EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy,
Educational Leadership/Administration Specialization

Mission Statement

The Educational Leadership/Administration Specialization Area faculty seeks to improve leadership for present and future schools, and for teaching and learning.  We value reflective, practice-oriented research and inquiry by faculty and students.  We promote the leadership qualities of honesty, dynamism, creativity, competence, challenge, and respect for diversity.  We value high-quality and action-oriented leadership and endorse a participatory and shared leadership style.

Doctor of Education Degree (Ed.D.)

The Ed..D. in Educational Leadership/Administration is designed for individuals who seek preparation for positions in research, policy development and analysis, university or college teaching, and/or administration.  The degree program includes a broad curriculum, encompassing the departmental core of courses, an interdisciplinary component, a research component, and an area of concentration related to educational leadership.

Upon completion of this degree, graduates will have mastered a comprehensive body of knowledge related to the subject matter field of Educational Leadership/Administration and Policy. Graduates will have demonstrated knowledge and competence in using analysis and synthesis in disciplined inquiry, and the leadership skills associated with the ethical management and administration of schools and educational systems. It is expected that the Ed..D. student will demonstrate knowledge of theory and research through the composition of an integrated literature review of research, and the elaboration of a research design that will meet rigorous methodological standards for theoretical and empirical research on a selected topic.

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership/Administration degree designed to:

• produce a scholar-practitioner knowledgeable about the field of Educational Leadership/Administration who also possesses superior knowledge in at least one specific content area, in addition to also having in-depth knowledge of a variety of complementary leadership areas.
• prepare individuals for careers in which they will provide leadership focused on P-12 instruction at departmental, school, district, regional, and state levels.

The Ed.D. degree program includes a focused curriculum, yet individual programs of study are tailored to develop and enhance the competencies required to fulfill the student's career goals.

Upon completion of this degree, graduates will have mastered a comprehensive body of knowledge related to the subject matter field of Educational Leadership/Administration and particular content areas. Graduates will have demonstrated knowledge and competence in using analysis and synthesis in disciplined inquiry, and the leadership skills associated with the ethical management and administration of schools and educational systems.

Admissions

Admission is governed by requirements stated in the Admissions chapter of the Graduate Bulletin, and by standards adopted by the program.  It is expected that successful applicants will possess a Master’s degree from an accredited institution with a 3.5 GPA on a four-point scale (or equivalent).  In exceptional circumstances, the requirement for a Master’s degree may be waived provided the applicant maintained a 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and can document relevant professional experience. 

In addition to the grade point average requirement, successful applicants typically present a GRE score of 900 or higher that includes a verbal and quantitative score of not less than 400. For international students, or students whose first language is not English, a TOEFL score of 550 or better is required in addition to the GRE score.

Please note that the doctoral program is highly selective, and meeting minimum requirements is no guarantee of admission.  Other factors that are central to the admissions decision include, but are not limited to, leadership, policy and/or international experience in education or related areas, high motivation to achieve personal and professional goals consistent with the program’s mission, and outstanding written and oral communication skills.  The admissions process is intended to establish a culturally diverse learning community that will promote a culture of critical inquiry and encourage educational transformation and change.

Application

The following materials need to be submitted with the application obtained through the Office of Graduate Admissions:

• GRE scores
• If an international student, or student whose first language is not English, a TOEFL score
• Undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) transcripts.
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing Sample (e.g. a paper submitted for coursework or a technical report) 
• Letter of Intent

Application deadlines are as follows:

• June 1st for Fall admission
• November 1st for Spring admission
• February 1st for Summer admission

Diagnostic Examination

Every student who has been admitted to work toward a doctoral degree within the department must, between the second and fourth week of the second semester after admission, complete a departmentally administered diagnostic examination. This examination will be designed to appraise the student's ability to pursue the doctoral degree in the field and to facilitate advising in the development of the student's program of studies.

Advisor

Upon admission, the student will be assigned a temporary academic advisor to assist them in developing an initial program of study and counsel them on degree requirements.  This role will ultimately be assumed by the major professor.

Major Professor

After the initial year of study, the student should consult with the chair of the Department and with the professors under whom the student may be interested in working and from whose areas of concentration a dissertation topic could be developed.  After consultation, the student should invite a member of the faculty with expertise in the area in which he or she has an interest to serve as major professor and chair of the supervisory committee.  If the professor consents, the departmental chair appoints the professor as chair.  A faculty member who serves as chair of a student’s supervisory committee must be a member of the graduate faculty with doctoral directive status and have competence in the student’s proposed concentration. This appointment must be mutually agreeable to the student, major professor, and departmental chair. 

Supervisory Committee

Upon the request of the major professor, the departmental chair will appoint the supervisory committee that will be in charge of the student’s work until the completion of all requirements for the degree. The appointment of the student’s supervisory committee must be completed prior to registering for the preliminary examination. The membership of the supervisory committee will be reported to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The supervisory committee will consist of a minimum of four members of the graduate faculty holding Graduate Faculty Status; at least two members of the supervisory committee and the Major Professor must be from the Educational Leadership and Policy program.

The representative-at-large, or member outside the department, is responsible for ensuring that University policies are followed, and that decisions made by the supervisory committee reflect the collective judgment of the committee. Therefore, the graduate faculty representative must be someone who is free of conflicts of interest with other members of the committee. The representative-at-large must be a tenured member of the graduate faculty, also holding Graduate Faculty Status. If questions arise they should be referred to the Dean of Graduate Studies for resolution.

Program of Study

After notification of the appointment of the supervisory committee, the student, under the supervision of the major professor, should prepare for the approval of the supervisory committee a complete plan of courses to be taken. This program of study must be signed by each member of the committee and the chair of the major department. A copy of the student's approved program of study is to be kept on file in the department and the Office of Student Services.

Upon receipt of a departmentally approved program of study, the Office of Student Services will review the proposed program to insure compliance with the make-up of the supervisory committee and requirements for inquiry skills, residency, and transfer of course work.  Forms for the doctoral program of study are available at http://www.coe.fsu.edu/OAS/support.html#form

Residency

A student must be continuously enrolled on The Florida State University Tallahassee campus for a minimum of twenty-four (24) graduate semester hours of credit in any period of 12 consecutive months, or for thirty (30) graduate semester hours in a period of 16 consecutive months in order to complete the residency requirement.

Ed.D. Degree Requirements

78 hours of coursework beyond the Master's degree is required, including 24 hours of dissertation credit. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or better.

Transfer Credit

A student may transfer up to six semester hours of relevant course credit into the doctoral program, provided the courses were earned with a grade of “B” or higher, approved by the student’s advisory committee, were taken after the masters degree was awarded, and within the five years from the date of admission.

Preliminary Examination

Satisfactory completion of a preliminary examination is required for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. No student may register for dissertation hours prior to the point in the semester in which the preliminary examination was passed.  An admission to candidacy form must be completed and filed in the Office of the University Registrar prior to registration for dissertation/treatise hours.

The preliminary examination is designed to test scholarly competence and knowledge and to afford the examiners the basis for constructive recommendations concerning the student's subsequent formal or informal study. Prior to the examination, the student's examining committee will determine whether the student 1) has a 3.0 average, and 2) has progressed sufficiently in the study of the discipline and its research tools to begin independent research in the area of the proposed dissertation.

The results of the examination will be reported to the Office of the University Registrar and the Office of Student Services for inclusion in the student's permanent record.

Admission to Candidacy

Upon passage of all parts of the preliminary doctoral examination, the student is admitted to candidacy for the doctorate. A student must be admitted to candidacy for at least six months prior to the granting of the doctoral degree. All requirements for the doctoral degree, including a successful dissertation defense, must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student has been admitted to candidacy. After that time, the student’s continued enrollment will be suspended and a new preliminary examination must be passed. (See Time Limit for Completion of Degree for further information.)

Each year the student’s major professor will assess the progress of the student in writing and will make available copies of their assessment to the student, the department chair and the academic dean.  

Dissertation Credits

A student must earn a minimum of twenty-four dissertation credits in order to complete the doctorate.  During this period, the student must be continuously enrolled and must take a minimum of two dissertation credits per semester up until the time of graduation.

Prospectus

After passing the preliminary examination, the student will be required by the department to submit to the major professor, supervisory committee, and departmental chair a prospectus on a research project suitable for a doctoral dissertation. 

The prospectus must be prepared according to the style and form prescribed by the department and the College of Education. Guidelines for the prospectus, clearance forms, and outside committee member evaluation forms can be found at http://www.coe.fsu.edu/OAS/support.html#form

Dissertation

A doctoral dissertation must be completed on a topic relevant to the area of concentration. To be acceptable it must be an achievement in original research constituting a significant contribution to knowledge and represent a substantial scholarly effort on the part of the student.

The manuscript must be prepared according to the style and form prescribed by the department. Formatting and clearance guidelines for the final electronic submission copy may be accessed from the Office of Graduate Studies website, http://www.fsu.edu/gradstudies  or by contacting the manuscript clearance advisor.

Before registering for dissertation hours, the student should consult the major professor as to the proportion of time to be devoted to dissertation work.

Final approval of the dissertation by the entire supervisory committee is prerequisite to the awarding of the degree. This is true no matter how many hours a student has completed in dissertation or what grades have been recorded for the dissertation hours.

Time Limit for Completion of Degree

It is University policy that all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student passes the preliminary examination or the student must pass a new preliminary examination.

It is the policy of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies that any doctoral student who exceeds the five-year time limit for completion of the doctoral degree and who has exhausted any extension of time provided by the Dean of Graduate Studies may seek readmission to the degree program. 

If, within ten years following initial admission to candidacy, a former student seeking readmission can provide substantial evidence that he or she has maintained currency in the field of study through regular employment or scholarship, the student may be readmitted and the supervisory committee shall require that the student register for the preliminary examination.  In order to receive a “pass” for the examination, the student must submit and defend a research proposal for doctoral level research.  Once the supervisory committee approves this proposal, the student will be awarded a “pass” for the preliminary examination.  The student must then complete a formal prospectus, remain continuously enrolled by completing a minimum of two dissertation hours each semester while completing all requirements for the doctoral degree within five years from the new date of admission to candidacy. 

If the former student is either (a) ten years beyond the date of initial admission to candidacy or (b) is within the ten years but cannot present substantial evidence that he or she has maintained currency in the field since leaving the University, then readmission will be contingent on the student returning to the University to complete core courses essential to preparation for the regularly administered preliminary examination.  These core courses will be identified by the supervisory committee and approved by the department chair.   Once the courses are completed, the student will be required to pass the standard preliminary examination administered to all current students seeking admission to candidacy in the particular degree program.

Graduation

An application for a diploma must be made in the Office of Records and Registration - Graduate Section, 2352 University Center, the first two weeks of the semester in which graduation is planned. A Final Term Clearance Form will be given to the student to complete. The University Clearance Guidelines, which contains graduation forms, must be obtained from the FSU Final Clearance Advisor.