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
An Ed.D. program with an integrated curriculum will be offered. Each semester (fall, spring, and summer) students will take one course consisting of six or twelve credit hours and a 1-credit-hour seminar focused on their dissertation. Once these courses are complete, two semesters (6 hours and 3 hours) of dissertation conclude the program. All degree evidences are evaluated and stored in an electronic portfolio.
Low Residency Blended Format: The program is offered in a face-to-face weekend format three weekends per semester on Saturday (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) with additional work done online and by virtual communication. During the summer sessions, the timing and format of the sessions may include weekdays and will also include attendance at a summer conference held on the campus of Gardner-Webb University.
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 offers an EdS degree program for candidates who complete all EDCI coursework, and wish to graduate from Gardner-Webb without completing a dissertation. This 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
Students in the Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction program must hold at least a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 grade point average on all graduate-level work. A minimum of 3 years of experience is preferred and a teacher’s license is required. Applicants without a teaching license must provide a letter stating their teaching experience.
Degree Requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
| First Semester | ||
EDCI 730 | Theory Development | 6 |
EDUC 731 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Second Semester | ||
EDCI 732 | Issues and Models in Curriculum | 6 |
EDUC 733 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Third Semester | ||
EDCI 734 | Reform and Change | 6 |
EDUC 735 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Fourth Semester | ||
EDCI 736 | Research Design and Methods | 12 |
EDUC 737 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Fifth Semester | ||
EDCI 738 | Curriculum Assessment and Evaluation | 6 |
EDUC 739 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Sixth Semester | ||
EDCI 740 | Instructional Leadership | 12 |
EDUC 741 | Dissertation Seminar | 1 |
| Seventh Semester | ||
EDUC 742 | Dissertation | 6 |
| Eighth Semester | ||
EDUC 743 | Dissertation (until complete) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 63 | |
Please Note:
Students will be enrolled in EDUC 743 Dissertation Continuation for 3 credit hours until dissertation is complete.
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