
About
Appalachian’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program prepares students for leadership roles in preK-20, including public schools, community colleges, universities and other community organizations. You will engage in a scholarly community of practice aimed at fostering relevant research to address the challenges of diverse communities.
In this doctoral program, you will choose one of six concentrations:
- Educational Leadership, General Concentration – Offers students the opportunity to select appropriate graduate-level electives that support the student's educational leadership goals in a wide variety of research and scholarly interests.
- Higher Education – Designed for students with professional backgrounds in community college and university settings who are interested in conducting research issues in the field. Graduates of this concentration obtain leadership roles such as vice presidents, academic deans and faculty.
- Educational Administration – Individuals holding a master's or specialist degree and licensure in School Administration who wish to acquire abilities to engage in scholarly inquiry in PreK-12 settings. Students seeking licensure may do so through dual enrollment in the Educational Specialist degree.
- Literacies in Exceptionalities – Focuses on school-based literacy, advanced reading instruction and assessment. Graduates of this concentration obtain leadership roles in public and private schools, consultants in the field and government organizations.
- Expressive Arts Education, Leadership and Inquiry – Will equip doctoral students with enhanced discernment and imagination that enriches leadership work across the spectrum of preK-20. Students in this concentration will become leaders using multi-modal expressive arts theory and inquiry to promote human flourishing.
- Instructional Technology Leadership – Designed to meet the evolving needs of the instructional technology field. Candidates will be prepared for positions such as chief technology officer or technology director.
People
Courses
Course titles and information can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.
Application Essentials
Required Entrance Exam: GRE (score must be no more than 5 years old)
Required number of references to specify in the online form: 4
Supplemental Information: Resume (Required upload for application submission); letter of intent* (upload on the Additional Information page in the online application). Applicants should arrange an interview with the Program Director in advance of submitting their completed applications.
*The letter of intent is required as an example of your writing ability. Please address the following points without exceeding five double-spaced pages:
- Your purposes for pursuing a doctoral degree and your future professional goals.
- Your major academic and research area interests.
- Any issues or problems evident in your community that you believe can be addressed by relevant research skills and scholarly inquiry.
- Scholars and educational leaders who have influenced your own thinking and practice.
- Your understanding of the ways that doctoral education can help you to lead educational change and bring necessary knowledge to bear on the needs of communities.
Basic Conditions for Consideration of Admission: Meeting or exceeding the conditions below does NOT guarantee admission. All applications for a given entry term will be weighed based upon the number of seats available and the quality of the complete application packages. With special permission from the Graduate School, a program may admit a limited number of students with exceptional circumstances who do not meet the graduate school minimums.
Graduate School: 3.0 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores from the appropriate admission test(s), OR 2.5 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores at the 25th percentile level from the appropriate admission test(s).
Admission to Educational Leadership: Master’s Degree from accredited college or University or the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from Appalachian State University, GRE Writing score of 4.0.
Employers
- Public and private schools
- Colleges and universities
- Community organizations
- Government agencies
- Non-profits
Application Deadlines
- Spring: x
- Summer: x
- Fall on campus: x
- Fall off campus: 4/1
Why Appalachian?
- This is an enriching doctoral experience that features a cohort model with a diverse group of students from all concentrations.
- Year-round courses are offered one night per week.
- Applicants who earned the Ed.S. degree from Appalachian will have 24-30 credit hours waived.
- The doctoral cohort model offers intimate class instruction with a maximum of 15 students.
- The doctoral program through the School of Graduate Studies offers competitive opportunities for scholarships and assistantships for full-time, main campus students.
Method of Delivery
Three delivery models offered: face-to-face on main campus, hybrid in Hickory and Forsyth on alternate years, and online.
The application for the summer 2019 online cohort will be available in early fall (2018).
Contacts
Dr. Vachel Miller
Director
millervw@appstate.edu
828-262-2280
Dr. Chris Osmond
Associate Director
osmond@appstate.edu
828-262-7754