Educational Leadership (EdD) – Executive Track

The Executive track in the Educational Leadership EdD program is designed to prepare educators for leadership positions in PK-12 organizations and other educational organizations. The program prepares students for professional practice as scholarly practitioners.

The Executive EdD is appropriate for students who are committed to advancing their leadership opportunities and capabilities in PK-12 and other organizational settings. Students admitted to the program are typically employed in teaching and administrative positions in elementary and secondary schools, as well as other educational agencies and organizations. Focus areas include: political and organizational theory, leadership, systems theory, planning and evaluation, school law and finance, data-based decision making, communications, instructional leadership, human resource management, program analysis and evaluation. Educational Leadership certification is not included in this program.

The Executive track requires a minimum of 54 credit hours beyond the master's degree, including 6 credit hours of a client-based Doctoral Field Study and at least 15 credit hours of Dissertation in Practice. The plan of study for the Executive track in the Educational Leadership EdD is arranged as a lock-step cohort-based program to facilitate scheduling for those who are employed in teaching and administrative positions. Details about this program are found in the Executive Handbook.

Total Credit Hours Required: 54 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Master's Degree

Track Prerequisites

Master's degree in a closely related field.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• Details

Core

• Complete the following:
  • EDA7101 - Organizational Theory in Education (3)
  • EDA7192 - Educational Leadership (3)
  • EDA7195 - Politics, Governance, and Financing of Educational Organizations (3)
  • EDA7205 - Planning, Research, and Evaluation Systems in Educational Administration (3)
  • EDA7225 - Advanced Legal Studies in Education (3)
  • EDA7215 - Community Outreach for Educational Leaders (3)
  • EDA7193 - Instructional Leadership (3)
  • EDA7426 - Doctoral Academic Research and Writing for Education (3)

Research Methods

• Complete the following:
  • EDF7471 - Research in Educational Leadership I (3)
  • EDF7407 - Research in Educational Leadership 2 (3)
  • EDF7408 - Research in Educational Leadership 3 (3)

Doctoral Field Study

• Complete all of the following
  • Earn at least 6 credits from the following:
    • EDA7943 - Field Project in Educational Leadership (3 - 6)
  • Doctoral students will conduct a dissertation in practice on an issue or problem of practice during the last four semesters of the program. The proposal is developed during the first 3 semester hours of EDA 7943 and implemented during the second semester.

Dissertation in Practice

• Earn at least 15 credits from the following types of courses: EDA 7987 - Dissertation in Practice In EDA 7987 - Dissertation in Practice students conduct scholarly research on a complex problem of practice in an education organization. The dissertation in practice will have an introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, and discussion and conclusions.

Candidacy

• To enter candidacy for the Executive track in the Educational Leadership EdD program, students must have an overall 3.0 GPA on all graduate work included in the planned program and pass all required milestones. The following are required to be admitted to candidacy: - Completion of an on-demand writing white paper (Milestone #1) to be completed prior to summer semester Year 1. - Completion of a dissertation in practice proposal (Milestone #2) accepted during the summer semester of Year 2. - Completion of all course work, except for the Doctoral Field Study. - Submission of an approved program of study.

Grand Total Credits: 54

Application Requirements

Financial Information

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowship Information

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.

Independent Learning

The doctoral field study provides an independent learning experience by having students conduct a study on an issue or problem of practice in education.