Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Educational Administration

75 semester hours beyond Master’s including dissertation; 66 semester hours of course work

Advising: Department of Leadership, Technology and Human Development, Dr. Russell Mays P.O. Box 8131, Statesboro, GA 30460, 912.478-5605, rmays@georgiasouthern.edu, FAX: (912) 478-7104, http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/lthd/leadership.html

Admission Requirements

The admission process has two phases. Applicants must be accepted for admission by both the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies and the Program of Educational Leadership at Georgia Southern University. Application to or acceptance in the College of Graduate Studies in any other program does not guarantee admission to the Program of Educational Administration or to a specific cohort of the leadership program.  Applicants who wish to pursue advanced professional preparation in Educational Administration with a view for becoming a candidate for the Ed.D. degree will be expected to file a formal application and present themselves to the faculty for special tests and/or interviews. Recommendations on admission will be made by program faculty only after screening procedures have been carried out. Admission will be upon the recommendation of the program committee, or the committee’s designated representative, and the approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

The first phase of admission to the Ed.D. program in Educational Administration requires the applicant’s satisfaction of the following standards:

1.     Complete all College of Graduate Studies admission requirements.

2.     Hold a Master’s degree at minimum from an institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency.

3.     Present a minimum grade point average of 3.50 (4.0 scale) in previous graduate work.

4.     Present current official scores from the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) on Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.

5.     Submission of a brief, two-page resume/vita which highlights the personal and professional achievements of the applicant.

6.     Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, criminal background check, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.

The second phase of the admission process will require adherence to the following procedures:

1.     Applicant credentials are rated by Educational Leadership (EDLD) faculty.

2.     These faculty, meeting as a committee of the whole, will use these ratings to assemble a list of top candidates for interviews.

3.     Students will be invited to interview with EDLD Faculty.

Enrollment:  The Ed.D. degree presupposes a minimum of five semesters of prescribed continuous study beyond satisfaction of Tier I requirements and cannot be secured through summer study alone. A minimum of 9 semester hours of EDLD 9999 (Dissertation) is required beyond other coursework. Full time residency (defined as continuous enrollment) is required throughout the program.

Time Limit:  All course requirements for the Ed.D. degree, except the dissertation, must be completed within a period of three years. This time requirement begins with the first registration for core (Tier II) courses on the student’s approved program of doctoral study.  In addition, a candidate for the Ed.D. degree who fails to complete all degree requirements within five years after passing the candidacy examinations will be withdrawn from the program, or must retake candidacy examinations to be reinstated.

Grade Average:  A student must maintain at least a 3.50 GPA on all graduate courses taken and on all courses on the Program of Study.

Candidacy Examinations.  A student must pass formal, comprehensive written and/or oral examinations before being admitted to candidacy for the degree. These examinations will be administered in accordance with policies in effect in the College of Graduate Studies and the student’s department. The results of the examination(s) will be reported to the College of Graduate Studies.  If a student fails the candidacy examination for a second time, he/she will be removed from the program.

Admission to Degree Candidacy.  The student in conjunction with his or her Supervisory Committee is responsible for initiating an application for admission to degree candidacy so that it is filed with the College of Graduate Studies at least one semester before the date of graduation. The application for degree candidacy is a certification by the student’s program that the student has shown the ability to do acceptable graduate work in the chosen field of study and that:

1.     all prerequisites set as a condition for admission have been met;

2.     all inquiry/research skill requirements have been met;

3.     the Program of Study has been approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies;

4.     a grade point average of 3.50 or higher has been maintained on all graduate courses taken and on all completed courses on the Program of Study; no more than one grade of “C” may be placed on the Program of Study;

5.     written and/or oral candidacy examinations have been passed and reported to the College of Graduate Studies; and

6.     the Supervising Committee, including any necessary changes in the membership, is confirmed and all its members have been notified of their appointments.

Program of Study

Tier I Content Courses............................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Hours

Satisfaction of Tier I (36 post-Master’s graduate credit hours) requirements for admission to Tier II may be met through one the following pathways:

P-12 Leadership/Administration (includes Teacher Leadership):

1.     EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST DEGREE IN A FIELD OTHER THAN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: the applicant will be required to satisfy a four-course prerequisite, the P-12 Leadership Professional Core.

2.     ED.S. IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP/ADMINISTRATION (CERTIFICATION TRACK): Completion of an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership/Administration including certification. If the 36 semester hours have not been met, additional coursework will be required. Details of the Georgia Southern University Ed.S. in Educational Leadership Program may be viewed at http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/lthd/pos_EdSEdLeadership.html.

3.     NON-DEGREE, NON-CERTIFICATION TRACK: Completion of the non-degree, non-certification track in Educational Leadership/Administration program (36 graduate credit hours). This pathway will satisfy requirements of Tier I but will NOT result in a degree being conferred at the Ed.S. level or leadership/administration certification. Candidates should follow the Program of Study as prescribed here:

Required Research Core (9 hours)

EDUR 8131 - Educational Statistics I (3)

EDUR 8434 - Field-based Educational Research (3)

EDLD 8839 - Directed Research in Educational Leadership (3) Taken in Final Semester

Leadership Core (9 hours)

EDLD 8135 - Educational Planning (3)

EDLD 8436 - Grants Development/Administration (3)

ITEC 8435 - Program Evaluation (3)

P-12 Leadership Professional Core (12 hours)

EDLD 7531 - Legal and Ethical Issues in School Leadership (3)

EDLD 7532 - Empowering Human Resources (3)

EDLD 8430 - School Finance (3)

EDLD 8438 - Organizational Leadership (3)

P-12 Leadership Electives (6 hours)

Substitutions may be authorized with the advisor’s approval.

Higher Education Leadership/Administration:

1.     EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST DEGREE IN A FIELD OTHER THAN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP/ADMINISTRATION: the applicant will be required to satisfy a four-course prerequisite, the Higher Education Professional Core.

2.     ED.S. IN HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION (or equivalent) CONCENTRATION TRACK: If the 36 semester hours have not been met, additional coursework will be required. Details of the Georgia Southern University Ed.S. in Higher Education Administration Program may be viewed at http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/lthd/pos_EdSEdLeadership.html

3.     NON-DEGREE TRACK: Completion of the non-degree, non-certification track in Higher Education Administration program (36 graduate credit hours). This pathway will satisfy requirements of Tier I but will NOT result in a degree being conferred at the Ed.S. level. Candidates should follow the Program of Study as prescribed here:

Required Research Core (9 hours)

EDUR 8131 - Educational Statistics I (3)

EDUR 8434 - Field-based Educational Research (3)

EDLD 8839 - Directed Research in Educational Leadership (3) Taken in Final Semester

Leadership Core (9 hours)

EDLD 8135 - Educational Planning (3)

EDLD 8436 - Grants Development/Administration (3)

ITEC 8435 - Program Evaluation (3)

Higher Education Professional Core (Select four courses) (12 hours)

EDLD 7431 - Higher Education Administration (3)

EDLD 8431 - Higher Education Law (3)

EDLD 8432 - Higher Education Finance (3)

EDLD 8433 - Higher Education Governance (3)

EDLD 8435 - Higher Education Policy (3)

EDLD 8439 - Politics of Higher Education (3)

Higher Education Electives (Select two courses) (6 hours)

COUN 7131 - Student Services in Higher Education (3)

COUN 7132 - Contemporary College Student (3)

COUN 7133 - Administration and Leadership in Higher Education Student Services (3)

COUN 7134 - Ethical and Professional Issues in Student Services (3)

EDLD 7432 - History of American Higher Education (3)

Substitutions may be authorized with the advisor’s approval.

Course credit is given for Tier I coursework to a maximum of 36 semester hours, provided the course work was completed in a timely manner at an institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency. Questions regarding Higher Education concentration at the Tier I level should be directed to the Higher Education Program Coordinator, Dr. Brenda Marina, at bmarina@georgiasouthern.edu; questions regarding P-12 concentration at the Tier I level should be directed to the Ed.S. Coordinator, Dr. Teri Melton, at tamelton@georgiasouthern.edu.

Tier II Core Courses................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Hours

EDLD 9231 - Administrative Theory (3)

EDLD 9232 - Decision Making/Problem Solving (3)

EDLD 9233 - Leadership Theory (3)

EDLD 9234 - Doctoral Seminar (3)

EDLD 9235 - Contemporary Issues in Educational Administration (3)

EDLD 9236 - Diversity and Ethics for Educational Leaders (3)

EDLD 9631 - Research Seminar I (3)

EDLD 9632 - Research Seminar II (3)

EDUR 9131 - Doctoral Research Methods (3)

EDUR 9231 - Qualitative Research in Education (3)

Tier III Dissertation................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Hours

EDLD 9999 - Dissertation (minimum of 9 credit hours)

Strands

There are three strands in the doctoral program in Educational Administration: P-12 Administration, Higher Education Administration, and Teacher Leadership.

Last updated April 26, 2011