The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.): Higher Education Strand requires a minimum of three and a half years. The program includes an 18-credit core required of all students, 30 credits of inquiry seminars (16 credits of courses plus 14 additional credits for the dissertation and dissemination capstone), and a 15-credit area of specialization.
The foundational core emphasizes pedagogy, individual and organizational learning, and leadership. Core courses are offered during the two summer residences and the first academic year.
The inquiry sequence includes research courses, field-based inquiry projects, and a series of seminars designed to (1) help students understand the processes of inquiry and (2) support development and completion of the dissertation under the direction of a faculty advisor. The final course in the inquiry and dissertation sequence addresses dissemination of the student's dissertation research to scholarly and practitioner audiences.
Students enroll in an inquiry seminar or dissertation seminar each semester of their doctoral studies. Courses in the specialization are tailored to the needs of each student and are usually completed during the first two academic years and the third summer. Most students complete their Leadership Portfolios, which must be defended before presenting the dissertation proposal, at the end of their second year of study.