Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Curriculum & Instruction Doctoral
What You Learn
This program is for potential and practicing educational leaders who aspire to develop and refine their instructional leadership skills at the site or district level.
The Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction will prepare learners to become instructional leaders, who will create and strategically manage processes related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Students will deepen their knowledge and understanding of educational practices and acquire tools needed to provide professional leadership in curriculum, teacher education, program evaluation, family and community engagement, and professional learning in the schools.
How You Learn
The Ed.D. program is offered through an integrated curriculum. Each semester, including fall, spring, and summer, candidates complete 6 or 12 credit hours of coursework. In most semesters, candidates take one course; however, in one semester, they take two courses. During the coursework phase, candidates also complete a 1-credit-hour dissertation seminar each semester. These seminars support candidates as they develop and refine their dissertation proposal. After completing the coursework sequence, candidates enroll in 3 credit hours of dissertation coursework each semester until the dissertation is complete. The program can be completed in as little as three years, though completion time may vary.
Hybrid Format: The program is offered in a hybrid format that includes face-to-face weekend sessions (three per semester,) along with additional synchronous and asynchronous coursework. Weekend sessions meet on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, students will have earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum & Instruction. They will be eligible for D level licensure as an Instructional Specialist after attaining a passing score on the appropriate PRAXIS exam. Students completing the program typically work as Curriculum or Instructional Leaders within classrooms or districts, as mentors/coaches for colleagues, and/or as instructors at the collegiate level.
Gardner-Webb University also offers an EdS degree program for candidates who complete all EDCI coursework, and wish to graduate from Gardner-Webb without completing a dissertation. The EdS degree may support candidates who have determined the dissertation is no longer a necessary step in pursuing their professional goals and allows for recognition of the advanced coursework completed in the program.
Prerequisites
Applicants must hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. A minimum of three years of professional experience is preferred. A valid teaching license is required. Applicants without a teaching license must submit a letter verifying equivalent teaching experience as part of the application.
Degree Requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
| First Semester | ||
EDCI 730 | Organizational Theory and Needs Assessment | 6 |
EDDS 731 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Second Semester | ||
EDCI 732 | Issues and Models in Curriculum | 6 |
EDDS 733 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Third Semester | ||
EDCI 734 | Reform and Change Theory | 6 |
EDDS 735 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| EDDS 760 EDDS 762 | Qualitative Methods and Program Evaluation Quantitative and Mixed Methods | 12 |
| EDDS 737 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Fifth Semester | ||
EDCI 738 | Curriculum Assessment and Evaluation | 6 |
| EDDS 739 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Sixth Semester | ||
EDCI 740 | Instructional Leadership | 12 |
| EDDS 741 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Seventh Semester | ||
| EDDS 742 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Eighth Semester | ||
| EDDS 743 | Dissertation (until complete) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 60 | |
Please Note:
Students will be enrolled in EDUC EDDS 743 Dissertation Continuation for (3 credit hours) until dissertation is complete
Request Info
What Teachers Are Saying
