Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

Ed.D.

Doctorate in Educational Leadership

There are two configurations for doctoral programs in education at Indiana University: a 90-credit hour post-bachelor's Ed.D. program (see "90-hour program"), and a 60-credit hour post-master's Ed.D. program (see "60-hour program"),

For the 90-hour program, credit hours earned in a master's degree program may be included in the doctoral program, as long as they meet course currency requirements Graduate Program Bulletin, see School of Education "Course Revalidation") and are relevant to the student's doctoral areas of focus.

Doctoral students in the 90-hour program must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours (including 12 dissertation hours) at the IUB or IUPUI campuses of Indiana University. Your advisor will be able to direct you to the appropriate faculty member at Indiana University who can assess what courses can be transferred from other universities. See also the section, "Transfer Courses", in the School of Education Graduate Program Bulletin, for further information.

For the 60-hour program, a master's degree is a prerequisite for admission. Master's course work may not be counted toward the 60 required credit hours, but graduate course work beyond the master's degree may be, as long as it meets currency stipulations and satisfies degree requirements. In this program, 42 credit hours must be taken at IUB or IUPUI.

A doctoral program of studies, from matriculation to passing the final oral defense, must be no less than three years in duration. All course work, except dissertation and internship credits, must be completed within seven years of matriculation in the 90-hour program, and within five years in the 60-hour program. If there is a two-year lapse in enrollment, the student's program will be terminated, and the student must apply for readmission and be subject to current degree requirements.

Executive Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

The Ed.D. program in educational leadership prepares students to be administrators and leaders in public and nonpublic schools, special-education service units, state departments of education, national and state professional organizations, and private corporations. Graduates of this program may also be employed as professors and researchers in colleges and universities. This program conceptualizes leadership as an intellectual and moral craft and as a professional practice grounded in the leadership understanding of some of the most robust traditions of social commentary and critical analysis. Given this definition of educational leadership, the purposes of the program are to enable participants to: understand, criticize, articulate, and justify the social and individual purposes of education; comprehend, analyze, and reflect upon the historical, cultural, organizational, legal, economic and political contexts of schools and educational leadership; and to act deliberately, ethically, and skillfully within the evolving realities of contemporary educational institutions. To accomplish these purposes, the program has adopted a challenging curriculum and a distinctive structure.

Program Curriculum

The curriculum consists of four elements. First, students will engage in the disciplined and critical study of four intellectual traditions that have special relevance to educational leadership - history of education, cultural/gender studies, organizational and political theory, and ethics. Throughout the program, students will use these traditions to analyze critical and perennial problems of practice. Second, students will acquire and develop practical craft skills through the identification and analysis of educational problems in their home districts. Third, a minor in curriculum is incorporated into the program plan. Other minors, developed in consultation with the faculty, are also available. Finally, through the dissertation students will develop and exhibit abilities to engage in sustained research appropriate to administrative action.

Program Structure

This rigorous curriculum demands a significant period of sustained study with full access to the intellectual and research resources of Indiana University. For a period of three years, therefore, the program will bring together a cohort of fifteen or so highly qualified students, most of whom will be practicing school professionals. During the fall and spring semesters of each academic year, classes will meet on alternate weekends in Bloomington. In the summer, students will take two courses during intensive sessions for four weeks. In the third year, students will complete their course work and make significant progress on their dissertation research.

Other Program Information

Licensure

The focus of the Ed.D. program is administrative leadership at the school district level. Courses for superintendent license are offered in conjunction with the Ed.D. degree but are not part of the degree requirements. The faculty will advise students regarding additional courses that must be taken to receive the license and if some of their previous graduate work can be applied to meet licensure requirements.

Credit Distribution.

Sixty semester hours beyond the master's degree are required for the Ed.D. degree.

Qualifying Examinations.

Qualifying examinations, based upon the perspectives of the program major, will be used as a means to assess students' performance prior to doctoral candidacy. The educational leadership take-home examination is taken after most of the coursework has been completed. The minor exam will vary depending on the policies of the respective departments. NOTE: After passing the oral qualifying examinations, students are expected to be enrolled in at least one credit hour each semester (excluding summer) in order to maintain active student status. Students who fail to register each semester must back-enroll for all semesters missed in order to graduate. There is currently a charge of $275 per semester (plus tuition) for back-enrollment.

Electronic Networking. Electronic networking is one of the innovative and unique aspects of this program. Each student will be expected to have access to a computer and modem so that the faculty and students can be part of a computer network. In addition, each student must obtain an Indiana University e-mail account.

Selection Criteria. Candidates will be selected on the basis of their demonstrated or potential leadership ability and an openness to new ideas. A principal's license is expected; those without this license may be required to take additional courses prior to joining a cohort. References, a goal statement, a writing sample, prior grade point average, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will be considered in selection of candidates. As of October 1, 2002, the GRE will change its format and scoring. The School of Education will accept GREs taken in both the old and new format as long as the test has been taken within the last five years. Students admitted to doctoral programs in education typically must obtain a combined score of 1100 in the verbal and quantitative sections as well as a score of four or better in the analytical writing section. In the old format, doctoral students must present a combined verbal, quantitative and analytical score of at least 1500.

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