Program Overview

Ed. D. in Educational Leadership: Higher Education

Program Overview

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) program develops social justice leaders who are change agents, ethical leaders, and scholar-practitioners. By tightly connecting theory and practice in coursework, the program supports students in applying learning immediately in coursework and in the workplace. This program offers students a unique opportunity to engage in applied inquiry throughout the program with the deliberate focus on preparing practitioners to lead initiatives and organizations that redress inequities and promote social justice.

Curriculum

The Ed. D. in Educational Leadership at Rowan University requires the completion of 60 graduate semester hours (s.h.) made up of 16 courses (48 s.h.) and 12 semester hours of dissertation. The program includes three distinct benchmarks. All cohorts are required to attend a one-day orientation in combination with an online orientation residency.

Required Courses: 24 S.H.

• EDST 27801: Leadership for Social Justice (3)
• EDST 27802: Inquiry I: Theory to Practice (3)
• EDST 27803: Reforming Organizations (3)
• EDST 27804: Inquiry II: Program Evaluation (3)
• EDST 27805: Public Policy, Ethics, and Contemporary Issues (3)
• EDST 27806: Inquiry III: Policy Inquiry, Analysis, and Entrepreneurship (3)
• EDST 27807: Sustainable Institutional Change (3)
• EDST 27808: Inquiry IV: Inquiry for Improvement (3)

Higher Education Track Courses: 12 S.H.

• EDST 27840: History and Context of American Higher Education (3)
• EDST 27841: Higher Education Governance and Leadership (3)
• EDST 27842: Legal and Administrative Issues in Postsecondary Education (3)
• EDST 27843: Leadership and Advocacy for Student Success (3)

Required Dissertation Research Course: 24 S.H.

• EDST 27809: Introduction to Writing a Literature Review (3)
• EDST 27810: Leader Scholar Community I (3)
• EDST 27811: Leader Scholar Community II (3)
• EDST 27812: Leader Scholar Community III (3)
• EDST 27895: Dissertation Research (12)

Admission Requirements

• Completed Application Form
• $65 (U.S.) non-refundable application fee
• Master's degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution of higher learning
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended (regardless of number of credits earned)
• Current professional resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Applicants with Master's degrees completed within the past 5 years should include as one of their recommenders an instructor from their Master's program.
• Recommended GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Three typewritten essays:
  • In 500 words or fewer, describe your reasons for wanting to enroll in the Educational Leadership Doctoral program.
  • In 500 words or fewer, describe the characteristics of an effective leader. In what ways do you demonstrate those characteristics? In what ways can you improve?
  • In 1000 words or fewer, describe a pressing issue facing education today. If it were your responsibility to address the issue on a national level, how would you approach the problem? With whom would you collaborate to develop your plan?
• Interview with the Faculty Admissions Committee

Career Outlook

As a student in our Ed.D. in Educational Leadership: Higher Education program, you will strengthen your skills and better position yourself to pursue a variety of careers in the field of Higher Education.

Deadlines, Tuition & Financial Aid

• Entry Terms & Deadlines:
  • Fall - Module 1 (Early Decision): February 15
  • Fall - Module 1: July 1
  • Summer - Module 6: June 1
• Tuition: Rates are available upon request.
• Financial Aid: Rowan provides students with the financial resources needed to put their education first by offering grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships.