The foundation of the Ed.D. is based on the premise that in order for educators to meet the challenges in our region, they must be skilled in each focus area. These three curricular elements will be woven throughout the entire Ed.D. program, especially in the eight core courses required of all students. The core courses are designed to provide students with a global perspective of education in contemporary schools and to prepare them for higher-level courses in the specialization area. Within one semester of admission, each student must form a doctoral committee, then develop a plan of study in their specialization area with an advisor and submit the plan to his or her doctoral committee for approval.

• Introduction to Educational Research
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Learning and Classroom Assessment
• Seminar in Educational Psychology/Special Education
• Seminar in Educational Administration
• Seminar in Metropolitan Education
• Seminar in Curriculum and Practice

Students in cohorts of 30 will complete 60 credits hours beyond a Master’s degree in course and field work that lead to the Ed.D. degree within three years. Eight classes for a total of 24 credits will be in the core areas, an additional 24 credits will be in one of four concentration areas that will specifically target their professional interests. The final 12 credits will focus on dissertation research or an applied studies project.