Program Course Requirements

A. Effective leaders as skilled managers - 21 hours
· theoretical and practical knowledge
· application of skills
· appropriate professional dispositions

EDN 601. Introduction to Doctoral Studies
· Orientation to doctoral studies
· Logic/reasoning, writing
· Leadership dispositions and communication strategies
· Data analysis and data-driven decision making
· Developing good research questions
· Leading systemic organizational change processes
· Steering educational reform/systemic educational change and reform practices
· Reviewing the educational, political, social, economic and environmental issues facing southeastern region of North Carolina

EDN 602. Serving urban and rural communities, particularly diverse students and families
· Social, economic, cultural, environmental and political dynamics of southeastern North Carolina
· Diversity awareness and success for all learners
· Serving students with limited English proficiency
· Teacher and administrator recruitment/support/retention

SED 603. Special Education for Educational Leaders
· Students with exceptionalities including modifications and legal issues
· Collaboration with community agencies and service providers

EDN 604. Educational policy, governmental regulation and school law
· Local, state and national legislative policies and practices

BUS 605. Performance management, organizational change/transformational
leadership and strategic human resource management

EDN 606. Applying emerging technologies

EDN 607. Resource access, development and implementation

B. Effective leaders as curricular experts - 12 hours
· theoretical and practical knowledge
· application of skills
· appropriate professional dispositions

EDN 621. Curriculum, instruction and assessment

EDN 622. Supervision and teacher evaluation: System-wide theories and applications

EDN 623. Educational accountability from the level of the learner to the level of the organization (and community)

BUS 624. Strategic planning, budgeting and project management

C. Research-based scholars - 12 hours
· theoretical and practical knowledge
· application of skills
· appropriate professional dispositions

EDN 641. Research I
a. Overview of research methods
b. Statistics I
c. Intro to qualitative research
d. Technologies to support research

EDN 642. Research II
a. Advanced Research Methods
b. Statistics II
c. Developing IRB protocols
d. Field study in applied qualitative methods

EDN 643. Research III
Advanced research practicum (to guide preparation for the comprehensive exam)

EDN 644. Doctoral research seminar (to assist and provide peer support in the dissertation research)

D. Internship - 6 hours
EDN 661. (2 hours)
EDN 662. (2 hours)
EDN 663. (2 hours)

Candidates are exposed to internship opportunities that will explore:

issues affecting diverse urban and rural communities (education/government internship)
comparative cross-cultural/international leadership practices (international internship)
local/state/national business leadership exemplars (business internship)

E. Electives - 3 hours
including EDN 695 Special Topics, EDN 691, Directed Independent Study and graduate course options from Business, Nursing, Social Work, Sociology, or Public Administration

F. Dissertation - 6 hours
(EDN 699)Two semesters, three credits each.

TOTAL HOURS 60