EdD and PhD Research Training in the Field of Higher Education: A Survey and a Proposal

In this article, the authors first review the history of EdD and PhD degrees in education and then report a survey of the objectives and research requirements of such programs in higher education. The findings of the survey indicate that almost half of those higher education programs having both degrees do not distinguish between the objectives or research requirements of these degrees. The authors argue that the two degrees should be substantively distinct, and outline a proposal illustrating the distinctiveness of each degree through research and internship requirements.