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University
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Program Policy Statement
Part
I. Program History
A. Purpose Statement
B. Origin of the
Program
C. Administration
and Faculty
Part
II. Admission
Part
III. Degree Requirements for the Doctor
of Education in Educational Leadership
Part
IV. General Information Relevant to Both Master’s and Doctoral Degree
Candidates
Revised Fall, 2006
Part I.
Program History
The Doctorate of
Education (Ed.D.) represents the highest level of scholarly attainment in the
professional field of Education. This degree signifies the attainment of
advanced knowledge education as a scholarly discipline and as a field of
professional practice. Individuals
awarded the Ed.D. by the
Unlike many Division I land-grant universities with
schools of education, the
C.
Administration and Faculty
The
Committee on Graduate Studies in Education (CGSE) is the SOE-level committee
responsible for oversight of all SOE graduate programs. The CGSE is composed of five faculty members
from the
Students are
admitted to a concentration within the Ed.D. program in accordance with their
admission application (see II, C below).
At the time of admission, all students are assigned a faculty advisor
affiliated with the concentration to which they have applied. This advisor assists the student with course
planning and any other issues that arise as the student progresses through the
program. Students may change faculty
advisors upon their written request to do so, and upon the agreement of the new
advisor to accept this student as an advisee.
It is customary for the student’s advisor to become the chair of
the student’s doctoral thesis committee.
Faculty
members who teach graduate courses and advise graduate students in the School
of Education must have a doctorate or equivalent. In some instances, faculty members with a
master’s degree and special expertise in an area of Education as a result
of concentrated study, employment experience, or service may be recommended for
graduate teaching. In such cases, the
faculty member must have a record of successful teaching in a specialized area
of Education, proven scholarly ability, and the endorsement of the Director of
the School of Education.
The
degree awarded to students who complete this program is the Doctor of
Education.
Part II.
Admission
A. University Policy on Admission
Admission
to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum
requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all
of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other
appropriate strengths.
B. University Admission Procedures
Applicants
must submit all of the following items to the Office of Graduate Studies before
admission can be considered:
A
completed Admission Application must be submitted no later than February 28 for
this program. Admission application forms are available from the Office of
Graduate Studies, from the departments, and online
(http://www.udel.edu/admissions/appinfo.html).
A $60
nonrefundable application fee must be submitted with the application. Checks
must be made payable to the University of Delaware. Applications received
without the application fee will not be processed. Foreign students may utilize
either a check or an International Postal Money Order to remit payment in U.S.
currency.
An
official transcript of all previous college records must be sent directly from
the institution to the Office of Graduate Studies. Students who have attended
the University of Delaware need not supply a transcript from Delaware.
Transcripts issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by an
official translation into English. If the rank of the student is not displayed
on the transcript or diploma, an official letter of explanation and ranking
from the institution where the degree was earned is required.
Applicants
must submit at least three letters of recommendation.
It is a
Delaware State Board of Health Regulation and a University of Delaware mandate
that all entering graduate students born after January 1, 1957 give proof of
proper immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella. If immunization
requirements are not met, the student will not be eligible to register. Specific
information may be obtained from the Student Health Service (302) 831-2226.
C. Specific Requirements for Admission
into the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Program
Admission decisions
to each of the Ed.D.’s concentrations (ADPO; CTHE) are made by an admissions
committee composed of the faculty members affiliated with each of the
concentrations. Students are admitted to the program based upon program
capacity (which limits the total number that can be accepted) and the
applicant’s qualifications. Applicants
must meet the following requirements.
1.
Masters degree from an accredited institution,
2.
On a 4.0 scale, a 2.75 GPA for undergraduate work and a 3.0 GPA for
graduate work,
3.
Complete program application with supporting materials,
4.
Three professional references,
5.
A written application statement
6.
A current vita.
7.
An on-site writing assessment reviewed through a double-blind process
with multiple faculty readers evaluating each of the students’ two
essays.
Part III. Degree
Requirements for the Doctor of Education Program
A. Course
Requirements
Ed.D.
Doctoral Core Courses: (Both Concentrations) 9 credits
Effective Communication for Educational Leaders
(EDUC 824)
Leadership Theory
& Research (EDUC 890)
Program Evaluation (EDUC 863)
A & P Concentration Core
Courses: 27 credits
Models/Practices of Instructional Leadership (EDUC
810)
Data Analysis for School Improvement (EDUC 827)
Performance Assessment and Accountability (EDUC 828)
Educational Governance, Policy and Law (EDUC 839)
Organizational Problem Analysis/Planning (EDUC 891)
Managing Student, Parent, & Community Relations
(EDUC 809)
EPP Proposal Independent Study w/ advisor ( EDUC
866)
Internship in Education (EDUC 879)
– 6 credits
A & P Concentration
Electives:
6 credits
CT & HE Concentration
Core Courses: 12 credits
Curriculum Theory (EDUC 860)
Elementary Statistics (EDUC 665)
Qualitative Research in Educational Settings (EDUC 850)
Foundations Education Technology (EDUC 818)
CT & HE Concentration
Electives: 21 credits
Doctoral Thesis: (EDUC 969) 12
credits
TOTAL CREDITS FOR
DEGREE: 54
credits
B. University Requirements and Deadlines
for Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
Students in this
degree program complete an Executive Position Paper (EPP) in lieu of a
Dissertation. Upon the recommendation of the doctoral student's advisory
committee and the Director of the SOE, students may be admitted to candidacy
for the Ed.D. degree. The stipulations for admission to doctoral candidacy are
that the student has (1) completed all required coursework in their program,
and (2) has an EPP proposal accepted by the advisory committee.
The
deadline for admission to candidacy for the fall semester is August 31. The
deadline for admission to candidacy for the spring semester is January 31. The
deadline for admission to candidacy for the summer is April 30. Responsibility
for seeing that admission to candidacy is secured at the proper time rests with
the student.
C. Regulations
Governing Executive Position Papers
1)
Establishment of EPP Committee. The student and his/her advisor will create an
EPP committee at the time the student begins to develop the EPP proposal.
The EPP committee shall include three University faculty from within the School
of Education, and one member from outside of the program. The EPP advisor must
be a member of the SOE faculty. SOE faculty who do not have regular
faculty status may co-chair the EPP committee provided that the other co-chair
meets the definition for regular faculty status. Additionally, a
professional staff member who holds a secondary faculty appointment within an
academic department may serve as a committee member. However, all three
within-program committee members must hold the doctoral degree. Faculty
who have retired or resigned from the University may maintain committee
membership or continue to chair committees of students whose work began under
their direction prior to their retirement or departure from the University.
Outside committee members shall include individuals not affiliated with the
SOE. These may be individuals from outside of the University who
are nationally recognized for their expertise in the area of study specified by
the EPP, as well as faculty members from other units on campus. It is the
responsibility of the EPP advisor to replace members who withdraw from the
committee during the EPP process.
2)
Defense of the EPP Proposal. A copy of the EPP proposal must be delivered to
the members of the EPP committee at least two weeks in advance of the proposal
defense. Prior to the presentation, proposals that involve the use of
human subjects must receive approval from the University Institutional Review
Board (IRB). Details for creating consent forms and submitting studies
for review by the IRB can be obtained from the Office of Research. The EPP proposal defense will be scheduled only after a
majority of members of the EPP committee have determined that a defense is
appropriate.
At the
conclusion of the EPP proposal defense, EPP committee members will provide
clear feedback to the student and will sign the “Advancement to Candidacy
Form”. A signed copy of this form
should be forwarded to the SOE Director’s office.
4)
Defense of the EPP. The format of the EPP must adhere to guidelines specified
in the University’s Thesis and Dissertation Manual. The manual is
available electronically on the Web at
http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/current/thesismanual.html, or it may be
purchased at the University Bookstore. The EPP defense will be
scheduled only after the advisor of the EPP committee has determined that a
defense is appropriate.
The EPP defense will be open to the
public, and notices will be sent to all SOE faculty and posted prominently
throughout Willard Hall Education Building at least one week prior to the
defense date. The candidate will present a summary of the completed
research, and will then field questions from the committee, attending faculty,
and invited guests. After all questions have been answered, the EPP
committee will meet to decide whether the EPP is accepted, rejected, or
accepted pending revisions. Results of the meeting will then be presented
to the student.
5)
Processing the Final Document. Three copies of the EPP must be approved by the
chair of the student's advisory committee, the Director of the School of
Education, the Dean of the College of Human Services, Education and Public
Policy, and the Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Planning. The EPP is to
be signed by the professor in charge of the EPP and all members of the EPP
committee. A separate abstract and abstract approval page must be submitted
with the EPP. The EPP must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for
approval not later than seven weeks prior to the degree conferral date. The EPP
defense must be completed prior to the submission date and the certification of
a successful defense must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies.
Doctoral dissertations and the extra abstract are sent to University Microfilms
Inc., to be microfilmed and thereby made available to libraries and scholars.
To accomplish this, each candidate must submit a signed University Microfilms
Inc. Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form to the Graduate Office at the time
the EPP copies are submitted.
The
University reserves the right to duplicate an EPP for distribution to other
libraries or for the use of individual scholars. However, the University will
not publish an EPP for general distribution without the written consent of the
author. If copyrighting of an EPP is desired, it may be arranged when the EPP
is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. Published works are
eligible for copyright protection in the United States if the work is first
published in the United States.
D. Registration Requirements Prior to
Doctoral Candidacy (G1 Status)
Course
registration requirements are determined by the student's approved program of
study. Once the student has registered for all course requirements in a
program of study but has not yet met all of the stipulations for passing into
candidacy, the student must maintain registration during the fall and spring
semesters in course(s) or in three to twelve credits of Pre-Candidacy Study
(EDUC 964). Pre-Candidacy Study is graded pass/fail. If the student registered
in Pre-Candidacy Study is admitted to candidacy before the end of the free
drop/add period of the next semester, the registration in Pre-Candidacy Study
for the preceding semester may be changed to the course, Doctoral Dissertation
(EDUC 969). (Students who are classified G1 and are holding a graduate
assistantship or tuition scholarship must be registered for a minimum of six
graduate credits, and those holding a fellowship must be registered for a
minimum of nine graduate credits.)
E. Registration Requirements after
Admission to Candidacy (G2 Status)
Once a student has met all of the
stipulations for candidacy and becomes classified with G2 status (candidacy),
the student is required to enroll in a total of twelve credits of Doctoral
Dissertation. Students may not register for Doctoral Dissertation (EDUC 969)
until admitted to candidacy (G2 status). Registration in Doctoral Dissertation
and Doctoral Sustaining (UNIV 999) is restricted to students with G2 status.
Once the student has completed the twelve credits of Doctoral Dissertation, the
student is required to maintain matriculation in the doctoral program by
registering in Doctoral Sustaining in subsequent semesters until the degree is
awarded. All students must be registered in the term in which the degree is
officially awarded. Doctoral sustaining registration is required in summer or
winter session only if the degree is awarded at the conclusion of that term.
Students enrolled in sustaining credit are considered full-time students.
Part IV. General Information Relevant to
Both Master’s and Doctoral Degree Candidates
A. Financial Assistance
Ed.D. students are usually part-time
graduate students and normally do not qualify for financial assistance.
However, if the Ed.D student is full-time, they are eligible to apply for the
same assistantships and fellowships as full-time Ph.D. students.
B. Graduate Course Numbering System.
Graduate credit may be earned for
courses numbered 600 to 699, 730 to 799, 800 to 898, and 900 to 998. (Courses
numbered 600 to 699 are graduate-level courses open to qualified, advanced
undergraduates by permission of the instructor.) Courses numbered 500 to 599
are graduate courses for the nonspecialist and may not be counted for graduate
credit in the student's major. With the approval of the student’s advisor,
500-level courses taken outside the student's major department may be applied
toward a graduate degree.
C. Application for Advanced Degree.
To initiate the process for degree
conferral, candidates must submit an "Application for Advanced
Degree" to the Office of Graduate Studies. The application deadlines are
February 15 for Spring candidates, May 15 for Summer candidates, and September
15 for Winter candidates. The application must be signed by the candidate's
adviser and by the Director or the Assistant Director of the School of
Education. There is an application fee of $50 for master's degree candidates
and a $95 fee for doctoral degree candidates. Payment is required when the
application is submitted.
D. Graduate Grade Point Average.
Students
must have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be
eligible for the degree. In addition, the grades in courses applied toward the
degree program must equal at least 3.0. All graduate-numbered courses taken
with graduate student classification at the University of Delaware are applied
to the cumulative index. Credit hours and courses for which the grade is below
"C-" do not count toward the degree even though the grade is applied
to the overall index. Candidates should see that their instructors have
submitted all final grades. Temporary grades of "S" (Satisfactory)
are assigned for 868 (Research) and 969 (Doctoral Dissertation) until a final
letter grade is submitted upon the completion of the thesis or EPP.
E. Time Limits for the Completion of
Degree Requirements.
Time
limits for the completion of degree requirements begin with the date of
matriculation and are specifically expressed in the student's letter of
admission. Students entering a doctoral program with a master's degree are
given ten consecutive semesters to complete the requirements. Students who
change their degree plan and have transferred from one degree program to
another degree program are given ten consecutive semesters from the beginning
of the first year in the latest program.
F. Extension of the Time Limit.
An
extension of time limit may be granted for circumstances beyond the student's
control. Requests for time extensions must be made in writing and approved by
the student's adviser and the Director or Assistant Director of the School of
Education. The Director/Assistant Director will forward the request to the
Office of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will determine the
student's eligibility for a time extension and will notify the student in
writing of its decision to grant an extension of time.
G. Transfer of Credit Earned as a
Continuing Education Student at the University of Delaware.
Students
who complete graduate credits with the classification of CEND (Continuing
Education Nondegree) at the University of Delaware may use a maximum of 9
graduate credits earned with this classification toward their graduate degree.
The CEND credits, grades, and quality points become a part of the student's
academic record and grade point average. CEND credit can be transferred
provided that: (a) the course was at the 600 or 800 level, (b) the course was
taken within the time limit appropriate for the degree, (c) the course was
approved by the student's adviser and the Director/Assistant Director of the
School of Education, and (d) the course was in accord with the student’s
Individual Program Plan.
H. Transfer of Credit from Another
Institution.
Graduate
credit earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request
of the student. Such a request should be submitted first to their advisor using
a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. A maximum of 9 credits required
for the degree will be accepted provided that such credits: (a) were earned
with a grade of no less than B-, (b) are approved by the student's adviser and
the Director/Assistant Director of the School of Education, (c) are in accord
with the student’s program requirements, (d) are not older than five
years, and (e) were completed at an accredited college or university. The credits,
but not the grades or quality points, are transferable to University of
Delaware graduate records. Graduate courses counted toward a degree received
elsewhere may not be used. Credits earned at another institution while the
student was classified as a continuing education student at that institution
are not eligible to be transferred to one's graduate degree at the University
of Delaware. Credits from institutions outside of the United States are
generally not transferable to the University of Delaware.
I. Transfer of Credit from the
Undergraduate Division at the University of Delaware.
Students who wish
to transfer credits from their undergraduate record to their graduate record
may transfer a limited number by arranging with the department to have these
courses approved by their instructors before the courses are taken. These
courses must be at the 600-level, and the student must perform at the graduate
level. They must be in excess of the total required for the baccalaureate
degree, must have grades of no less than B-, and must not be older than five
years. The credits, grades, and quality points will transfer.