Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration

Doctoral Core (21 credit hours):

The doctoral program core consists of seven courses:

These courses are offered as follows: two in the summer session of the year of admission, two courses in the fall and spring semesters respectively, and one in the summer session of the following year. Students are required to take the seven core courses during the first year of academic studies. First-year students cannot take an additional course during a semester in which they drop a core course.

Transfer of Credits:

No more than six (6) semester credit hours of work can be transferred from other universities or from UTEP for credit toward the doctoral degree. Transfer of credit is subject to approval by the Doctoral Program Committee. Transfer courses must be post-master’s, not for a specialist’s degree, and must fit well with the program, as determined by the Committee.

Specialization Area Courses (12 credit hours):

After the completion of the core, students--with guidance and approval from their Faculty Advisor and the Director of the Doctoral Program Committee--will identify a program area of specialization in their doctoral work and select courses related to this area.

Electives (6 credit hours):

Additionally, students select two courses within the department or from other academic units of the university, which will add to their specialization area. Educational Leadership and Foundations courses must be at the level of 6300 or higher. Other UTEP courses must be at the 5300 level or higher. Courses taken to attain prior academic degrees are not accepted as electives.

Research Design and Methodology Courses (9 credit hours):

Students enroll in nine hours of coursework in the areas of quantitative and qualitative research design and methodology

 These courses help students develop the skills and knowledge needed to carry out effective independent research during the dissertation phase of the doctoral program.

Field-Based Learning (3 credit hours):

Students enrolled in the program are expected to complete three semester credits in field-based learning activities which are designed to provide opportunities for practical application of the theoretical concepts acquired in core and elective courses. Take note that EDAD courses completed as part of an earlier master’s or certification program cannot be transferred into the doctoral program. The two courses available to satisfy this requirement are:

Capstone Doctoral Course (3 credit hours):

All doctoral students, prior to developing a formal proposal or beginning work on the dissertation, will be required to take EDAD 6380 Capstone Doctoral Seminar. This culminating course must be taken in the last semester of doctoral coursework and prior to EDAD 6398 Dissertation Research. The Capstone Doctoral Course takes the place of the Qualifying/Comprehensive Examination. The course is aimed at ensuring that students are fully prepared to begin work on the dissertation and are able to demonstrate a range of skills and abilities, including an ability to frame a dissertation research question; undertake a thorough, focused literature review; make a decision regarding the type of research design that makes sense given the question; and define the type of data analyses that make possible the reaching of certain conclusions.

Dissertation:

After successful completion of EDAD 6380 Capstone Doctoral Seminar, students take EDAD 6398 Dissertation Research and EDAD 6399 Dissertation Writing. After successful completion of EDAD 6398 students advance to doctoral candidacy. 

Faculty Mentor:

A Faculty Mentor will be assigned to each doctoral student after admission to the program to provide the student guidance and support during the first year of study.

Program Advisor:

A Program Advisor who will assist each student in preparing and carrying out a doctoral plan of study will be identified during the Fall Semester of the second year. The Program Advisor can be the same person as the Faculty Mentor, but does not need to be.

Dissertation Committee Member:

A student’s dissertation committee will be officially formalized after successful completion of all coursework and of the Capstone Doctoral Seminar. The committee will include at least four faculty members (usually, three members of the Educational Leadership faculty and one from outside the department).

Dissertation Committee:

The Doctoral Program Committee, in consultation with the student, will appoint a Dissertation Committee. Committee appointments will take into consideration faculty academic expertise in the student’s specialization area and the Department’s interest in maintaining workload balance among faculty. The Dissertation Committee shall include at least four faculty members (three members of the Educational Leadership faculty and one from outside the department). The Dissertation Committee approves the dissertation proposal, advises the student on the research and writing of the dissertation, and conducts the final dissertation oral defense.

Dissertation Proposal:

Students work with their Dissertation Committee in planning, designing, and implementing independent scholarly research. They enroll in EDAD 6398 Dissertation Research during this period, and develop a dissertation proposal with their Doctoral Dissertation Committee. Students continue to enroll in EDAD 6398 until the proposal is approved by the Dissertation Committee. After successful completion of EDAD 6398 students advance to doctoral candidacy. Dissertation Committee members indicate their approval of the proposal by signing the Dissertation Proposal Defense Form that is filled in the student's file. 

Once the dissertation proposal has been approved, the doctoral candidate will enroll in EDAD 6399 Dissertation Writing until the dissertation is completed.

Dissertation Defense:

A satisfactory final oral defense of the dissertation is required. The Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations will publish the time and place of this examination. College of Education faculty members are encouraged to attend, and the exam is open to all members of the University community and the public. Dissertation Committee members indicate their approval by signing the Dissertation Defense Form that is then submitted to the Graduate School. A majority of the Dissertation Committee members must approve the dissertation. The results of the review are then communicated to the student.

Graduation:

At the beginning of a student’s last semester, she or he must complete a Graduation Application Form, have it signed by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, and submit this form to the Graduate School along with the appropriate diploma fee. Students are strongly encouraged to visit the Graduate School at the beginning of the semester in order to ensure compliance with all required deadlines. Once all program requirements are met, the candidate will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Education.