Program Overview

Program Overview

The Rowan Experience

This special cohort is designed for those working in the community college sector and who are looking to gain advanced knowledge in the field with a special focus on community college. The cohort benefits from faculty whose focus is on community college research; New Jersey community college presidents who teach in the program and serve on dissertation committees; access to senior educational and policy leaders within the State; and a growing network of successful and innovative community college leaders who are graduates of the program. All coursework in this program is completed in an online format.

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.

Courses

• Required Courses: 36 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: Assessment and 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)
• Community College Track Courses: 12 S.H.
  • EDST 27850: History and Context of American Community Colleges (3)
  • EDST 27851: Community College Governance and Leadership (3)
  • EDST 27852: Legal and Administrative Issues in Community Colleges (3)
  • EDST 27853: Leadership and Advocacy for Community College 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: Those selected to move forward by the Admissions Committee will be contacted directly regarding the interview. The interview can be in person or via telephone.

Deadlines, Tuition & Financial Aid

Entry Terms & Deadlines

Tuition

Rates are available upon request.

Financial Aid

We know paying for tuition can be a challenge. That is why Rowan provides students with the financial resources needed to put their education first by offering grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships.