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DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (ED.D.)

 

Collaborative Program

The Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) is a collaborative degree program offered by Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of Louisiana Lafayette.

 

Program Overview

The Collaborative 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 practice techniques related to their professional settings.
  5. To prepare leaders who value, encourage, and facilitate the professional development of self and others in the 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.

 

Note:

    • The doctoral program is NOT designed to lead to 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 course in graduate statistics and research methods must include these courses in their program of study.

 

Program Admission Requirements

Application Process – Completed applications, including all documents listed below, must be received by the Doctoral Admissions Committee in the Department of Educational Leadership & Technology by the time and date listed on the Southeastern Louisiana University doctoral program website.

  1. Completed application form;
  2. Official transcripts from all colleges attended;
  3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The expected minimum scores are 145 Verbal/145 Quantitative (new scale) or 450 Verbal/450 Quantitative (old scale);
  4. Master's Degree from an accredited university;
  5. GPA of at least 3.0 on all graduate-level course work;
  6. Professional resume;
  7. A writing sample that the applicant believes is indicative of his/her ability to write on an academic or professional subject;
  8. A formal letter of application that must provide:
      • An introduction of the applicant to the admissions committee;
      • An explanation of the applicant's interest in educational leadership, and;
      • Reasons why the applicant seeks admission to the doctoral program in educational leadership.
  9. Names, addresses (office and e-mail), and telephone numbers of the following three individuals:
      • The applicant's direct supervisor;
      • A former university professor who can attest to the applicant's ability to successfully complete a doctoral program, and;
      • A third individual who has direct knowledge of the applicant's duties and performance in his/her profession.
  10. For applicants whose native language is not English, a score on the English proficiency examination (TOEFL) of at least 24 on each of the components (Writing, Reading, Speaking, and Listening).
  11. Verification of at least three (3) years of appropriate professional experience.
  12. Have satisfactory standing in the last institution attended.

 

Program Admissions Process

After all application materials have been received, the Education Leadership Doctoral Admissions Committee will jointly review the applicant's materials. The Committee will determine which applicant's will move forward in the application process and schedule an interview on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus. This phase has two components:

  1. Each applicant must draft an extemporaneous writing sample in response to a writing prompt that will be provided on site.
  2. Following the exercise, the applicant will have a face-to-face interview.

Upon receipt of a letter of official acceptance into the program, the students must complete the following steps to complete enrollment into the doctoral program:

  1. Submit Proof of Immunization and Application fee to Graduate Studies.
  2. Participate in optional interview as requested by the Doctoral Admissions Committee.
  3. Enroll in the initial courses for the program.
  4. Attend the required orientation session.

 

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
EDF 803: Qualitative Methods
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 840: Change Theory
EDL 841: Organizational Development for Learning Communities
EDL 842: Culture, Climate and Change Leadership
EDL 871: Special Topics in Instructional Leadership
EDL 875: Special Topics in Educational Leadership and Management
EDL 897: Internship
ETEC 812: Leadership in Integration of Emerging Technologies

 

Doctoral Dissertation Seminars: Minimum of 12 credit hours

EDL 898: Doctoral Dissertation Prospectus 
EDF 900: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal
EDF 995: Defense and Completion of Dissertation

 

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 Director for more information.

Course Work 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 cumulative 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.

 

For More Information

Please contact the Doctoral Program Director in the Department of Educational Leadership at 985-549-5713 for additional information.