Doctorate in Leadership, Ed.D.
Dr. Scott Hamm, Program Director
The Doctorate in Leadership (Ed.D) offers a 57-hour online program that prepares individuals to fill leadership roles in a variety of fields. It develops enlightened, ethical leaders through academic and practical experiences. Through study in a faith-based environment, graduates will embody skills, knowledge, and dispositions to bridge theories with research-based practices and become visionary leaders. This program is delivered fully online.
Prerequisites
Students must hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree in any field of study from an accredited university. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the degree, the major focus of the master’s degree need not be in the field of education. It is recommended that the student have at least one course in graduate level research and statistics.
Admission Criteria
Applicants for the Doctorate in Leadership degree must hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited university. Admission to the program requires the program director’s endorsement, which will be based on the following requirements:
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale at completion of a master’s program. A GPA of 3.0 will be considered for admission and admission will be offered on a probationary status.
- International students are required to demonstrate a score of 250 on the computer version of TOEFL, a score of 5 on the TWE, and a score of 50 on the TSE. Official copies from the national testing center must be sent directly to HSU Office of Admission.
- Recommendation forms from three persons qualified to assess the applicant’s professional abilities, academic potential, and personal character. The recommendations must include the following individuals: one who holds a doctoral degree, one who served or is serving as the applicant’s employer/supervisor, and one who is a professional colleague. Each person must submit the completed form directly to HSU Office of Admission.
- A completed application packet, following the guidelines on the Doctorate in Leadership website, which includes the following:
- Application form
- Resume or curriculum vita
- A 500-600 word personal statement
- Signed ethics statement
- Letter of Employer Support Form (if applicable)
- Release for conducting criminal background check
- Following a review of the application, applicants may be contacted to schedule a personal interview.
Admission Procedures and Checklist
Students must submit the application packet through the online application site. All materials (including application fee, application packet, official transcripts, test scores for International Students, and reference forms), must be mailed to the Admissions office. Specific admission procedures can be found at www.hsutx.edu/academics/graduate-programs/doctorate-in-leadership/. Qualified applicants will not be considered for admission until their file is complete. Following a review of the application, applicants may be contacted to schedule a personal interview.
Transfer Credit
For consideration of transfer credit, the student must submit work that was completed prior to admission to the Doctorate in Leadership program to the program director. The director will review the work to determine equivalency to the courses required in the program. For transfer work to be considered, it must meet the following criteria: 1) the courses are doctoral level work from a regionally accredited university; 2) an official transcript of the work is on file in the Office of Admission; and 3) the work was completed during the last 10 years. If approved by the program director, a maximum of 36 hours may be transferred provided the students did not complete the previous degree. A maximum of 6 hours may be transferred from a previously completed doctoral degree.
University Financial Aid Policies
Students in the Doctorate in Leadership Program are considered full-time for federal financial aid purposes when enrolled in six hours for a long-term; three hours qualifies for half-time in a fall or spring semester. Students who take a minimum of three hours during Summer I and/or Summer II are eligible for federal financial assistance. Contact Mrs. Monica Smart at (325) 670-1595; HSU Box 16050, Abilene, Texas 79698; or monica.j.smart@hsutx.edu.
Courses
By action of the Graduate Council and graduate faculty, all students must have a minimum of 50% of their curriculum in 6000 level courses.
Curriculum
Leadership Core
Summer Leadership Core-Required
Research Courses
15 hours
EDUC 8225: taken and repeated as needed to complete dissertation/professional project
Concentration
Higher Education Leadership Courses—18 credit hours
Graduation Requirements
Qualifying Exam
Upon completion of the 24-hour common leadership core, the 18-hour concentration and the first 9 hours of research courses, students will take a qualifying oral exam (COMP 7000). The oral qualifying exam is conducted in Zoom and consists of selected learning artifacts demonstrating program learning objectives. Students must pass the qualifying exam (COMP 7000) to advance to the dissertation phase of the doctorate.
Dissertation Defense
At the culmination of the doctoral degree, students will conduct and defend an independent dissertation under the guidance of a professor in their field of study. The defense will be evaluated by a committee comprised of at least one professor from the core leadership courses, one professor from the concentration field, and one other professor, along with the director of the doctoral program. If the student does not pass the first defense, he/she will be allowed a second attempt. If the student does not pass on a second attempt, his/her case must be reviewed by the program director and the Doctoral Program Advisory Committee to determine if he/she will be allowed a third attempt in the defense process. The students must pass the dissertation defense to advance to graduation. For international students in the Doctorate in Leadership program who are in the dissertation stage, University policy is that 3 credit hours of dissertation will be considered full time.
Academic Standards
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. They must earn at least a C in a course to receive credit.
Time Limit
All work for the Doctorate in Leadership must be completed within ten years of the first enrollment.