EDD: Doctor of Education

EDD 700. Doctoral Seminar in Educational Studies. 3 Credits.

The doctoral seminar explores the elements and purpose of the doctorate in Education Policy, Planning and Administration and provides students with an introductory survey of philosophical and historical foundations of education. The seminar serves as an introduction to applied doctoral studies and doctoral-level scholarship in Education, with a specific emphasis on each student's development as a critically reflective scholar.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 700 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 701. Social and Ethical Foundations of Education Policy Research. 3 Credits.

This course is intended to help students think critically about debates, research, and frameworks in contemporary education policy in the United States, with an emphasis on the interplay between local, state and federal policy contexts. Throughout the semester, we will explore the tensions between key policy goals such as access and equality, accountability, the purposes of public vs. private education, and funding of public education, as well as the consequences (intended and unintended) of those tensions.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 701 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 702. Innovation in Curriculum Development and Evaluation. 3 Credits.

An investigation of curriculum development, implementation and evaluation through historical, theoretical, political and cultural lenses, with examination of contemporary curriculum frameworks, the use of large and small scale data for evaluation and an examination of curriculum planning, processes and management of resources toward improved teaching and learning.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 702 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 703. Critical Issues in Educational Justice. 3 Credits.

This course examines the unique role education leaders play in the formation and implementation of school policy, planning and administration relating to addressing structural barriers to justice and educating students from a variety of backgrounds and identities. The course supports candidates as they advance their knowledge and skills as decision-makers who understand the complexities of education in the current sociopolitical context, are committed to sustaining social and cultural diversity, and work to maximize equity and justice-oriented outcomes for students, their families, and society.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 703 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Summer.

EDD 704. Political and Legal Trends in Educational Policy. 3 Credits.

Schools are impacted by diverse factors, not the least of which is law and political interests. This course provides an introduction to school law and the complex and often contested field of politics and education. The purpose of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the forces that have shaped, and continue to shape, educational policy, with an emphasis on governance structures, stakeholders, public engagement, and current policy issues and political contexts. Within this context, this course seeks to examine the legal and governmental aspects, which increasingly influence public school policy, planning and administration.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 704 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 705. Critical Issues in Special Education. 3 Credits.

Special Education is the intersection of policy and evidenced-based practice. This course provides students the opportunity for in-depth analysis of current problems and issues in the field of Special Education. Topics to be included (but not limited to): disproportionate representation; teacher preparation; teacher-para relationships; adult outcomes/transitions; gifted education; models for leading and administering; policy and law; positive behavior supports; evidence-based instruction; multi-tiered systems; and addressing fads/fallacies. Each issue will be addressed from several perspectives including historical, legal, and theoretical.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 705 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Summer.

EDD 706. Critical University Studies. 3 Credits.

This course seeks to address the current crisis of American higher education through the lens of Critical University Studies (CUS). Consisting of three interrelated themes, it will provide doctoral students with the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyze universities and colleges as well as make transformative interventions in higher education. The first theme of the course, What is Critical University Studies (CUS)?, introduces students to the relatively new field of study. Building on the first theme, the second theme of the course, Higher Education through the Lens of Neoliberalism and Intersectionality, grants students the opportunity to study how CUS emerged as a response to neoliberalism and how it incorporates intersectionality in its analysis. Rounding out the course, students will learn how to connect CUS and Action Research. In this final section, students will be asked to address a specific issue of concern in higher education that they wish to examine through a CUS-Action Research framework.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 706 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 707. U.S. College Students Today. 3 Credits.

This course examines the research, theories, and models concerning college students in the United States today. The course will familiarize learners with the many challenges and experiences college students engage in during their formalized course of study in higher education institutions. This course will take a broad look at the many ways students are engaged in learning and development from the college choice process to completion. Special focus will be directed toward understanding the implication of these processes, the current issues college students are facing (e.g., debt, the high cost of college, mental health issues, etc.), how structural inequalities contribute to challenges for students, and how higher education leaders and professionals can begin to develop and influence policy, programs, and administration to enhance and ensure student success.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 707 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Summer.

EDD 708. Higher Education Governance, Law & Finance in the Neoliberal Era. 3 Credits.

The rise of neoliberalism as a socio-political and economic force has produced a fundamental shift in the way that institutions of higher education have defined and justified their institutional existence. This shift has had a profound and varied impact on a whole host of ways that post-secondary institutions function; how they are governed, financed, regulated, and evaluated. The purpose of this course is three-fold: 1) To provide an overview of the various models of organization and systems of governance that have existed within institutions of higher education and how these models have been altered during the neoliberal era, as well as an analysis of the philosophical and theoretical bases of these systems and practices. 2) To examine legal issues relevant to American colleges and universities in order to provide students with the fundamental knowledge of higher education laws and how these laws impact and shape post-secondary education within the neoliberal era. And, 3) to investigate the economic circumstances of higher education within the neoliberal era: the defunding of public higher education, the corporatization of management and de-centralizing of the faculty, the rise of for-profit post-secondary education, vocationalization of curriculum, the rising cost of tuition, and the resulting rise of student indebtedness. A culminating goal of this course will be to not only understand these three aspects of higher education as separate and distinct, but to consider how they interweave to influence and shape the culture and socio-political purposes of higher education.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 708 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Summer and Winter.

EDD 709. Higher Education Administration, Governance, and Leadership. 3 Credits.

This survey class examines issues and topics related to the administration and governance of post-secondary institutions, primarily within a U.S. context. The content and assignments are designed to broadly engage two questions: Who/what holds power and shapes current understandings and operations within post-secondary systems and organizations, and what/how can high education professionals and groups co-construct change and progress? This course is intended to help participants develop ways of thinking about societal dynamics, organizational principles, and leadership approaches, and apply them to policy-making and administrative issues in colleges and universities. The course readings and assignments have been designed with two audiences in mind: education administrative and faculty leaders, and students studying to become mid- to upper-level administrators, leaders, and policy-makers. During this course, students and instructors will employ an issue-oriented approach to examine leadership, governance, and administration in higher education. Through case studies from different institutional perspectives, student will address "real world" problems facing campus administrators in various institutional contexts. In addressing these problems, students will examine theories and strategies of higher education planning, decision-making, organizational culture, and leadership.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 709 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 710. Critical Perspectives on Race in Higher Education. 3 Credits.

This course introduces and engages with a range of understandings of race and racialization in post-secondary education settings, scholarship, and processes, with a focus on the United States as the geographic context. Thus, students review theories of racial formation, decolonization, and critical race theory in education. Throughout, notable studies from higher education scholarship are presented as weekly readings, and in some cases, these span into the disciplines of sociology and law. This course is not meant to be a thorough encapsulation of the scholarship on race in post-secondary education, but rather, aims to familiarize students with core concepts in contemporary usage and present thresholds for further independent inquiry. Post-secondary education leaders must also be conversant with these theories and engage in deep self- and system-reflection.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 710 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring & Summer.

EDD 720. Educational Research Design and Measurement. 3 Credits.

This course provides individuals the opportunity to master basic competencies in understanding and evaluating educational research as well as planning and conducting original research. The course provides a framework for evaluating existing research including quantitative and qualitative research methods, research designs, sample selection, data collection, experimental research, and data analysis.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 720 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 721. Educational Statistics. 3 Credits.

This course introduces statistical theories and techniques commonly used by Education professionals in data analysis and program evaluation. Topics include major statistical techniques and the fundamentals of quantitative analysis. Included will be an introduction to frequently used Nonparametrics.

EDD 722. Qualitative Methods for Educational Researchers. 3 Credits.

This course examines important theories and practices in planning and designing qualitative research in educational environments. Students will develop proper qualitative techniques for implementing educational leadership practices, school policies, administrative actions and evaluation within diverse settings. Topics include action research, narrative, case studies, interviewing, focus groups, participant observations, ethnography, and evaluation of qualitative research.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 722 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 723. Quantitative Methods for Educational Researchers. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on advanced quantitative methods commonly used by Education professionals in data analysis and program evaluation. Topics include the Scientific Method, variations on Experimental Design, variations on Correlational Design, and the use of statistical inference, advanced statistical techniques such as multivariate regression, regression with limited dependent variables, time-series analysis, and nonparametric statistics. The practice and use of these statistical tools will be applied to the development of authentic research problems.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 723 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 724. Mixed Methods for Educational Researchers. 3 Credits.

This course is a doctoral-level introduction to mixed methods research methodology. As a methods course, its focus is on the design and implementation of research that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. The course will include discussions about the most effective ways to integrate qualitative and quantitative data and critiques of published mixed methods research. Additionally, students will review the philosophical foundations of qualitative and quantitative paradigms so as to better understand the appropriate use of each, as well as to effectively avoid pitfalls common to mixed methods designs. Analysis of specific conceptual frameworks will provide basic practice in designing and executing mixed methods research in the field of education.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 724 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 750. Strategic and Cultural Leadership. 3 Credits.

This course examines the skills required of school systems leaders and prepares them to enact these skills within the contemporary political, social, economic and cultural context in which an educational system operates. The course requires individuals to practice these strategic and cultural leadership skills and reflect on their impact. Self-directed learning prepares students to "systematically and collaboratively develop a positive district culture to promote continuous student growth and staff development as well as gain experience with articulating and modeling a clear vision of the district's culture that involves students, families, and staff" (adapted from the "Framework for Leadership," Pennsylvania Department of Education). The course serves as one of the four courses that satisfy the requirements of Pennsylvania's Letter of Eligibility certification.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 750 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 751. Systems Leadership. 3 Credits.

This course examines the skills required of school systems leaders and prepares them to enact these skills within the contemporary political, social, economic and cultural context in which an educational system operates. The course requires individuals to practices these systems-based administrative skills and reflect on their impact. Self-directed learning prepares students to interact with the district's "processes and systems in place for budgeting, staffing, problem-solving, communicating expectations and scheduling that result in organizing the work of a school district as well as the skills needed to efficiently, effectively, and safely manage a school district to foster staff accountability and student achievement" (adapted from "Framework for Leadership," Pennsylvania Department of Education). The course serves as one of the four courses that satisfy the requirements of Pennsylvania's Letter of Eligibility certification.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 751 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 752. Leadership for Learning. 3 Credits.

This course examines the skills required of school systems leaders and prepares them to enact these skills within the contemporary political, social, economic and cultural context in which an educational system operates. The course requires individuals to practice these leadership skills and reflect on their impact. Self-directed learning gives students practice in addressing the "linkage of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and data on student learning and teacher effectiveness based on research and best practices" (adapted from "Framework for Leadership," Pennsylvania Department of Education). The course serves as one of the four courses that satisfy the requirements of Pennsylvania's Letter of Eligibility certification.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 752 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 753. Professional and Community Leadership. 3 Credits.

This course examines the skills required of school systems leaders and prepares them to enact these skills within the contemporary political, social, economic and cultural context in which an educational system operates. The course requires individuals to use self-directed learning experiences to practice skills that promote "the success of all students, the positive interactions among building stakeholders, the professional growth of staff by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner" ("Framework for Leadership," Pennsylvania Department of Education). The course serves as one of the four courses that satisfy the requirements of superintendent preparation programs and the Letter of Eligibility certification.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 753 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 799. Special Topics in Higher Education Administration. 3 Credits.

This course is special topics seminar or independent study on selected Higher Education Administration topics and issues. The course will include assignments, readings, and discussions that examine one or more contemporary Higher Education Administration issues not available in the existing program.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter.
Repeatable for Credit.

EDD 800. Pre-Dissertation Seminar. 3 Credits.

This course provides individuals the opportunity to master basic writing and research competencies needed to be prepared to successfully participate in the dissertation writing process. In particular, this course focuses on ethical and legal responsibilities in social science research, the genre of dissertation writing, human subjects review, preparing for comprehensive exams, and strategies for balancing work and life during the dissertation process.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 800 requires a prerequisite of successful completion of all Ed.D. core and research coursework.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Summer.

EDD 801. Education Research Experience I: Research Questions/ Literature Review. 3 Credits.

The Ed.D. Research Seminar is a series of four courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research project. Education Research Seminar I is designed to guide and support students in the identification of a research topic, the development of the research question(s), and the investigation of relevant professional literature to be used to inform their work as education researchers.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 801 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 802. Education Research Experience II: Instrumentation and Data Collection. 3 Credits.

The Ed.D. Research Seminar is a series of four courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research project. Education Research Seminar II is designed to guide and support students in the development of an appropriate research design (selection of participants, data collection planning, instrumentation), following from the development of the students' research and the investigation of relevant professional literature and in the collection of data period.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 802 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Fall.

EDD 803. Education Research Experience III: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis. 3 Credits.

The Ed.D. Research Seminar is a series of four courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research project. Education Research Seminar III is designed to guide and support students in the identification of and use of appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis methodologies following data collection.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 803 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.

EDD 804. Education Research Experience IV: Findings and Conclusions. 3 Credits.

The Ed.D. Research Seminar is a series of four courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research project. Education Research Seminar IV is designed to guide and support students in formulating findings and conclusions and identifying implications/recommendations/action planning for their setting or other educational settings.
Pre / Co requisites: EDD 804 requires a prerequisite of majors only.
Distance education offering may be available.
Typically offered in Spring.