Interdisciplinary Leadership, Ed.D.

 Return to: Academic Degree Programs Offered

The College of Education doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership is an online program based on a practitioner-scholar model with an emphasis on a core set of leadership principles and three concentrations. This program adopts a primarily applied action research-oriented model with a specific emphasis on addressing real-world problems and issues. The purpose of an interdisciplinary doctoral degree is to produce advanced leaders for the field of education in the area of K-12 school district superintendent or as a higher education administrator, and as not-for-profit leaders. A significant strength of the program is its experiential component, through which all graduates will have opportunities to integrate theory and practice. There is also a direct focus on sustainability of innovative practices and global competencies. The doctoral program requires passing of the doctoral written and oral comprehensive examinations, and completion of a capstone/dissertation project.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will meet with an admissions committee comprised of at least three faculty representing different program concentrations prior to acceptance into the program. Applicants will be ranked for admission on the basis of their academic potential and the admission criteria. Applicants seeking to enroll in the Superintendent concentration of this Ed.D. program, must have completed a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in Educational Administration or Principalship.

In addition to meeting university admission criteria, applicants must:

1. submit a statement describing personal and professional goals for seeking an Ed.D. in Interdisciplinary Leadership along with a vita or resume summarizing prior education and employment history and pertinent professional activities;
2. a master’s degree from an accredited institution and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0;
3. the following minimum scores on the Graduate Record Exam taken within the past five years of intended admission: a combined GRE verbal and quantitative score of 1000 points or its equivalent on the revised Graduate Record Examination and a 4.0 on the analytical writing section;
4. three letters of recommendation by professionals (Two must be from faculty members who have worked extensively with the applicant. The third letter may be from another faculty member or other professional); and
5. an interview with a faculty admissions committee.

Academic Advisor and Faculty Advisor

Upon admission to the Ed.D. program in Interdisciplinary Leadership, each student will be assigned two advisors. All doctoral students will be assigned an academic advisor and a faculty advisor. The academic advisor will assist with the coordination of the student’s plan of study and necessary paperwork that is to be filed with the appropriate GSU office for dealing with admission, candidacy, and graduation matters. The faculty advisor is in charge of mentoring the doctoral student in his or her area of concentration, and through the qualifying exam, oral defense, internship, and capstone project process. As the student’s specialized interest(s) develop, the faculty advisor may change according to the procedures outlined in the Program Handbook.

Program Requirements

Continuous Enrollment - Students must register for a minimum of nine graduate credits per semester.
Time Limit - Students must complete all coursework and capstone project within seven years after admission.
Credits - Minimum 60 graduate credit hours. Additional hours may be required for specialization or prerequisite.
Qualifying Exam and Oral Defense - Students must successfully complete written and oral Qualifying Examinations before granted candidacy.
Candidacy - Candidacy is conferred upon completion of required coursework, passage of written Qualifying Exam and Oral Defense, and prior to capstone project.
Capstone Project - Consists of quantitative or qualitative inquiry into a topic of interest related to student’s primary area of study. Continually reviewed by a doctoral committee composed of four tenured/ tenure track faculty members (two from concentration area and two members from outside of area). Student works with his/her chair in an advisory manner to select topic of inquiry and complete the project.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses: (18 Hours, plus the Qualifying Exam)

• LEAD - 9101 Research Literature, Data Analysis, and Decision Making (3)
• LEAD - 9102 Theory and Ethics of Leadership (3)
• LEAD - 9103 Finance and External Funding (3)
• LEAD - 9104 Strategic Planning, Collaboration, Sustainability (3)
• LEAD - 9105 Communicating Strategies for Effective Organizations (3)
• LEAD - 9106 Change, Diversity, and Global Issues (3)
• LEAD - 9201 Qualifying Examination (3)

Capstone Project (9 hours)

• LEAD - 9991 Capstone Seminar (3)
• LEAD - 9998 Capstone Internship I (3)
• LEAD - 9999 Capstone Internship II (3)

Concentrations

Higher Education (33 Hours)

• HEAD - 9101 Leadership in Colleges and Universities (3)
• HEAD - 9102 Organization, Governance, and Campus Culture in Higher Education (3)
• HEAD - 9103 Strategic Planning in Higher Education (3)
• HEAD - 9104 Political and Legal Issues in Higher Education (3)
• HEAD - 9105 Theories of Teaching and Learning in Adult Education (3)
• HEAD - 9106 Student Affairs in Higher Education (3)
• HEAD - 9201 Accountability and Accreditation in Colleges and Universities (3)
• HEAD - 9202 Business and Fiscal Management in Colleges and Universities (3)
• HEAD - 9203 Emerging Trends in Higher Education (3)
• HEAD - 9001 Independent Study in Higher Education Administration (3)
• HEAD - 9002 Special Topics in Higher Education Administration (3)

Not for Profit/Social Entrepreneurship (33 Hours)

• NPSE - 9007 Special Topics for Not-for-Profits (3)
• NPSE - 9101 Public Relations for Not-for-Profit Organizations (3)
• NPSE - 9102 Policy and Finance for Not-for-Profits, Foundations (3)
• NPSE - 9103 Government and Intergovernmental Relations (3)
• NPSE - 9104 Applied Management for Not-for-Profit Organizations (3)
• NPSE - 9105 Law and Not-for-Profit Organizations (3)
• NPSE - 9106 Issues and Trends for Not-for-Profits (3)
• NPSE - 9201 Public Policy and Finance for Not-for-Profits (3)
• NPSE - 9202 Strategic Planning, Program Evaluation, and Sustainable Collaborations for Not-for-Profit Sector (3)
• NPSE - 9203 Advanced Social Entrepreneurship (3)
• NPSE - 9204 Advanced Organizational Behavior (3)

Superintendent (33 Hours)

Students must meet other requirements for licensure through approved programs listed in the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals section of this catalog.

• SUPT - 9103 Curriculum and Assessment (3)
• SUPT - 9104 Facilities and Sustainability (3)
• SUPT - 9340 The Superintendency - Issues and Trends (3)
• SUPT - 9350 District Improvement Planning (3)

Total - 60 Hours

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate, a candidate must have completed all coursework (minimum of 60 credit hours) with a minimum cumulative graduate grade-point average of 3.00; been advanced to candidacy, passed the qualifying exam, passed the oral defense, passed the capstone project defense, applied for graduation, and paid all fees.