Doctorate - Educational Leadership - P12 and Higher Education

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership: P-12

Key features include:

• Enrollment in cohort groups organized to support learning and professional networking
• Instruction in the Tier II portion of the program is 75% online and 25% on-campus (main campus in Statesboro, GA)
• Curriculum stresses practical knowledge and skills for preparing scholar-practitioners to become transformational leaders

Overview of Program

The Doctor of Education Degree program in Educational Leadership is designed to enhance the experienced school administrator’s leadership skills through: (1) advanced preparation that strengthens decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership skills essential to the management of increasingly complex educational organizations, and (2) engagement in guided field research that develops the inquiry skills necessary for effective leadership and management practice.

The program uses an inquiry approach that employs problem-solving and research skills applicable to multiple problems and issues. The purpose is to generate an inquiry orientation so that participants will learn to solve problems from broad perspectives. Participants identify, diagnose, and define problems, analyze their component parts contextually and systematically, and develop solutions that are immediately applicable and that deal with underlying issues. Experiences over the course of the doctoral program in Educational Leadership become candidate-led, field-based investigations of educational problems and potential solutions.

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership provides two strand options:

P-12 Administration – Candidates entering the Ed.D. program with a Master’s degree and L-5 certification enter at Tier 1 which consists of 36 semester hours at the Ed.S. level, but this coursework does not lead to an Ed.S. degree or L-6 certification. The Ed.S. degree program and subsequent L-6 certification is a separate degree program. Candidates entering the Ed.D. program with an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, or a related field, and L-6 certification may apply courses accumulated in that Ed.S. program to the Tier I requirements. Tier II consists of 30 hours of core content in Educational Leadership. Tier III consists of 9 hours of writing the dissertation.

Higher Education Administration or Teacher Leadership – Persons pursuing Higher Education Administration or Teacher Leadership strands need not have leadership certification to be eligible for consideration for entry into the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership.

GRE is currently waived!

The admission process has two phases. Applicants must be accepted for admission by both the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies and the Educational Leadership EDLD Program at Georgia Southern University. Application to or acceptance in the College of Graduate Studies in any other program does not guarantee admission to the Program of Educational Leadership. Applicants who wish to pursue advanced professional preparation in Educational Leadership with a view to becoming a candidate for the Ed.D. degree will be expected to file a formal application and present themselves to the faculty to meet program requirements. When applying for admission, applicants must indicate whether they are applying for the cohort for specialization in Higher Education Leadership or the cohort for specialization in P-12 Educational Leadership. Recommendations on admission will be made by program faculty only after screening procedures have been completed. Admission will be upon the recommendation of the EDLD program faculty and the approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Admission Requirements

1. Select a concentration: Higher Education Leadership or P-12 Educational Leadership
2. Complete the requirements for a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution.
   • Higher Education Leadership candidates:
     1. For admission to Tier I, candidates must possess a master’s degree. For admission to Tier II, candidates must possess a terminal degree in a related field.
   • P-12 Educational Leadership candidates:
     1. There is no admission into Tier I. For admission to Tier II, candidates must possess an Ed.S. degree in Educational Leadership or another related field and certification in Educational Leadership - Tier II.
3. Present a minimum grade point average of 3.25 (4.0 scale) in previous graduate work.
4. Present current official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. Submit a current resume or CV that highlights the personal and professional achievements of the applicant.
6. Submit a personal statement of purpose, not to exceed 1000 words, that identifies the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate study and how admission into the program relates to the applicant’s professional aspirations.
7. Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.
8. Complete a writing sample. For more information, please visit the program’s website.
9. Complete an interview. For more information, please visit the program’s website.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation