Ed.D in Educational Leadership
At time of admission, all candidates must commit to summer study. Courses and learning experiences are sequenced over four summers and three academic years. The program is limited to admitting approximately 25 students in alternate years. They proceed through the program as a cohort, taking the same required courses and having the same experiences. If candidates are able to keep up with their cohort and do their dissertations in the planned one-year period of time, the program can be completed in three and one-half years. Ed.D. candidates must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (B) on the graduate record at Central Connecticut State University. In addition to grade-point requirements for good academic standing, students should note that no more than two grades of C+ or C (i.e. two C’s, or two C+’s , or one C and one C+) are permitted for courses included on the planned program of graduate study.
The Ed.D. degree is conferred upon the student who has completed, subject to approval of the faculty and administrative officials, all requirements of the planned program of graduate study. Requirements include a minimum of 63 credits beyond the master's degree of approved graduate courses and a dissertation. A dissertation is different from a thesis. The dissertation in the Ed.D. program focuses on the translation of theory to practice. It is connected to the candidate's research interest and is expected to break new ground by providing a bridge between what is known from research and what needs to be done in practice. Each candidate is responsible for identifying a dissertation advisor, choosing a dissertation topic with the dissertation advisor, and completing the dissertation as outlined in the department's approval processes and described in detail in the Assessment and Dissertation Handbook.