| Overview and Purpose | Graduation Requirements |
| Objectives | Statute of Limitations and Program Continuation |
| Admissions Criteria | Course of Study |
Overview and
Purpose
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is
designed to meet your professional development needs as a
Christian school leader. Birthed from CIU's long-standing
commitment to Christian school education, the Ed.D. program
aims to develop you as a Christian school leader who will
lead, model, think, communicate, and research with
excellence. In short, you will grow in your ability to
enhance God's kingdom work in Christian schools, and to
represent Christian education perspectives in the broader
society. Students will be admitted in cohort groups which
begin studies each summer.Objectives
The Doctor of Education program calls for students to demonstrate learning in specified areas of leadership. To this end, the program specifies 23 competencies which students must satisfactorily demonstrate for completion of degree requirements. Thirteen competencies will be addressed in a summative portfolio of student assignments and projects; eight will be addressed in the qualifying exam taken at the conclusion of coursework; and two will be addressed through the doctoral dissertation.All of the competencies are supported by program courses.
All candidates must demonstrate satisfactory competence on all outcomes. No competencies will be waived. Students who do not take a specified program course or elective which is associated with a specified competency must still prepare to demonstrate that outcome through the portfolio or qualifying exam.
General objective categories are:
1. Candidates will understand biblical perspectives, foundational theories, research findings, cultural/sociological dynamics, and alternative models for educating diverse learners in contemporary Christian schools, and they will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate these elements so as to enhance Christian school education.
2. Candidates will understand biblical perspectives, theoretical approaches, research findings, and alternative models of effective leadership and functioning of organizations, and groups and individuals within organizations, and they will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate these elements so as to enhance their understanding of quality Christian school leadership.
3. Candidates will understand the components and process of quantitative and qualitative research which produce new theory, knowledge of effective practices, and solutions to educational questions/problems within a school.
Admission Criteria
A graduate faculty admissions panel reviews applicants and recommends acceptance according to their satisfaction of the following criteria:- Master's degree is from an accredited institution (or an institution which meets the academic standards of CIU) and provides a relevant foundation for doctoral studies in educational leadership. (An education or education-related field is the strongly preferred, but not required, focus of the master's degree.)
- Applicant's performance in graduate coursework indicates a strong ability to be successful in doctoral-level studies.
- Applicant speaks and writes the English language effectively as evidenced in a writing sample that demonstrates abilities to do doctoral research and writing.
- Applicant's Christian maturity is appropriate for leadership.
- Administrative (K-12) experience and other evidence indicate the doctoral degree will enable the applicant to enhance his/her leadership role and contribution to the cause of Christian school education.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results (desired minimum of 500 on Verbal and 3.5 on Analytical) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score (desired minimum of 50) indicate applicant is capable of quality performance in graduate studies.
- The applicant is likely, through CIU's doctoral
program, to enhance personal calling and ministry, and to
contribute to the quality of Christian school education
through leadership, research, presentation, and
publication.
Course of Study
Prerequisites (12 credits; one course from each of any four topics; to be completed prior to Qualifying Exam)- Christian life development or spiritual formation
- Missions
- Biblical studies (ex: Old or New Testament surveys; Progress of Redemption)
- Theology or Bible book studies
- Biblical interpretation or hermeneutics
- MIN5915 Studies in Missions
- MIN5916 Studies in Evangelism
Program Core (51 credits) (Bold courses required and must be taken at CIU)
Educational Foundations (18 credits from the following)
EDU 7300 Biblical Foundations for Curriculum (3)
EDU 9200 Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Education ()
EDU 9310 Curriculum Theory and Design (3)
EDU 9320 Teaching and Learning Theory (3)
Two of the following:
EDU 9400 Education in Urban and Cross-Cultural Settings (3)
EDU 9100 Christian Education and Contemporary Culture (3)
EDU 9330 Measurement and Assessment Theory (3)
Leadership in Organizations (12 credits from the following)
EDU 9510 Biblical Leadership (3)
EDU 9515 Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3)
EDU 9540 Models of Strategic Planning and Organizational Assessment (3)
One of the following:
EDU 9530 Christian School Organizational Models and Politics (3)
EDU 9525 Principles of Organizational Team-Building (3)
Research (21 credits)
EDU 9610 Advanced Educational Research Design (3)
EDU 9620 Qualitative Research (3)
EDU 9630 Research and Authorship for Publication (3)
EDU 9700 Doctoral Dissertation (12)
Concentration Courses (15 credits) (Bold, italicized courses required and must be taken at CIU)
Educational Leadership and Management
EDU 9520 Supervision and Instructional Leadership (3)
EDU 9410 Information and Communication Technology in Education (3)
EDU 9550 The Legal Environment and the Christian School (3)
Two of the following:
EDU 9560 Management of Human Resources (3)
EDU 9555 Developing Institutional Support (3)
EDU 9565 Management of Fiscal Affairs (3)
Summary of Credits (Total 66 credits)
Core Courses: 51 credits
Concentration: 15 credits
Transfer Allowed: 15 credits from 36 credit master's degree
Graduation Requirements
Students pursuing the Ed.D. degree are required to satisfy the following graduation requirements:- Recommendation by the faculty of eligibility for the degree on the basis of satisfactory completion of program requirements and evidence of Christian maturity and leadership during studies at CIU.
- Successful completion of prerequisite courses prior to admission to candidacy status.
- Successful completion of a minimum of 66 semester credits of approved course work, including the dissertation, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale), with no grade below "B-" applicable to the degree. A maximum of 15 credits of previous graduate coursework ("B" or higher) may be applied, but transfer grades are not calculated in the cumulative grade point average.
- Successful demonstration of satisfactory competency on each of the program's outcomes.
- Successful completion and oral defense of an approved dissertation that exhibits the student's ability to do competent research, to think critically, and to communicate effectively.
- Completion of all requirements for the degree within six (6) years from matriculation, or two (2) years after certification of candidacy, whichever comes first, or completion of additional program requirements as outlined under Statute of Limitations and Program Continuation.
- Settlement of all financial obligations to CIU.
Statute of
Limitations and Program Continuation
- All program requirements (course work and dissertation) for the degree are to be completed within six (6) years from the date of matriculation. (See section on "Active and Inactive Status in the Program" for additional details.)
- Extension (remaining in "active" status) beyond six years is contingent upon the approval of the Ed.D. Program Director, the Dissertation/Chair, and Dean of the Graduate School. Participants who are convinced that they will be unable to finish in six years may apply in writing prior to the end of the sixth year for a program extension, which will give up to a maximum of two (2) further years for degree completion. Such an extension must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and will be granted only if the Program Director and Dissertation Mentor/Chair agree that the participant is making appropriate progress toward degree completion and that the area of research remains viable. In addition, the Program Director and Dissertation Mentor/Chair may make the extension contingent on specific further academic work. Such work may include but is not limited to the following: (a) additional reading assignments; (b) the successful completion of one or more courses; (c) the successful retaking of the qualifying examination; or (d) a new dissertation proposal. Failure to complete any of the assigned further academic work by the deadline(s) set by the Program Director and Dissertation Mentor/Chair will result in immediate and automatic expulsion from the program.
