Student ID:__________________________ Student Name:_______________________ Adviser Name:_______________________ Bulletin: 2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin Program: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD) Minimum Credits Required:__________________

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Graduate Study at USI >> Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education 

60 Credit hours

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Indiana is a cohort program based on a practitioner-scholar, community-based model. The purpose of the program is to transform leaders, organizations, and communities through focused, flexible study addressing real-world problems and issues. A unique characteristic of the program is a curriculum in which each course is community-based, i.e. course content is connected to the graduate student’s community. Academic study is connected to concepts, issues, and content that are familiar, understandable, accessible, and personally relevant to each student. In each course, students will apply learning in practical real-life settings.

The program includes a 6-hour leadership core, a 12-hour research sequence, the choice of a 27-hour concentration in school district administrative leadership, higher education administrative leadership, or pedagogical leadership, and a 15-hour dissertation sequence. The school district administrative leadership and pedagogical leadership specializations include an internship. All students must successfully complete a comprehensive portfolio and dissertation in practice. The program is cohort based, with fall-only admission.

Graduate Studies Admission Criteria and Application Process

Refer to the Admission section of the bulletin for information about Graduate Studies admission criteria and the online application process.

EdD Program Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Ed.D. program, the following are required:

  • A list of 3 references (names, relation to you and email address). One must be an employment supervisor and the other two must be professional references.
  • A current resume/curriculum vitae. The file should be a PDF and use the following naming convention: First Name Last Name EdD resume.pdf (example: Joe Smith EdD resume.pdf).
  • A second PDF answering the following questions:
  1. How do you foresee this program positively impacting your community?
  2. What do you perceive as a major social justice issue in your field? How do you hope to address it?
  3. How will your work contribute to equitable outcomes in education?
  4. Imagine yourself in 5 years from now/after you graduate, what do you see yourself doing professionally and with whom will you be working with?

Curriculum (60 Credits)

Educational Leadership Core (6 credits)

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
EDLE 725 - Becoming a Community-Based Educational Leader
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 731 - Analyzing Race, Class, and Gender Dynamics in American Education
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3

Research Methods (12 credits)

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
EDLE 705 - Introduction to Educational Research
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 706 - Survey of Quantitative Research Methods
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 707 - Survey of Qualitative Research Methods
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 708 - Advanced Research Design and Methods
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3

Specialization (27 credits)

Choose one specialization:

School District Administrative Leadership

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
EDLE 726 - Legal and Ethical Issues for Educational Leaders
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 727 - Special Education Policy and Practice
Term(s) Offered: Spring (even years)
Credits: 3
EDLE 728 - Evaluating School Effectiveness Through a Community Lens
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 732 - Creating Community-Based Curricular Change
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 755 - Orchestrating a Community-Based Educational Vision
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 756 - School Personnel Management
Term(s) Offered: Every other summer, odd years
Credits: 3
EDLE 757 - Analytical Decision-Making
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 758 - School Finance
Term(s) Offered: Every other spring, odd years
Credits: 3
EDLE 760 - Internship in School District Administration (EDLE 760 is taken in summer, fall, and spring for 1 credit hour each, for a total of 3 credit hours)
Term(s) Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Credits: 1

Higher Education Administrative Leadership

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
EDLE 723 - The History and Leadership of Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 724 - Policy and Practice in Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 742 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 743 - Organization and Management of Colleges and Universities
Term(s) Offered:
Credits: 3
EDLE 744 - Technology and Organizational Innovation
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 745 - Competitive Context of Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 746 - Budgeting and Finance in Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Fall, Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 748 - College Student Experience
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 780 - Inquiry in Higher Education Leadership  (EDLE 780 is taken in summer, fall, and spring for 1 credit hour each, for a total of 3 credit hours)
Term(s) Offered: Fall, spring, summer
Credits: 1

Pedagogical Leadership

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed

Required courses:

EDLE 732 - Creating Community-Based Curricular Change
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 744 - Technology and Organizational Innovation
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 762 - Curriculum Theory
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 763 - Community-Based Curriculum and Instruction
Term(s) Offered: Summer, odd years
Credits: 3
EDLE 770 - Inquiry in Pedagogical Leadership (EDLE 770 is taken in summer, fall, and spring for 1 credit hour each, for a total of 3 credit hours)
Term(s) Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Credits: 1

 

Select one course from each pair:

EDLE 723 - The History and Leadership of Higher Education OR
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 728 - Evaluating School Effectiveness Through a Community Lens
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3

 

EDLE 724 - Policy and Practice in Higher Education OR
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 727 - Special Education Policy and Practice
Term(s) Offered: Spring (even years)
Credits: 3

 

EDLE 726 - Legal and Ethical Issues for Educational Leaders OR
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 742 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Higher Education
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3

 

EDLE 748 - College Student Experience OR
Term(s) Offered: Summer
Credits: 3
EDLE 764 - Literacy and Technology in Twenty-First Century Schools
Term(s) Offered: Every other spring, odd years
Credits: 3

Dissertation (15 Credits)

Course NameCredits:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
EDLE 800 - The Research Proposal
Term(s) Offered: Spring
Credits: 3
EDLE 805 - Seminar in Community-Based Educational Research
Term(s) Offered: Fall
Credits: 3
EDLE 899 - Dissertation in Practice (a total of 9 hours is required)
Term(s) Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Credits: 1-3
Notes: