Educational Leadership
Doctor of Education Program Application
Guidelines
College of Education
Graduate Education and Research
Texas Tech University
Box 41071
Lubbock, TX 79409-1071
(806) 742-1997
Fax (806) 742-2197
www.educ.ttu.edu
10-1-2010
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Educational Leadership
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Application Guidelines
Program Overview
The Educational Leadership doctoral program at Texas Tech University prepares candidates for
leadership in school districts and colleges or universities. The program produces reflective professionals
who possess a vision for school renewal and a portfolio of organizational change skills, including an
emphasis on developing democratic learning communities that value social justice and equity. Students must meet
the requirements of the Graduate School, the College of Education, and the Educational Leadership
Program for admission.
Requirements for application:
1) A master’s degree in education or a related field and a minimum of one (1) year successful
performance in one or more administrative and/or supervisory school leadership positions.
2) Application to the Graduate School and the College of Education at Texas Tech University
Graduate Faculty
Clint Carpenter, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
clint.carpenter@ttu.edu
742-1997 x 273
Joseph Claudet, Ph.D.
806-789-6377 (cell)
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator
Contact person: Master’s Program and Principal Certification
joe.claudet@ttu.edu
Fred Hartmeister, J.D., Ed.D., MBA
Professor of Education and Law
Contact person: Superintendent’s Program
fred.hartmeister@ttu.edu
Educ. Room 306
Educ. Room 311
742-1997 x225
Educ. Room 376
JoAnn Franklin Klinker, Ph.D.
742-1997 x 238
Associate Professor
Contact Person: Doctoral Program
Contact Person: Institute for Leadership and School Improvement
joann.klinker@ttu.edu
Educ. Room 313
Sylvia Mendez-Morse, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
sylvia.mendez-morse@ttu.edu
742-1997 x 367
Educ. Room 307
Fernando Valle
Assistant Professor
f.valle@ttu.edu
742-1007x231
Educ. Room 216
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Admissions and Advisement Procedures
The Graduate School
To join us, follow the simple two steps below.
1) First, you must apply to the Graduate School at http://cms.educ.ttu.edu/ or at
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/admissions/how.php. Here is what needs to be submitted to the
Graduate School.
a) An application to the Graduate school.
b) Official transcripts
c) Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Applicants can take the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) through the Testing and Evaluation Center in West Hall on the TTU campus
or at other authorized testing locations. Consult the Graduate School web site for other possible
requirements. The GRE is a EDLD requirement, not a Graduate School requirement. However,
the official scores must be submitted to the Graduate School.
2) Be admitted to the Graduate School
The College of Education, Educational Leadership Program
3) Second, apply to the College of Education EDLD program at http://cms.educ.ttu.edu/. Submit all
EDLD program materials to this site. Here is what needs to be submitted to the EDLD program:
a) an up-to-date professional resume.
b) three letters of recommendation,
c) a statement of professional goals that should include reasons why you want are interested in the
program, a discussion of your research, publications, presentation materials, leadership activities,
and receptivity to new ideas. (See recommendations for content of these application sections in
Appendix A.)
d) A professional portfolio that includes examples of your scholarly work, leadership activities, and
receptivity to new ideas (see Appendix A)
The EDLD Admissions Process. The EDLD program admits students as part of cohorts or groups
who will study together for several years. This feature of the program also allows the program to meet
minimum enrollment standards. The program faculty review only complete applications. Applicants must
adhere to the following timeline:
• Applicant completes the application by October 15th of each year
• Graduate School and EDLD applications must be complete. The EDLD Program reviews
applications for the first time in late October.
i) The EDLD program will ask selected applicants to submit additional materials, including but
not limited to a writing sample and video. The EDLD program reviews these applications in
mid-November.
ii) The purpose of the writing sample is to enable the applicant to demonstrate his/her ability to
a) synthesize or compare key ideas across a sample of current research and best practice
literature; b) discuss differences in viewpoints and omissions of key ideas or viewpoints in
this sample of current research and best practice literature; c) critically examine pertinent
connections between the research and best practice literature and a situational case; and d)
draw implications for professional practice and future research.
• Faculty members will conduct a holistic review of the candidate’s potential for successful doctorallevel work and the fit between the goals of the candidate and the mission and vision of the
program. By December 1, the EDLD program will select new students for the program and
recommend them to the Graduate School for admission to the program. Barring unexpected or
extenuating circumstances, applicants submitting admissions material in the fall will be notified
by December for full admission into courses beginning spring semester.
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Notification of acceptance. Office of Graduate Admissions at the Graduate School will send
an official letter of rejection or acceptance to applicants. The EDLD Program Coordinator and the
Associate Dean of the College of Education also send letters.
Appeal process. Applicants not accepted into the doctoral program in Educational Leadership
may appeal the Educational Leadership program faculty’s decision as noted in the letter of rejection. The
first level of appeal is to reapply to the program, addressing the program faculty’s reasons for rejection as
delineated in the notification of the rejection letter. Within six weeks, the Program Coordinator will
respond. If the EDLD program rejects an applicant a second time, the next level of appeal is to the
College of Education Graduate Academic Affairs Committee (GAAC). In making an appeal to this
committee, the applicant must address the Educational Leadership program faculty’s reasons for rejection
as defined in the letters mentioned above. If the GAAC denies the applicant’s appeal, there is no further
recourse for admission
Additional Information and Suggestions
Other important issues such as registration, financial assistance, ethics, and appeals procedures
are outlined in the Texas Tech University Graduate Catalog, College of Education Doctoral Student
Handbook, and the Education Student Handbook[.need links to these documents]
What Happens After Acceptance
Upon admission into the program, you are appointed a temporary chair who assists you with the
process of developing a degree plan and registering for approved courses. Generally, you will take two
classes a semester for a period of 2 -3 years, and you will begin your studies in two classes spring
semester after the fall semester acceptance. (See Doctoral Program of Studies below.)
Financial aid. Information about financial aid is available from the university’s website at
http://www.ttu.edu. You need to contact the TTU Financial Aid Office. Go to this link:
Additionally, see our web site at http://cms.educ.ttu.edu/.
Degree plan. Contact your temporary faculty advisor to set up a temporary degree plan so that
you have a “road map” of courses to take. Graduate courses taken at other institutions are included as a
part of the degree plan. After you choose a chair, the chair may modify the degree plan.
Transfer credit. The EDLD program considers work completed in the doctoral program from
another recognized graduate school. The program accepts these courses on the recommendation of your
doctoral advisory committee. Transfer work may not reduce the course requirements. You normally can
transfer in 33-39 hours of credit you have taken in educational leadership from other universities. TTU
requires that students take a minimum of 42 hours of graduate-level courses at TTU as well as the 12
(8000) hours of dissertation. In no case can transfer credit reduce the minimum residence requirements.
(Information concerning residence requirements is available in the current TTU graduate catalog.)
Continuation of enrollment. The Graduate School requires that admitted students register in the
term following admission. Any student who fails to register during any one-year period prior to
graduation, and who does not have an official leave of absence from study granted by the EDLD program
and the Graduate School, will be required to apply for re-admission to the EDLD program, according to
the procedures and standards in effect at the time of reconsideration.
Doctoral residency. This is ensured through the cohort’s program of studies. You must be
enrolled for four consecutive semesters with six semester hours of graduate study each term.
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Program of Studies
The Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership is a 96-99 credit hour program, which includes a
minimum of 12-15 semester hours of dissertation research (8000 hours). The course of study includes an
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appropriate master’s degree and other graduate credit (e.g., Principal/Mid-Management certification).
The Graduate School and the EDLD program faculty, on a case-by-case basis, must approve exceptions
for course work older than 10 years at the time admission is approved. Your temporary advisor evaluates
previous graduate work and graduate credit earned at another institution.
Core Curriculum – 24 hours
College of Education Foundation Core (9 hours)
These are courses that have been designated by the EDLD program faculty as necessary for the program
of studies within the EDLD program. They may include but are not limited to the following as examples
of what may be included.
EDCI 5320
Curriculum Theory: Foundations
EPSY 5323
Cultural Foundations of Education
EPSY 5310
Philosophy of Education
EPSY 5314
History of Education
EPSY 5331
Human Development in Education
EPSY 5332
Educational Psychology
Other courses as designated by the EDLD Program faculty
Research and Statistics Core (15 semester hours)
EPSY 5380
Introduction to Educational Statistics
EPSY 5381
Intermediate Educational Statistics
EPSY 5382
Qualitative Research in Education
EPSY 6301
Advanced Data Analysis
EPSY 6302
Survey Research in Education
EPSY 6304
Qualitative Research Methods
EPSY 6305
Qualitative Data Analysis in Education
Major (45 semester hours)
General Core (21 semester hours)
EDLD 5306
School-Based Leadership
EDLD 5310
Instructional Supervision
EDLD 5330
Staff Development
EDLD 5340
Educational Law
EDLD 5350
School Personnel and Fiscal Resources
EDLD 5351
Communication for School Leaders
EDLD 5361
Process of Educational Change
EDLD 5380
The Superintendent and Educational Governance
EDLD 5381
School District Resource Management
EDLD 5382
The Superintendency, Organizational Politics and Legal Issues
EDLD 5391
School and Community
EDLD 5392
Principal Internship in Education
EDLD 5394
Superintendency Internship in Education
Advanced Core (21 semester hours)
EDLD 6001
Advanced Study of Special Topics in Educational Administration
EDLD 6300
Organizational Theory in Education (required)
EDLD 6310
Educational Leadership Ethics
EDLD 6321
Educational Finance
EDLD 6330
Educational Leadership, Democracy, and Schools (required)
EDLD 6340
Educational Policy and the Law (required) (or)
EDLD 6341
Legal Issues with Special Populations
EDLD 6351
Organizational Communication in Education (required)
EDLD 6361
Doctoral Seminar in Educational Administration
EDLD 6380
Contemporary Perspectives of Educational Leadership
EDLD 6385
Research in Educational Administration
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EDLD 6392
Doctoral Internship in Educational Leadership
EDLD 7000
Research
Dissertation Hours (12 semester hours of 8000)
Minor or related fields – (15 semester hours)
In addition to the core requirement, the Doctor of Education degree program allows a minimum of 15
hours in a minor or related field. You are allowed to have a selection of courses that permits him or her to
have more flexibility in their major area of emphasis. If there is no minor or related field, 15 hours are
added to the major.
Minor. Courses in a clearly defined area of study. If you want to include a minor in the doctoral
degree plan, there must be a representative from the minor area of study on the doctoral advisory
committee, and the qualifying exam must include a focus on the minor area of study.
Related fields. Courses from several areas of study. If you select related fields courses, there does
not have to be a representative from the related fields on the doctoral advisory committee. Including a
focus in the related fields on the qualifying exam is optional.
After Program of Studies—Now What?
Choosing a dissertation committee chair. You make this decision after having had a course with
all members of the EDLD faculty. This assures two things: time for you to know what the faculty
member’s interests are regarding a dissertation theme and time spent with all faculty members to assess
faculty as candidates for the chair position.
Qualifying examination. After completing all course work, you must pass a qualifying
examination. The qualifying examination requires synthesis and application of knowledge acquired
during the course of study for the doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. You may take this
examination after receiving approval of the degree plan from the Dean of the Graduate School and
completing most of the course work prescribed by the degree plan. Enrollment in 8000 hours begins with
the qualifying exam.
The dissertation committee judges the qualifying examination on a pass/fail basis. At the
discretion of the advisory committee, the committee may ask you to complete an oral examination to
provide additional evidence of the ability to synthesize and apply knowledge of Educational Leadership
and/or the minor or related field. If you fail, the qualifying examination can be repeated once after a lapse
of at least four months. Once you pass the qualifying examination, the Graduate School admits you to
candidacy, upon the recommendation of the advisor’s committee. The chair of the committee submits this
application for candidacy.
You will have four years to complete the dissertation after admission to candidacy by the
Graduate Council.
The program makes any required accommodations for students with disabilities to take the
qualifying examination. The student must provide official documentation from TTU Student Disability
Services. The student should discuss individual needs with the chair of the advisory committee to arrange
needed accommodations.
Dissertation proposal, IRB, and the dissertation, and oral defense. After successfully passing
the doctoral qualifying examination, you are eligible to present a formal proposal for the dissertation
research to the doctoral advisory committee and other interested faculty and students. The proposal
defense contains information on the first three chapters of the dissertation. Once approved by the
dissertation chair and committee, you submit a proposal for study to the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
which approves all research conducted with human subjects at Texas Tech University. You must have
IRB approval before you begin research. The final product, the dissertation, a work of original research
or creative scholarship, must be defended in an oral defense administered and evaluated by the major
professor and the doctoral advisory committee.
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Statement of intention to graduate. Your last step before the defense is to file a Statement of
Intention to Graduate and pay graduation fees. Since specific deadlines exist for filing forms and paying
fees, please contact the Texas Tech Graduate School for additional information including dates for
graduation. After all this work, you do not want to miss being “hooded” by your chair in front of family
and friends who understand you have accomplished something worthwhile.
The Graduate School timelines, forms, and steps. Please consult The Graduate School web page
at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/ for important information about deadlines for defending, forms
for defending and important steps in the process of completing the dissertation.
APPENDIX A
College of Education On-Line Application Requirement Content
Application Sections Content
3 Letters of
Each should contain (1) information about letter writer, context in which letter
Recommendation
writer has known and/or worked with candidate; (2) examples and evaluation of
candidate’s commitment to excellence (activities and behaviors); (3) examples
and evaluation of moral purpose and educational values; (4) examples and
evaluation of leadership abilities, and (5) examples and evaluation of
candidate’s interpersonal skills.
Resume
Contact information; education; professional experience; honors and awards;
publications/presentations (if any); professional organization membership;
consulting or advisory activities
Applicant Statement
The candidate should discuss his/her reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree in
Educational Leadership; the relationship of the degree to the candidate’s current
position and career goals; and the candidate’s career vision five years into the
future.
Professional Portfolio
1. Research, Publications, Presentations (if any): Selection of up to three
items with information about why these items are showcased, what they
represent in terms of candidate’s professional activities and
development, and what role candidate played.
2. Leadership Activities: Selection of up to three leadership activities with
information about why these activities are showcased, what they
represent in terms of candidate’s professional activities and
development, and what role candidate played.
3. Receptivity to New Ideas: Selection of up to three examples with
information about why these examples are showcased, what they
represent in terms of candidate’s professional activities and
development, and what role candidate played.
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