Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

Specialization in Curriculum Leadership

Specialization in Literacy Education

Admission

Applicants for the Ed.D. program are expected to have a broad base of general education in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences and are required to present evidence of a minimum of three years of acceptable professional experience and/or demonstrated field leadership.

An applicant for admission is generally expected to

• have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in previous graduate work.
• submit scores on the General Test of the GRE or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
• provide three letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or supervisors which provide supportive evidence of an applicant’s professional qualifications.
• demonstrate satisfactory academic and professional progress as indicated by data included in the application for admission to the Graduate School.

Demonstration of writing competencies and participation in a preadmission interview is required of qualified applicants before a final admission decision is made.

Decisions about admission to the Ed.D. program in the department are made once each term. To be assured of consideration, completed applications containing all required data (application forms, official transcripts, GRE or MAT scores, and letters of recommendation) must be received by the Graduate School no later than March 1 for admission for the fall term, November 1 for admission for the spring term, and March 1 for admission for the summer session.

Prospective students who fail to satisfy either the GPA or the GRE/MAT criterion may request special consideration of their applications. Such a request must be in writing, must include compensatory evidence related to the deficiencies, and should accompany the application for admission to the Graduate School. Final decisions regarding admissions are made by departmental program committees on the basis of a total profile of an individual’s qualifications. Appeals of a decision made by the program committee may be made to the department’s Academic Appeals Committee. Appeals to this committee must be submitted in writing to the department chair and must explain the basis for the appeal.

Deficiency Study

In cases in which a student’s background in their chosen specialty is limited, the individual may be required to fulfill deficiency requirements.

Requirements for Specialization in Curriculum Leadership

The Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in curriculum leadership requires a minimum of 93 semester hours of graduate work beyond the baccalaureate degree, including the following:

• A minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate-level course work in common requirements including research understandings and skills, learning and development theories, and sociocultural analyses of education
• A minimum of 12 semester hours (excluding dissertation hours) of course work in the specialization
• A cognate component selected from outside the specialization to provide a broader base of knowledge, a supportive professional skill, or more sophisticated research competencies. No specific number of semester hours is required. Students may use the cognate area to satisfy requirements for Illinois administrative licensure.
• Successful completion of a candidacy examination. This examination encompasses the common requirements, the area of professional knowledge within the specialization, and, as appropriate, the cognate. The examination is scheduled with the permission of the chair of the student’s doctoral program committee, normally during the last term of course work prior to the dissertation.

• TLCI 703 - Design of Curriculum and Instruction Credits: 3
• TLCI 704 - Research Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction Credits: 3
• TLCI 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation Credits: 1-15

Requirements for Specialization in Literacy Education

The doctoral program in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in literacy education requires the equivalent of at least three years of full-time academic work, or a minimum of 93 semester hours of graduate work beyond the baccalaureate degree including the following.

• Course work constituting common requirements in research understandings and skills, learning and development theories, and sociocultural analyses of education (15)
• Course work (excluding dissertation hours) in the specialization (12)
• A cognate component selected from outside the specialization to provide a broader base of knowledge, a supportive professional skill, or more sophisticated research competencies (No specific number of semester hours is required.)
• Successful completion of a candidacy examination. A candidacy examination encompassing the principal areas of professional knowledge, the common requirements, and students’ special fields will be scheduled and administered at least twice each year. A graduate student eligible to take this examination, with the permission of the chair of the doctoral committee, will have completed at least two-thirds of their studies including the common requirements. Application for the examination can be made at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

• TLCI 703 - Design of Curriculum and Instruction Credits: 3
• TLCI 704 - Research Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction Credits: 3
• LTCY 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation Credits: 1-15

• 15-30 semester hours in this course are required for the degree.