Description of the Program
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D) expands upon the foundation gained in study for the master's, specialist and/or licensure programs. It provides opportunities for candidates to develop breadth in understanding leadership, policy, and research methodologies, and also depth in one or several areas of specialization. The focus of this program is the refinement of students' understandings of leadership and policy development and analysis, ultimately culminating in the dissertation. The dissertation is meant to contribute knowledge of a critical issue in educational leadership.
Program Approach to Doctoral Study
Entering doctoral students who already possess a master's degree in Educational Leadership or a related field complete a minimum of 64 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the master's degree. Students with an educational specialist's degree enroll in a minimum of 42 semester hours beyond the specialist's degree. These semester hour requirements are minimum expectations for students' performance. Credit requirements are a function of the types of learning experiences needed by students to achieve their goals. Students may obtain the Ed.D. degree while also working concurrently on a principal or administrator license.
The nature of doctoral studies implies a high degree of individualized program development to reflect the personal, professional, and academic goals of each student. Consequently, each doctoral student admitted to the program works with an advisor and a program planning committee to develop a learning plan.
Welcome from the Coordinator
Thank you for visiting
the web site for the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program
at the University of Northern Colorado. The ELPS Program offers degrees
at the master's, educational specialist, and doctoral levels and includes
learning experiences to meet state standards for the Principal and Administrator
Licenses. Our program has been nationally ranked in recent years by U.S.
News and World Report. We are fortunate to have a collaborative learning
environment that emphasizes learning, teaching, and collegiality. The
University of Northern Colorado is a member of the University Council
for Educational Administration.
Please stop by and visit us on the UNC campus in Greeley. If you have any questions about the program, please email elps@unco.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!