Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (Ed.D)

ED 701D Program Orientation ProSeminar I: Introduction to Doctoral Study - 3 credits   ED701 is an Introduction to doctoral study.  The course includes a program overview, the foundational values of Edgewood College, the role of educational research, APA style writing requirements, the partnership mentor program, portfolio guidelines, and professional standards in assessment.  The course covers three topic areas:

1. Introduction to and overview of doctoral study, the doctoral faculty, doctoral program support staff, and the doctoral program;
2. Technology unit that is designed to teach students how to use blackboard within the context of the doctoral program, access Edgewood College library website, search academic, peer-reviewed journals, and use refworks bibliographic software;
3. Cohort-building, or building community  through ice-breaker activities and discussions about personal philosophies of leadership

ED 710D Ethical and Inclusive Educational Leadership - 6 credits   This course is designed to provide an overview of leadership, the design of educational organizations, and the critical mission of educating all children. The course is organized around a framework of evidence-based strategies educational leaders use to advance equitable and inclusionary organizational and learning outcomes. Together, as a community of learners, we will read books and articles written by people who describe how to apply different leadership frameworks to our own work. We will hear directly from well-known leaders in our corner of the world to learn about their philosophies and experiences first-hand. The ultimate purposes of this class are to provide you with the tools for understanding the complex nature of educational leadership at the Board, Superintendent, Central Office and Principal levels.

ED 720D Politics, Policy, and Administration - 6 credits The relationship among politics, educational policy and educational practice is explored in its broadest sense. Particular emphasis is given to political and leadership theories, their practical application and the role of leadership in developing and implementing policy in the political environment within and outside of educational organizations. Politics and policy are discussed within an ethical framework of social justice and equity. Content will be applied in a variety of class experiences, mentoring activities, and related field assignments.

ED730D: Curriculum, Instruction and Learning Environments - 6 credits   Curriculum, instruction, assessment and the learning environment are stressed in a context emphasizing organizational frameworks for leadership roles in management, staff development, learning theory, human development, and ethical considerations of supporting teaching and learning at the department and district levels. Specific attention is given to emergent research in learning style, cognition, intelligence, constructivism in theory and practice, cultural information, individual differences, and the creation of learning communities. Candidates are required to research curriculum models and to apply course content to work site situations in a variety of experiences.

ED790D: Program Assessment and Transition - 3 Credits Prior to ED790, students synthesize the work they've done in the content courses to finalize their portfolio.  In ED790, students discuss their growth in leadership throughout the program and share their key learning moments in the leadership content courses before moving into the research sequence.  ED790 is a bridge course placed at the conclusion of the content courses and at the beginning of the research sequence. The course is a blend of one face-to-face meeting day and three weeks of online work using Blackboard.  The course provides students with information about the dissertation process at Edgewood College, introduces students to the support system offered by the research team, guides students through research ethics training, supports students in installing and using technical tools and software, and engages students in an academic writing workshop. Professional Edgewood College library staff collaborate with research faculty to teach students to effectively search for electronic sources in education and leadership, to use RefWorks as a tool for building a personal electronic source library in APA format, to download and use the dissertation template, and to download appropriate survey design and analysis tools.

ED810D: Budget, Finance, and Resource Allocation - 6 credits     This course will provide a substantive approach both to public school finance at the school district level. This approach will include topical areas in both fiscal and non-fiscal areas, strategic planning and resource allocation, budgeting and finance. This course will present a practical understanding of the Wisconsin Uniform Financial Accounting Requirements (WUFAR), an overview of national, state and local funding systems, and a summary property tax impacts as related to Wisconsin school finance. This course will also demonstrate technological applications in the framework of district initiatives such as referenda, data management systems, and financial forecasting systems. This course will examine state and federal categorical programs in the context of funding, expenditures, legal mandates, and ethical considerations.

ED820D: Law, Media, and Marketing - 6 credits    This course offers a case study approach to school law in such areas as staff, student, and personnel law as well as broader categories such as tort liability, civil rights, gender equity, and plant and facility administration. Ethical and leadership implications of legal issues will be explored under the tutelage of experienced and dedicated specialized educational lawyers. Students will interact with media representatives from both print and visual domains regarding public relations strategies for school and campus issues, including an on-site, interactive, live field-based experience with a commercial broadcast television station.

ED 801D Introduction to Research – 6 credits   This course introduces students to the process of conducting educational research. Students will learn about the major research traditions such as quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches. Students will discuss common uses of research such as being consumers of research, engaging in practical and applied research, and dissertation research. Students are expected to learn the foundations of educational research, including selecting and refining a research topic, using RefWorks reference management software, creating an annotated bibliography and exploring the use of appropriate methodologies. Students are also expected to become critical consumers of educational research by reading and evaluating published studies. Students are not expected to complete a research study in this course; however they are expected to develop an annotated bibliography and draft research questions that could later be used for their dissertation proposal developed in ED 830.

ED 830D Research Methods - 6 credits    Topics include research design; quantitative, qualitative, mixed methodologies; research applications and school improvement; leadership roles and research; and the research foundations of doctoral dissertation. Students are expected to create a dissertation proposal, chapters 1, 2, & 3 of the dissertation, as the culminating project for this class.

ED 920D: Guided Dissertation Writing - 3 credits    ED 990D: Dissertation Defense - 3 credits   

ED 701H Introduction to Doctoral Study – 3 credits  ED701 is an Introduction to doctoral study.  The course includes a program overview, the foundational values of Edgewood College, the role of educational research, APA style writing requirements, the partnership mentor program, portfolio guidelines, and professional standards in assessment.  The course covers three topic areas:

1. Introduction to and overview of doctoral study, the doctoral faculty, doctoral program support staff, and the doctoral program;
2. Technology unit that is designed to teach students how to use blackboard within the context of the doctoral program, access Edgewood College library website, search academic, peer-reviewed journals, and use refworks bibliographic software;
3. Cohort-building, or building community  through ice-breaker activities and discussions about personal philosophies of leadership

ED 715H Faculty Programs and Assessment – 6 credits  Specific attention is given to issues associated with leadership and research associated with curriculum, faculty, programs, and assessment in higher education.   Specific attention is given to emergent research that aids leaders of higher education organizations in deepening their knowledge of the complex yet loosely coupled organization called higher education. Consideration of multicultural understanding and responding to individual differences is emphasized in the process of creating professional learning communities. Topics during the semester are thoughtfully crafted to develop themes that provide access to terms, concepts, philosophical positions, and tensions.  Students study the organizational structure and norms characteristic of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed by leaders who are responsible for oversight and decision making in the context of higher education.  Candidates are required to research issues and to apply course content to workplace situations in a variety of class experiences and mentoring relationships.

ED 725H Inclusion and Diversity in Leadership – 6 credits   This course provides a broad overview of diversity theory, research, policy and practices at both the K12 and higher educational levels. It is intended to help educational leaders create successful culturally diverse classrooms that will better serve all students. The course examines changing demographics, the academic achievement gap, diverse learning styles, racial, gender and class challenges, and offers strategies for schools to address these issues. The course looks at inclusion as a concept of shared power. It explores the ability of different ethnic and cultural groups to participate in policy, design and decision-making processes in public education. It discusses inclusive excellence and will help students develop a foundation for research-based practices in the area of inclusion and diversity.

ED 735H Communication: Law, Media, and Marketing – 6 credits  The goal of this course is to prepare potential educational leaders with the knowledge, skills, qualities, leadership abilities, and administrative behaviors which will be appropriate and necessary in leadership role.  Students are introduced to common legal issues that challenge academic leaders in higher education. Students will learn how to identify potential legal problems and, to the extent feasible, avoid them. Students will also be exposed to the major media serving the higher educational community and learn tips on working effectively with their local media. The course explores the use of mixed marketing campaigns, including the use of social media, to promote higher educational institutions and provides students with information to enhance their institution’s overall marketing efforts.

ED 745H Finance in Higher Education – 6 credits This course is designed to introduce students to the basics of institutional budgeting and finance. Students will explore topics in planning, external trends, organizational culture, change management, and strategic budgeting in an ethical manner as they relate to department, institutional, and system-level budgeting. Ultimately, students will be expected to deliver a persuasive, research-based case for content or process change appropriate to their institutional context. The course is designed to create significant learning opportunities that will prepare students to make important contributions as a part of an administrative team in a higher education setting. This goal is accomplished through a combination of analysis of relevant case studies, readings from literature and a text, researching current events, and class discussion. Students will have opportunities to apply learning working independently, and as part of teams, in a variety of in-class and out-of-class assignments.

ED 755H Ethical Leadership, Policy, and Governance in Higher Education – 6 credits  A comprehensive examination of the role of leadership at the postsecondary education level, grounded in an historical and conceptual analysis. Organizational theory, models and policies, along with governance, management processes, and leadership from multiple perspectives in higher education are explored. The politics of education is explored in its broadest sense as policy and politics are pursued in the context of social justice and equity issues. Current theory, best practices, and opportunities for practical application are integrated. Particular emphasis is given to leadership behavior theory and ethical practice that has emerged in the field of educational administration/leadership. This course provides opportunities for students to gain valuable insights on leading student services and academic departments within community and technical colleges, universities, and other higher education organizations and agencies.

ED 790H Program Assessment and Transition – 3 credits  Prior to ED790, students synthesize the work they've done in the content courses to finalize their portfolio.  In ED790, students discuss their growth in leadership throughout the program and share their key learning moments in the leadership content courses before moving into the research sequence.  ED790 is a bridge course placed at the conclusion of the content courses and at the beginning of the research sequence. The course is a blend of one face-to-face meeting day and three weeks of online work using Blackboard. The course provides students with information about the dissertation process at Edgewood College, introduces students to the support system offered by the research team, guides students through research ethics training, supports students in installing and using technical tools and software, and engages students in an academic writing workshop. Professional Edgewood College library staff collaborate with research faculty to teach students to effectively search for electronic sources in education and leadership, to use RefWorks as a tool for building a personal electronic source library in APA format, to download and use the dissertation template, and to download appropriate survey design and analysis tools.

ED 801H Introduction to Research – 6 credits  This course introduces students to the process of conducting educational research. Students will learn about the major research traditions such as quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches. Students will discuss common uses of research such as being consumers of research, engaging in practical and applied research, and dissertation research. Students are expected to learn the foundations of educational research, including selecting and refining a research topic, using RefWorks reference management software, creating an annotated bibliography and exploring the use of appropriate methodologies. Students are also expected to become critical consumers of educational research by reading and evaluating published studies. Students are not expected to complete a research study in this course; however they are expected to develop an annotated bibliography and draft research questions that could later be used for their dissertation proposal developed in ED 830.

ED 830H Research Methods – 6 credits  This course is designed to provide students with a working understanding of the varied methodologies and strategies employed in educational research. These include knowing the definition of different approaches, considering philosophical worldviews, reviewing the literature, understanding the use of theory, anticipating ethical issues, and developing writing strategies. Students will be expected to learn the essentials needed to carry out the entire research process from identifying a research problem, to selecting the best methodology to examine that problem, to writing a proposal to study the problem, and ultimately completing the dissertation. In addition, students will be expected to become more critical consumers of educational research, acquiring the knowledge to examine published studies and evaluate the usefulness of the findings and recommendations in relation to their unique professional experience and context.

ED 920H – Guided Dissertation Writing – 3 Credits  Students select a dissertation advisor to work with them, to support guided research and dissertation development. Students are further assigned to an advising community with other students and advisors for the purpose of support and interaction around the dissertation process. Research data are collected and analyzed. The final two chapters of the dissertation are created, reviewed and prepared for final defense.

ED 990H – Dissertation Defense – 3 Credits  The final written copy of the dissertation is prepared. A faculty team is assigned to attend the dissertation defense. Students are provided guidelines for final publication of the dissertation.

Tuition and Credits

The 2017-18 tuition for graduate credit at Edgewood College is $930 per credit. The Board of Trustees sets the tuition annually so a small increase each year is possible. In addition, doctoral students pay a $105 fee each term. The total cost for the 54 credit program for tuition and fees at the rate today is $51,270. Books and other instructional supplies would be in addition to this cost.

The cost of our tuition is comparable to other institutions in the Madison area, including UW-Madison.

The Edgewood Ed.D. program is designed to take students between three and three and a half years to complete, while the typical doctoral program takes five years, as a full-time student, to complete.

Clearly, the Edgewood College Ed.D. program saves you time and money over the long run.

Completion Equals Success

Tuition is only one factor in choosing a program. Completion rates are another important element of doctoral programs. Edgewood College boasts an 85 percent completion rate, compared to 57 percent at other institutions.

Therefore, your chances of attending Edgewood College and completing your degree are much higher, making it a smart investment of both time and money.

Our individual attention to student support helps guide each student through meaningful, engaging coursework, research, and dissertation completion.

Financial Aid

Graduate students are eligible for financial aid in the form of Federal Stafford Loans. Learn more about Stafford Loans, including eligibility requirements and application instructions.

Graduate Student Financial Aid

Our admissions and financial aid counselors have worked with thousands of students who have questioned how they could afford to complete their graduate education. They will use their experience to suggest creative solutions for financing your education. We work with students and organizations to manage tuition reimbursement plans, extend tuition discounts to various corporate partners in the region, offer third party billing and monthly payment plans, and work with veterans to maximize their available aid.

Graduate Assistantship Position Available

The Ed.D program has an opening for a Graduate Assistant position that will begin in May, 2017. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr. MJ Best for more information - 608-663-3244 or mbest@edgewood.edu.

Transfer Credits

Upon regular admission, an applicant may submit up to 12 semester hours of graduate credit from other United States regionally accredited (or equivalent) post-secondary institutions for consideration of transfer to Edgewood College for application to a degree program. Approval of the respective department is required. To be considered for application to a degree program, a course must have been taken within the past five years, must have a "B" or better grade for courses receiving a letter grade of "A" through "F" (if the grade is "P" the equivalency is determined by the appropriate school or department), must be relevant to the degree program to which it is being applied, and must not have been applied toward another degree. Grades from transfer courses are not computed in the Edgewood College GPA. Applicants should make known to the program director any course credit to be submitted for review for transfer upon application if those credits fall within the policy requirements.