College of Education - Educational Leadership for Teaching and Learning Doctoral Program Ed.D.

Overview

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Teaching and Learning is designed to prepare transformative educational leaders who are deeply discerning, knowledgeable and approach the educational system as a potential avenue for challenging and transforming the status quo. Through a foundation in ethical and moral leadership, this program will position experienced educators/administrators to successfully meet the growing challenges and increased responsibilities in the United States school systems.

Doctoral REQUIREMENTS

• Coursework in moral philosophy, history, cultural difference, curriculum theory, critical pedagogy, global issues, policy, economics, and legal perspectives (36 semester credit hours).
• Coursework in social science research and inquiry (18 semester credit hours)
• Doctoral research and dissertation (6 semester credit hours)
• Successful completion of an Early Inquiry Assessment.
• Successful completion of a First Year Review
• Successful completion of a Qualifying Examination and Oral Defense
• Successful completion of a Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense
• Successful completion of Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Total credit hour required for program completion – 60 semester credit hours.

Description of Doctoral Program Requirements

First Year Review:  This requirement provides early feedback to the doctoral student regarding their performance in the program including areas of strength and areas of needed improvement.  This will be held at the end of their first year of coursework.  The First Year Review Committee may make one of three decisions:

• Successful First Year Review
• Probation with a Review the next semester
• Termination from the Program

Early Inquiry Assessment:  This requirement provides feedback to the doctoral student about their developing research skills.  The students will complete a project in a course, Conceptualizing and Designing Research, which is scheduled in the first semester of their second year of coursework. The doctoral faculty may make one of three decisions:

• Successful Early Inquiry Assessment
• Probation with Completion of another Project
• Termination from the Program

Qualifying Examination and Oral Defense:  The purpose of this requirement is to determine how the student has integrated the program’s major theoretical concepts into the practice arena.  This will be conducted at the end of the third year of coursework.  A written examination will be developed by program faculty. An oral defense of the examination is also required. The faculty may make one of three decisions:

• Successful Qualifying Examination and Oral Defense
• Rewrite Identified Portions of Qualifying Examination
• Rewrite Qualifying Examination (fail)

A student who fails a qualifying examination a second time will not be permitted to continue work toward the doctorate, and admission to the doctoral program will be terminated.

Successful completion of the qualifying exam and oral defense will admit the student to doctoral candidacy.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense:  The purpose of this requirement is to demonstrate the doctoral candidate’s ability to conduct theoretically grounded,  high quality research.  A doctoral candidate who has formally begun this phase will register for the Dissertation Seminar. Once a student has completed the Dissertation Seminar, the student must continue to register in course number 51-785 or 51-795 until completion of the dissertation.  Members of the dissertation committee may make one of thee decisions:

• Pass: Successful completion of dissertation and defense
• Pass: pending revision of the dissertation
• Fail:  Unsuccessful completion of dissertation and defense with need to make substantive changes 

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