Deadline for receiving completed applications are January 15th and August 15th respectively. A candidate's application materials are not evaluated until all required application materials are completely submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at Indiana State University. Once complete, those materials are evaluated for
What should be included in the recommendation letters and Career Goals Manuscript?
We are looking for evidence that you have the desire and ability to complete a rigorous PhD degree in which the course work is delivered via the Internet. You will need to be computer literate and a self-motivated learner who can learn
independently. Most importantly, the letters should show that the applicant is suited for the content of the degree. For instance, an applicant without appropriate work experience or without a BS/MS similar to the Technical Specialization may have to complete a substantial amount of deficiency course work as part of their program of study.
How many hours are required in the program? Or I have a Master's in
Technology, and an MBA. What courses will I have to take? Or I already have a doctorate. What courses will I have to take?
The answers to all the preceding are related. It is best to think about this degree (as most with most PhD degrees) in terms of what requirements do I have left to
complete, as compared to, what have I completed. PhD degrees are very content specific, especially the PhD in Technology Management. There will be required courses (in various categories). Most PhD programs do not require or give
significance to having other graduate degrees, e.g., Masters, JD, MBA, doctorate, etc. Most PhD programs require certain courses and experiences on top of a bachelors degree. The course work in a previous graduate degree may or may not be equivalent to a course in the PhD program desired. There are also limits on the number of courses that can be transferred into the program (a maximum of 21 semester hours of graduate level coursework completed elsewhere can be used to meet degree requirements) and a minimum number of hours that must be completed in the program. Also, certain courses (or an amount of hours) are not substitutable (by previous course work or another PhD in Technology Management course). The preceding is true of most PhD programs. Concerning course transferability and size of program, the PhD in Technology Management is in the middle of the spectrum. Indiana State University allows a student nine (9) years after admission to complete the PhD program of study. The following is a summary of requirements in the PhD in Technology Management. Please visit the program web site for additional details.
Program Requirements Category of course/credit Program Requirements Non Substitutable Program Requirements Notes Technology Core 5 courses 15 hrs All 5 courses - no substitutions Research Core 4 courses 12 hrs COT 702, 703 &709 may not be substituted. The 1st research course
Most students will take 9 hours because they have had a 1st level research course.
may be substituted. Specialization 10 courses 30 hrs 24 hours in the specialization are not substitutable. Up to 6 hours may be substituted. Students with an appropriate M.S. degree will usually take 24 hours. An appropriate M.S. degree will be supportive of or similar to the
selected area of specialization.
Residency 18
hrs
Required Completed over one calendar year. See web site for additional details. Internship 6 hrs No substitutions. Must be doctoral level
and new to you, i.e., can't be your current job
position. Cognate 12 hrs min. Usually substituted, e.g., part of a M.S. degree.
Most students with an appropriate M.S. degree (related to the
specialization area) will not be required to take additional cognate hours. Dissertation 18
hrs
No substitutions. Nine hours are taken at ISU and Nine hours from your home campus. Deficiencies N/A Variable If the student does not
have an appropriate educational background which supports his/her chosen Specialization, he/she may have to take additional course work in this category. Totals On top of a bachelors degree 90 hrs min As a student in the program, i.e., on top of whatever other graduate degrees you might have.
Most students in the PhD program take a minimum of 72 hours in addition to any other graduate degree(s) and or coursework.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, students that require financial aid may apply through Indiana State University’s Office of Financial Aid. Assistantships are also available at most of the Consortium Universities. Contact program coordinators for fellowship details. The combined stipend is approximately $15,000 on each campus. An assistantship constitutes a 50% workload. A graduate assistant can be required to teach or assist in other responsibilities as assigned. You may be required to pay fees associated with
registration for a course. In addition, depending on the requirements of the institution offering the assistantship, a portion of the stipend may be in the form of tuition
remission. Application for an assistantship is made to the university that you have selected as your Home University and awarding of the assistantship is made by that university. You may apply for an assistantship at more than one university. Continued financial aid has a requisite of continuous progress towards graduation requirements.
What are Preliminary exams?
Preliminary Exams are three days of written exams combined with an oral exam which are completed when no more than 6 hours of course work remain in the Program of Study. The exams cover the technical specialization, the technology core and also the research core. These exams are not a repeat of final exams within each of the courses, but are a synthesis of each of the program areas. By
successfully completing these exams, students in the program show their capability to complete the final requirement of the program, the dissertation.
What does it mean to be admitted to candidacy?
Once you have passed the Preliminary Exams, you are considered a PhD
Candidate. You may now prepare a dissertation proposal and, once the proposal is approved, conduct your study. Note: You cannot be admitted to candidacy until several criteria are met, including but not limited to, the following: completion of (almost all) course work and meeting residency requirements.
How often do I have to visit campus...or how will I meet residency requirements?
To meet Residency expectations within our program requires that a student complete a minimum of 18 semester hours in one calendar year. In one of the semesters during that calendar year, a student must be enrolled in COT 709 (3 semester hours) which requires two five day sessions on Indiana State University's campus. Those sessions start on a Wednesday and end on Sunday. Generally, the first session is in the first week of February and the second session is in the middle of April. A further requirement is that during the residency year, the student has at least one semester when he/she is enrolled in a minimum of 9 semester hours. Other than the requirements of stated above, students must be on their home campus for the final defense of the completed dissertation. Finally, there may be other times where it would be in the student's best interest if they could be on campus such as the oral exam associated with the preliminary exam process, the
defense of their dissertation proposal, however, reality is that in most cases, students will used distance techniques to complete tasks that, before our current levels of technology, required campus residency.
What kind of computer equipment and software will I need to be able to participate in the program?
When the program was approved, the Coordinating Council adopted a list as the "standard" equipment and software that would be used in both teaching and
communication within the degree program. That was approximately three years ago and since that time computer capabilities have continued to increase. Therefore, below you will find a recommended computer configuration.
Processor 1.5GHz processor or higher
Operating System Windows 2000 and above
Memory (RAM) 512 MB
Floppy Drive High density 3-1/2 inch
Hard Drive 20gb and above
Monitor 17" SVGA monitor should be appropriate. Screen
resolution set to 800X600 and above
Video Card Video RAM of 16mb
CD-ROM Drive 48X speed or faster internal drive
Internet Connectivity Dial-up / Cable / DSL / T1 (high speed access is desirable)
Audio Microphone and speakers for distance learning
Camera Web camera for distance learning (however, this can be done at the
time of the course and may not be necessary for many of the courses).
Mouse / Keyboard As per user comfort.
Software Programs Netscape Communicator 5.01 and higher.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher. Microsoft Office 2000 and higher.
