Application

Q. The application calls for students from education and related fields to apply. How are “related fields” defined?

A. Most applicants to the first PURPOSE cohort came from education or social science fields (e.g., Psychology). In keeping with our dual goals of increasing the diversity of the doctorate in education and developing scholars’ focus on research questions that address social justice needs, we recognize that there are many paths students can take in their academic training. Students’ goals to obtain a doctorate and explore careers in research are more important than limiting the application to certain fields of study. We encourage anyone with those goals to apply. Please contact the program coordinator (erawls@fsu.edu) if you have any questions.

Fellow Responsibilities

Q. Are fellows required to enroll in the PURPOSE courses in the spring, summer, and fall?

A. In order to make satisfactory progress through the program, fellows are expected to earn a minimum of a B+ grade in the online research methods course (spring semester). We do not require fellows to enroll in any of the PURPOSE courses, but we strongly encourage either enrollment in the research methods course or blocking out time (3 credit hours) in the academic schedule. The course entails nine hours of work per week on average, which could be overwhelming in the event that a fellow has a full course load and attempts to do the PURPOSE work on top of that.