Doctorate in Education: Executive Leadership (Ed.D.) Program Requirements for 2024-2025

Ed.D. in Executive Leadership

All candidates must complete the following courses and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better each semester.

Requirements

The number of credits for each course is designated in parentheses after the course title.

Total: 60 credits

Core Curriculum Requirements - 60 credits

  • DEXL 701 - Introduction to Doctoral Studies in Executive Leadership(3)
  • DEXL 702 - Theory & Practice of Executive Leadership (3)
  • DEXL 704 - Leadership and Cultural Change (3)
  • DEXL 705 - Field Experience I (3)
  • DEXL 706 - Applied and Action Research (3)
  • DEXL 708 - Field Experience II (3)
  • DEXL 709 - Public and Human Relations (3)
  • DEXL 710 - Program Evaluation, and Assessment (3)
  • DEXL 711 - Field Experience III (3)
  • DEXL 712 - Public Policy, Law, and Ethics (3)
  • DEXL 713 - Executive Leadership, Finance, and Governance (3)
  • DEXL 714 - Field Experience IV (3)
  • DEXL 716 - Human Resource Development and Continuous Improvement (3)
  • DEXL 717 - Guided Dissertation Seminar I (3)
  • DEXL 718 - Leadership and Diversity (3)
  • DEXL 719 - Guided Dissertation Seminar II (3)
  • DEXL 720 - Guided Dissertation Seminar III (3)
  • DEXL 726 - Quantitative Research Methods & Design (3)
  • DEXL 727-  Qualitative Research Methods & Design (3)
  • DEXL 728 -  Current Trends in Executive Leadership Practice & Research (3)

Optional Courses - 6 credits

  • DEXL 721 -  Guided Dissertation Seminar IV (3)**
  • DEXL 722 -  Guided Dissertation Seminar V (3)**
  • DEXL 725 - Dissertation Continuation (0)* **Requires permission of the dissertation chair and department chair to register.

Note: Candidates in the Ed.D. in Executive Leadership program must finish the degree within six years of completion of the first course in the program. The time limit is inclusive of any leaves of absence taken by a candidate.

Notes on the Ed.D. Program

To qualify for the Ed.D. program, candidates are required to do the following:

  • Complete a minimum of 90 credit hours. Up to 30 credit hours from an approved graduate degree program can be applied.
  • Complete the program's core requirements, comprised of a minimum of 60 credit hours that include research methodologies and the dissertation.
  • Pass a comprehensive exam, and write and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation proposal and doctoral dissertation.
  • Satisfy the residency requirement by completing at least 9 credits of core courses each semester for two consecutive semesters.

Core Curriculum Requirements

All candidates are required to do the following:

  • Complete the program's core curriculum, which includes 20 courses totaling 60 credits.
  • Register for 9 credits each semester and be continuously enrolled to meet the core requirements, with the exception of the first summer, which requires candidates to register for 6 credits.
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher each semester to continue in the program.

Additional Transfer Credit

  • Up to 9 credits toward the Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Program for courses taken at other institutions may be awarded if the course is appropriate to the program, meets the University grade requirement, and is offered by a regionally accredited school. No work done as an undergraduate, whether at this institution or at any other, will be counted toward the Ed.D.
  • Thirty credits from an approved master's program are required for admission to the Ed.D Program, so courses considered for transfer must be additional courses taken towards a second master's degree or doctorate.

Note: The program requirements listed are for the current academic year. Past and future program requirements may differ. Visit the catalog website to access current and past catalogs.