Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is intended to prepare individuals for administrative service and leadership positions in schools, institutions of higher education, or other agencies. The doctoral program provides instructional experiences designed for satisfactory development of conceptual, human, and technical skills and understandings required for successful leadership in various administrative roles with emphasis on educational research, the role of the leader in the social order, community power structure, and organizational theory. Coursework focuses on U.S. educational issues, policies, and practices.

Please check the Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program page for additional information.

Admission

Preference for admission to the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy studies will be given to applicants who hold a professional educator license and who have taught in the U.S. for two or more years. Applicants for admission to the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies must submit:

All official transcripts from institutions of higher education;
Three letters of recommendation from professors and/or practicing school administrators who hold state licensure.

Any applicant who is denied admission may submit an appeal to be reviewed by the admissions committee and the faculty. Appeals must be in writing, explain the basis for the appeal, and include information not previously submitted.

Please note: This program does not lead to the Illinois Superintendent Endorsement. For information on how to obtain the superintendent endorsement, please refer to NIU’s Ed.S. Educational Administration Superintendent Preparation program page.

Requirements

The doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies requires a minimum of 42 semester hours beyond a master’s degree, including:

Course work in research understandings and skills, learning and development theories, and sociocultural analyses of education (21 credit hours)
Up to 9 credit hours of electives or transfer credits pending an evaluation of official transcripts from accredited institutions for comparable courses. A final determination of the courses for transfer will be made by the LEPF department chair (or designee) upon transcript review.
Successful completion of a candidacy examination
LEEA 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (12 credit hours)
Successful defense of a doctoral dissertation

If the applicant holds an Ed.S. degree, the doctoral program requires a minimum of 42 semester hours as follows:

Course work in research understandings and skills, learning and development theories, and sociocultural analyses of education (21 credit hours)
Transfer credit from an earned Ed.S. degree or equivalent (9 credit hours)
Successful completion of a candidacy examination
LEEA 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (12 credit hours)

If the applicant holds Master’s degree from a related field (e.g., M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration, M.S.Ed. in School Business Management, etc.), the doctoral program requires 42 semester hours as follows:

Course work in research understandings and skills, learning and development theories, sociocultural analyses of education (21 credit hours)
Electives approved by advisor or program coordinator (9 credit hours)
Successful completion of candidacy exam
LEEA 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (12 credit hours)

Candidacy examination

Students enrolled in the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies must pass a candidacy examination. The candidacy examination requires demonstration of applicable knowledge in educational leadership and policy studies. A student must be in good academic standing, both overall and in the Ed.D. program to be eligible to take this examination. A student who fails this examination may, with the permission of the major department, repeat it once, no sooner than the following academic term. A student who fails this examination a second time, or is not granted approval for a second attempt, shall not be permitted to continue work toward the Ed.D. degree, and admission to that program shall be terminated.