Education Policy, Planning & Leadership, EdD

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This program is restricted to cohort students.

The General Education Administration doctoral concentration is designed to develop educational leaders who can communicate effectively with their publics in speech and writing; have command of and are contributors to the body of knowledge reflective of research and theory in the field; possess the skills and knowledge to make effective decisions, to manage organizations, and to motivate and lead people so that institutional and personal goals are met. Graduates are prepared intellectually, personally, and professionally to provide service to diverse communities through skillful leadership.

The Ed.D./Ph.D. programs provides initial preparation and continuing education for those who wish to serve in leadership positions in PK-12 educational programs. Students who wish to earn K-12 supervisory licensure while pursuing the doctorate should inform their advisors upon enrollment to ensure appropriate program planning. Through the rich sets of experiences provided in the William and Mary program, students leave well-prepared to offer dynamic and constructive leadership to meet the challenges facing education in the 21st century.

For more information please contact Dr. Megan Tschannen-Moran at 757-221-2187.

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. Full-time 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.

Core Component (12 Hours)

Research Component (9 Hours)

EDUC 663 - Principles of Educational Research (3).
Select two of the following:
EDUC 664 - Qualitative Research Methods (3).
EDUC 665 - Intermediate Statistics in Education (3).
EPPL 765 - Applied Field Research Project (3).

Concentration Area (21 Hours)

Dissertation (6 Hours)

Each student must complete an approved dissertation while enrolling in a minimum of 6 dissertation hours under the supervision of his/her faculty advisor.

EDUC 800 - Dissertation (Var.)

Total Hours: 48

A maximun of 12 hours of credit earned at other accredited institutions of higher education and/or credit for coursework completed at William and Mary prior to admission may be applied to the Ed.D., 15 hours toward the Ph.D.; and only upon approval and recommendation by the student’s program advisor and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Ed.D. students must earn a minimum of 36 hours and Ph.D. student must earn a minimum of 45 hours beyond the master’s level at the College of William and Mary. Courses taken during the semester in which the student receives his/her letter of admission will be counted as transfer credit.