Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Introduction
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction prepares graduates for leadership positions working with teachers and other education professionals in a variety of settings that may include school districts, colleges and universities, state and federal education agencies, and educational non-profit organizations. The Ed.D. program places an emphasis on preparing leaders who can translate theory and research into practice and who can solve practical problems in an educational context. Graduates are prepared to be leaders in the profession by effectively fulfilling responsibilities in the areas of teaching, research, and service. The Ed.D. is a cohort program that starts each fall semester, with required courses to help graduates achieve these goals. Students work with an advisor and committee members to choose electives based on individual career goals.
The Ed.D. program is conducted in a hybrid format, where classes meet in person approximately 5 Saturdays (fall and spring) per semester at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, KS, and the remainder of the classes are conducted online. Summer in person meeting dates will be posted on the course schedule.
Hybrid programs are not eligible for I-20 or DS-2019 issuance for international student visas.
Graduate Admissions Requirements
Applicants must meet both the University and departmental admission requirements to be considered for the program.
University of Kansas Graduate Admission Requirements
- All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy.
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction Application Requirements
- A completed graduate application
- Application fee
- Official transcripts of all degree-granting post-secondary institutions attended and an official transcript for each degree earned. Doctoral applicants must have earned a master’s degree or equivalent with at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- 2 recommendations
- A statement of purpose declaring the applicant's interest in the program and its relationship to the applicant's graduate course of study and/or career objectives
- Resume or CV
- Writing sample – an article, paper or other scholarly composition written by the applicant. An appropriate length is 8-10 pages.
Hybrid programs are not eligible for I-20 or DS-2019 issuance for international student visas.
Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Instruction
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction prepares graduates for leadership positions working with teachers and other education professionals in a variety of settings that may include school districts, colleges and universities, state and federal education agencies, and educational non-profit organizations.
Elective areas for advanced degrees in curriculum and instruction may include Curriculum Studies, Language Arts/English Education, Literacy Education, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Social Studies Education, or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Education.
Doctoral aspirants should develop a program plan at the first enrollment or promptly thereafter. A copy of this program should be filed with the Graduate Division of the School of Education. The program plan must include:
- A minimum of 27 graduate credit hours in Curriculum and Instruction
- A minimum of 9 graduate credit hours in Research Skills
- Completion of the Responsible Conduct of Research requirement (3 credit hours, fulfilled by completion of C&T 808, Qualitative Research: Curriculum Inquiry)
- Completion of a 3-credit-hour field experience that will inform a Research Action Plan
- A minimum of 18 credit hours of dissertation, unless student successfully defends the dissertation earlier.
The Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction program is offered in a hybrid format, with courses that meet in-person on select Saturdays and evenings during the semester, and the remainder of each course is conducted online. Hybrid programs are not eligible for I-20 or DS-2019 issuance for international student visas.
The Ed.D. program is a cohort model that begins each fall and is designed to be completed in a structured, 3-year cycle. To complete the program in 3 years, the following course sequence should be followed, as well as the additional program requirements listed below the course sequence:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C&T 920 | Introduction to the Curriculum & Instruction Doctor of Education Program | 1 |
| C&T 802 | Curriculum Planning for Educational Settings | 3 |
| Content Elective, selected upon consultation with the faculty advisor. | 2-3 | |
| C&T 806 | Instructional Strategies and Models | 3 |
| ELPS 872 | Quantitative Methods for Research in Educational Leadership | 3 |
| C&T 803 | Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction | 3 |
| C&T 902 | Directed Readings | 3 |
| C&T 970 | Fostering Teacher Growth and Inquiry | 3 |
| C&T 995 | Field Experience in: _____ (A supervised, directed field practicum. Students will enroll in 1 credit hour in the fall, and 2 credit hours the following spring.) | 3 |
| C&T 808 | Qualitative Research: Curriculum Inquiry Fulfills the "Responsible Conduct of Research" requirement | 3 |
| C&T 971 | Planning and Conducting Educator Inquiry in Professional Settings | 3 |
| C&T 980 | Seminar in Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| C&T 972 | Connecting Professional Growth and Student Learning | 3 |
| C&T 990 | Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| C&T 999 | Doctoral Dissertation (Minimum of 18 credit hours, unless the candidate successfully defends a dissertation before 18 hours is complete.) | 18 |
| Total Hours | 57-58 | |
Additional Ed.D. program requirements
- Successful completion of written and oral comprehensive exams (typically conducted during the summer term with concurrent enrollment in C&T 972 and C&T 990): https://policy.ku.edu/graduate-studies/doctoral-oral-exams.
- Completion of the Post-comprehensive Enrollment requirement: https://policy.ku.edu/graduate-studies/doctoral-candidacy.
- Approval by the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) of all research projects involving human subjects (if applicable).
- Committee approval of the candidate's dissertation proposal before the candidate is allowed to continue working toward the dissertation defense.
- After successfully passing the comprehensive examination, students will have three semesters (including summer) to present a proposal to the dissertation committee. If the proposal is rejected by the dissertation committee, the student must resubmit a proposal the following semester. If the second attempt at the proposal is rejected, the student is dismissed from the program. Exceptions to the above policy would be given only if the student submits verification of extenuating circumstances preventing progress.
-
The dissertation proposal typically consists of the first three chapters of the dissertation.
- Please refer to additional information about dissertation requirements in the KU Policy Library - Doctoral Dissertation: https://policy.ku.edu/graduate-studies/doctoral-dissertation.
- Completion of the doctoral dissertation following all formatting and style requirements as directed by the candidate's dissertation committee: https://policy.ku.edu/graduate-studies/doctoral-dissertation.
- Successful dissertation defense and submission for publication to UMI/ProQuest: https://policy.ku.edu/graduate-studies/final-oral-exams.
-
As a requirement of graduation, the candidate must arrange publication of the dissertation and payment of all applicable fees, through the electronic submission process found on the Graduate Studies website.
-
Application for degree and completion of required doctoral surveys and release forms as directed by the School of Education and Human Sciences Graduate Division Office.
Although the courses and the research leading to the Ed.D. are necessarily specialized, the attainment of this degree should not be an isolated event in the enterprise of learning. The aspirant for the Ed.D. is expected to be a well-educated person and should have acquired a broad base of general knowledge, both as preparation for more advanced work and as a means of knowing how curriculum and instruction is related to other fields of human thought.
Note: Contact the home department or program for more information about research skills and responsible scholarship, and the current requirements for doctoral students. Current Lawrence and Edwards Campus policies on Doctoral Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship are listed in the KU Policy Library.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Develop a critical and reflective awareness of social, global, and cultural differences (including ability, language, class, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, ethnicity, indigeneity, and/or race).
- Access, evaluate, and use qualitative and/or quantitative information to identify patterns, formulate and support interpretations.
- Establish, grow, and sustain productive relationships to effectively address key issues facing local, national, or global communities and solve problems that advance society.
- Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in a range of contexts using a variety of means and modalities.
- Apply cognitive skills and a broad array of knowledge to promote inquiry, discover solutions, and generate new ideas and creative works.