Doctor of Philosophy
The program is designed for individuals who want to further specialize in education and school leadership beyond a master’s or specialist degree. Students successfully completing this program of study are reflective, knowledgeable, and open-minded leaders and scholars. They are continuous learners who demonstrate rigor of thought and analysis. They employ their leadership knowledge and actions to inform and enable themselves and others as advocates for a just and democratic educational system and society. This program is flexible enough to develop scholars and scholar-practitioners. Meaning that while many of our students will continue in their profession as educational administrators, we facilitate their learning of the knowledge and skills which supports their ability to enter the Academy upon completion. The program of study includes leadership theory, research, professional knowledge, and experiential learning. Doctoral students must meet the leadership prerequisites in order to engage in courses specifically designed for the doctoral level.
Program Requirements
| COURSE | CREDITS |
|---|---|
| Leadership Foundation | 6 credits |
| EDA 7106 - Leadership 5: Reframing Educational Organizations | 3 |
| EDA 7190 - Leadership 6: Executive Leadership | 3 |
| Research Foundation | 21 credits |
| EDA 6415 - Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry | 3 |
| EDA 7416 - Advanced Qualitative Inquiry | 3 |
| EDA 7421 - Introduction to Modes of Inquiry for Educational Leadership | 3 |
| STA 7114 - Advanced Statistics | 3 |
| EDF 6432 - Measurement | 3 |
| EDA 7912 - Advanced Research (Literature Review) | 3 |
| EDF 7482 - Advanced Educational Research | 3 |
| Professional Knowledge | 15 credits |
| EDA 6062 - School Improvement | 3 |
| EDA 7061 - Context of Educational Administration | 3 |
| EDA 7069 - Ethics and Policy Alternatives | 3 |
| EDA 7196 - Educational Leadership Foundations | 3 |
| EDA 7930 - Seminar in School Admin (may be taken multiple times and can be used as an elective) | 3 |
| Electives Students must complete 6 credits of advisor-approved electives, as outlined below. |
6 credits |
| EDA 7935C - Seminar: Apprenticeship in Educational Leadership Research | 3 |
| EDA 7936C - Seminar in Educational Leadership Research: Contemporary Problems of Practice | 3 |
| EDA 7937C - Seminar: Multiple Frameworks of Educational Leadership Research | 3 |
| EDA 7938C - Seminar: Demystifying Complex Research Questions | 3 |
| EDA 7939C - Seminar in Theory, Policy and Practice: Implications for Research in Educational Leadership | 3 |
| Experiential Component | 12 credits |
| EDA 7948 - Advanced Leadership Externship 1, 2, or 3 (Action Learning: must be taken for a total of 6 credits) | 3 or 6 |
| EDA 7905 - Directed Independent Study: American Educational Research Association Conference (AERA) | 3 |
| EDA 7905 - Directed Independent Study: University Council for Educational Administration Conference (UCEA) | 3 |
| Students may complete credits from the following courses. All courses listed can be taken more than once. | |
| EDA 6905 - Directed Independent Study | 3 |
| EDA 7905 - Directed Independent Study | 3 |
| EDA 7943 - Field Project 1 | 3-6 |
| EDA 7944 - Field Project 2 | 3-6 |
| Dissertation | 20+ credits |
| EDA 7918 - Advanced Research Seminar in Educational Leadership for School Leaders (may be taken multiple times and count towards dissertation credits) | 3 |
| EDA 7980 - Dissertation (registration over multiple terms) | 1-15 |
| Prerequisite Coursework | 9 credits |
| These courses are not part of the PhD degree program but are required for the degree application process and can be fulfilled during the program; however, they do not count towards degree credit fulfillment. | |
| ADE 6381 - Leadership 1: Adult Learning and Assessment | 3 |
| EDS 6100 - Leadership 2: Theories and Assessment | 3 |
| EDA 6103 - Leadership 3: Administrative Processes | 3 |