Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

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The Ed.D. program currently operates with a cohort model. Every cohort must have an initial minimum of 10 students; so regional placements and start dates are determined by applicant interest. Please contact Dr. Ashley Wicker and edd@southeastern.edu for information regarding where and when cohorts may be initiated.

 

Future Cohorts

 

Fall 2024

 

 

Program Overview

The mission of the EdD program in Educational Leadership is to enhance the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of candidates to allow them to become educational leaders who promote effective school improvement.

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program is designed to provide the following:  

  1. To enhance the knowledge and competencies of leaders so they provide optimal leadership for the education of all learners, both youth and adult.

  2. To prepare leaders who are inquiring, reflective practitioners.

  3. To prepare leaders who are competent in identifying and solving complex problems in education.

  4. To prepare leaders who understand the multitude of leadership and management theories and practices techniques related to their professionalsettings.

  5. To prepare leaders who value, encourage, and facilitate the professional development of self and others in their organization.

  6. To prepare leaders who demonstrate effective communication skills in both school and non-school settings.

  7. To prepare leaders who value, understand, and support diversity in their school organizations.

  8. To prepare leaders who make contributions to the profession.

 

  • The doctoral program is NOT designed to lead towards initial Administrative Certification for the State of Louisiana.
  • Students who do not have a master's degree in school administration or the equivalent, may be required to complete three to nine hours of course work in educational administration, either before or during the doctoral program.
  • Students who have not completed a course in graduate statistics must include this course in their program of study.

 

Program Admission Requirements 

 

Application Process

 

Application Process: The prospective student must submit a completed application to study at Southeastern Louisiana University and satisfy all University graduate admission requirements including a completed immunization form, non-refundable fee, and official copies of all transcripts. The University application must be submitted online at: http://www.southeastern.edu/apply/graduate/index.html.

Applicants for Regular Admission must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average on the undergraduate degree, verified by official transcripts. Cumulative grade point averages below a 3.0 will be considered on an individual basis and may receive Provisional Admission. The official transcript must also verify that the applicant earned a Master's degree from an accredited university and has satisfactory standing at the last institution attended.

In addition to the grade point average requirement, applicants must submit the following documents through the University application portal:

  1. Professional resume that identifies at least three (3) years of appropriate professional experience;;
  2. A writing sample that the applicant believes is indicative of their ability to write on an academic or professional subject;
  3. A formal letter of application that must provide:
    1. An introduction of the applicant to the admissions committee, including career goals, and
    2. Reasons why the applicant seeks admission to the doctoral program in educational leadership.
  4. Names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of the following three individuals:
    1. An individual who has direct knowledge of the applicant’s work ethic;
    2. An individual who has direct knowledge of the applicant’s leadership ability, and;
    3. An individual who has direct knowledge of the applicant’s academic ability.

 

Program Admission Process

 

After all application materials have been received, the Educational Leadership Doctoral Admissions Committee will jointly review the applicant’s materials. The Committee will determine which applicants will move forward in the application process. Applicants who are selected by the committee to continue in the application process will:

  1. Draft an extemporaneous writing sample in response to a writing prompt that will be provided.
  2. Participate in at least one interview with members of the admissions committee.

Upon receipt of a letter of official acceptance into the program, the individual may enroll in the initial courses for the program.

 

Program Elements

 

Graduate Assistantship/Fellowship:

Students who take six (6) or more hours per semester are eligible to be awarded a graduate assistantship and/or graduate fellowship. Please see the Doctoral Program coordinator for more information.

Coursework Requirements and Transfer of Credits:

Subject to approval by the doctoral advisory committee, a maximum of 6 hours of appropriate course work completed as part of another doctoral program may be transferred from other accredited institutions. 

Academic Expectations:

Students must maintain a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.00 in all doctoral course work. No more than two courses in which a grade of “C” has been earned may be applied toward the fulfillment of degree requirements. 

Continuous Enrollment:

The continuous enrollment requirement necessitates that candidates are enrolled each academic term including summer, fall, and spring until completion of all degree program requirements.

Residency Requirement:

The residency requirement in graduate programs is intended to ensure that candidates become integrally involved in the academic life of their program and of the university. During the course of study for the Ed.D. degree offered by the Consortium, candidates are required to have an enrollment period of three (3) consecutive academic terms with a minimum of six (6) credit hours per academic term.

Admission to Candidacy and Time Limits:

All degree requirements must be completed within six calendar years following admission to candidacy. An extension may be granted if approved by the Dean of the College of Education. Prior work applied to the degree (including transfer and locally-earned credits) must have been completed within nine calendar years immediately preceding the date on which the degree is conferred.

Prospectus Defense:

All candidates are required to successfully defend their Prospectus before their committee.

Dissertation:

All doctoral candidates are required to complete a dissertation which represents a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in the discipline. Doctoral candidates must (a) form a dissertation committee, (b) prepare and successfully defend a dissertation proposal before the dissertation committee, (c) complete data collection and analysis, and (d) prepare and successfully defend the final dissertation before the dissertation committee. All candidates must be officially enrolled for dissertation credit, whether the candidates are on or off campus.

Additional Requirements:

Prospective and enrolled graduate students are reminded that the general academic, financial, and student conduct policies and rules of the Consortium Universities as stated in the university catalogs remain in force and effect unless specifically modified by graduate rules and policies included in the graduate section of the catalog.

 

Doctoral Program Curriculum

The Ed.D. degree program in Education Leadership requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours as follows:

Research Core: 18 credit hours (of 18 offered)

EDF 800 Introduction to Doctoral Program and Research Design
EDF 801 Writing for Research
EDF 802 Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership
EDF 803 Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership
EDF 804 Mixed Methods Research in Educational Leadership
EDL 880 Research Practicum

Educational Leadership: 30 credit hours, to be selected from the following course work:

EDL 810 Leadership Theory and Practice
EDL 811 Management of Educational Organizations
EDL 812 Supervision in Educational Settings
EDL 820 Legal Issues and Ethics in Educational Organizations
EDL 821 Politics and Community Relations
EDL 822 Policy Development and Analysis
EDL 823 Fiduciary Management of Educational Organizations
EDL 824 Legal Issues in Special Education 
EDL 830 Foundations of Curriculum Theory and Design
EDL 831 Critical Analysis of Current Research on Effective Educational Practice
EDL 832 Educational Evaluation
EDL 834: College Teaching
EDL 840 Change Theory
EDL 841 Organizational Development for Learning Communities
EDL 842 Culture, Climate and Change Leadership
EDL 851: Administration and Management in Higher Education
EDL 852: Student Affairs in Higher Education
EDL 853: Governance and Legal Aspects of Higher Education
EDL 857: Academic Affairs in Higher Education
EDL 858: Community College Administration
EDL 861: History and Philosophy of Higher Education
EDL 862: Planning and Evaluation in Higher Education
EDL 871 Special Topics in Instructional Leadership
EDL 875 Special Topics in Educational Leadership and Management
EDL 897 Internship

 

Doctoral Dissertation Seminar: Minimum of 12 credit hours

EDF 999 Doctoral Dissertation

 

For more information on the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, please contact the program coordinator of main office: 

 

Dr. Ashley Wicker

Department of Educational Leadership and Technology
Southeastern Louisiana University
SLU 10549
Hammond, LA 70402
Office: 985-549-5713
Email: edd@southeastern.edu or ashley.wicker@southeastern.edu