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Master’s Degree Programs

The Master’s Degree programs in Educational Leadership (PK-12 Administration and Higher Education Administration) blend elements of well-grounded theoretical perspectives with innovative practices in the preparation of educational leaders for entry-level positions in educational organizations.

Doctoral Degree Programs

For those students who already hold a master’s degree, we offer two options for advanced study:

• Our Ed.D offers concentrations in an Executive format and is designed for the working practitioner.
• Our Ph.D. programs are intended for students interested in scholarly practice, research and/or teaching at the university level.

The Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership doctoral programs have the following components:

• Program Area Core Course Requirements
• Research Methodology courses (PhD) or Research Inquiry Courses (Executive Ed.D)
• Concentration Options
• Comprehensive Examination
• Dissertation

Concentrations for Doctoral Programs

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.  Each student will be required to declare a concentration during the admission process.

For the Ed.D. program, there are concentrations in Executive Ed.D. in K-12 Administration, Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education, Executive Ed.D. in Gifted Education, and Executive Ed.D. in International Schools Administration.

For the Ph.D. program, there are concentrations in Curriculum & Educational Leadership, Higher Education Administration, and Gifted Education.

Dissertation Committee - EPPL

In EPPL, the Dissertation Committee includes the Chair or Co-Chairs, and one or more additional members, with a minimum of three members.  The composition of the Committee must include at least one member from the student’s department.  The following guidelines apply in eligibility to serve on doctoral committees.

• The Committee Chair must be a faculty member within the School of Education; a minimum of two members of the Committee must be faculty in the School of Education.  For Ph.D. students, the committee chair must be a full-time tenured, tenure-eligible, or non-tenure-eligible faculty member from the student’s department. A minimum of one member must be a faculty member in the student’s program area.
• For Ed.D. students, the committee chair may be a tenured, tenure-eligible, or non-tenure-eligible affiliated faculty member who regularly teaches full- or part-time in the Ed.D. program. Affiliated faculty members will be approved using departmental-criteria.  A list of approved affiliated faculty will be maintained by the School of Education Registrar.  Affiliated faculty members may serve as chair on Ed.D. dissertations after serving as co-chair with a full-time faculty member on at least two successful dissertations.
• Members outside of the School of Education must be approved by the Committee Chair as committee members. 
• The academic advisor originally assigned to the student for program planning may be invited by the student to serve on or chair the Committee, but inclusion of the academic advisor is not mandatory. 
• All members of the Committee must have terminal degrees and are required to participate fully in review and assessment of the proposal and dissertation.

Students should complete the Dissertation Committee Approval form and obtain the signatures of each committee member.  The completed form should be submitted to the School of Education Registrar.  Changes in the composition of the dissertation committee, once it has been formed, may be requested by contacting the School of Education Registrar.

EPPL Comprehensive Exam