Educational Leadership, Ed.D.

Minimum Totals for Graduation: 63 - 66 hours

The doctoral degree in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) is designed to provide practical and theoretical knowledge and skills to educational leaders who seek to transform educational institutions. The program emphasizes the application of scholarship (theory) to the improvement of educational practice. It is intended for individuals in careers related to educational leadership. Students accepted into the program will be part of a cohort. This is an online program with two summer residency requirements in Year 1 and Year 2 (one week each summer). 

Students entering the Doctor of Education program, who have an earned Specialist in Education degree in Educational Leadership from an approved institution, may receive up to 24 credits toward the Doctor of Education. Remaining Doctor of Education requirements must be completed at Central Michigan University.

Admission Requirements: Retention & Termination Standards

Admission Requirement Snapshot

Masters’ GPA: 3.5

Entrance Exam: Departmental Writing Assessment or *GRE

Application Deadline: February 1

See Admission Requirement Details Below

Admission. In order to be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must have completed a master's degree with a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.5 and must have completed three years of professional education experience. Preference will be given to those with leadership experience in an educational setting.

Admission will continue until the cohort is filled. A completed application packet will include the following materials:

1. Graduate Application.
2. Application Fee.
3. Official transcript(s) pertaining to all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework.
4. Three Recommendations: Names of  three individual recommenders are entered as part of the online application process. These names should be professional or academic references who can attest to the applicant’s leadership ability and potential for academic success in this terminal degree program. These should not be personal references (friends, family, etc.).
5.  Writing Assessment: Submit a 1,000-word response (not inclusive of references) to the following prompt using APA7 format and citations, when appropriate. If you have any questions about the proposed prompt, please email [e-mail] 
   
   Prompt: The Counseling, Educational Leadership, and Higher Education (CEH) department seeks to prepare leaders who work toward transforming education with equity-centered and research-informed leadership approaches. In your essay, complete with citations: 
   • Describe your leadership approach and how it aligns with the aforementioned CEH department’s conceptualization of leadership; 
   • Integrate theories or empirical research that informs your leadership approach; 
   • Describe how earning a doctorate in educational leadership will enhance or strengthen your capacity to enact transformational change within your educational setting; 
   • Outline potential research areas you are interested in exploring during the doctoral program.
   
   Note. Please avoid broad, colloquial depictions of leadership approaches and clichéd statements about your interest in pursuing this degree in your response. Examples to avoid:
   • It has aways been my dream to obtain a doctorate;
   • I fully believe in the power of education;
   • Leadership plays an important role in today’s society. 
6. Optional: GRE scores are not required for admission.  
7. Current Resume or Vita identifying education level, training, experience, and professional accomplishments. Applicant must have at least three years of experience in education or a related field.
8. Interview: Participation in an interview with program faculty, current program students, or alumni.
9. TOEFL Score: If your native language is not English, submit an official score report from the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL is required of all non-native speakers unless they have completed two years of university-level coursework in an English-language institution.

The Doctoral Program Committee will make all decisions regarding admissions, selecting the cohort from those with a completed application who also interviewed. Preference will be given to those applicants who have a demonstrated history of educational leadership and who have career goals consistent with the expectations of this program. The application will be evaluated holistically.

Program Requirements. Progress through the program is based upon obtaining satisfactory grades (3.25 GPA average overall), passing written comprehensive exams, and completing and orally defending a doctoral dissertation.

Continuous Progress Policy. In order to encourage degree completion and current knowledge of the dissertation process and research methodology, the faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership enact the following policy:

• Ed.D. students have one calendar year following their final course EDL 897 to successfully defend their dissertation proposal.
• If a student does not submit a prospectus sign-off form to the CMU Office of Graduate Studies by December 31 of that year, the student will be required to retake 3 credits of EDL 897 the following spring semester. If the course is retaken, credits will not count toward the student’s degree completion. If the student fails to retake EDL 897 within the required time frame, the student will be dismissed from the program.
• In the event that a student does not successfully defend their dissertation proposal within two years following the final course EDL 897 the student will be required to retake EDL 800 or EDL 801 and EDL 897 within six months of the two-year date. If the student fails to take EDL 800 or EDL 801 and EDL 897 within the required time frame, the student will be dismissed from the program. The course retake will not count toward the student’s degree completion.
• In the event that a student has not successfully defended his/her dissertation proposal within three years following their final course EDL 897, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Note: Students with an earned Ed.S. may be eligible for fewer than the maximum total program credits indicated if they meet university requirements. Contact the Department for more information [phone].

Program Requirements

Research Requirements (12 hours)

The research component encompasses both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The competencies to be developed are essential to interpreting and evaluating research studies to be encountered in all course work as well as to completing the dissertation requirement. Select only one of EDL 900 or EDL 901:

EDL 700	Educational Research Design	3(3-0)
EDL 800	Qualitative Research in Educational Leadership	3(3-0)
EDL 801	Quantitative Analysis in Educational Leadership	3(3-0)
EDL 900	Advanced Qualitative Analysis in Educational Leadership	3(3-0)
EDL 901	Advanced Quantitative Analysis in Educational Leadership	3(3-0)

Academic Core (12 hours)

The academic core component includes all of the critical areas of study for future educational leaders: foundations, organizational and leadership analyses, and the issues which change and dominate over time. The courses are designed to provide students with the underpinnings to understand and to act effectively upon the challenges confronting the educational organization. EDL 899 can only be taken for 3 credits.

EDL 815	Ethical Leadership	3(3-0)
EDL 855	Organizational Culture and Change in Educational Institutions	3(3-0)
EDL 860	Organizational Theory in Educational Institutions	3(3-0)
EDL 899	Doctoral Seminar	3(3-6)

Concentration (12 hours)

There are four choices from which students may select a concentration, based upon their needs assessment. The specific courses will be determined in consultation between the student and the academic advisor.

Concentration I

K-12 Leadership

EDL 775

PK-12 Educational Policy

3(3-0)

Plus nine hours of electives to be chosen in consultation with program advisor.

Concentration II

K-12 Curriculum

EDL 773

Instructional Supervision and Leadership

3(3-0)

Plus nine hours of electives to be chosen in consultation with program advisor.

Concentration III

Higher Education Leadership

HED 876

Higher Education Policy

3(3-0)

Plus nine hours of electives to be chosen in consultation with program advisor.

Concentration IV

Educational Technology

EDU 707

Issues in Learning, Design, and Technology

3(3-0)

Plus nine hours of electives to be chosen in consultation with program advisor.

Cognate (9 hours)

The cognate, to be determined jointly by the student and advisor, can be completed in one academic discipline or by taking a combination of courses from more than one academic discipline.

Field-Based Experience (3-6 hours)

This internship experience will assist students in strengthening their leadership competencies. The number of credit hours required will be determined with the student's advisor based upon the student's past professional experience and personal career objectives. Forty-five contact hours will be required for each credit earned. A letter of understanding will be developed between the student, district, and university supervisor as to the responsibilities and expectations for the experience.

EDL 880

Doctoral Internship

3-6(Spec)

Comprehensive Exams

Students will be expected to take written qualifying exams upon the completion of their academic core classes. Qualifying exams will be administered in the fall and spring of each year. Comprehensive review of all program materials is completed with the successful defense of a student's dissertation proposal. At this point, students are advanced to candidacy.

Dissertation (15 hours)

The student will complete three steps in the dissertation process:

1. the proposal review stage in which there is a formal defense of the dissertation proposal;
2. conducting the research, analyzing the results, and writing the final document;
3. an oral defense of the dissertation.

Total: 63-66 semester hours