Ed.D.: Educational Administration
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Apply knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to organizational development and student learning by using reflective decision-making and problem solving to create caring and safe environment and strategic innovation in urban, suburban, and rural schools
- Utilize the ability to facilitate and engage in activities and strategic innovations that incorporate effective practices and sound educational research to improve instructional programs with a focus on collaboration with others and inquiry using reflective decision-making and problem solving leading to opportunities for promoting caring and safe schools that value democracy, diversity, and social justice
- Employ program evaluation theory, concepts, and standards within school and community settings by developing and implementing a program evaluation project that reflects inquiry leading to reflective decision making, problem solving, collaboration, strategic innovation, and promotes caring and safe schools, democracy, diversity, and social justice
- Deconstruct educational theory formation and its relationship to curriculum and instruction through reflective inquiry and decision making and problem solving to examine issues of democracy, diversity, and social justice leading to caring and safe schools and strategic innovation
- Integrate theory and research related to human resources, organizational, and educational leadership in school practices that demonstrate inquiry for reflective decision making, problems solving, collaboration, strategic innovation, and promoting caring and safe schools, democracy, diversity, and social justice
- Synthesize knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to develop an applied research proposal that incorporates reflective decision making, problem solving, and strategic innovation leading to academic excellence for creating caring and safe schools
- Successfully defend the final applied dissertation through demonstrating academic excellence, problem solving, and strategic innovation and the integration of dissertation elements: Introduction, Literature review, methodology, findings, and recommendations and future research
- Integrate comprehensive knowledge, skills, and dispositions for providing leadership, academic excellence, collaboration, reflective decision making, and strategic innovation to promote excellence and equity in urban, suburban, and rural school settings
The Doctorate of Education Degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Administration has been designed to meet the needs of aspiring administrators in urban and metropolitan school districts and colleges/universities. There are two focus areas within the Ed.D. program: PK-12 school administration and higher education administration.
Coordinators:
Loyce Caruthers, (816) 235-1044, caruthersl@umkc.edu (PK-12)
Michelle Maher, (816) 235-2325, mahermi@umkc.edu (Higher Education)
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Pk-12 Education Administration Program, the student will:
- Apply knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to human resources and organizational development, communication with media, and critical skills for professional success as indicated by the comprehensive exam in the area of 21st Century School Principal and the personal profile of educational leadership.
- Demonstrate the ability to facilitate and engage in activities that use best practices and sound educational research to improve instructional programs with self-reflection on research and investigation of the opportunity gap.
- Employ program evaluation theory, concepts, and standards within school and community settings by developing and implementing a program evaluation project.
- Deconstruct educational theory formation and its relationship to curriculum and instruction.
- Integrate theory and research related to human resources, organizational, and educational leadership in school practices as indicated by the comprehensive exam in the areas of 21st Century Principal and Instructional Leader.
- Demonstrate knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to develop an applied research proposal that addresses problems or dilemmas within a district or school.
- Design and successfully defend the final applied dissertation for selected research inquiry in a public arena as indicated by scores on the Final Dissertation Report submitted by the student’s dissertation committee.
- Demonstrate knowledge, dispositions, and skills that relate to issues of social justice, fairness, and respect for others as indicated by the comprehensive exam in the areas of Democratic Education and 21st Century School Principal, Investigation of the Achievement Gap, and Personal Leadership Profile.
The Doctorate of Education in PK-12 Educational Administration program is designed to expand the content competencies and applied leadership skills of candidates in educational leadership careers in elementary, middle, and secondary school settings, as well as in central office administration. Curriculum focuses on current and future educational challenges to enhance the knowledge and skill development of public school leaders in their positions, incorporating strategic planning, collaborative problem solving, interpersonal and inter-group functioning, technological proficiency, and effective communication.
Criteria for Admission to PK-12 Focus
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Completed UMKCapplication.
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Official transcripts from each college attended.
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Master's degree or Educational Specialist degree or equivalent from an accredited institution with G.P.A. of at least 3.65 in Education Administration. (Master's in other fields may be provisionally accepted.)
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Graduate Record Examination within the last five years: verbal, quantitative, and analyticalwriting.
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Four professional or academic letters of reference.
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An autobiographical statement (500 words or less) that includes your professional goals and how the doctoral degree will help you in achieving these goals, and a description of some of your leadership accomplishments.
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A writing sample, which gives evidence of your writing ability. The sample may be a previous course paper, a chapter from thesis, a published article, etc. Sent copies of documents will not be returned.
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Successful completion of three hours or equivalent of EDUC-R&P 5505 -and- three hours or equivalent of EDUC-R&P 5508 with a grade of B or higher.
Curriculum
The Doctorate of Education program consists of 33 hours of inter-disciplinary course work and a 9 hour Applied Research Dissertation Project. The Doctoral Applied Research Study will include the identification of a study to be conducted that is grounded in educational policy in the public arena. A theoretical construct for the study will be developed including a research design, a review of the literature, and a presentation of the findings of the study in a public setting as well as to the doctoral committee. It is expected that students will complete this program during a four year period of time.
Professional Standards for Educational Leaders
Standard 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values
Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
Standard 2. Ethics and Professional Norms
Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student's academic success and well being.
Standard 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness
Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Standard 4. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Effective educational leaders develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Standard 5. Community of Care and Support for Students
Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well being of each student.
Standard 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel
Effective educational leaders develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Standard 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff
Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Standard 8. Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community
Effective educational leaders engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each
student's academic success and well-being.
Standard 9. Operations and Management
Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Students will be able to identify current issues within the field of higher education and devise appropriate solutions
- Students will demonstrate mastery of a research method and application of that method to address a current issue in higher education administration
- Students will demonstrate improvement in ability to incorporate multicultural policies and programs into professional practice
- Students will construct an identity of a reflective and scholarly educational practitioner
- Students will demonstrate improvement in ability to incorporate ethical leadership into professional practice
Doctor of Education: Focus in Higher Education Administration
The Doctorate of Education Degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Administration has been designed to meet the needs of aspiring administrators in urban and metropolitan school districts and colleges/universities. There are two focus areas within the Ed.D. program: PK-12 school administration and higher education administration.
The doctoral program with a focus in Higher Education Administration is designed to prepare administrative leaders for positions in community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. The program may also be appropriate for individuals working in government agencies, business, and industry. Therefore, students may come to the program from a variety of fields, backgrounds, and types of higher education institutions.
Loyce Caruthers (816) 235-1044, caruthersl@umkc.edu (PK-12)
Tiffani Riggers-Piehl (816) 235-2458, riggers-piehlt@umkc.edu (Higher Education)
Student Learning Outcomes for Higher Education Administration
Upon completion of the Higher Education Administration program, the student will:
- Have a thorough grounding of higher education/student affairs as a field of study
- Demonstrate mastery of organizational, management, leadership, and supervision theories and issues
- Evaluate appropriate approaches to research and evaluation
- Formulate research questions, and design and complete a research project
- Demonstrate mastery of analysis and synthesis skills
- Exhibit mastery of ethics in the field and be able to evaluate and construct professional requirements
- Develop increased self-awareness
- Develop improved multicultural competencies
Criteria for Admission to Higher Education Focus
Admission to the Higher Education doctoral program is a two-tier procedure. A general application to the University and all transcripts must be sent to the Office of Admission. A previously earned master's degree from any accredited institution is required with a 3.0 or higher GPA. Additional documents must be submitted directly to the program. Upon receipt of all application materials, students will be contacted to arrange a date for a personal interview which will be the final step in the admission process.
Your application includes:
- Completed UMKC application.
- Official transcripts from each college attended.
- A letter of intent including a statement of the reason for pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education and a brief discussion about the match between the applicant's needs and the program offering.
- A vita or resume providing a summary of leadership activities, work experiences, and scholarly activity.
- Two letters of recommendation (on form provided in application packet) are required. At least one letter must be from a professional reference. References should speak to applicants ability to successfully complete the program
- Writing sample.
- An interview will be scheduled with at least two faculty members as the final step in the admission process. Interview topics will be wide-ranging, including personal goals and objectives, current issues in education, and successful college experiences. The interview is designed to acquire information concerning the applicant's oral skills and critical thinking skills. The applicant will also have the opportunity to garner additional information about the program.
Curriculum
The program consists of 54 semester hours beyond the master’s degree inclusive of the dissertation. The Ed.D. is a practitioner’s degree designed for the advanced student who wishes to achieve a superior level of competency in his/her professional field with emphasis on practice and leadership in an urban setting. The degree requires students to demonstrate proficiency in independent research in higher education and make original contributions to the body of knowledge related to higher education. The program is structured on a cohort model with admission every three years. Admitted students must take courses as prescribed, in order, to complete degree program in a three year time frame.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Education Required Courses: | ||
| EDUC-UL 5604 | Introduction to Doctoral Study | 3 |
| EDUC-UL 5652 | Financial Aspects Of Higher Education | 3 |
| EDUC-UL 5636 | Policy Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDUC-UL 5557 | Legal Aspects Of Higher Education | 3 |
| EDUC-UL 5635 | Topics In Higher Education (Program Assessment and Evaluation) | 3 |
| EDUC-UL 5685 | Problems And Issues In Education & Urban Leadership | 3 |
| Research Methods (Must have EDUC-R&P 5505 or equivalent in previous degree): | 9 | |
| Introduction To Graduate Research | ||
| Quantitative Track: | ||
| Statistical Methods II | ||
| Applied Quantitative Research in Education | ||
| OR Qualitative Track: | ||
| Qualitative Research Theory & Design Educational Setting. Part 1 | ||
| Qual Data Collection And Analysis In Educational Settings. Part 2 | ||
| Foundations (Select two courses from the following): | 6 | |
| Philosophical Foundations Of Education | ||
| Sociological Foundations Of Education | ||
| Cultural Foundations Of Education | ||
| History Of Higher Education | ||
| Electives: | 9 | |
| Organization And Administration Of Higher Education | ||
| Student Affairs Administration In Higher Education | ||
| The College Student | ||
| Advanced Student Development Theory | ||
| Current Issues In Community Colleges | ||
| Leadership In Higher Education | ||
| Racial And Ethnic Diversity, And Cultural Understanding | ||
| Advanced Developmental Science Across the Lifespan | ||
| Educational Psychology: Focus on Teaching in Higher Education | ||
| Dissertation: | ||
| EDUC-UL 5696 | Dissertation Administration And Community Leadership | 12 |
| Total Credits | 54 | |