2008-2009 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 24, 2024  
2008-2009 Graduate Catalog [Archived]

Educational Administration Ph.D.


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(72 semester hours minimum)

The program in educational administration leading to the doctor of philosophy degree is designed to prepare selected persons for leadership roles in public school administration, college teaching and research, college and university administration, and governmental and industrial positions requiring competencies relevant to educational administration and research.

To be admitted to the program, the applicant must have held a valid teaching license, possess a master’s degree, or have completed an academic discipline of 18 hours at the graduate level.

A minimum of 72 hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree is required in addition to the successful completion of a doctoral dissertation as prescribed in the regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

Admission Requirements

A student must satisfy all general regulations of the School of Education and the School of Graduate Studies as stated elsewhere in this Catalog. An additional admission criterion for the Ph.D. in Educational Administration requires the applicant to have a grade point average of 3.5 or above on all graduate work attempted. It must not be assumed that meeting minimal standards guarantees admission to the program. The admissions committee must have the following materials before an admission decision will be made:

  1. Completed application form.
  2. Letters of recommendation from at least three persons who know the prospective student in a personal, and/or academic, and/or professional capacity.
  3. One official transcript from each school at which any undergraduate or graduate work has been done.
  4. Scores on Graduate Record Examinations General Tests.
  5. A detailed narrative highlighting the applicant’s personal and professional contributions to leadership in education. The admissions committee may require the applicant to appear for a personal interview and to present evidence of his or her ability to write acceptable prose under controlled conditions.

Admission to Candidacy

Students may apply for admission to candidacy after any provisions or conditions that may have been attached to admission to the program have been  removed. Additionally, all the standards of the School of Graduate Studies must be met. Refer to that section of this Catalog for details.

Dissertation

An acceptable dissertation on a topic or problem relating to the student’s area of specialization is required for completion of degree requirements.

Time Limitation

Generally, the doctor of philosophy must be completed within a total of nine years after admission to the program and within six years after admission to candidacy for the degree.

Specialization in School Administration:


The program utilizes the use of distant learning, independent study, field experiences, and internships. The final program for each student will be developed by the student and the committee and will be based on background, interests, needs, and goals.

An alternative Wednesday Residency Program has been established for qualified Ph.D. students in the department. The residency will consist of course work to be offered on Wednesday during the fall and spring academic terms. In addition to educational administration courses, curricular experiences will be provided in statistical methods, and in foundations of modern education and educational thought. Students must enroll in both academic terms within the same academic year and must be prepared to commit to this campus experience all day each Wednesday of the academic year. The “residency” component of this Ph.D. program will serve as a culminating experience with regard to educational administration course work and will precede data collection and completing of the dissertation.

A. Foundational Studies (15 hours minimum):


To develop competencies through understanding of contributions from philosophical, sociological, historical, psychological, and research foundations of education.

B. Educational Administration (36 hours minimum):


To develop a knowledge and understanding in educational administration, including curriculum and supervision. The student may choose to develop a highly specialized knowledge and competency in such areas of educational administration as school finance and business management, school plant planning, school law, and the administration of higher education.

C. Ph.D. Core in Theory and Research in Educational Administration (12 hours minimum):


To develop competencies and breadth of understanding in the application of theory and research the student must complete the following core in theory and research in educational administration:

Theory in Educational Administration, Research in Educational Administration, Statistical Methods, plus selected electives with an orientation in theory or research. Exemplary courses: Inferential Statistics, Research Seminar in Educational Law, Qualitative Research.

Specialization in Leadership in Higher Education:


The Ph.D. program in educational administration with an emphasis on leadership in higher education is a blend of scholar/practitioner understandings and skills necessary in leading institutions of higher education. The program is designed  for post-master’s students and requires 45 semester hours of  graduate work beyond a master’s degree to be completed at ISU and successful completion of the dissertation as prescribed in the regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Students are admitted into a doctoral cohort and commit to completion of the curriculum, as a cohort, over a two-year period.

Students selecting the specialization in leadership in higher education must complete a minimum of 72 credit hours of graduate work distributed over three core areas and including the following courses:

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