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Student Handbook: Course Requirements, Delivery and Evaluation

 

You may download the entire handbook as a PDF below

There are three main components to our Ed.D. Program:

  1. a set of required courses (60 semester units) taken in a specified sequence;

  2. a qualifying examination taken at the end of the student’s second year in the program;

  3. a dissertation.

Each component is mandatory and substitutes are not allowed. For example, it is not possible to replace the qualifying exam with a paper or set of papers, or substitute additional exam(s) for the dissertation. As will be explained in greater depth in the following subsections of the handbook, each component is designed for particular purposes.

A. Course Requirements, Delivery, and Evaluation

The Ed.D. curriculum consists of 18 required courses, or 60 units, including the classes designed to prepare students for completing a dissertation. Most of the classes provide three units of credit each. Three of the second year classes, covering relatively specialized topics, are two unit classes. The two dissertation classes at the end of the sequence are six units each. The course sequence begins in the fall after a student is admitted to the cohort, continues through the summer after the student’s first and second year, and ends with the final dissertation class in the spring of the student’s third year.

Table 2 shows the names and numbers of the Ed.D. classes, while Table 3 shows the unit credits and sequence for these classes. Detailed descriptions of each of these classes are available in the hard copy of the University catalog or on-line at http://aaweb.csus.edu/catalog/08-10/Program/EDD.pdf.

Table 2: Course Numbers and Desciptions
Course Brief Description

EDD 600

Transformational Leadership.
Designed to engage students in understanding, implementing, and evaluating strategic leadership practices based on various theories, models, and approaches for achieving organizational transformation. [more]

EDD 601

Organizational Leadership.
Builds and expands on candidates’ knowledge of systems thinking, personal and organizational behaviors, and leadership approaches to the change process. [more]

EDD 602

Policy and Practice for Educational Leaders I.
Develops in students the skills for informed analysis of educational policy in order to positively influence the educational policy in the K-12 or community college setting. [more]

EDD 603

Policy and Practice for Educational Leaders II.
Designed to engage students in critical analyses of policy at the local, state, national, and international levels. [more]

EDD 604

Data-based Decision Making in Educational Leadership.
Studies the use of quantitative and qualitative data by K-12 and community college leaders to improve student and organizational outcomes. [more]

EDD 605

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods I.
Focuses on the design, conceptualization, interpretation, and application of qualitative, quantitative, and mix-method research procedures. [more]

EDD 606

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods II.
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods II. Introduces educational leaders to concepts in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research in preparation for conducting independent research. [more]

EDD 607

Community and Communication in Educational Leadership.
Presents theories and frameworks concerning organizational, interpersonal, and cross-cultural communication in educational and community contexts. [more]

EDD 608

Diversity and Equity in Complex Organizations.
Designed to engage students in self introspection of awareness and advocacy in applying theoretical frameworks and research to promote equitable, excellence in schooling. [more]

EDD 609

Human Resource Management for Educational Leaders.
Examines how to manage human resources effectively in the dynamic legal, social, and economic environment currently impacting educational institutions. [more]

EDD 610

Curriculum and Instruction Issues for Educational Leaders.
Presents curriculum and instruction from a leadership perspective within the contexts of K-12 schools and community colleges. [more]

EDD 611

Legal Issues for Educational Leaders.
Examines key legal issues that govern daily and long-range decisions of educational leaders. [more]

EDD 612

Student Services in Education.
Provides a comprehensive insight into the student services. It addresses both practical and theoretical perspectives intended to build a sense of vision and passion to transform the profession of student affairs and leadership. [more]

EDD 613

Finance and Budget for Educational Leaders.
Analyzes two related topics with respect to public educational institutions: funding and internal budget management. [more]

EDD 614

Issues in Educational Leadership: Synthesis and Application.
This problem based seminar integrates the three themes of the program. Includes conducting a review of the literature that will later be integrated into the candidates’ proposal. [more]

EDD 615

Dissertation Proposal Seminar.
Provides faculty and peer guidance in preparation of material to develop the dissertation proposal. [more]

EDD 616

Dissertation I.
Each candidate will work with a dissertation advisor (dissertation committee chair) to conduct independent research leading to the completion of a dissertation. [more]

EDD 617

Dissertation II.
Each candidate will work with a dissertation advisor (dissertation committee chair) to conduct independent research leading to the completion of a dissertation. [more]

 

Table 3: Course Sequence
Term Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Fall

Transformational Leadership (3)

Organizational Leadership (3)

Dissertation (6)

Education Policy I (3)

Education Policy II (3)

  

Data-based Decision Making (3)

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods II

  

Spring

Community and Communication in Educational Leadership (3)

Education Law for Leaders (3)

Dissertation (6)

Equity and Diversity in Complex Systems (3)

Student Services in Education (2)

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods II

Education Finance and Budget (2)

 

 

Issues in Educational Leadership: Application and Synthesis (3)

 

 

Qualifying Exams

Dissertation and Defense Graduation

Summer

Human Resource Management (3)

Dissertation Proposal Seminar (6)

 

Curriculum and Instruction (3)

Dissertation Proposal Defense