Requirements

Admission Requirements

For regular admission, you must submit evidence of readiness for the program including:

1. Evidence of an overall 3.0 grade-point average in prior undergraduate studies.
2. A completed application form.
3. Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
4. A master’s degree from an accredited university,
5. A 3.25 grade-point average in prior graduate studies.
6. A professional resume.
7. A formal letter of application addressing the questions:
   1. What is your purpose for joining the doctoral program?
   2. What are your career goals both short and long term?
   3. How do you believe the doctoral program will help you in the performance of your professional duties and responsibilities?
   4. What specific qualities and characteristics do you bring to the doctoral program?
   5. How would your personal and professional environments be supportive in your quest for the doctoral degree?
8. Names and addresses (office and e-mail) and telephone numbers of three individuals and one letter of recommendation from a university professor who can attest to the candidate’s ability to successfully complete the program.
9. Verification of at least three years of appropriate professional experience.
10. Satisfactory standing in the last institution attended.
11. For applicants whose native language is not English, an acceptable score on the English proficiency examination (TOEFL).

Fill out the online application on the Graduate School website.

Requirements for Accepted & Current Students

Prerequisites

A graduate-level course in statistics or its equivalent is required before taking EDLD 802 Quantitative Research.

General Requirements

All students must complete 60+ hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree, organized into core course areas and specializations as listed below. The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership provides an opportunity for the student to specialize in a content area with the approval of the faculty advisor and program coordinator. The student must complete all requirements within six calendar years beginning with the first semester after successfully defending the qualifying paper.

The Ed.D. Degree Program in Educational Leadership requires a total of 60+ credit hours as follows:

Research Core

12 credit hours (of 12 offered)

• EDLD 800 Introduction to Doctoral Program & Research Design
• EDLD 801 Writing for Research
• EDLD 802 Quantitative Methods
• EDLD 803 Qualitative Methods

Educational Leadership & Management Core

21-24 credit hours, to be selected from the following 36 credit hours of coursework:

• EDLD 810 Leadership Theory and Practice
• EDLD 811 Management of Educational Organizations
• EDLD 812 Supervision in Educational Settings
• EDLD 820 Legal Issues & Ethics in Educational Organizations EDLD 821 Politics & Community Relations
• EDLD 822 Policy Development and Analysis
• EDLD 823 Fiduciary Management of Educational Organizations EDLD 840 Change Theory
• EDLD 841 Organizational Development for Learning Communities EDLD 842 Culture, Climate & Change Leadership
• EDLD 875 Special Topics in Educational Leadership & Management EDLD 897 Internship

Instructional Leadership

6–9 credit hours, to be selected from the following 15 credit hours of coursework:

• IRED 812 Leadership in the Integration of Emerging Technologies
• EDLD 830 Foundations of Curriculum Theory and Design
• EDLD 831 Critical Analysis of Current Research on Effective Educational Practice EDLD 832 Educational Evaluation
• EDLD 871 Special Topics in Instructional Leadership

Field-Based Practicum Experiences

3 credit hours:

• EDLD 880 Research Practicum

Specialization Coursework

6-9 credit hours

The student will complete 6-9 semester credit hours in a specialization area. The specialization area and the courses within the specialization area must be agreed to by the student, the Faculty Advisor, the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program, and the Dean of the Graduate School. The student is responsible for scheduling the courses in the specialization area. Specialization areas include, but are not limited to, Educational Technology, Administration of Exceptionalities, Educational Leadership & Management, Instructional Leadership, Business, Communications, and Law.

Doctoral Dissertation Seminars

6+ Credit Hours

• EDLD 900 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar
• EDLD 999 Dissertation research

Qualifying Paper

A qualifying paper consisting of a comprehensive review of the literature on a topic selected is required in place of the traditional comprehensive examination. The student must successfully defend a qualifying paper to be admitted to candidacy.

Dissertation Director & Committee

After successful completion of the qualifying paper, the student shall select a Dissertation Chair willing to serve on behalf of the student and the Department. In consultation with said Dissertation Chair, a Dissertation Committee must be constituted of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty, with at least one member from the collaborating university (Southeastern Louisiana University). The Dissertation Committee must be headed by a member of the Graduate Faculty of the Department or an approved other member of the Graduate Faculty.

Dissertation Proposal

The student must present and defend at a public hearing a dissertation proposal acceptable to the Dissertation Committee and the Graduate Faculty of the department. After acceptance of a dissertation proposal, the student must remain continuously enrolled for dissertation credit (excluding summers) until the dissertation is accepted.

Dissertation Defense

After the dissertation is completed to the satisfaction of the Dissertation Chair, it is to be presented in its completed form to the other members of the Dissertation Committee (including the external reviewer).

Final Submission

After the student has completed the oral defense of the dissertation, the student must file such copies as the Department and/or Graduate School may require (including electronic versions) and must submit the Abstract of the work in an acceptable form for publication in Dissertation Abstracts.