Page History

Semester

Recommended Coursework

Milestones

1^st year Fall

Required:

Knowing and Learning in STEM ED (core requirement)

Choose other courses based on the needs of your degree plan:

• Content course. Note - Content requirements may be waived for students with pre-existing graduate degree in a STEM content area (not math or science education) no more than 6 years old.
• Research Methods course.
• Possible concurrent core course. Equity, Research on Teachers and Teaching, and Systemic Reform are offered every third semester. It is better to take these after Knowing and Learning and Curriculum History and Development, but one of them may have to be taken concurrently to fit it into your schedule.
• EDC 398T (if you plan to TA or AI in the future)

-Consult with Grad Advisor or Grad Coordinator for spring registration approval and register for Spring courses.

- Complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) required training for research involving human subjects. https://research.utexas.edu/ors/human-subjects/training/

1^st year Spring

Required:

Curriculum History and Development (core requirement)

Choose other courses based on the needs of your degree plan:

• Concurrent core course
• Content course if needed
• Research course
• EDC 398T if not already taken
• Advanced topics course
• Independent study or related course work

Begin thinking about a possible dissertation topic, and decide which faculty you might want to serve on your qualifying exam and dissertation committees.  Talk to faculty; solicit feedback and foster relationships.

Consult with Grad Advisor or Grad Coordinator for summer and fall registration approval and register for summer and fall courses.

1^st year Summer

Enroll in additional courses if needed

Consider attending, possibly presenting, at annual meetings of professional associations and learned societies (i.e. AERA, NARST, NCTM, PME, ASEE, ICLS etc.).

It is often necessary to submit proposals and make plans to attend conferences the summer before the conference takes place. Most of these conferences take place in early to mid spring, but proposals to give talks are due the summer before.

2^nd year Fall

Required:

3^rd or 4^th core course (Equity, Systemic Reform, or Research on Teaching)

Choose other courses based on the needs of your degree plan:

• Research course
• Content course if needed
• Advanced topics course
• Independent study or related course work

Begin participating in research projects. Ask your faculty advisor for recommendations. Faculty members often have ongoing projects in which you can get involved.

Consider using the core course projects to help you start to develop a research question for your dissertation.

Join the appropriate professional organizations in your field. Add yourself to the listserv for the most appropriate professional organization (NARST, NCTM, etc.)

Mentor incoming STEM ED graduate students.

2^nd year Spring

Recommended:

Complete core courses

• Consider forming a writing group with other graduate students and meeting at regular negotiated times to review each other’s work.
  
  

Choose other courses based on the needs of your degree plan:

• Research course
• Content course if needed
• Advanced topics course
• Independent study or related course work

Complete your Second Year Review and Program of Work (POW) template forms and begin entering coursework in the appropriate section for meeting degree requirements. 

This will be due at the end of your second year in the program. You will submit it electronically to the STEM ED Graduate Coordinator, and the STEM ED Faculty will review your paperwork.  If there are any concerns, your STEM ED Faculty Advisor will schedule a meeting with you.

Continue with research and continue to think about your own research interest.

2^nd year Summer

Enroll in additional courses if needed

Submitting a proposal for presentation at annual meetings of professional associations and learned societies (i.e. AERA, NARST, etc.) is recommended.  Consider working with a faculty member.

Most proposal deadlines for these conferences occur in the late summer.  Ask you faculty advisor about conference recommendations

Start putting together your committee for qualifying exams. This consists of three STEM ED Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) members. Ask your faculty advisor for recommendations.

Additional semesters

1. Remaining core courses if needed
2. Remaining content courses if needed
3. Remaining research methods if needed
4. Remaining advanced topics courses if needed
5. Independent study/directed research