Learning, Leadership, and Community (EdD)
Program Coordinator: Marcel Lebrun, PhD
E-mail: mrlebrun@plymouth.edu
The Doctor of Education (EdD) is designed for experienced practitioners and professionals, including teachers, administrators, counselors and individuals working in higher education, community agencies and other organizations. Discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge and research are integral to the program. Doctoral students participate in a cohort model that is developed into a learning community. The program courses and faculty support intellectual challenge, collaborative inquiry, and focused scholarship.
Doctor of Education Learning Outcomes
The EdD degree provides experiences in and assessment of learning outcomes related to the Graduate Program Hallmarks and is designed to:
- Enhance the leadership capacity of professionals through the expansion of knowledge and the refinement of skills;
- Foster inquiry and reflective practice through course content, learning, leadership, pedagogy, social theory and research;
- Develop participants’ knowledge and expertise through research addressing current and best practices;
- Encourage creative scholarship, reflection, and inquiry;
- Examine global and local issues of diversity and their impact in organizations as well as the larger society;
- Prepare participants to be system leaders and agents of change in their communities;
- Support and advance the application of knowledge and research that contributes to innovation and transformation in a variety of local, regional, national and international settings.
The Cohort Model
Students in the PSU doctoral program participate in their core courses as part of a cohort. The cohort is an integral component of the PSU doctoral program.
Two cohort models exist, and they begin in alternating summers. Doctoral students in the year-round model take their core courses on campus throughout the year, starting with their first summer, and they transfer in up to 27 credits of CAGS or equivalent post-master’s work so their specialization courses are complete before enrolling. Doctoral students in the summer model take their core courses on campus over four summers and have time to take their specialization courses during the fall and spring terms between the summers. Individuals who live at a considerable distance from campus, particularly those from outside New England, including international students, and those applicants who do not yet have a CAGS or equivalent post-masters work, will find the summers model designed for them.
The core courses, specialization coursework, and externship are sequenced across the terms of enrollment. Doctoral candidates in a year-round cohort take one or two courses during each term on campus, in sequence, starting in one summer and ending the following summer. Doctoral candidates in a summer cohort take two core courses each summer on campus, and conduct research, participate in practica or externships, or enroll in their specialization or elective courses (hybrid or online) during the academic year (falls, springs). Core courses are offered in an intensive or hybrid format, with pre-and post-course assignments required. It is expected that students will complete the 60-credit degree within three to six years, depending on their cohort model. The total time taken to complete the degree may not exceed eight years.
The Dissertation
The purpose of the dissertation is to produce knowledge, insight, or new methods in the candidate’s field of specialization. The dissertation must be meaningful and provide evidence of familiarity with existing research in the field. The dissertation should display mastery of and the ability to apply research findings, new analyses, syntheses, interpretations, and other research methods and procedures in order to contribute to a scholarly knowledge base.
Continuous Enrollment
Candidates must remain enrolled continuously through the completion of the dissertation. The program is designed for students to complete their dissertation over three terms (nine dissertation credits). Students needing more time must register for Dissertation Research until their dissertation is complete.
Awarding the Doctor of Education Degree
The assessment for the award of the EdD degree is based on three components: coursework, the dissertation with proposal and final defenses, and the final approval by the dissertation committee.
Admission to the doctoral program is competitive. The EdD degree is open to individuals who possess a master’s degree and at least five years of successful experience in education and who have demonstrated evidence of or potential for professional leadership. Preference will be given to those with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) or its equivalent.
Admission to the EdD program is based on the following:
- Submission of the Plymouth State University graduate online application and application fee
- An official transcript from each institution attended (graduate and undergraduate) indicating, at minimum, a master’s degree
- A professional résumé or curriculum vitae
- A professional writing sample displaying research and writing skills
- Three letters of recommendation that provide evidence of five years of experience, collaboration, and leadership in schools or education-related
- An on-campus interview conducted by the doctoral admissions committee
The application deadline is March 1 of the year the cohort commences. The doctoral faculty serve as the admissions review board for this program and they select the applicants to be interviewed, and from those a cohort is chosen. Not every applicant who is interviewed will be admitted. Prospective applicants are encouraged to meet with the program coordinator well ahead of the application deadline for advising about the cohort model, application process, and other program information.
PSU’s Doctor of Education in Learning, Leadership and Community is designed to provide doctoral students with the skills and knowledge needed for transformative leadership in a wide variety of settings. The core courses are trans-disciplinary and afford students opportunities to extend their skills and knowledge and to find challenges with course content that may be completely new to them. All doctoral program students explore their chosen area of specialization through the development of a program of study designed to incorporate work from the CAGS, explore a new specialization or certification area, or a combination that will assist in the development of a strong research agenda. In addition to the program outcomes stated above, students also develop their skills in Reflective Writing, Academic Writing, Research Methodology, Systems Analysis, Information Management and Collaboration.
Prerequisite Coursework
- A graduate-level Research Design course
- An advanced graduate-level Qualitative Methodologies course
Curriculum Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Core Component | ||
| EP 8000 | Emerging Perspectives on Learning and Development | 3 |
| EP 8010 | Program Evaluation: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EP 8020 | Ethical Leadership and Advocacy | 3 |
| EP 8030 | Diversity, Ethics, and Social Justice | 3 |
| EP 8045 | Quantitative Research Methods | 3 |
| EP 8820 | Entrepreneurial Externship | 3 |
| EP 8026 | Writing a Literature Review | 3 |
| EP 8050 | Vision: Synergy & Synthesis | 3 |
| Concentration or Specialization | ||
| Complete 27 credits 1 | 27 | |
| Dissertation | ||
| EP 8800 | Dissertation Research (Repeatable) | 9 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | Students select coursework based on their professional goals, certification needs, and interests. In some instances, career goals may require a degree program in excess of 60 credits; therefore, consultation with an academic advisor prior to taking courses is essential. Course selection must have the approval of the academic advisor and the doctoral program coordinator. The concentration or specialization component can be fulfilled with courses taken for the student’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) or equivalent program. For example, students may apply courses from any of the Plymouth State University CAGS program options. |