Ph.D. in Education – Character Education

On completing the Ph.D. in Education – Character Education degree, you will be able to:

• Identify the best character education materials currently available in the field and integrate best practices.
• Interact with faculty who are leading innovative and effective programs on a local, state and national level.
• Provide intellectual and Christ-centered leadership by producing and publishing original research at conferences and in journals.

Career Opportunities

• University Faculty
• Program Evaluator
• Program Consultant

• Adult Education
• Advanced Educational Leadership
• Character Education
• Christian Education Leadership
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Educational Psychology
• Educational Technology & Online Learning
• Exceptional Education Executive Leadership
• Higher Education
• Higher Education Leadership & Management
• K-12 School Leadership
• Special Education

2020-2021 Semester Check-In Deadlines:

All new students are expected to check-in for the semester 2 weeks prior to the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

Application Process – Doctoral Programs (Ph.D.)

Step 1: Application
Submit your application using our Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Application Fee
Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee by check or money order mailed to Regent University, Enrollment Support Services, 1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464.

Fee Waiver: Attend a graduate School of Education on-campus or online information session to learn how to streamline your application process, discover financial aid resources and waive your $50 application fee.

Step 3: Graduate Program Academic Paper
Please submit a scholarly or published writing sample that demonstrates your research, writing, analytical and problem-solving skills. This writing sample may include either a copy of your master’s thesis (or a portion of it, plus biography), or a formal paper or report. Research skills mean both the skill to utilize a writing style manual (e.g., APA) and the skill of integrating published research into an academic paper or report. Email to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SOE Doctoral Application Pieces or fax to 757.352.4725.

Step 4: Submit your Unofficial College Transcripts
We are able to examine and view your unofficial transcripts from U.S.-based schools, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, in order to review you for an admissions decision. Please submit your unofficial transcript to our Admissions Office by email to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SOE Doctoral Application Pieces.

Non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an NACES-approved company. For further details, please review the International Admissions Checklist on the International Students Admissions page.

International Applicants: Please visit the International Students Admissions page for a more detailed explanation of the Regent University application information and to determine whether or not you qualify as an international student.

*Upon conditional acceptance to the program by review of unofficial transcripts, Regent University’s Admissions Office will attempt to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institutions, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. We will notify you if your previous institutions will not release transcripts directly to us.

Step 5: Complete Your Admissions Questionnaire
Please complete a brief admissions questionnaire based on your professional goals and interests. This should only take a few minutes to complete, but please answer the questions completely and thoughtfully. This gives us a better opportunity to get to know you and align your objectives with our programs. The admissions questionnaire can be found here. Once completed, it will be sent directly to an admissions counselor who will be in touch with you right away to help complete the rest of your application.

Step 6: Government-Issued ID
To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please email a scanned copy or photograph of it to apply@regent.edu with the subject line: Government ID.

Step 7: Admissions Interview
If an interview is necessary, the admissions office will contact you to schedule an appointment. The interview can be conducted on campus or over the phone and typically takes about an hour.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

• 2019-20 Tuition Rates
• 2020-21 Tuition Rates

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

Estimated Cost of Attendance: View the estimated cost of attendance to see an example of the total cost of tuition and fees.

Ph.D. Requirements

A Ph.D. student will (a) complete 21 hours associated with the Ed.D. core curriculum, (b) complete 24-26 hours associated with an Ed.D. concentration, (c) complete an additional 9 hours of research related credit, and (d) complete 15 hours of dissertation research credit—the total program is 75-77 hours. The candidacy examination will be administered during the final semester of coursework. A candidate for the Ph.D. degree must present an acceptable research-based dissertation. The dissertation demonstrates that the candidate has technical competence in the field and has done research of an independent character. It must add to or modify what was previously known in the candidate’s field of interest, or present a significant interpretation of the subject based upon original investigation and research.

Research Related Credit:

Ph.D. students are required to take the following courses:

EDCO 801 Strategic Planning & Program Evaluation (3 credits)

EDCO 802 Analysis of Variance (1 credit)

EDCO 803 Regression & Correlation (1 credit)

EDCO 804 Structure & Reliability Analysis (1 credit)

EHEA 805 Advanced Research Design and Analysis (3 credits)

Faculty

Dr. Stiff-Williams is the concentration chair for Character Education and is committed to your success.

Dr. Helen R. Stiff-Williams, a professor in the School of Education at Regent University, teaches in and provides coordination for the Character Education concentration area in the Ed.D. program. Her areas of expertise include: Character Education, standards-based education, school improvement for low-achieving students and low-performing schools, and K-12 educational policy.

Stiff-Williams is engaged in research and writing projects on effective urban schools, closing achievement gaps, and her biggest project involving the examination of the impact of character education on student performance.

Stiff-Williams served as chairman of the Department of Education at Hampton University; a division chief in the Virginia Department of Education; an assistant superintendent for instruction; and school leader at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Virginia.

Stiff-Williams’ professional activities involve presenting annually at the ASCD Conference, the National Youth At-Risk Conference, the Character Education Partnership Forum, the Alternatives for Expulsion and Dropping Out Conference, and the National Staff Development Council Conference. She also presents at the ATE, AACTE, and the AERA Conferences to support developments in higher education. As a national consultant, she delivers professional development training on “Putting Character Education into Schools to Improve Student Performance.”

• B.S. in Teacher Education/Interdisciplinary Studies – Pre-K-3
• Career Switcher Program for Accelerated Teaching License with M.Ed. Option
• Ed.D. – Doctor of Education
• Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Character Education
• M.Ed. in Student Affairs