The focus of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is the preparation of individuals for service as educational leaders in educational organizations, in particular, Pre-K to university educational settings. The intent is to provide such individuals with the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to generate and apply research for solving the problems faced by educational leaders.
Prior to admission to the Ed.D. program, the student is expected to have the following:
- A master’s degree and the equivalent of University of Houston-Clear Lake’s (UHCL’s) EDUC 6032 , EDUC 6033 , INST 6031 and SILC 6030 .
- A completed UHCL admissions application.
- Official transcripts from each accredited institution attended sent to the Office of Admissions.
- A combined score of 297 on the Verbal and Quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a minimum score of 4.0 on the Analytical Writing portion of the GRE. The GRE must have been taken within the last five years. In the application process for the EdD in Educational Leadership, applicants have the option of completing the UHCL Doctoral Writing Assessment in lieu of the GRE.
- Evidence of work and leadership experience in education, in particular, Pre-K to university educational settings.
- Letter of Intent - The letter of intent should explain why you wish to pursue doctoral-level work in Educational Leadership. Discuss the following topics: your career goals; your research interests as they relate to education; how the program will help you meet your career goals and pursue your research interests. You should also discuss your scholarly and professional accomplishments and your prior work experiences that relate to your interest in, and aptitude for, the graduate program. Focus on your future and how the degree will help you accomplish your long-term goals. Please do not include how you got into the field of education.
Please structure your letter as follows:
- Paragraph 1 - Why do you wish to pursue a doctoral-level degree in Education Leadership?
- Paragraph 2 - What are your career goals and how will this degree help you accomplish your long-term goals?
- Paragraph 3 - What are your research interests as they relate to education?
- Paragraph 4 - What are your scholarly and professional accomplishments as they relate to your educational leadership?
- Paragraph 5 - How does your prior work experience relate to your interest in the doctoral program focusing on educational leadership?
- Three reference forms from persons who can address the student’s performance in graduate studies and potential for educational leadership. If possible, at least one of the reference forms should be from a professor involved in the applicant’s master’s program.
- If applicable, provide a letter from an employer confirming support of the applicant’s pursuit of the Ed.D. and willingness to allow fieldwork within the organization. The Admission Requirements section of the UHCL Doctoral Web site has a form letter for the employer to sign.
Other information may be required; contact COE’s Office of Academic Advising for details.
If an applicant does not meet one or more of the admission requirements but can provide letters testifying to his/her strong leadership qualities, provisional admission may be granted.
Once a student is admitted, any course in which the student makes a grade of C- or below cannot be counted toward the doctoral program. Doctoral students may count one course on their program with a grade of either C+ or C. All other grades must be B- or greater. An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 must be maintained.
The time frame for completion of the doctoral program is seven years from the start of the program. At the end of the seventh year, a doctoral candidate is allowed to petition the EDLS doctoral admissions committee for a one-year extension if the candidate’s dissertation proposal has been approved. If necessary, to successfully complete the dissertation, the candidate can petition the doctoral admissions committee for a second and final one-year extension to complete the dissertation.
Check prerequisites before enrolling in any courses.
