Educational Leadership, Ed.D. (School Leadership Concentration) (available online)

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:
Marc Tucker; tuckermr@etsu.edu; (423) 439-6590

Pamela Scott, Ed.D., Graduate Coordinator
501 Warf-Pickel Hall
Box 70550
(423) 439-7618
e-mail: scottp@etsu.edu

Faculty: William Flora; Virginia Foley; Pamela Scott.

The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis has as its primary purpose the graduate preparation of individuals who will serve as educational leaders in K-12 schools and other organizations/agencies that offer educational programs and services. Programs in the department are approved by the Tennessee Department of Education. Student programs are designed to develop educational leaders through the study and practical application of educational foundations, theory, research, and practice.

Program Admission Requirements

An applicant seeking admission to a doctoral degree program must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree. For doctoral programs that will admit students with only a bachelor’s degree, a minimum 2.5 undergraduate GPA (on a 4.0 scale) is required however most doctoral degree programs have higher requirements. International students are subject to additional specific requirements and should refer to the appropriate sections in this document or in the graduate catalog. The following must be submitted before an applicant will be considered for admission:

1. Nonrefundable application fee.
2. A completed application form.
3. One official transcript from each undergraduate or graduate institution attended, except previous coursework taken at ETSU. Applications will not be considered without all transcripts.
4. A personal essay.
5. Official scores on the general portion of the GRE.
6. Four (4) letters of recommendation.
7. All applicants must submit a current resume with their application.

 Residency Requirements

A “Declaration of Intent to Establish Residency,” approved by the student’s advisor prior to the beginning of the residency period, must be filed with the deans of the College of Education and the School of Graduate Studies, the department, and the chair of the student’s graduate advisory committee. Subsequently, students should consult with their advisor on residency. Four (4) options for fulfilling the residency requirements have been approved.

1. A residency of two (2) consecutive semesters, during which the student must not be employed more than half time.
2. A residency of two (2) consecutive semesters, which shall include one semester of not more than half-time employment and one (1) with no employment restrictions.
3. A residency of four (4) consecutive summer semesters (including one Pre-Summer), during which times the student may not work.
4. A “continuous” residency that requires each student to be continuously enrolled in the program (spring and fall semesters) from the time of the student’s initial course in the program until the qualifying examination is completed.

Each student, regardless of the residency option selected, must receive prior approval of a residency plan by the student’s advisor. Each student must complete the required ten (10) approved residency activities and submit portfolio documentation of the completion to the advisory committee chair. Fulfillment of the residency requirements will be reported to the deans of the College of Education and School of Graduate Studies.

Any modification of the residency plan must be approved, in writing, by the student’s graduate advisory committee chair.

Matriculation Limits

The time limit for completion of the Ed.D. program by a student who holds the Ed.S. degree or equivalent is five (5) years from the date of enrollment in the earliest course applied toward the degree. The time limit for completion of the doctoral program by students who begin a program after a bachelor’s or master’s degree is seven (7) years from the date of enrollment in the earliest course applied toward the degree.

Educational Leadership, Ed.D.

Students admitted to this concentration are members of a cohort with a planned sequence of courses comprised of six credits each fall, spring, and summer semester.

The qualifying exam is scheduled at the end of the student’s coursework and has both written and oral components. An application for candidacy for the doctoral degree is submitted upon successful completion of the qualifying exam.

A doctoral candidate will identify a dissertation topic, conduct research, and write the paper with the guidance of a dissertation committee. The dissertation is a major component of the doctoral degree. Each doctoral candidate must register for a minimum of three (3) credits of ELPA 7960  each semester, including Summer, until completing the required twelve (12) dissertation credits, followed by three (3) of ELPA 7990  each semester, including summer, until the successful dissertation defense.

Educational Leadership, Ed.D. Degree Requirements: 66 credits

 For qualified students already possessing valid master’s degrees, or the equivalent, and seeking an Ed.D. degree leading toward endorsement as a Beginning Administrator, the requirements are for a minimum program of 66 credits.

Educational Leadership, Ed.D. Core Requirements: 18 credits

• ELPA 6450 - Leadership Studies (3 credits)
• ELPA 6810 - Theories of Administration (3 credits)
• ELPA 7810 - Educational Statistics (3 credits)
• ELPA 7812 - Qualitative Research (3 credits)
• ELPA 7813 - Research in Educational Leadership (3 credits)

•  

• ELPA 7811 - Quantitative Research (3 credits)

• or

• ELPA 7814 - Advanced Qualitative Research (3 credits)

School Leadership Concentration: 15 credits

Advisors may recommend substitutions of other courses that would better address an individual student’s needs. Any proposed substitution is subject to approval by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

• ELPA 6010 - Leadership for Lifelong Learning (3 credits)
• ELPA 6454 - Policy, Power, and Politics in Education (3 credits)
• ELPA 6581 - Internship in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
• ELPA 6820 - Law for Organizational Leaders (3 credits)
• ELPA 6953 - Policy Analysis (3 credits)

Advisor Approved Electives: 15 credits

Choose 15 credits from the following. The courses needed to meet this requirement should come from the list below or advisors may recommend substitutions of other courses that would better address an individual student’s needs.

• ELPA 6040 - Writing for Professional Educators (3 credits)
• ELPA 6453 - Ethics for Educational Leaders (3 credits)
• ELPA 6561 - Organization Development (3 credits)
• ELPA 6820 - Law for Organizational Leaders (3 credits)
• ELPA 6830 - School Housing and Transportation (3 credits)
• ELPA 6841 - School Finance and Business Methods (3 credits)
• ELPA 6872 - Technology Applications for Educational Leaders (3 credits)
• ELPA 6954 - Educational Program Evaluation (3 credits)
• ELPA 6955 - Grant and Proposal Development (3 credits)
• ELPA 7811 - Quantitative Research (3 credits)
• ELPA 7814 - Advanced Qualitative Research (3 credits)
• EDFN 6730 - Foundations: Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education (3 credits)

Cognate Requirements: 6 credits

• Six (6) credits in a cognate area other than Educational Leadership

Dissertation: 12 credits

• ELPA 7960 - Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)

Students with Ed.S.: 42 credits*

* For students already possessing a valid Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree, the minimum requirements for the doctoral program are for a 42 credit program which includes the following courses and activities.