PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Welcome to the School of Education at Union University of California. Our programs are about you and the impact that you want to make as an educational leader. The Doctor of Education (EdD) degree program is designed for adults seeking leadership roles in any education-related profession. Learners focus on the leadership and management competencies necessary to make positive changes in their professional setting, making the research focus as relevant as it is rigorous.
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management program is aimed at preparing educational practitioners to be effective and creative educational leaders in their fields, providing them with a strong repertoire of knowledge and skills and professional dispositions. In addition, candidates will have developed a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving and will be skillful in applying practical and theoretical knowledge.
OBJECTIVES
Coursework for Union University of California, School of Education assure candidate knowledge and leadership in the following competency areas:
• Ability to be a competent, confident, and conscientious education specialist who engenders personal growth, educational excellence, and professional empowerment;
• Ability to provide leadership in the critical assessment, through research, practice, theoretical models, strategies, and technologies, of those factors that impact the facilitation of learning;
• Ability to provide leadership in the critical assessment, through research, practice, theoretical models, strategies, and technologies, of those factors that impact the facilitation of learning;
• Ability to apply lessons of history in relation to the planning and implementation of future educational reform and innovative change;
• Ability to assess, develop and integrate theory with practice for quality assurance on educational environments; and
• Ability to improve the quality of an educational organization as a practitioner or as a member of the higher education academy.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
• Degrees: Applicants must possess at least a master’s degree from an institution of higher education or the international equivalent.
• Resume: Each applicant must submit a resume or biographical statement demonstrating disposition to education.
• Recommendations: Each applicant must provide two written confidential recommendations from persons who can attest to the applicant’s academic and professional abilities and proven accomplishments in education.
• Transcripts: Official transcripts must be submitted from all institutions of higher education attended by the candidate.
• Goal statement Essay: Applicants must submit an academic and professional goal statement essay.
• International students are also required to have a 550 score (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 80 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• Interview: Applicants will be interviewed by a faculty admissions committee from the program.
Upon receipt and review of all documentation, the candidate will be considered for final admissions. Final admissions decisions will be made by the program director and the Doctoral Admissions Committee.
PREREQUISITES
Applicants whose master's degree is not in education or related field may be asked to complete additional coursework. The program director and designated faculty members of the School of Education will examine each candidate’s academic background and work experience to determine any prerequisites needed.
TRANSFER OF CREDIT
Transfer of credit may be awarded on the following basis.
1. A maximum of 24 semester units beyond the master’s degree may be transferred. All such coursework must have been earned in addition to the master’s degree required coursework.
2. The request to accept credit to be transferred must be approved by the program director.
3. Credit that has been used to complete a second master’s degree may be considered for transfer.
4. Credits must have been earned within seven years prior to the request for transfer. Waivers of this requirement may be considered by program faculty on a case by case basis. All waivers must be approved by the dean.
5. Coursework being considered for transfer must be equivalent to UUC coursework for which it is being applied. Students are required to submit transcripts, catalog course descriptions and other documentation.
6. All coursework must be completed successfully at Credit or B levels or higher.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
Students must complete all coursework with the exception of dissertation classes before writing the comprehensive examination paper. The examination may be taken concurrently with the last semester of coursework. This exam is administered each semester: fall, spring, and summer and is evaluated by the School of Education Comprehensive Exam Committee.
All EdD candidates must successfully complete the comprehensive examination prior to enrolling in the dissertation sequence. The exam or any section may be taken a maximum of two times.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
A minimum of 64 units with a GPA of 3.0 or higher must be completed in order to obtain a doctoral degree. A doctoral dissertation is also required for completion of the degree.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 64 UNITS
Courses are four units unless otherwise indicated.
Foundation Core: 16 units
ELM-810 Educational Philosophy
ETH-820 Ethics for Educators
GSE-830 Research Design
GSE-833 Quantitative Research Method; or GSE-834 Qualitative Research Method*
Educational Leadership Core: 16 units
ELM-902 Foundations of Educational Leadership and Management I
ELM-904 Foundations of Educational Leadership and Management II
ELM-906 Leadership through Personal and Professional Development
ELM-910 Leading and Managing Change
Elective Courses: 8 units
Choose any 2 courses
ELM-812 Psychology of Schooling
ELM-908 Creating a Culture of Learning
ELM-920 Current Issues/Future Trends in Education
(*) Students who take GSE-833 Quantitative Research Method in the Foundation Core can take GSE-834 Qualitative Research Method as an elective, and vice versa.
Dissertation Series: 24 units minimum
GSE-950 Dissertation Plan (6 units; May be repeated twice)
GSE-960 Dissertation Development (6 units; May be repeated once)
GSE-970 Dissertation Proposal (6 units; May be repeated once)
GSE-980 Dissertation Completion (6 units; May not be repeated)