Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD)
Department website: https://education.utexas.edu/departments/educational-leadership-policy
Programs for the Doctor of Education degree emphasize preparation for leadership careers in a variety of educational settings, including superintendent executive leadership and higher education executive leadership. Programs are oriented toward the application of theory and knowledge to practical problems and toward the development of sophisticated management skills and intelligent, informed leadership.
Students may choose from the following specializations: higher education leadership and policy, educational policy and planning, principalship and superintendency. Although each specialization involves unique coursework, a common core of knowledge is required of all students.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
Admission decisions are based on multiple criteria, including the applicant’s academic and professional qualifications. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.00 in upper-division and graduate coursework. In addition, the applicant must be accepted into one of the areas of specialization listed above. The faculty for the specialization may establish additional admission requirements, such as the submission of an official score on the Graduate Record Examinations General Test, participation in an assessment center, personal interviews, or other evidence of the student’s preparation for graduate work. Information about these requirements is available from the department.
Students entering one of the doctoral programs should hold a master’s degree. The master’s degree need not be in education, but the applicant is expected to have knowledge of the history or philosophy of education and of human learning.
Total Hours Required: 57
Superintendent Executive Leadership Area Hours Required: 69
Higher Education Executive Leadership Program Hours Required: 57
Requirements
Superintendent Executive Leadership Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: Core Areas | 12 | |
Educational economics and finance policy | ||
Educational politics and policy | ||
Organizational design and behavior | ||
Social and cultural contexts of education | ||
| Hours chosen from: specialization | 33 | |
| Hours chosen from: outside the department but supporting the field of educational leadership | 9 | |
| Research methods coursework (knowledge of basic statistics is a prerequisite to other research methodology courses) | 9 | |
| Internship | ||
| ELP 399K | Treatise | 3 |
| ELP 399L | Treatise | 3 |
| Graduate Education Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 69 | |
Additional Requirements
Doctor of Education students in the superintendent executive leadership area must take at least 54 hours in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Students must be in residence as full-time students for two consecutive terms. Students may register for no more than 15 hours each semester and for no more than six hours each six-week summer term. Students must complete the following coursework: At least one semester in an internship or practicum. The internship is individually designed to provide each student with on-site experience in the practice of educational leadership. The candidate must enroll for two consecutive semesters in treatise courses.
Higher Education Executive Leadership Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: Core Areas | 12 | |
Educational economics and finance policy | ||
Educational politics and policy | ||
Organizational design and behavior | ||
Social and cultural contexts of education | ||
| Hours chosen from: specialization | 15 | |
| Hours chosen from: outside the department but supporting the field of educational leadership | 9 | |
| Research methods coursework (knowledge of basic statistics is a prerequisite to other research methodology courses) | 9 | |
| Internship | 3 | |
| ELP 399K | Treatise | 3 |
| ELP 699L | Treatise | 6 |
| Graduate Education Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 57 | |
Additional Requirements
Doctor of Education students in the higher education executive leadership program must take at least 48 hours in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Students must be in residence as full-time students for the length of the program. Students may register for no more than 15 hours each semester and for no more than nine hours for whole summer term. The internship is individually designed to provide each student with enhanced experience in the practice of higher education leadership. The candidate must enroll for two consecutive semesters in treatise courses.
Additional Requirements
For all Doctor of Education students, the focus of the treatise must be on problems of practice and should address a specific problem or program in a given context. The treatise can examine a particular issue or evaluate a specific program in any educational institution.
The treatise committee for the EdD must be comprised of four individuals. The chair of the committee must be a faculty with GSC status in the department. The second and third committee members must be faculty with GSC status in the department. The fourth committee member will be an individual with practical experience directly related to the proposed treatise, who holds a doctorate degree, and who is not a member of the student’s GSC. The fourth member, if external to the University, will need to submit a curriculum vitae and communication indicating their willingness to serve on the treatise committee.