Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
The statewide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Program in Educational Leadership is designed as a cohort-based program focusing on the theme of leadership for school improvement. Program participants are part of a learning community dedicated to enhancing educational leadership practice to improve schools and promote the learning of all children. The program has several unique features:
Statewide program delivery
Program participants can access courses and work with advisers through all of WSU’s campuses (Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver, Tri-Cities). Through careful sequencing of program offerings, participants at all campuses can work in local cohort groups and complete all requirements within a four-year time frame.
A practitioner-scholar approach
Program content combines the best of both worlds—issues important to practicing school leaders and the scholarship that can help to analyze and address these issues. Program faculty blends the strengths of academic scholars and practitioners; while several faculty members are highly successful, experienced administrators, others are highly regarded academic scholars. Both contribute to the central purpose of the program, to prepare practitioner-scholars for leadership for school improvement.
Summer inquiry institutes
To augment the program offerings available at each campus, participants from around the state attend two-week summer institutes on the Pullman campus. These institutes help build a learning community and support network among the statewide cohort. Institute participants share their leadership experiences and challenges, plan collaborative inquiry around problems of practice, and benefit from working with a wider range of educational leadership faculty. The institute is designed to help students move toward completion of their dissertation research.
Alignment with certification programs
The statewide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program is closely aligned with WSU’s field-based superintendent certification program. Students who have completed the superintendent program can apply all credits toward the Ed.D. program of study. However, participation in the superintendent program is not a requirement for the Ed.D.; program offerings are carefully sequenced to allow all participants to complete the program together as members of the statewide cohort, both those enrolled in the superintendent program and those who are not.
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Program overview
The statewide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program is designed as a cohort-based, four-year program, offered through all WSU campuses. Students apply for admission to any regional campus by January 10, to join a statewide cohort admitted to begin each summer/fall. Once admitted, students may access course offerings and advisement through any of WSU’s campuses. Courses are carefully sequenced to allow students at all campuses to work in local cohort groups and complete the program within a four- to five-year time frame.
In addition to program offerings at the regional campuses, students attend two-week summer institutes at the Pullman campus for two consecutive summers, after completion of at least 12 graded credithours including a research methods course (typically EdResy 563). The purpose of the summer institutes is to build a learning community and support network among the state-wide cohort, and to form inquiry groups that will focus dissertation research on common problems of leadership for school improvement. During the fourth year of the sequence, students are enrolled full-time in dissertation research (EdAd 800).
The Program of Study for completion of the Ed.D. requires aminimum of 72 semester hours, including at least 42 semester hours of graded coursework and at least 20 semester hours of EdAd 800—Dissertation Research.
Up to 12 semester hours on the Program of Study may be transferred from other accredited programs or from the student’s master’s degree, if approved by the faculty. Continuous enrollment in EdAd 800 (at least two credits each semester) is required while students are completing the dissertation.
Students work with an advisor to create an approved Program of Study.
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Application Process
(Priority application deadline: January 10 for Summer/Fall 2013)
Applications for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership are accepted each year by January 10, for a summer/fall semester start. Enclosed you will find the necessary application materials and instructions. It is important to note that applying is a multi-step process and often takes several weeks to complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- First, you must apply to the WSU Graduate School for acceptance to the university.
- Second, you must submit supplemental information to the department for acceptance into the degree program.
For application information, please refer to the Checklist and Instructions for Admission Requirements provided with the application.
Ed.D. Educational Leadership Application (Word)
Ed.D. Educational Leadership Application (pdf)
Ed.D. Educational Leadership Handbook (pdf)
Ed.D. Educational Leadership Brochure (pdf)
Contacts
Professor and Director of
Education Programs
Gail Furman, Ph.D.
gfurman@wsu.edu
Phone: (509) 358-7568
Program information
Kelly LaGrutta
Academic Coordinator
lagrutta@wsu.edu
Phone: (509) 358-7942
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Mailing Address
College of Education
PO Box 1495
Spokane, WA 99210-1495
FAX (509) 358-7933
Student Services
(509) 358-7537
enroll@wsu.edu
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