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ACE Ed.d program dissertation - Coachr21 - 05-12-2025

Hi everyone , anyone with experience with the ACE Ed.d dissertation know if it has to be an IRB approved case or is a content analysis / project a possible option, the admissions person I spoke to had no idea what IRB was.


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - lincolnlawyer - 05-13-2025

(05-12-2025, 02:54 PM)Coachr21 Wrote: Hi everyone , anyone with experience with the ACE Ed.d dissertation know if it has to be an IRB approved case or is a content analysis / project a possible option, the admissions person I spoke to had no idea what IRB was.

I would hazard a guess and put my money on non-IRB so long as you recruit participants at will and gain proper consent. At least that's how we do it here and I've heard of similar cases in the UK.

You might want to ask for the contact of the program coordinator to be sure.


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - Coachr21 - 05-13-2025

(05-13-2025, 07:54 AM)lincolnlawyer Wrote:
(05-12-2025, 02:54 PM)Coachr21 Wrote: Hi everyone , anyone with experience with the ACE Ed.d dissertation know if it has to be an IRB approved case or is a content analysis / project a possible option, the admissions person I spoke to had no idea what IRB was.

I would hazard a guess and put my money on non-IRB so long as you recruit participants at will and gain proper consent. At least that's how we do it here and I've heard of similar cases in the UK.

You might want to ask for the contact of the program coordinator to be sure.

Thank you for the reply, I am struggling to pick between a few schools for my doctorate cause my school district won’t approve a dissertation where I would have to use my or other teacher’s students. I could use like a church / Sunday school  or my friends / family but I don’t know if IRB would ever approve it.


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - FireMedic_Philosopher - 05-13-2025

(05-12-2025, 02:54 PM)Coachr21 Wrote: Hi everyone , anyone with experience with the ACE Ed.d dissertation know if it has to be an IRB approved case or is a content analysis / project a possible option, the admissions person I spoke to had no idea what IRB was.

To my knowledge ACE requires dissertations based on established material. . . I E... you will be quoting articles, prior dissertations, and books et cetera. In other words, no mailing out surveys, no human observations, nothing of that sort allowed on your part.

I do not believe they allow active research with live participation or anything where you would need approvals. I do not know if they even have an IRB.


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - Stonybeach - 05-13-2025

Of course, American College of Education has an IRB Board: https://ace.edu/blog/from-inaugural-ace-doctoral-graduate-to-irb-member-dr-amy-paris-shares-dissertation-advice/
"And now she serves on ACE’s Institutional Review Board, reviewing dissertation proposals from current candidates to ensure the research methods employed meet sufficient ethical and safety standards."

There are three types of review: 1. Full, 2. Expedited, and 3. Exempt. Don't confuse "Exempt" with not needing an IRB review, it just does not need a full review! " Involving human subjects that does not require comprehensive IRB review and approval because the only research activity involving the human subjects falls into one or more specific exemption categories as defined by the Common Rule." https://irb.tcnj.edu/types-of-irb-review/

Also, it is possible that one may need an IRB review at the organization where the research is conducted as well. (Multiple Institutions) https://twu.edu/institutional-review-board-irb/irb-review-process/studies-requiring-approval-from-more-than-one-irb/

Here is a repository of ACE dissertations (61) under the leadership dissertation tab: https://scholarworks.ace.edu/communities/717fe3ce-bda8-45b3-8a47-7b71f01ac79d

With that said, it is important to differentiate between the research doctorate and the professional doctorate offered by various universities in the US. Walden U has a good explanation: https://www.waldenu.edu/online-doctoral-programs/resource/what-is-the-difference-between-a-phd-and-a-professional-doctoral-degree

I hope this helps Smile


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - lincolnlawyer - 05-13-2025

(05-12-2025, 02:54 PM)Coachr21 Wrote: Hi everyone , anyone with experience with the ACE Ed.d dissertation know if it has to be an IRB approved case or is a content analysis / project a possible option, the admissions person I spoke to had no idea what IRB was.

I would hazard a guess and put my money on non-IRB so long as you recruit participants at will and gain proper consent. At least that's how we do it here and I've heard of similar cases in the UK.

You might want to ask for the contact of the program coordinator to be sure.


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - bjcheung77 - 05-14-2025

That's what I would recommend as well, I don't think anyone has completed an ACE EDD programs, someone may have started a program. It's best to get the info directly from the institution... We can recommend advice and possible options, but the institutions is the one who decides what can and can't be done, or if an IRB even is an option with them or not...


RE: ACE Ed.d program dissertation - Stonybeach - 05-14-2025

If your dissertation includes research on human subjects, including surveys, questionnaires, and interviews, it typically requires IRB approval! The meta-analysis or review of the literature usually does not require an IRB approval process unless it uses databases with confidential human subject data. Of course, the institution has policies, and the doctoral process should go through all of them.

I included a link to the American College of Education repository of dissertations if this is the school you are interested in. If you take a moment to download a PDF of a dissertation and go to the appendix, you will clearly see that the doctoral candidate obtained IRB approval for their dissertation from an ACE IRB board.
https://scholarworks.ace.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/5f54a296-98f3-40d2-b8d8-8163cfa4c7c6/content
page 116 Appendix G

My primary experience involves years of clinical research and not much in the area of social research.
However, I recommend the human research protection training by the US Department of Health and Human Services, with a printable certificate: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/education-and-outreach/human-research-protection-training/human-research-protection-foundational-training/index.html

It is all about protecting human subjects! My doctoral project was a "review of the literature" because the school I attended did not have an IRB at the time, but that is a whole different story!