51°µÍø

This program provides current and aspiring administrative and instructional leaders in diverse settings (e.g., education, health, non-profits, public and private organizations, and agencies, etc.) with the attitudes, knowledge, experience, and skills needed to transform organizations through the effective use of human and technological resources.

This three-year program requiring completion of 13 8-week, 3 credit courses and a 12 credit dissertation representing a total of 51 credits (a maximum of 12 credits can be transferred from a post-Master’s program). The program (including dissertation) will be completed entirely online with no residency requirement.

Program Goals

• Prepare leaders who are future-focused and capable of fostering innovation and change.
• Promote a continuing cadre of educators who maintain active connections and collaboration with one another, with schools, communities and professional groups.
• Establish a higher education program that is technologically sophisticated, educationally effective and academically rigorous.
• Build a national reputation based upon action research.
• Provide each candidate with a carefully selected faculty mentoring team contributing actively to the candidate’s progress with their program of study, their research, and their dissertation, beyond what is usually available with a single advisor. 

Core Courses	Credits
EDU 801 - Preparation for Transformative Leadership	3
EDU 802 - Qualitative Research Methods	3
EDU 803 - Interpreting Empirical Data	3
EDU 807 - Enacting Transformative Leadership Through Research	3
EDU 808 - Using Theory to Guide Research	3
EDU 809 - Conceptualizing Applied Research	3
EDU 810 - Ethical Leadership	3
EDU 812 - Dissertation Seminar I	3
EDU 813 - Dissertation Seminar II	3
EDU 814 - 817 - Dissertation	12

Electives (12 credits required)	Credits
EDU 804 - Technology and Educational Transformation	3
EDU 805 - Managing Change	3
EDU 806 - Policy Analysis	3
EDU 811 - Diagnosing Organizational Dynamics	3

Minimal Grade Standard and Academic Progress

Candidates may proceed to subsequent courses in the curriculum with one Low Pass grade. A second Low Pass (or below) course grade may result in termination from the doctoral program. For those needing to report course completion status to employers, a Pass equates to a B or better.

Program Progression

The 51°µÍø Doctor of Education program is designed for students to earn their doctorate within a three-year period.  Those individuals who do not complete the program within this timeframe are afforded the opportunity to continue work on their dissertation by enrolling in a series of one-credit continuation courses which provide continued access to faculty and the full resources of the university provided to all enrolled students and doctoral candidates. This enrollment keeps students in active status and on the path to graduation, increasing the likelihood they will complete the Ed.D. program within the mandatory five-year period. 

Timeline for Completion

A student who has not completed the Doctor of Education program within five (5) years will be administratively withdrawn from the program and be required to apply for readmission.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE (ACADEMIC STOP-OUT)

Students may stop out of their program for up to two semesters. Students need to coordinate stop-outs in advance with their assigned student support specialist, and stop out time is considered part of the time allotted to complete the academic program. Application for readmission is not necessary if the student returns as planned. However, the student who does not return at the specified time or who exceeds two semesters of stop out will be administratively withdrawn and will be subject to readmission procedures. Readmitted students are subject to the re-admittance term’s catalog (this may mean that policies and/or program requirements have been changed or been updated since previous admission, and should be reviewed for potential impact on degree requirements, time to complete the deg