College of Education
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program prepares experienced educational professionals to lead through scholarly practice in ways that meaningfully improve individuals, organizations, and communities.
Overview
About the Program
The University of Findlay’s fully online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program prepares experienced educational professionals to lead through scholarly practice in ways that meaningfully improve individuals, organizations, and communities. Grounded in applied research, the program emphasizes the use of evidence-based inquiry to address complex, real-world challenges facing educational and organizational settings.
The program integrates rigorous applied coursework with sustained dissertation support, guiding students in translating research into effective systems of instruction, supervision, and leadership. Graduates of the University of Findlay Ed.D. program are prepared to lead change, influence policy and practice, and steward the profession through informed, reflective, and scholarly leadership.
Program
Highlights
At the University of Findlay, a doctorate degree in education sets you up to make a real difference in schools and communities.
Offered Entirely Online
Can Be Completed in Three Years
Day-One Dissertation Support
Annual Summer Institute
Quality Matters Certified Courses
College of education
At a Glance
College
College of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Format
Online
Required credits
60 Credits
Curriculum
Course Requirements
Students earning a Doctorate degree in Education must complete the following curriculum.
The education core consists of required courses grounded in doctoral identity and scholarly formation; leadership, policy, and improvement; innovation and knowledge dissemination; global and affective perspectives; and research methodologies. View the full core curriculum in the University of Findlay Graduate Catalog.
Residency Requirement – Individuals are required to attend the annual Summer Institute (third week of July) at the conclusion of year one, two, and three.
beyond graduation
Careers
Career options for Ed.D. holders include, but are not limited to:
- Superintendent
- Program Administrator
- College Administrator
- Higher Education Faculty
- Social and Community Service Manager
- Preschool and Childcare Center Administrator
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Admissions Requirements
To be considered for initial acceptance to the Doctor of Education Program, individuals must:
- Possess a master’s degree from an accredited institution, with the possible exception of first-professional doctorate-degree holders, specifically when no master’s degree was offered (e.g., DPT and PharmD).
- Have a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Submit an online application form.
- Supply two letters of recommendation, which will include an assessment of the candidate’s ability to perform doctoral-level work.
- Submit official transcripts, which can be in the form of attested credentials from a university-recognized document verification agency, of all graduate-level work.
- Supply a Curriculum Vita or Resumé.
- Supply a Statement of Research Interest.
- Supply a scholarly writing sample.
- Interview (face-to-face or online) with College of Education faculty.
- To obtain complete student doctoral status, EDUC 700: Writing as a Doctoral Scholar must be passed with a “B-” or better.
International Student Admission Requirements
- Students whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from American universities must meet the previously listed admissions conditions, plus:
- Score at least 79 on a verified TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT) with a minimum of 4.5 in speaking and writing, a verified International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic score with a minimum overall band score of 6.5, a Pearson Test of English (PTE) academic minimum score of 61, or a Duolingo minimum score of 105. International students can take the program online and enter the U.S. for the annual, one-week Summer Institute. To facilitate this, the Office of International Admissions would create a new SEVIS record with a new initial I-20 each time, and the student would need to pay the SEVIS fee each time.
- Provide an affidavit of financial support (original), if not an American citizen or permanent resident.
college of education
Accreditation
University of Findlay’s College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) consolidated to form CAEP. The mission of both NCATE and CAEP is accountability and improvement of educator preparation. The accreditation process ensures rigorous standards for educator preparation programs have been met and that the institution is accountable for providing continuous evidence of meeting these standards. The Ed.D. program was designed based on the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Framework©, which supports creating quality, rigorous practitioner preparation while honoring the local context of each member institution. The CPED Framework© consists of three components—a new definition of the EdD, a set of guiding principles for program development, and a set of design-concepts that serve as program building blocks. The electives included in the Superintendent Strand are based on the standards of the National Educational Leadership Preparation Standards (NELP) and the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC).
The University of Findlay is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Accreditation status is reviewed on a regular basis. For the most current accreditation information, visit the University of Findlay Accreditation page.
