Program Assessment

I had an excellent first-year study at UGA in our LDT program. I was afraid before I pursued my Ph.D. degree because I thought it would be hard to adjust to school life after working for several years. Thankfully, I received a lot of support and care from our LDT program.

I was impressed by how the curriculum is well-designed and organized for 4-year length. In the first semester, we learned the foundation in LDT (EDIT 8100), design and design thinking (EDIT 8190), and the doctoral seminar EDIT 8990. These courses were at the beginning to prepare students for the next level to consider their research. In the second semester, the classes became challenging but still fascinating. Students have chances to study courses outside the LDT, such as research method courses or some cognate courses from other departments, which will broaden their knowledge and help them find connections with their research interests. And in the next academic year, students will take more courses to explore their research interests and foundational courses in LDT, which provide a solid and manageable track for doctoral students to follow.

Except for the coursework, all faculty members in the LDT program are supportive. My advisor, Dr. Theodore J. Kopcha, is always patient and helps me to figure out where my passion is. Other faculty members are responsible and willing to give feedback and advice for the research. Also, I appreciate that they provide me with various opportunities to join and work on their projects.

At last, I recommend that we have some opportunities for social events to build a close and robust learning community for our department. I learned much in EDIT 8990 since we invited faculty members to talk about their research and projects, and we have second-year students taking the course together. It was beneficial to have some experience listening to others who have experienced the same path and are willing to share their suggestions. I would appreciate having more events to connect with other third- and fourth-year Ph.D. students to know how they manage their research life and prepare to enter the job market.