Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration Online
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree program in Educational Leadership and Administration offers students opportunities to develop the added knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for leadership roles in a variety of educational settings.
Typically, graduates of the doctoral program prepare for positions in three general career areas: (1) central-office and school-site leadership, (2) instructional leadership, (3) leadership in higher education and other educational settings, and (4) leadership in policy analysis and evaluation. Five concentrations are offered in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration program. Students may choose to focus their doctoral studies on:
- Central Office and School Site Leadership
- Higher Education Leadership
- Policy Analysis and Evaluation Leadership
- Early Childhood Education Leadership (Online)
- Curriculum and Instruction (K-12) Leadership (Online)
The unique features of this program include an emphasis on educational leadership issues in the U.S.-Mexico border region, opportunities for research and practice in cultural and linguistically diverse contexts, and a cohort program which provides doctoral students with a sense of community and mutual support.
For further information about this Ed.D. program, see the College of Education website.
Application Process and Program Admission
Application Requirements: Applicants must submit the following required documents to be considered for admission:
- Graduate School Admissions Application (Online application available at www.utep.edu/graduate/) with the application fee
- Official transcripts showing completion of a master’s degree, an undergraduate degree, and other college or university coursework
- Applicants whose degrees are from non-English speaking institutions are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Please consult the Graduate School website for required scores.
- Curriculum vitae/resume
- Three letters of reference, including at least one academic reference and one professional reference
- Statement of Purpose, which highlights relevant experiences and skills, and explains how the program aligns with career goals
Applicant Review Process: Qualified applicants will be invited to interview with program faculty. The purpose of the interview is to establish compatibility between applicants’ goals and the aims of the doctoral program.
Program Admission: Admission to the program is based on a variety of factors, including academic achievement, the probability of success in performing doctoral level work, and perceived contributions to the cohort experience. Admission to the program is competitive. The number of applicants commonly exceeds the faculty resources available to provide an appropriate level of academic support for each new and continuing student.
Degree Requirements
- Regardless of concentration, the minimum credit-hour to receive the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration is 48 semester credit hours beyond a master's degree. [Students may be required to take additional courses to address particular needs or specialization interests.]
- Students are required to complete an independent research study (Dissertation or Dissertation in Practice, depending on specific concentration) as a requirement for graduation from this program.
- The Graduate School requires that students maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and complete all required coursework in eight years or less to earn this doctoral degree.
Ed. D. Degree Programs (Fully Online)
Concentrations in:
- Early Childhood Education Leadership
- Curriculum and Instruction (K-12) Leadership
All courses require a grade of C (or better) or Pass. The credit hours for a concentration in Early Childhood Education or Curriculum and Instruction shall be distributed in the following way:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Core Courses | 18 | |
| The doctoral core for a concentration in Early Childhood Education or Curriculum and Instruction consists of six courses. | ||
| Specialization Area Courses | 12 | |
| Students concentrating in Early Childhood Education or Curriculum and Instruction--with guidance and approval from their faculty advisor and the doctoral program director--will take four courses related to their specific concentration area. | ||
| Research Design and Methodology Courses | 6 | |
| Students will enroll in six 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 in Practice phase of the doctoral program. | ||
| Doctoral Seminar | 3 | |
| The Qualifying Candidacy Seminar is the culminating course for students in the Educational Leadership doctoral program who concentrate in Early Childhood Education or Curriculum and Instruction. The Qualifying Candidacy Seminar serves as the Qualifying/Comprehensive Examination for the doctoral degree in these concentrations. The course is aimed at ensuring that students are prepared with a range of Scholar-Practitioner inquiry skills and abilities for conducting a Dissertation in Practice study. | ||
| Reserach Capstone- Dissertation in Practice | 9 | |
| Students in the Early Childhood Education or Curriculum and Instruction concentrations are required to complete a Dissertation in Practice as their program graduation requirement; a Dissertation in Practice is required for every candidate in these concentrations. Students cannot register for Dissertation in Practice courses until they have successfully completed the Qualifying Candidacy Seminar (TED 6380). Dissertations in Practice must address a topic of contextualized educational significance, derive from independent Scholar-Practitioner Inquiry, contribute to evidence-based applied practice in the concentration area, and be approved by the Dissertation in Practice chair and committee. | ||
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Degree Plan
Required Credits: 48
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Core | 21 | |
| TED 6308 | Leader Theory for Scholar-Prac | 3 |
| TED 6310 | Learning Sciences | 3 |
| TED 6314 | Ed Myths & Pedagog Practices | 3 |
| TED 6340 | Foundations of Ed Research | 3 |
| TED 6342 | Scholar-Pracit Inquiry | 3 |
| TED 6348 | Action Research | 3 |
| Specialization Required | 12 | |
| Select one specialization from below | ||
| Research Design and Methodology Courses | 6 | |
| TED 6344 | Case Study Research | 3 |
| TED 6346 | Data-Driven Second Analysis | 3 |
| Doctoral Seminar | 3 | |
| TED 6380 | Qualifying Candidacy Seminar | 3 |
| Research Capstone | 9 | |
| TED 6382 | Dissertation in Practice I | 3 |
| TED 6684 | Dissertation in Practice II | 6 |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Specialization Area Courses (12 credit hours):
Specialization Area Courses for Early Childhood Education
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECED 6300 | Theory Foundation of ECED | 3 |
| ECED 6302 | Research in STR & Early Lit | 3 |
| ECED 6304 | Comp Thinking & Early Devel | 3 |
| BED 6300 | Borderlands Lang Acq & Comp Id | 3 |
| or STEM 6320 | Research- Play/Game Learning | |
Specialization Area Courses for Curriculum and Instruction
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| TED 6300 | Crit Persp in Curri and Instr | 3 |
| TED 6316 | Leadership- Teacher Prof Dev | 3 |
| TED 6320 | Quantitative Research I | 3 |
| Choose one course: | ||
| BED 6300 | Borderlands Lang Acq & Comp Id | 3 |
| BED 6310 | Place, Practice and Identity | 3 |
| RED 6318 | Literacies in the 21st Century | 3 |
| SCFE 6310 | Lang, Race and Culture in Ed | 3 |
| STEM 6320 | Research- Play/Game Learning | 3 |
| TED 6319 | Grad Workshop in Education | 3 |