Educational Leadership, Ed.D. (Administrative Endorsement Concentration)

General Program Information

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Virginia Foley, Ed.D., Graduate Coordinator
502 Warf-Pickel Hall
Box 70550
(423) 439-4430
e-mail: foleyv@etsu.edu

Faculty: Ginger Christian; 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.

Educational Leadership, Ed.D.

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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 toward 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 dissertation 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 credits of ELPA 7960 - Doctoral Dissertation  each semester, including Summer, until completing the required 12 - 24 credits. Students exceeding 24 credits of dissertation will enroll in ELPA 7990 - Readings and Research  each semester, including summer, until the successful dissertation defense.

Program Admission Requirements

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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. For applicants seeking a Tennessee Instructional Leader license, the GPA for the applicant will be considered in context of the overall cohort GPA average, which must meet or exceed the accrediting body’s (Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation) minimum of 3.0. ​
4. A personal essay.
5. Four (4) letters of recommendation.
6. All applicants must submit a current resume with their application.

Ed.S./ Ed.D.

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Students who are accepted into the Ed.D. School Leadership Concentration or Administrative Endorsement Concentration will  earn the Ed.S. in School System Leadership or Administrative Endorsement enroute to the Ed.D. This articulation is only for students who apply directly to the Ed.D. Students who do not complete the Ed.D. will be awarded  an Ed.S. providing all requirements are met for the Ed.S. degree. Students seeking a terminal Ed.S. degree only must apply to the Ed.S program.