Curriculum Overview
The Ed.D. degree has a minimum 60 credit hour requirement. The core curriculum involves 36 credit hours, including core RES/EDL electives. Additionally, the program requires 18 elective credit hours and 6 dissertation credit hours. Because 48 hours of coursework must be at the 6000 or 7000 levels, a maximum of 12 credits may be taken at the 5000 level.
The minimum educational requirement for all applicants is a master’s degree. For students entering the program with an Ed.S. from Appalachian State University (or other accredited university) in higher education or educational administration, up to 30 credit hours may be waived toward the doctoral required 60 credit hours. More information regarding the Ed.S can be found in the Program Concentrations sections.
Program Concentrations
This program offers five concentrations. Requirements for each concentration are linked in the Program Concentrations section of this page. The Doctoral Academic Advisor will be the main point of contact for all course and programmatic questions. The Doctoral Academic Advisor will offer individual meetings with all incoming students, semesterly cohort meetings, and ongoing individual consultations. The Doctoral Advisor will communicate upcoming programmatic opportunities as well as all scheduling information.
Concentration Bulletins
Please click the link of whichever concentration you are interested in.
- Educational Administration (EdS/EdD dual degree, which leads to Superintendent Licensure)
- Higher Education
- Instructional Technology Leadership
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Literacy in Exceptionalities
Cohort Structure
The cohort model of education is central to this program. Students acquire skills in using research to understand organizational and social issues, with a growing capacity for leading adaptive, sustainable, and just change. Through a selective admissions process, cohort members are chosen from a diverse cross-section of educational leadership settings. The cohort structure allows for the integration of educational scholarship and practice in a supportive, collegial environment. All cohorts are fully online.
Delivery Platforms
To accommodate working professionals, classes are offered online (primarily synchronous) in the evenings two nights each week during fall, spring and summer terms. Online courses may involve both synchronous and asynchronous components. The scheduling of elective courses varies by individual and concentration. Students are expected to register for courses designated for their cohort and progress in accordance with an established cohort course sequence involving two courses per term.