Ph.D. Coursework
Fall 2023
EDCI 601 Disciplinary Knowledge and Research in Curriculum and Instruction
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Emphasizes key research and researchers, discipline-specific information, and the initial identification of researchable questions in the field of curriculum and instruction. Prerequisite: PhD classification in TLAC.
EDCI 619 Teaching and Learning Number and Quantity Concepts
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the content, pedagogy, technology, and research on teaching and learning concepts on number and quantity concepts; discussion of contemporary issues in K-12, standards and assessment.
EDCI 686 Research Methods in EDCI I
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Framework for understanding distinctions among research methodologies used in the field of curriculum and instruction; includes classes of research questions, methods of collecting and decisioning evidence, theoretical assumptions, strengths, weaknesses, and the work of major proponents. Prerequisite: Admission into TLAC doctoral program.
Spring 2024
EDCI 687 Research Methods in EDCI II
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Framework for understanding distinctions among research methodologies used in the field of curriculum and instruction; includes classes of research questions, methods of collecting and decisioning evidence; basic principles of descriptive and inferential statistics and their application in context of various research paradigms. Prerequisite: EDCI 686.
EDCI 701 Scientific Inquiry in Science Education
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Inquiry models and aspects of scientific inquiry; modification of science activities in pre-K to college and informal educational settings to be more congruent with science education goals, how students learn and the nature of science.
EHRD 655 Qualitative Research Methods
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Introduction to qualitative research methods; theoretical underpinnings; the research paradigm and applied experience with the methodology. Prerequisite: EHRD 651 or equivalent.
Summer 2024
EDCI 620 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Teaching & Learning
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of integrated and multidisciplinary practice-based pedagogies; building of interdisciplinary bridges among content areas; melding sociocultural and cognitive factors influencing STEM education across K-12 levels; discussion of underrepresented groups binding best practices; development and evaluation of STEM project-based learning. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
EDCI 685 Directed Studies
Credits 1. 1 Other Hours. Directed individual study of selected problems in the field of education.
CLEN 289 Special Topics In Engineering
Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. 0 to 4 Lab Hours.Selected topics in an identified area of engineering. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
CSCE 629 Analysis of Algorithms
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Concrete algorithm design and analysis; abstract models to analyze the complexity of problems; NP-Completeness; approximation and probabilistic algorithms. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
OCNG 669 Python for Geosciences
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Core language Python programming; scientific programing analysis methods; analysis of large geophysical data sets; plotting geophysical data; interpolation. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
Fall 2024
EDCI 646 Instruction Theory
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Theoretical basis for research and training in instruction; systematic study of existing research on key factors influencing instructional effectiveness. Exploration of interaction among variables of instruction. Doctoral level only.
EDCI 662 Philosophical Theories of Education
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Selected historical theories of education from Plato to Skinner; evaluating educational ends and means; the nature of knowledge, its acquisition and transmission. Doctoral level only.
EDCI 688 Research Methods in EDCI III
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Framework for understanding distinctions among research methodologies used in the field of curriculum and instruction; includes classes of research questions, methods of collecting and decisioning evidence; basic principles of multivariate statistics and their application in context of various research paradigms. Prerequisite: EDCI 687.
CSCE 625 Artificial Intelligence
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Fundamental concepts and modern methods of artificial intelligence; search (uninformed, informed, iterative improvement, constraint satisfaction, space/time complexity); game playing: minmax, alpha-beta pruning; knowledge representation and reasoning; propositional logic, first-order logic and automated theorem proving, etc.; planning; uncertainty and probabilistic reasoning; machine learning and deep learning basics; selected topics include cognitive models, distributed AI, intelligent agents, perception, robotics, natural language, etc.; philosophical issues, including ethics. Prerequisites: CSCE 411 or approval of instructor; graduate classification.
Spring 2025
EDCI 647 Curriculum Theory
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theoretical basis for curriculum conceptualization, development, evaluation and implementation; value and empirical basis of curriculum decision-making strategies for curriculum change. Doctoral level only
EDCI 708 Systematic Review Methods in Education
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Focus on systematic reviews as a research method in the education discipline, including a discussion of each step of the systematic review process from idea formation to synthesis of results; critical examination of the role of systematic reviews within the education discipline; and evaluation of systematic review quality. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.
CSCE 633 Machine Learning
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Machine learning is the study of self-modifying computer systems that can acquire new knowledge and improve their own performance; survey machine learning techniques, which include induction from examples, conceptual clustering, explanation-based learning, exemplar learning and analogy, discovery and genetic algorithms. Prerequisite: CSCE 420 or CSCE 625.
GERM 101 Beginning German I
Credits 4. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.(GERM 1411) Beginning German I. Elementary language study with oral, written and reading practice. Preparation for conversation. Part of class preparation will be done in language laboratory.
Summer 2025
STUDY ABROAD in Bonn, Germany
German Language & Cultural Immersion Program | Summer I 2025
Based in Bonn, I will live with a host family while conducting an interactive investigation of German culture and society, spanning from early Germanic tribes to the contemporary Berlin Republic. The program integrates field research through visits to historically significant cities including Cologne, Aachen, Berlin, and Dresden, allowing me to examine the intersection of historical context and modern cultural dynamics—an approach that complements my doctoral research in engineering education and STEM pedagogy, particularly with a cross-cultural focus on curriculum development.
Professional Research Practicum | Summer II 2025
This four-week field study program combines practical research experience with professional development through three core components:
- Client-based research project with a German partner company
- Structured career development training
- Individual professional mentorship
Working with a local partner organization, I will design and execute a research project culminating in both written and presented deliverables. This practicum offers direct exposure to German business practices and research methodologies, while building transferable skills in international professional collaboration. The experience will enhance my ability to conduct research in diverse organizational contexts, a valuable complement to my academic work in AI integration in engineering education and supporting veteran transitions into STEM fields.
GERM 221 Field Studies I
Credits 3. 3 Other Hours. German language and culture taught in Germany; supervised travel of cultural interest; living with local families; participation in the activities and courses of a German university or institute; written and oral reports, exams. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or GERM 104; GERM 222 or concurrent enrollment.
GERM 222 Field Studies II
Credits 3. 3 Other Hours.German language and literature taught in Germany in cooperation with a German university or institute; exams, written reports. Prerequisites: GERM 102 or GERM 104; GERM 221 or concurrent enrollment.
GERM 410 Seminar in German Literature and Culture
Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours.Survey of major literary and intellectual landmarks of a period in German history (Enlightenment, Romanticism, High Modernism, post-1945); study of literary works in context of social and cultural history, with attention to Germany's particular place in Europe and the world; taught in German. May be taken two times. Prerequisite: GERM 310, GERM 315, or concurrent enrollment.