Educational Leadership, Ed.D. (30-36 hrs)

Location(s): 100% Online

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Program Overview

The purpose of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in P-12 Educational Leadership is to prepare professional educators to become change agents in the field of education and in schools. The program is fully online with coursework which will lead students through visionary planning, strategic utilization of resources, effective management and leadership, and practical application of research.

The doctorate is 30-36 hours above a specialist’s degree and cohorts begin each summer and fall term.

Program Admission Requirements

Complete an online application Apply to Carey Graduate Admissions.
Submit all official transcripts electronically to Graduate Admissions
Have a GPA > 3.25 in a related specialist’s program
Hold a specialist’s degree in a related field from an accredited college or university
Provide a copy of a valid teaching license or waiver of licensure form submitted
Submit Graduate Record Exam score (competitive) taken within the last five years or approved writing sample.
Submit two reference forms from present or previous administrators who have supervised your work.
Submit a current resume that includes your leadership and community service experience.
No student will be admitted on a provisional or probationary basis.

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer six hours of approved coursework from an institution that is fully accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Coursework used in a previous degree may not be used toward the doctorate.

Program Progression Requirements

To progress through the doctorate degree program, the student must:

Maintain a GPA > 3.0 for 30-36 program hours as outlined in the program of study.
Complete all required work within six years after enrolling in the program.
File with the coordinator of the Ed.D. program a signed program of study prior to completing 9 hours.
Only two grades lower than a ‘B’ are allowed. Upon receiving a second grade lower than a ‘B’, a student is advised to repeat one of the first two grades lower than a ‘B’ before continuing in the program. A student making a third grade lower than a ‘B’ will be dismissed from the program.
Pass a comprehensive examination, successfully defend a proposal, and obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Progress to the research process, where one will obtain a Pass (P) or a Fail (F) for the Capstone I-IV courses (EDL 8210 , EDL 8220 , EDL 8230 , and EDL 8240 , if needed). Students must contact his/her chair and begin working with his/her committee after completing EDL 8260 Advanced Applied Research .
A grade of ‘I’ (incomplete) will be assigned only when unavoidable circumstances prevent completion of the work of the course on schedule and must be approved by the instructor and the academic dean. Refer to the Academic Regulations section on guidelines for Grades.
Successfully complete all thesis requirements as per the thesis guidelines, chair, and committee. This includes successfully defending the thesis proposal and defense before the thesis committee, having a GPA > 3.0, making revisions suggested by the graduate reader, and successfully submitting the thesis to ProQuest.
Maintain continuous enrollment until the thesis has been successfully defended except with administrative approval.

Program of Study (30-36 hrs)

The Ed.D. requires 30 credit hours post-specialist’s degree. However, candidates who have not completed the WCU program prerequisites as part of their previous Ed.S. program, must complete these two courses as part of the Ed.D. program of study for a total of 36 credit hours.

EDL 7890 - Educational Unit Self-Study through Assessment Inquiry Research 3 hrs
RSH 7020 - APA Style for Professional Writing 3 hrs
EDL 7320 - Effective Data Analysis for Instructional & Performance Improvement Using Technology Tools 3 hrs
EDL 8010 - Professional Educational Development for Professional Educators 3 hrs
EDL 8210 - Capstone I 3 hrs
EDL 8220 - Capstone II 3 hrs
EDL 8230 - Capstone III 3 hrs
EDL 8240 - Capstone IV 1-3 hrs (if needed)
EDL 8260 - Advanced Applied Research 3 hrs
EDL 8300 - Developing the Culture of Learning 3 hrs
EDL 8320 - Developing Advocacy for the School and Community 3 hrs
EDL 8340 - Using Conflict Resolution and Mediation 3 hrs
RSH 7400 - Descriptive Statistics and Survey Design 3 hrs

Program Requirements and Professional Licensure Disclosure

Teacher education programs at William Carey University are designed to meet the professional competency standards for licensure in Mississippi. Students who intend to seek licensure in another state should contact the License Coordinator in the School of Education to verify that their program of study meets the desired state’s licensure requirements. Refer to SARA information from the Office of Online Learning for details.

Further, the Mississippi Department of Education establishes and maintains state licensure requirements, policies, and procedures, which supersede requirements listed in this catalog. Mandatory changes to this program of study will be communicated to the student through the School of Education.

Refer to the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure (http://mdek12.org/OEL) for the most current licensure requirements, application procedures, and deadlines.