Program Structure

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Program Structure

Doctoral Research Committee
After admission to the Doctor of Education with emphasis in educational leadership degree program, and within the first year of study, the Doctoral Program Coordinator will meet with the Doctoral Faculty Council to determine assignment of the individual student's doctoral advisor who will be a member of the Doctoral Faculty Council. Subsequent to the completion of the first year of study, the Doctoral Program Coordinator and Doctoral Faculty Council will review each individual student's progress. Following the dissertation proposal writing class, the student will select a dissertation chair.
Cohort Membership
The degree program is offered as a cohort design which precludes self-selection into any required course related to the program of study. All students granted admission to the degree program will be members of a cohort and must complete all course work as a member of the cohort for which they were admitted in the related academic year of admission. In the event of withdrawal from the cohort program by an student, and upon election by the student to seek reentry to the program, a student will meet with the Doctoral Faculty Council for review and consideration of request for continuance in the degree program.
Courses
The Doctor of Educational Leadership program is an advanced study in a cohort setting. A student must take a total of at least 66 semester hours of graduate course work. and must demonstrate her/his successful completion of course work as a scholar-practitioner leader, as assessed jointly by the student and the Doctoral Faculty Council through a portfolio assessment process. Additionally the student must present a dissertation which demonstrates the successful design, development, implementation, completion, and defense of an approved research study in educational leadership or a related area of educational study. The scope and breadth of the program originates from an emphasis on the leader as scholar-practitioner. The courses are as follows:

AED 601 Connecting Leadership Theory and Practice
A consideration of knowledge, skills, and understandings required for visionary leadership.
AED 602 Inquiring Into the Foundations of Ethics and Philosophy of School Leaders
A survey of major ethical and philosophical influences of importance for educational leadership.

AED 603 Exploring Contemporary and Emerging Paradigms of Educational Research
An introduction to issues in educational research related to leadership.

AED 604 Examining the Dynamics of Organizational and Human Interaction Within Educational Systems
An emphasis on research and the dynamic nature of school organizations as human activity systems.

AED 611 Bringing Critical Voice to the Design, Analysis, and Implementation of Educational Policy
Identification and analysis of the policy and the political influences which shape the direction of education.

AED 612 Conceptualizing Scholar-Practitioner Models of Leadership
An advanced study of leadership theory and practice through analysis of cross-disciplinary research and literature.

AED 613 Operationalizing the Dynamics of Change in Educational Systems
Research and study of the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of the change process.

AED 621 Examining Human Inquiry Systems
A study in comparing and contrasting philosophies and logic systems which inform human inquiry and educational research.

AED 623 Designing Research Within Educational Settings
A study of qualitative and quantitative design logic inclusive of problem or question clarification, data gathering, and analysis techniques to support the dissertation.

AED 633 Investigating Cultural and Societal Patterns
A survey of local, state, national, and global conditions affecting schools.

AED 650 Synthesis Seminar I
Integrating, synthesizing, and evaluating the major concepts encountered in the courses preceding.

AED 651 Synthesis Seminar II
Advanced seminar. See preceding description.

AED 681 Internship
Field experiences that link theory, research, and practice.

AED 682 Developing the Dissertation Research Proposal
The design, development, and implementation of the dissertation research.

AED 699 Dissertation
Completion of individual dissertation. May be repeated.
Synthesis of Leadership Knowledge
Prior to advancement toward and admission to candidacy, the student must demonstrate competence in successful completion of both Synthesis Seminar I and II. In each case, the student's work in the synthesis seminars will be evaluated at the end of each seminar. Subsequent to completion of each synthesis seminar, the Doctoral Faculty Council will review each student's overall progress in the program and make a determination on advancement in the program. The student's portfolio will be a consideration point in this review. In the case of concern on the part of the Doctoral Faculty Council related to a student's progress, the Council will meet and determine an appropriate action as related to the student's case.
Portfolio
At intervals determined by the Doctoral Faculty Council, the student will present her/his portfolio for review as a work in progress and to demonstrate successful progress in the student's preparation as a scholar-practitioner leader. Prior to admission to candidacy, the student must present her/his completed leadership portfolio for review by the Doctoral Faculty Council. Evidence of the student's scholarship, research and inquiry skills, academic accomplishments, and growth as a scholar-practitioner leader will be included in the portfolio. Each portfolio will contain both student-selected and faculty-selected items with the primary emphasis placed on the student for self-selecting the evidence to be reviewed in support of her/his continuation in the degree program and admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Education with emphasis in educational leadership degree.
Residency Requirement
The residency requirement is assurance that the student has opportunities to benefit from the advantage of a university environment and is directly related to a student being an active member of the cohort program. The residency will build around the structure of the cohort program and afford opportunity for students to share in common experiences and develop as members of a professional learning community. The residency requirement as designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will be through completion of nine semester course hours during the fall and spring semester of the students first year in the cohort.
Internship
Field studies and internships are integral components of the program. Each student will be required to successfully complete two internship experiences. Each internship will be a field-oriented experience related to policy studies, practical inquiry, and authentic activities related to educational leadership. The student, and her/his doctoral advisor, will work together in the design of each internship experience. The internship experience will be linked to the doctoral studies curriculum.
Time Limit
At the time of student's admission to candidacy, all completed course work included in her/his degree program must have been taken within the sequence of courses for the cohort group. If the degree is not completed within three years after his admission to candidacy, the candidate's work is subject each semester thereafter to a review by the Dissertation Research Committee and/or Doctoral Faculty Council, at which time a recommendation will be made concerning any new requirements adopted in the interim, additional course work, or termination of candidacy.
Interim Examinations
The Doctoral Faculty Council and the Doctoral Research Committee retains the discretionary right to administer interim, cumulative, or other types of examination at any time during the degree program.
Admission to Candidacy
After the student has successfully completed all required course work filed with the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies, a formal review of her/his leadership portfolio by the Doctoral Faculty Council, a dissertation proposal approved by her/his Dissertation Research Committee, and the Dissertation Research Committee has formally recommended her/him for admission to candidacy, the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research will notify the student of his/her admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Education with emphasis in educational leadership degree. The student must have been admitted to candidacy at least eight months before her/his degree is conferred.
Dissertation and Final Defense
Required of every candidate for the Doctor of Education with emphasis in educational leadership degree, the dissertation is a significant contribution of research which reflects the beliefs undergirding the degree program of the leader as scholar-practitioner, responsible and disciplined inquiry in the candidate's major area of study, and an authentic contribution to scholarship. The format of the dissertation must be acceptable to the Graduate School (Thesis Guide, a manual describing the "Procedure for the Preparation of Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertations," is available in the University Bookstore).

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Stephen F. Austin State University

Program Structure