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Research & Evaluation Methodology (REM) is a community for intellectually curious, and academically motivated students who want to learn about quantitative research methods for analyzing research methodology with an eye toward influencing education policy and practice with the goals of facilitating learning and increasing equity, particularly for marginalized groups. Students frequently specialize in either mastering psychometrics and educational assessment or in applying statistics towards program and policy analysis, though some students pursue additional approaches.

 All REM students can expect to be involved in the Center for Assessment, Design, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) . CADRE’s mission is to produce generalizable knowledge, to assess and improve student learning, and to evaluate programs and methods that may have a meaningful effect on student learning and promote more equitable student outcomes. CADRE projects represent a collaboration with the School of Education, CU Boulder, and the broader national and international communities of scholars and stakeholders involved in educational assessment and evaluation. View examples of CADRE projects .

Financial Support

All of our doctoral students are awarded generous funding packages. Stipends and grants cover tuition costs and provide experiential graduate assistantships that further prepare you for your future as a researcher, educator, and leader in the field. Fellowship and assistantship packages are awarded on a competitive basis and vary for each student. All funding packages guarantee coverage for five years of full-time study.

A typical package will include a total of a 50% appointment (~20hr/week) through a Graduate Research Assistantship and/or Teaching Assistantship, full tuition remission and a fellowship to assist with student fees, the majority of the CU Student Health Gold Insurance Plan , and a stipend of approximately $23,464 per academic year. Please note that these figures are subject to change and summer funding is not guaranteed.

Our Miramontes Doctoral Scholars Program not only provides five years of funding for full-time doctoral study, but also includes one year of support focused solely on the dissertation year. The program offers a dedicated, supportive community for doctoral students with research interests focused on educational equity and cultural diversity, and prospective students from underrepresented groups and those who are first-generation college graduates are encouraged to apply.

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• A Personal Statement
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Unofficial Transcripts (official transcripts are required after admission)
• REM encourages students to demonstrate their motivation and preparation for studying advanced quantitative methods. This could be satisfied through GRE scores or any number of alternative methods, such as prior work or research experience.
• TOEFL scores for international students
• Application Fee ($60 domestic application/$80 international) along with the application

Admission to all our graduate programs is competitive and based on multiple criteria, including undergraduate academic record, scores on exams, letters of recommendation, personal statement, evidence of special accomplishments, and relevant past experience. Criteria are considered holistically. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

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• November 15, international 

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We warmly invite you to apply for the Doctoral Mentorship Pathway Program for 2023-24

This program is designed to create a pathway for historically underrepresented and marginalized education scholars and practitioners who are considering doctoral studies in Fall 2024. We hope to use this program to make the sometimes mystifying process of applying to a PhD program more visible, to provide an opportunity for you to get to know our students and faculty, and participate in sessions where we’ll talk about how to apply and what the realities are for students of color studying in a predominantly white research institution. 

Applications due Aug. 4—apply today!

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Home > Dissertations and Theses > Education (PhD) Dissertations

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Below is a selection of dissertations from the Attallah College of Educational Studies. Additional dissertations from years prior to 2019 are available through the Leatherby Libraries' print collection or in Proquest's Dissertations and Theses database.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

Exploring Community College Faculty and Administrators Work Providing Educational Opportunities for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD): An Integral Framework for Inclusive Postsecondary Education , Stacy Eldred

Leading Towards Racial Justice: Counterstories of TK-12 Latinx Men Administrators , Pedro Espinoza

Peacing it Together: Post 9/11 Enlisted Student Veterans’ Awakening to Peace Leadership , Nicholas J. Irwin

Visit the Imprisoned: A Heuristic Inquiry into the Experiences of Catholic Detention Ministry Volunteers , Christopher Tran

Dissertations from 2023 2023

All Things Weird and Wonderful: A Creative Exploration of Disability Representation , Lara Ameen

Generalizability of the Scale of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) to School Psychologists , Abraham Aryadad

Understanding the Relationship Between Organic Chemistry Misconceptions and Students’ Chemistry Self-efficacy in Higher Education Organic Chemistry Courses , Lauren A. Dudley

Women’s Pornography Use and Sexuality Education in U.S. Public Schools , Julie Fraumeni-McBride

Educator Professional Development in Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning: A Collective Case Study , Sara Morgan

Phenomenological Study on Veteran Resource Center (VRC) in California Community Colleges , Darl Park

Equipped for Change: A Grounded Theory Study of White Antiracist School Leaders’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Racial Consciousness in Educational Leadership , Thomas Joseph Peterson

A Discourse Analysis of Parents' and Teachers' Social Constructions of School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten for Children With Disabilities , Ronica Senores Toyota

How Market-Driven Policies Impact a Private Vocational College Department in China , Huiru Zhu

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Disabled IDF Veterans in Israeli Higher Education: Disability Identity and Use of Support , Einat Ben Dov

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Teacher Preparation Standards within Inclusion-Intensive States , Kay Lynn Ceja

Beta Drift: Forecasting the Manifold Relationships between Students and their Pursuit of STEM Careers , Douglas D. Havard

Radical Belonging: School as Communion of Peoples, Place, and Power , Joey Yung-Jun Liu

“I Just Learn Differently”: The Experiences of Dis/abled Students of Color Interpreting and Resisting Normalizing Forces in the Mathematics Classroom , Dina Mahmood

The Efficacy of a Key Word Signing Workshop , Krista McMorran-Maus

The Relationship Among Social and Psychological Inclusion, Marginalized Group Membership, and Student Outcomes , Katheryn Munguia

Higher Education Housing Professionals and Disability: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Resident Directors’ Understandings of Disability , Christopher Toutain

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Understanding First-Generation Latinx Students' Experiences in a Predominantly White Private Institution: A Grounded Theory Study , Jacqueline Aparicio

Constructing Critical Change: Learning from Elementary Teachers' Engagement with Inclusive Critical Education , Courtney Beatty

Fighting An Uphill Battle: Black Undergraduate Women Navigating Higher Education While Acknowledging and Challenging Media Portrayals of Black Women , Kandace Branch

Community College Success of Students with Disabilities , Shayne Brophy-Felbab

Searching for Balance: The Reading Choices, Experiences, and Habits of Women in Higher Education Leadership Roles , Laura Burns

Leading Climate Action Planning: A Case Study of Local Community Practices , Mackenzie Crigger

Bidimensional Assessment of Youth Mental Health: Evaluation of the California Healthy Kids Survey as a Measure of Youth Subjective Well-Being , Michael Doria

Exploring the Relationship Between Religion and Resilience Among Latina Academics in Higher Education , Rocio Garcia

Special Education Parent Perceptions of Involvement and Parent–Educator Relationships During IEP Meetings at Nonpublic Schools , Alex Huynen

Systemic Functional Linguistics in the Community College Composition Class: A Multimodal Approach to Teaching Composition Using the Metalanguage of SFL , Jennifer James

School Psychologists as Leaders in Professional Practice: An Examination of Leadership Roles and Perceived Support , Jodi LaChance

An Examination of Chinese Private College Students’ Intercultural Competence , Li Li

Relationships Among Mentoring Support and Student Success in a Chinese First-Year Experience Program , Tianxiang Liu

Contributing to Engineering Colleges Students' Development Through Out-of-Class Involvement: A Survey of Chinese Private Colleges' Engineering Students , Wanlu Li

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Autistic Adults , Sneha Kohli Mathur

Using a Dual-Factor Model to Understand the Mental Health of Students with School Refusal Behavior , Zachary D. Maupin

The Effects of Internationalization Activities on Undergraduates' Global Competence: An Exploratory Study at A Chinese Private University , Haiying Meng

Resilience and Mental Health of Students Attending California's Continuation High Schools , Brianna Meshke McLay

'Training' the Body Politic: Essays on the School Reform Orthodoxy , Jahan Naghshineh

Mitigating Risks for Youth in At-Risk Living Conditions Through School-Based Protective Factors , Cora Palma

Seeing the Tress For the Forest: An Analysis of Novice and Experienced Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Stress , Allison Serceki

An Examination of Chinese Undergraduates’ Contemplativity and Academic Stress , Ran Tao

Teachers’ Experiences of a District’s Transformational Leadership Design Program: A Qualitative Study , Jarit Unrau

California Elected City Council Women of Color: Building a Collaborative Vision With Inclusive Voice , Beatriz T. Valencia

Equality of Educational Opportunity in China: Factors from Family, School, and Shadow Education , Qin Xiang

An Examination of Chinese Adolescents’ Resilience and Their Perceptions of Parental and Peer Attachment , Jingwen Xing

Do Academic Characteristics Predict Chinese Private University Students’ Success in English Language Testing? , Feijun Yu

Empathy Among Nursing Undergraduates at a Chinese Private University , Yuanyuan Zhang

A Study of Critical Thinking Dispositions of Undergraduates in Foreign Language Discipline at One Private College in Mainland China , Yuanyuan Zheng

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Hidden Power: Journalistic Representations of Mental Health Labels , Elise Anguizola Assaf

Finding Voice from the Inside: How Postsecondary Education Impacted Perceptions of Higher Education for Long-Term Incarcerated Juveniles , Gregory Barraza

Experienced Pediatric Oncology Nurses Using Self-Reflective Practices in the Clinical Setting: A Descriptive Phenomenological Investigation , Daniel Josue Bonilla

The Labyrinth of Autism: Heuristic Journeys of Fathers Who Have a Child on the Autism Spectrum , Lisa Boskovich

Developing Trust in a Cross-Functional Workgroup: Assessing the Effectiveness of a Communication Intervention , Scott De Long

A Place of Yes? Experiences of Educators Participating in Site-based Teacher-led Reform , Elizabeth Hind

Vietnamese Resilience Assessment: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Scale Validation , Loan Le

School Psychologists and School Counselors’ Perceptions of Preparation Received for the Provision of School-Based Mental Health Services , Sherika McKenzie

The Perceived Effectiveness of School-Based Accommodations for Students with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus , MaryAnn Seng

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Teachers and School Communities Impacted by the Opioid Epidemic , Anne Steketee

Performative Possibilities in the Development of Protagonistic Agency Among Graduate Students in China , Yan Wang

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Laughing Back: A Phenomenological Study of Disability Humor Using Culturally Responsive Methodologies , Kinda Abujbarah

Women’s Right and Education in Saudi Arabia: Raising Critical Consciousness in Arabic Studies Courses in Female High Schools in Saudi Arabia , Eman Almutairi

Exploring Gender Roles and Gender Equality within the Evangelical Church , Christopher Bishop

Minding the Gap: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Transition from Secondary School to Community College for Students Identified with Autism , Douglas Highlen

#BLACKQUEERLIVESMATTER: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Black Gay Male Leaders in Los Angeles , Christopher Jackson

The Power of Partnership: Understanding the Dynamic of Co-Teaching Pairs , Amanda M. Lozolla

The Intersection of Speech-Language Pathologists’ Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices and the Language Acquisition and Development of Emerging Aided Communicators , Margaret Vento-Wilson

On the Move: Storying the Authentic Leadership Development of Millennial Gay Men , Kyle Williams

The Media, Education, and the State: Arts-Based Research and a Marxist Analysis of the Syrian Refugee Crisis , Meng Zhao

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Collegiate Women in Saudi Arabia: Leading Collectively for the Development of Self, Others, and Society , Miznah Alomair

Counter-stories of First-Generation Latinx Alumnae: A Critical Race Theory Analysis , Pamela Ezell

Practitioner Research in Schools: Revealing the Efficacy Agency Cycle , Edward Resnick

An Analysis of Mentoring and Job Satisfaction in Public and Private College and University Academic Libraries in California , Kevin M. Ross

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Queer Teachers in Catholic Schools: Cosmic Perceptions of an Easter People , Kevin Stockbridge

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Young, Urban, Professional, and Kenyan?: Conversations Surrounding Tribal Identity and Nationhood , Charlotte Achieng-Evensen

Inside/Outside/In-between: Understanding how Jewish Identity Impacts the Lives and Narratives of Ashkenazi Female Public School Educators , Mindi Ellen Benditson

The Repatriation Experiences of American Third Culture Kids , Nicole Mazzo Bennett

Academic Factors that Predict Community College Students’ Acceptance of Evolution , Meredith Anne Dorner

Operation Transition: Post-9/11 Combat Marines Transitioning to Civilian Life and the Role of Higher Education in their Identity Formation , Jamie M. Fenton

Towards a New Understanding: Complex Familial Constructs of Autism , Joanne Kim

The Development of the Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education , Maryann Krikorian

Bridgers in the Third Space: An In-Country Investigation of the Leadership Practices of US-Educated Chinese Nationals , Maria L. Martinez

The Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with Disabilities: A Holistic View , Ashley Mc Adams

¿Dónde Pertenecemos? Narrative Analysis of Afro-Boricua Women’s Experiences of Belonging Within and Beyond College , Marie Nubia-Feliciano

Nontraditional Student Risk Factors and Gender as Predictors for Enrollment in College Distance Education , Tammy Crews Pao

The Glass Ceiling is Not Broken: Gender Equity Issues among Faculty in Higher Education , Jillian Wood

Dissertations from 2015 2015

A Narrative and Poetic Exploration into Self-Defining Asperger’s: Ceasing to be X-1 , Lisa Boskovich

School Psychologists’ Training and Knowledge of Tourette Syndrome , Leticia Cornejo

The Influences of Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Identity, Interest, and Parental Involvement on STEM Achievement in Algebra for Female High School Students , Nicol R. Howard

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Exploring the Lived Experiences of College Students Who Do Not Request Accommodations , Denise P. Reid

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The committee's evaluation report

Main content.

The evaluation report is administered by the chair of the assessment committee.

• The committee must submit a joint  written evaluation of the candidate's work 5 weeks after receiving the thesis ( at least 4 weeks before the planned defence of the thesis). The joint conclusion in the report must be clear.

The report must clearly conclude whether the thesis:

• is worthy of being publicly defended for the degree of PhD without any changes;
• may be worthy of defence but the thesis or the scientific work has minor shortcomings that should be corrected before the defence;
• is not worthy of defence, and has major shortcomings that should be corrected before it can be defended

The committee may not accept a thesis on the condition that changes are made to the submitted material.  The evaluation should conclude whether the qualitative and quantitative scientific requirements for a 3-year doctoral degree have been met, and whether the thesis is worthy of being publicly defended for the degree of PhD.

The committee's assessment

The evaluation report must include weighing of the strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation. This leads to a conclusion as to whether the committee finds the thesis worthy of public defence, or whether the committee recommends that the thesis not be approved for public defence. If there is dissent among the members of the committee, the reasons for dissent must be stated. It is preferred that the committee issue a joint report, with any individual statements enclosed. Grounds for dissent among the members of the committee must always be stated. Individual statements may be attached to the report even if the committee's conclusion is unanimous.

When assessing a thesis, special consideration should be given to whether the thesis represents an independent and comprehensive scientific work of a high academic standard with regard to the formulation of research questions, methodological, theoretical and empirical basis, documentation, treatment of the literature and presentation form. It is particularly important to assess whether the material and methods used are relevant to the questions raised in the thesis, and whether the arguments and conclusions presented are tenable. The thesis must contribute new knowledge to the discipline and be of an academic standard appropriate for publication as part of scientific literature in the field.

If the thesis consists of several interrelated minor works, the assessment committee must assess whether the content of the individual works constitutes a whole. In such cases, the candidate must document the integrated nature of the work in a separate section by not only summarizing, but also comparing the research questions and conclusions presented in the separate works. This part of the thesis is of vital importance both for the doctoral candidate and for the committee's assessment of the submitted work.

The committee's assessment can lead to three possible recommendations: worthy of defence, minor shortcomings should be corrected, or the thesis is not worthy of defence.

The thesis is worthy of being publicly defended for the degree of PhD without any changes

The thesis is considered worthy of defence if it is considered an independent and comprehensive scientific work of international standard, where the doctoral student satisfies the minimum requirements for research competence. The thesis may still have several weaknesses, but these weaknesses are of such a nature that they can be defended in a public defence, without being corrected in the thesis.

The thesis may be worthy of defence, but the thesis or scientific work has minor shortcomings that should be corrected before the defence

The thesis is not considered worthy of defence, but the committee considers that with minor revisions, the thesis can be brought up to a satisfactory level. This revision cannot be more comprehensive than what the candidate will be able to do within 3 months (cf. PhD regulations § 11-4). In such cases, the committee must provide written and concrete guidance on which parts of the thesis must be worked on and, more specifically, what is needed to raise it to a satisfactory level (for example, methodology, the relationship between material and conclusion, conceptual use, clarity of the problem, data processing and serious reference errors/deficiencies). However, the recommendation must not be considered as an assurance of approval upon completion of the assessment.

The candidate must submit a revised thesis within 3 months. The revised thesis may also contain other changes than the committee has pointed out. The committee must reassess the thesis to conclude whether it is worthy of defence.

The thesis is not worthy of defence, and has major shortcomings that should be corrected before it can be defended

If the committee finds that more profound changes are required regarding theory, hypothesis, material and/or method/analysis in order for the thesis to be recommended, the committee shall recommend rejection of the thesis. In cases where the committee recommends rejection, the report must contain details of the reasons for the decision. The committee should give some indication on which parts of the thesis need revision (methodology, relationship between material and conclusion, use of concepts, clarity of questions raised, etc.). This type of indication should not give the impression that a new assessment will necessarily lead to approval of the thesis.  

A thesis that is rejected can be submitted in a revised version. A new assessment can only be done once.

The joint, coordinated evaluation ( see template for the evaluation report ) should start by mentioning the scientific field to which the thesis is a contribution. Outstanding and important theoretical and/or experimental details should be mentioned. The technical qualities (structure, written presentation and general impression) of the thesis should be briefly commented on. The joint assessment should include "a discussion of the thesis's scientific significance of the thesis and key issues concerning its theoretical framework, hypotheses, material, methodology and findings" (please see point 3.1 Guidelines for the evaluation of candidates for Norwegian doctoral degrees ). Individual comments from any committee member may be attached.

See section 11-3 in Regulations for the Philosophiae doctor (pHD) degree at The University of Bergen and section 3.3 in Guidelines for the evaluation of candidates for Norwegian doctoral degrees and relevant sections from the regulations .