Education (Ed.D.)
Website: https://www.fgcu.edu/coe/programs/graduateprograms/doctor-education-edd
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is a post-master's program in education with five concentrations:
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Higher Education Leadership
- Learning Design & Innovation
- Multicultural/lingual Education
- PreK-12 Leadership
The concentration in Curriculum and Instruction meets the need of educators in areas such as staff development, program coordination, and curriculum development. Graduates may hold job titles such as Curriculum Specialist, Director of Elementary Programs, Director of Secondary Programs and Reading Specialist, to name a few.
The concentrations in Higher Education Leadership and PreK-12 Leadership are intended to prepare students to work in educational or training divisions in PreK-12 schools or any one of many other non-public school settings, such as higher education, business, healthcare, or public service. Both leadership concentrations will prepare graduates for careers in the management of professional organizations that value organizational and leadership skills.
The concentration in Learning Design & Innovation will teach students to become leaders in technology-enhanced learning environments. Graduates will work in schools, corporate settings, higher education, museums, libraries, and school media centers. Coursework includes design thinking, instructional design tools, and instructional product evaluation, among others.
The concentration in Multicultural/lingual Education will help doctoral candidates become leaders in diverse education. Graduates will work primarily in public and private schools and higher education, in community or government agencies, and in other educational settings. Coursework includes multicultural education, multilingual education, applied linguistics, and current topics.
Dual Concentrations
Students may seek dual concentrations with approval from the program coordinator. No courses used to meet requirements of one concentration may be substituted to meet requirements for the second concentration. Three concentration courses may be used to meet the elective requirement.
Concentrations
- Curriculum and Instruction Concentration
- Higher Education Leadership Concentration
- Learning Design & Innovation Concentration
- Multicultural/lingual Education Concentration
- PreK-12 Leadership Concentration
Program Admission Requirements
- Submit an FGCU Graduate Admissions Application and satisfy all applicable university admissions requirements.
- Provide an official transcript showing receipt of a master's degree in an education or related field from a from an institution that maintains accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting body (https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html) or equivalent foreign institution with GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Provide a minimum of three letters of recommendation, submitted on organizational letterhead stationery, from either university faculty or from previous supervisors who can write concerning the applicant's capability to succeed in a doctoral program in the following areas: ability to communicate in writing and speaking, professional abilities, ethics and values, interpersonal skills, and work ethic.
- Provide a curriculum vitae listing all previous educational degrees, professional positions, publications and other scholarly activity, awards, and other pertinent information.
- Participate in an oral interview with members of the Doctoral Admissions and Policy Committee (DAPC).
- International students must demonstrate English language proficiency in accordance with University regulation.
- Applicants denied admission may appeal the decision by submitting a request for reconsideration to the College of Education Appeals Committee within 30 days of the date of denial. The request must present additional evidence of potential for academic success and contain reasons why reconsideration is warranted. Details about appeals are available on the COE website.
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
Waivers to any of the following requirements require written approval of the Doctoral Admissions and Policy Committee (DAPC).
- A maximum of 12 graduate level credits may be applied to the Ed.D. if those credits have not been used to satisfy requirements for a prior graduate degree.
- Overall, at least 69 credits must be taken at FGCU. No substitutions are permitted for the dissertation hours (all dissertation hours must be completed at FGCU).
- Courses used in substitution must be no more than seven years old upon admission. Candidates must graduate within eight years of admission.
- Each candidate must complete a residency requirement as a part of his or her program of study. The goal of a residency is to enculturate candidates into the work of the academy. The following three criteria must be met: Candidates must:
- Take the required coursework with the cohort during the course of one academic year, including successive fall, spring, and summer semesters and
- Submit a proposal to present at an international, national, state, or regional professional conference under the guidance of a faculty mentor. If the proposal is accepted, the candidate is expected to present the paper or
- Participate in a project approved by the program coordinator; examples include, but are not limited to the following: co-teach an undergraduate class at FGCU with a faculty member, assist a faculty member in developing or redesigning a course, or collaborate with a faculty member on a quantitative or qualitative research project, which could be part of a program evaluation.
- Successful completion of each course with a grade of B or better.
- Accumulated GPA of 3.5 or better in core, research, and concentration courses prior to taking qualifying exam. Grades for all dissertation and internship courses will be graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory only.
- A qualifying examination is administered to all candidates at the end of their content coursework, as a prerequisite to enrolling in dissertation credits. Students must be matriculated in three credits of coursework during the semester in which the exam is administered. This exam determines whether students have an adequate command of knowledge in the field of study, and can organize, apply, and convey that knowledge in writing. Students who fail the exam will have one additional opportunity to retake it. If students fail, the second administration they will not advance to doctoral candidacy and will be dismissed from the program at that time by the DAPC. Students may appeal the dismissal to DAPC. There is no guarantee that students will be successful in passing the qualifying exam and no guarantee they will be permitted to develop a dissertation unless all of the above requirements are met.
- Candidates should work with their Dissertation Committee to determine the number of dissertation credits to enroll in each semester. The minimum is 3 credits per semester. The program coordinator must approve requests to take more than 9 credits per semester.
- Submit an application for graduation by the semester deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
- Students must register for a minimum of one credit during the semester in which they apply for graduation.
- Submit one electronic copy of the completed dissertation to ProQuest. Refer to the Graduate Studies website for guidelines.