The Doctorate in Education (EdD) program in Educational Leadership and Administration offers students opportunities to
develop the added knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for leadership roles in contemporary and future positions in
educational settings. Students select one of the following focus areas: (a) central office leadership, (b) leadership in
assessment, evaluation, and technology, (c) school site leadership, and (d) leadership in other educational settings.
Quantitative Measures
- Completion of a Master's Degree: Students entering the program should have completed a master's degree in educational
administration or leadership or an equivalent field. In cases where the degree was not in the field of educational
administration or leadership, a plan of study enabling entering students to acquire a basic understanding of this field will be
completed prior to beginning full-time doctoral studies. Normally, this plan will include EDAD
5310, EDAD
5312, and other
learning experiences identified as relevant to the entering student by the initial program advisor.
- Graduate Record
Examination: Candidates must provide scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) completed within the past five
years.
- Grades in Previous Course Work: All applicants must furnish official transcripts showing all previous university
course work, documenting satisfactory academic performance. Generally, a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
- Language
Competency: International applicants for whom English is not a primary native language must also provide an acceptable
score (minimum of 550) attained on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Qualitative Information
- Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must furnish at least 3 letters of recommendation from individuals who are
able to assess scholarly potential, past academic performance, and leadership skills.
- Statement of Personal
Professional Belief: Candidates must provide a written statement addressing significant educational leadership issues.
-
Statement of Purpose: This statement should outline some relevant past experiences that have led the applicant to this
point in his/her academic career and also a description of future goals as related to the completion of the doctorate.
The statement of purpose serves to assess compatibility between applicant goals and the program focus and to
determine writing ability. The statement must be written in English.
- Faculty Interview: Applicants who have furnished sufficient evidence that quantitative and qualitative indicators are
consistent with program standards are invited to meet with members of the Doctoral Faculty prior to the determination of
final admission status.
Degree Program Requirements
Credit Hour Requirements: The minimum credit hour requirements are 60 semester hours beyond the master's degree.
Students may be required to take additional courses to address particular specialization interests. Credit hours are
distributed as follows:
| Doctoral Core (EDAD
6301, EDAD
6302, EDAD
6303, EDAD
6304, POLS
6303)
| 12 hours
|
| Program Focus Area Course |
9-12 hours |
| Research Design and Methodology | 9 hours |
| Electives | 15-18 hours |
| Field-Based Learning | 6 hours |
| Dissertation | 6 hours |
Doctoral Core: All entering students will enroll in three of the five Doctoral Core integrated courses (EDAD 6301,
EDAD
6303, and EDAD
6304) during the first fall semester after they have been admitted to the program. These courses
must be completed concurrently.
Program Focus Area Courses: During the first semester of residency, each student identifies a program Focus Area
(Central Office Leadership; Leadership in Assessment, Evaluation, and Technology; School Site Leadership; or Leadership in
Other Educational Settings). The initial faculty program advisor works with the student to select three or four courses to
serve as a core of courses that provides the student with essential learning experiences related to the identified Program
Focus Area.
Research Design and Methodology: Students must complete at least nine semester hours of course work in the area of
research design and methodology. The purpose of this requirement is to assist the student in developing the skills needed to
complete the dissertation. In consultation with his or her advisor, the student will select from courses available throughout
the Graduate Studies Catalog. Courses taken to complete the master's degree in this department (EDRS
5305 and EDRS
5306) may not be used to satisfy this requirement. EDAD
6302 is required of all students.
Electives: The student and his or her advisor select courses within the department or other academic units of the University
which will assist the student in achieving his or her academic goals. Courses must be at the graduate level. Courses used to
attain prior academic degrees may not be used to meet the requirement.
Field-Based Learning: Students are to complete at least 6 semester hours in field-based learning activities that are
designed to provide practical experiences to enhance theoretical learning in other courses. (NOTE: EDAD courses completed
as part of earlier master's degree or certification programs may not be re-taken to satisfy this requirement.) This requirement
may be satisfied by taking the following pairs of field-based courses: EDAD
6350 and EDAD
6351; EDAD
5373 and EDAD
5374;
EDAD
5375 and EDAD
5376; or EDAD
5389 and EDAD
6350.
Dissertation: After completing all courses and the Qualifying Examination, students work with their research
advisor and dissertation committee to plan, design, implement, and eventually present the results derived from independent
scholarly research related to an area of special interest and importance to the candidate and the field of educational
leadership. Six semester hours of credit are earned from enrolling in EDAD
6398 and EDAD
6399.
Residency
Doctoral students must complete at least 2 semesters of residency (full-time study). Full-time study
is defined as enrollment for 9 or more semester hours during the Fall or Spring semesters or 6 hours during the Summer
session. The first semester of study will be an in-residency semester. Students, therefore, must complete at least one
additional long semester (Fall/Spring) of residency or 2 consecutive summer sessions of full-time study.
Time for Completion of the EdD Degree
Students in the EdD program in Educational Leadership and Administration are expected to complete all requirements for the
degree within one 8-year period that begins with the term of the first course listed on the student's degree plan.
Advisement
An important part of any doctoral program is the advisement received by students as they proceed toward the
accomplishment of their professional, academic, and personal goals.
Initial Program Advisement: As each student is admitted into the doctoral program, he or she is assigned an
Initial Program Advisor by the Director of the Doctoral program. The Initial Program Advisor will develop a tentative plan of
studies with each assigned advisee to guide the student through the first stages of the academic program.
Program/Research Advisement: After the student has successfully completed the Qualifying Examination, he/she is
admitted to Doctoral Candidacy. At this point, the student (with approval of the Director of the Doctoral Program) selects a
Dissertation Committee. Doctoral dissertation committees shall consist of a minimum of four faculty members. Faculty eligible
to serve on dissertation committees include members of the Educational Leadership and Administration Doctoral Faculty, EDLF
professors emeriti, UTEP graduate faculty members (with approval of the Director of the Doctoral Program), and faculty
members from other colleges and universities who are experts in the area of the dissertation (with approval of the Director of
the Doctoral Program and the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies). At least two members of each committee and
the chair must be members of the Doctoral Faculty in Educational Leadership and Administration and at least one member
must be from the EDLF faculty. Also, each dissertation committee shall include a member from outside the EDLF department.
Language Proficiency
El Paso serves a multilingual population, with Spanish or English being the primary language of most residents. It is expected
the doctoral students will acquire and demonstrate proficiency in two languages, preferably English and Spanish, prior to
receipt of the EdD degree.
Additional Information
Prospective students are strongly urged to schedule an appointment with the Director of the Doctoral Program or other
members of the Doctoral Faculty to learn more about the specific policies related to each of the above program requirements.
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