Department website: https://www.atu.edu/tel
School Leadership
The Ed.D. in School Leadership degree is designed to develop scholar/practitioners who will utilize inquiry-based approaches to solve problems in the school districts of Arkansas and beyond. The degree requires 63 credit hours above the Master’s degree.
Cohort-Based Program
The Ed.D. in School Leadership program is a cohort-based program with a maximum number of 15 students admitted to each cohort. Admission to the program occurs once per year and begins during the summer semester. The course rollout is designed to facilitate an efficient use of time, with students in the 33 hour track taking six credit hours per semester and completing the program in a minimum of six semesters. Students with only a masters degree should complete the Ed.S. degree in educational leadership first and then apply for the Ed.D. program when the Ed.S. is completed. For students who hold an approved Ed.S. degree, reflective of current school leadership standards, consideration for transfer of earned hours will be given through a transcript audit.
Special Conditions of Doctoral Credit
Doctoral Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University
A maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours of EDS transfer credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred from an accredited graduate school, if the student does not possess an approved Ed.S. degree, and the courses are deemed appropriate by the head of the student's major department and the Graduate College Dean. Students must send a written request to the head of their major department to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate program. Doctoral credit earned eight (8) years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without the approval of the appropriate program director and the Graduate College Dean. All students must take the 33 hour 8000 level courses with their cohort. Therefore, no substitutions will be allowed by transfer for the 8000 level courses.
Admission Requirements
Students are eligible for admission to the Ed.D. in School Leadership degree program based on completion of all application requirements listed:
- Applicants must complete the online application.
- Applicants must pay a $50.00 nonrefundable application fee.
- Applicants must hold a master's degree from an accredited college verified by an official transcript. (If the student possesses only a masters degree, then the application should be for the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program to complete the first 30 hours of the doctoral program.)
- Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on the master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Applicants must request a complete undergraduate and graduate official transcript from their bachelor's and master's awarding institution sent directly to the Graduate College via mail or e-script. Mail to: Arkansas Tech University Graduate Admissions, 105 West O Street, Brown Hall, Suite 104, Russellville, AR 7280 1. E-script to: graduateadmissions@atu.edu.
- Applicants must provide a writing sample from previous graduate work. This can be in the form of a thesis, research paper, term paper, article, or product from your professional role.
- Applicants must submit a 500 word essay on your background, professional and academic career goals, and the reason for pursuing a doctoral degree.
- Applicants must submit three (3) letters of recommendation addressing their professional and/or academic background along with an assessment of their potential for scholarly work.
After all materials are received, applicants will be interviewed by the Faculty Admissions Committee (FAC). These interviews will be held in person or virtually.
Once the interviews are completed, the FAC will meet to make final selections for the cohort and all applicants will be notified regarding the committee’s decision.
Degree Requirements
Students who are taking the 63-hour track will take all 7000 and 8000 level courses listed. The 7000 level courses comprise the Ed.S. degree in educational leadership. For those students transferring an Ed.S. degree into the doctoral program, the 8000 level courses listed below will complete the Ed.D. degree.
- A minimum of 30 semester hours (at the EDS 7000 program level), include the completion of the following courses:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| EDLD 7013 | The Superintendency and Central Office | 3 |
| EDLD 7023 | School Board Relations | 3 |
| EDLD 7033 | School Personnel and Business Management | 3 |
| EDLD 7113 | Seminar in Current Issues | 3 |
| EDLD 7123 | Educational Facilities | 3 |
| EDLD 7133 | School Finance for District Level Administration | 3 |
| EDLD 7143 | School Accountability Systems | 3 |
| EDLD 7153 | District Internship | 3 |
| EDLD 7163 | Statistical Methods for District Leaders | 3 |
| EDLD 7173 | Advanced Legal Issues | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 |
- A minimum of 33 semester hours (all at the 8000 level), include the completion of the following courses:
- A dissertation must be completed and approved by the student’s Dissertation Chair and Committee before the degree is awarded. Guidelines and procedures for the dissertation process will be communicated to the student through the ATU Dissertation Style Guide.
- Completion of all degree requirements within eight (8) years of admission to the degree program.
Learning Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
The dissertation chair and all committee members will complete the Oral Communication Rubric at each student's dissertation defense meeting. The rubric was created by the CLL EdD faculty in the 2018-2019 school year. The program goal is that 95% of students will meet or exceed expectations for this outcome (as measured by the Oral Communication Rubric).
Learning Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate effective written communication skills.
The dissertation chair and all committee members will complete the Written Communication Rubric at each student's dissertation defense meeting. The rubric was created by the CLL EdD faculty in the 2018- 2019 school year. The program goal is that 90% of students will meet or exceed expectations for this outcome (as measured by the Written Communication Rubric).
Learning Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate appropriate ethical reasoning skills.
Two EdD faculty will assess the Final Paper from the EDLD 8053 Ethics and Values course using the Ethical Reasoning Rubric. The papers will be anonymized (i.e., student's names/identifying information removed) before the assessment is completed. The rubric was created by the CLL EdD faculty in the 2018-2019 school year. The program goal is that 100% of students will meet or exceed expectations for this outcome (as measured by the Ethical Reasoning Rubric).
Learning Outcome 4: Students will demonstrate effective research skills.
The dissertation chair and all committee members will complete the Research Skills Rubric at each student's dissertation defense meeting. The rubric was created by the CLL EdD faculty in the 2018-2019 school year. The program goal is that 90% of students will meet or exceed expectations for this outcome (as measured by the Research Skills Rubric)
