Programs in Educational Policy, Planning, & Leadership (EPPL)  

Masters Degree Programs

The Master’s Degree program in Educational Leadership blends elements of well-grounded theoretical perspectives with innovative practices in the preparation of educational leaders for entry-level positions in educational organizations. The program offers two concentrations: PK-12 Administration & Supervision and Higher Education Administration.

Doctoral Degree Programs

The Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership doctoral program has the following components:

• Program Area Core Course Requirements
• Research Methodology Courses
• Concentration Area
• Cognate(s) (Ph.D. students)
• Dissertation

Concentration Area

Each student will be required to declare a concentration in either General Education Administration, Gifted Education Administration, Curriculum Leadership, Curriculum and Educational Technology, or Higher Education Administration. The purpose of the concentration is to enable the student to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of principles, concepts, theories, and practices in a particular area of Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership.

Core & Research Courses

Doctoral students admitted into the EPPL Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs will be required to take their four core courses in an established sequence during the first two years of matriculation. (See the program of study on the School of Education website for the recommended scheduling of this sequence.) Higher education students are exempt from this requirement. Students in the Ph.D. programs, except for students in the higher education program, will also take their four required research courses during this two-year time frame. Fulltime students may take their concentration and cognate electives simultaneously with these required courses. Part-time students may take their electives in the summers and after the completion of the introductory courses. An exception could be made, with the permission of the advisor, for EPPL General (K-12) students seeking administrative license, who could take the licensure sequence first, followed by the doctoral core and research sequence.

EPPL Doctoral Candidacy Examinations Policies and Procedures

The Comprehensive Exam is designed as an opportunity for students to demonstrate the integration of knowledge of topics, issues, and resources in education reflecting successful completion of the EPPL program core and required research sequence.

 The EPPL Comprehensive Exam is a five-day take-home exam made up of two sections 1) a section that covers the four EPPL core courses and 2) and an article critique that assesses knowledge gained in the required research or inquiry courses. In section one, students respond to a prompt based on topics and materials from the courses of the EPPL Core Curriculum. The focus is on integration of knowledge presented in the core courses. In section two, students produce a methodological critique of a scholarly article chosen from a set provided by the faculty. Key to assessment of this portion is the sophistication of the student’s critique of the selected study’s research design, suggestions for improvement of the research design, and explanations of both individual points made within the critique and the methodological changes recommended Prior knowledge of the content matter in the articles is not required to write a successful response to this section of the Exam. The prompts for EdD and PhD students may differ as appropriate to differing career paths.

 Policies Pertaining to the Comprehensive Exam

 Doctoral students are eligible for the Comprehensive Exam upon successful completion of the required EPPL core and research/inquiry courses. The Exam can be taken prior to completion of the PhD advanced-level research electives (e.g., EDUC 700 and EPPL 765).

 The Comprehensive Exam must be taken within one year of the completion of these courses.

 The Comprehensive Exam must be successfully completed within five years from the time the student is admitted to doctoral study.

 The student must be enrolled at the time he or she is meeting any exam requirement.

 The Comprehensive Exam is offered twice annually: shortly after the start of the fall and spring semesters.

 The student must apply with the School of Education Graduate Registrar to take the exam.

 Students may work together as well as on their own in preparing for the Comprehensive Exam. During the Exam period all work must be done individually.

 The student has five days to write her or his exam under the auspices of the Honor Code.  The Exam may be written from any location convenient to the student.

 The student is permitted the use of any materials in writing the Comprehensive Exams. The Exam essays should not include work previously submitted for academic credit. Governed by the Honor Code, exam takers will be asked to sign a statement certifying this requirement and that they had no assistance (regarding content or editing) during the Exam period.

 Evaluation: The Comprehensive Exam will be read by two EPPL faculty members, with a third reader assigned in case of a discrepancy in the assessments of the first two readers. Exams will be evaluated using blind review.  The faculty will evaluate the exam on a Pass/Fail/Honors basis. A unanimous vote is required for an Honors designation; a majority is necessary for all other evaluations. The review of the exam should be completed within three weeks. The designated committee chair will notify the Department Chair, who will inform the Office of Academic Programs of the status of the student’s evaluation.  The Office of Academic Programs subsequently will notify the student.

 In the event of an unsatisfactory evaluation of the Exam, the designated committee chair will provide feedback and make recommendations to address any deficiencies. A second exam will be scheduled during the next administration of the exam for the portion of the exam failed.  If the candidate fails either section of the Comprehensive Exam twice, the candidate will be removed from the program.

 Successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam makes a student eligible for defending a dissertation proposal if they are within six credit hours of completing their program coursework.