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Educational Leadership, Ed.D.

  • Application Deadline
  • 36 months
    Duration
Western Carolina University
Asheville, NC, United States
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is a competitive and rigorous professional doctoral program for educators working in leadership positions and preparing to enter senior-level leadership. WCU has been actively engaged in rethinking and redesigning the professional doctorate in education so it can maximize its effectiveness for participants. 

Overview

What You'll Learn

The Doctor of Education Degree Program is a 52-hour, cohort program. Cohorts begin the program in the summer, progress through a nine semester sequence of leadership and research courses meeting one weekend monthly at the WCU Biltmore Park campus in Asheville, with continuous work online and in workplace laboratories of practice. The program culminates with a disquisition—a written and oral presentation of the three-year improvement project. Applicants admitted to the P-12 Leadership concentration who intend to complete the requirements for a Superintendent’s license must have earned a Principal’s license prior to being admitted to the program.

Where You'll Go

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership will prepare you to work in an educational environment as a senior level leader, such as a superintendent, community college leader, or in a variety of other leadership roles. Public school superintendents in North Carolina made an average salary of $156,000 in 2013. For community college leaders the Bureau of Labor Statistics states the average salary is $86,490 and predicts 15% growth in the field by 2022.

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE) and authorized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to offer superintendent licensure as a sub-concentration.

Detailed Programme Facts

  • Programme intensity Full-time
    • Full-time duration 36 months
  • Languages
    • English
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  • Delivery mode
    Blended

Programme Structure

Courses include:

  • Leadership of Complex Educational Organizations Credits
  • Leading Institutional Improvement Credits
  • Policy Leadership Credits
  • Human Resource Leadership Credits
  • Applied Leadership Theory Credits
  • Decision Making
  • Analysis of Educational Research Credits
  • Methods in Improvement Science Credits
  • Design and Analysis of Educational Research Credits
  • Data Collection Credits
  • Data Analysis Credits
  • Data Representation

English Language Requirements

  • Minimum required score:

    6.5

    The IELTS – or the International English Language Test System – tests your English-language abilities (writing, listening, speaking, and reading) on a scale of 1.00–9.00. The minimum IELTS score requirement refers to which Overall Band Score you received, which is your combined average score. Read more about IELTS.

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  • Minimum required score:

    79

    The TOEFL iBT ® measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The test has four sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), each with a score range of 0-30, for a total score range of 0-120. Read more about TOEFL iBT ®.

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  • Minimum required score:

    550

    The TOEFL®PBT is administered in a paper format and measures your ability to use and understand English in a classroom setting at the college or university level. It accurately measures how well you can listen, read and write in English while performing academic tasks. Read more about TOEFL®PBT.

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Academic Requirements

You need the following GPA score:

Required score: 3.5

Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to 3.5 on a US 4.0 grading scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on a 4.0 scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).

Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).

General Requirements

To be considered for admission,applicants are required to complete the Graduate School application through the Graduate School’s online process, “Apply Yourself” and pay an application fee. Application includes:

  • official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
  • official transcripts for all graduate work; documenting a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5;
  • a resume indicating leadership experience;
  • an application letter;
  • names of three references who will be asked to submit an online recommendation

Tuition Fee

  • International

    20354 USD/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 10177 USD per semester and a duration of 36 months.

  • National

    20354 USD/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 10177 USD per semester and a duration of 36 months.

  • In-State

    9948 USD/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 4974 USD per semester and a duration of 36 months.
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Living costs for Asheville

  • 1124 - 1870 USD/month
    Living Costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Studyportals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.

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