General Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page. 

The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing. 

The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any master’s or doctoral requirement is C. The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward a certificate program is B-. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.

Doctor of Education - Teaching and Learning

• The Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) is designed for veteran teachers, curriculum specialists, administrators and other interested professionals to advance their careers through study of current research methods, educational foundations and policy, effective curriculum and pedagogy, and contemporary educational issues.  While working closely with a faculty mentor on their chosen line of inquiry, the degree culminates in the candidate producing their own research. Graduates with Ed.D’s take faculty positions in higher education, leadership positions in school districts, or a variety of related positions in education research, development, and service organizations.
• 60 credits minimum. This includes:
  • 12 credits of foundations courses,
  • 12 credits of research,
  • 12-15 credits in a focus area chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor,
  • 6-9 credits of internship (research-focus and teaching higher-education focus), and
  • 12-15 credits of dissertation credits. 
  • Students complete a written comprehensive examination in addition to a dissertation.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Foundations of Education
Complete four of the following courses:		12
EDEC 515	Educational Professionals Working With Families Experiencing Adversity
EDEC 540	Neuroscience and Its Impact on Child Development
EDU 501	Curriculum Design, Implementation, & Evaluation
EDU 502	Philosophy of Education
EDU 504	History of American Education
EDU 510	Developmental & Learning Sciences
EDU 514	Education Across Cultures
EDU 518	Inclusion and Collaboration
Research 1
Complete all of the following courses:
EDLD 618	Educational Statistics	3
or PSYX 520	Advanced Psychological Statistics I
EDLD 620	Qualitative Research	3
or COUN 674	Qualitative Research I
EDLD 625	Quantitative Research	3
Complete one of the following courses: 2		3
PSYX 521	Advanced Psychological Statistics II
COUN 675	Qualitative Research II
Focus Area
Complete 12-15 credits of 500- and 600-level coursework chosen from EDU, EDEC, EDSP, EDLD, and COUN. Other courses may be approved with consent of faculty advisor.		12-15
Internship
Complete 6-9 credits of the following course:		6-9
EDU 698	Internship (including a research-focus and teaching higher-education focus)
Comprehensive Exam and Dissertation
EDU 699	Dissertation	12-15
Total Hours		60

¹

EDU 520 or an equivalent must be taken prior to enrollment in the listed research courses.

²

Other courses may be approved with consent of faculty advisor.