Curriculum & Degree Requirements
The purpose of our Ed. D. program is to providing high quality learning experience for academic competence of candidates; fostering intellectual creativity through robust research & analytical inquiry; and hands-on high impact applied learning experiences to the critical problems of practice. This high-quality doctoral program prepares transformational, culturally responsive and equity focused discerning educational leaders who value diversity and demonstrate deep commitment to equity, social justice and can transform the educational system to impact student learning. The candidates are the role models for the community and display ethical and professional competence in their chosen fields to emerge as:
- Critical thinkers who can effectively utilize education software tools for data collection and analysis and adopting latest information technology to broaden their vision of learning.
- Inquisitive reflective practitioners who believe in the concept of lifelong learning and display personal flexibility to sustain personal and professional development.
- Skilled educational leaders who can connect and apply cutting edge research to policy and practice to serve the educational institutions to promote success and well-being of each student.
- Competent leaders who are prepared to facilitate service, leadership and learning in all environments including urban, suburban, rural, undeveloped, and underserved.
Student Learning Outcomes
Education Graduate Programs at Delaware State University has established the following Learning Outcomes for its doctoral program in consonance with the NELP standards to ensure that the candidates can demonstrate the capacity to:
- Develop, design, and implement a district mission, and vision that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, diversity, social justice, and digital citizenship.
- Develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive district culture and advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate professional norms and culture.
- Evaluate, design, cultivate, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data analysis, assessment, and instructional leadership.
- Understand and engage families, communities, and other constituents in the work of schools and the district and to advocate for district, student, and community needs.
- Apply research to analyze and synthesize district level student learning and operational data by utilizing cutting edge technology to conduct strategic inquiry and robust research to critical problems of practice to lead the district improvement.
- Develop, monitor, evaluate and manage data informed district systems for equitable operations, resources, technology, and human capital management.
- Cultivate meaningful relationships, lead collaborative decision making and advocate for institution and district needs in broader policy conversations.
- Demonstrate critical and reflective thinking, effective reasoning, and creativity to conduct strategic inquiry and the application of data driven decision making through analytical review and scholarly writings to lead the institutional improvement.
- Demonstrate authentic leadership qualities by being involved in the real administrative roles and collaborate with the stakeholders in the organizational, strategic, and contextual decision-making processes to ensure the success and well-being of each student and adult in the institution.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
This Program of Study requires the completion of 55 graduate credit hours including an integral component of Applied Educational Internship/Field Experience. The students of the K-12 concentration will be required to complete 240 hours of internship in a K-12 setting. This extensive experience is grounded in strong research with focus on activities designed to provide rigorous, diverse, high-impact field-based experiences extended over time that result in the intern’s demonstration of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions articulated in professional standards.
QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
All students are required to pass the Qualifying Examination. It is an exhaustive exam designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their analytical writing ability by conceptualizing and synthesizing their knowledge in an organized and cogent manner. The schedule of this exam is included in the cohort plan of the program provided to all the students at the time of New Student Orientation.
CAPSTONE
The Ed.D. program at the Delaware State University offers three options for the final capstone experience i.e., the Case Study Analysis, the Project Study, and the Dissertation. The doctoral candidates must orally present and defend a research capstone to meet their final degree requirement.
PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO
The candidates will also be required to submit a professional portfolio in the office of Education Graduate Programs after successfully defending their final capstone. The candidates from K-12 concentration will submit a professional portfolio reflecting their experiences and skills related to District level NELP standards as evaluated through CAEP approved assessments. The candidates of Higher Education concentration will submit a professional portfolio reflecting activities/projects completed during their field experience and the major course assignments related with CAS standards.