Educational Leadership (Curriculum and Instruction), Ed.D.

Graduate Coordinator - Leadership in Curriculum & Instruction: Dr. Symphony Oxendine

The mission of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is to prepare leaders to be informed, proactive, and reflective change agents to improve schools and institutions of higher education for the benefit of all students. The Ed.D. program consists of 60 credit hours of coursework, including dissertation research. Each candidate’s program of study will be carefully designed to meet appropriate educational objectives.

Admission Requirements

Students will be admitted to the Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership by a recommendation of the Ed.D. Admissions Committee based upon eligibility requirements and available resources. Admissions decisions are based on several factors. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the following requirements:

A Master’s degree in school administration, supervision, curriculum, instruction, higher education, or related field from a regionally accredited university (official transcripts from undergraduate and graduate school are required)
An overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 in undergraduate and graduate coursework
A score of at least 79 on the internet-based (TOEFL) version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for applicants whose native language is not English or that did not earn their baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited US institution. TOEFL scores are good for two years from the date the test is administered.
A minimum of three years of documented leadership experience
Completion (within the last five years) of a graduate-level introductory research class (such as EDL 523 ) or successful completion of a research competency module provided by the EL department. This must be completed prior to the first semester of study.

Applicants are required to submit

An application for graduate admission.
Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate).
Three written recommendations by individuals in professionally relevant fields addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in a doctoral program. Recommendations from individuals who have supervised the applicant will be given greater weight.
Official score on the TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable/see number 3 above). TOEFL scores are good for two years from the date the test is administered.
Essay identifying a current issue in education and describing potential ways in which the issue can or should be addressed by leaders in the field. Where possible, applicants should discuss how their professional and educational background and research interests align with this issue and its resolution.
Current vitae/resume.
Interviews with Watson College of Education faculty to be conducted in the spring for selected candidates.
Application and supplemental documents must be submitted by the published deadline.

Degree Requirements (60 total credit hours)

The program of study for the Doctorate in Educational Leadership includes core courses and specialization-specific courses. A total of 60 credit hours are required for graduation. Students must fulfill the requirements for a specific specialization of study and work closely with an advisor to plan their program of study.

Program Core (9 credit hours)

The primary purpose of the program core is to provide all students with a foundation in leadership and organization theory and practice. Other courses in the core prepare students as researchers. All courses in the core are required for graduation and are offered in a specific sequence.

EDL 601 - Leadership Theory Credit Hours: 3
EDL 605 - Social Foundations of Education Credit Hours: 3
EDL 609 - Leading Change in Educational Organizations Credit Hours: 3

Research Core (12 hours)

The research core is designed to rigorously prepare Ed.D. students to effectively bridge research with practice.

EDL 641 - Applied Research Credit Hours: 3
EDL 642 - Program Evaluation Credit Hours: 3
EDL 643 - Quantitative Inquiry Credit Hours: 3
EDL 644 - Qualitative Inquiry Credit Hours: 3

Specialization Core (15 credit hours):

Students will take a set of courses that focus on areas related to curriculum and instruction, such as planning and design, innovation and change, accountability and assessment, policy and law, diversity and special education, and supervision and resource management. All students are required to take Curriculum and Instruction specialization core courses (15 credits) and one internship course (3 credits each). Along with this specialization core, students will also select appropriate electives (15 credits) to meet the program requirement of 60 credits.

EDL 665 - Curriculum Studies Credit Hours: 3
EDL 621 - Curriculum Leadership Credit Hours: 3
EDL 625 - Developing Curriculum for Equity Credit Hours: 3
EDL 646 - Global Perspectives and Comparative Education Credit Hours: 3
EDL 648 - Curriculum Controversies and Political Contexts Credit Hours: 3

Elective Courses (15 credits)

Students will take a set of elective courses that focus on areas related to their doctoral studies interest areas. These courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.

Internship Courses (3 Credits):

EDL 661 - Education/Government Internship Credit Hours: 3
or
EDL 664 - International Internship Credit Hours: 3

Dissertation Required Courses (6 hours)

EDL 603 - Doctoral Seminar Credit Hours: 1 to 3
EDL 699 - Dissertation in Education Credit Hours: 2 to 3

Exit Requirements

All Ed.D. students must:

Complete and pass an oral comprehensive examination.
Propose and defend a dissertation topic.
All students must take and pass program core, research, and specialization credits before taking EDL 699 .
All students must take and pass all Dissertation Required Courses (EDL 603 and EDL 699 ).
Complete, successfully defend and submit a dissertation to the Graduate School.