Be a Change Agent in Education
Be the change in your school community by solving the policy and planning issues that confront educational leaders and administrators.
West Chester University's Doctor of Education in Policy, Planning, and Administration program offers a practical, research-based, and clinically- oriented terminal degree that builds on the strong, dynamic programs that West Chester University has offered for more than a century. The program provides professional educators with the skills necessary to identify challenges/questions in their practice and develop research agendas to inform possible solutions and initiatives in a variety of settings.
The EdD at WCU includes two tracks: higher education administration and curriculum and instruction, as well as the opportunity to obtain a graduate certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership (Superintendent Letter of Eligibility) or Principal Leadership to allow you to concentrate on your area or interest and expertise.
WCU’s Doctor of Education program is a 54-credit, cohort-based plan that pairs research with hands-on solutions.
Tracks in WCU’s EdD Program
Curriculum and Instruction Track
This track is designed for educators working in Pre-K-16 education and/or educators who wish to learn more about curriculum and instruction. Courses in the Curriculum and Instruction track assist students in understanding the policy and planning issues that confront educational leaders and administrators today and provide the skills to develop strategies for initiating and implementing change in educational settings.
Higher Education Administration
This track is designed for professionals in higher education settings and/or those who wish to learn more about the higher education environment. Courses in the Higher Education Administration track help students understand the university environment and identify policy/planning issues confronting educational leaders and administrators today. This concentration provides the skills to develop strategies to initiate and implement change, and to manage challenges in higher education.
Benefits of Earning Your Graduate Degree at West Chester University
Flexible Coursework
The Doctor of Education in Policy, Planning, and Administration program was designed with full-time professionals in mind. The program meets in-person, on campus once a week in the evening, allowing our students to balance school, work, and family responsibilities.
Accomplished Faculty and Small Classes
WCU has an outstanding faculty with decades of experience and connections to schools locally and regionally.
Each professor brings their own expertise and interests to the classroom from civility on college campuses and strengths-based leadership to the role of mobile technologies in reading instruction and preparing STEM teachers for urban environments. Our faculty are frequent presenters at home and abroad and have published studies, chapters, and books based on their areas of interest.
At WCU, our small graduate classes mean you’ll receive personalized attention and an individualized program experience with faculty who are deeply committed to providing mentorship and support to each student.
As a member of a cohort-based program, you’ll be surrounded by other educational professionals with years of experience. You will learn as much from each other as you do from faculty and will build a regional support network.
EdD+ Option
WCU is pleased to offer the EdD+ option which allows you to earn a graduate certificate concurrently with your doctoral degree. Students who choose the EdD+ option will earn either a graduate certificate in Principal Leadership or Advanced Educational Leadership (Superintendent Letter of Eligibility) and a doctoral degree in 4 years. Credits for both certificate options are counted toward the overall 54-credits necessary for the EdD. Earning your graduate certificate alongside your EdD will give you more career opportunities and will be a cost savings over earning the credentials separately.
Personalized Career Advising
As a graduate student at WCU, you will have full access to the Twardowski Career Development Center (CDC). The experts at the CDC will help you explore career options, write your résumé, perfect your interviewing skills, and create a job search strategy. The CDC also hosts employment fairs on campus throughout the year.
What Can You Do with a Doctoral Degree in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration?
Our students are policy innovators, administrators, educational leaders, and difference makers. They come to our program to be a positive force in education and gain in-depth understanding of administrative and instructional practices, assessment, and advocacy skills.
Graduates from the program have put their skills to use as classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, education consultants, principals, superintendents, nonprofit and industry leaders, college faculty, and college administrators.
Our program can increase your confidence, leadership opportunities and pay scale, and will provide you with a support network of regional educators.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, postsecondary administrators earn an average of nearly $104,000 each year while instructional coordinators (curriculum developers, supervisors, etc.) earn more than $74,000 and training and development managers can earn more than $120,000 annually.
Our EdD graduates enjoy an excellent rate of employment post-graduation.
What Will You Study as a Student in the Doctor of Education Policy, Planning, and Administration Program?
Our doctoral degree program is a 54-credit, cohort-based model with the option to embed certificates in with Principal Leadership or Advanced Educational Leadership.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Policy, Planning, and Administration - Curriculum and Instruction Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional and Research Core | ||
| EDD 700 | Doctoral Seminar in Educational Studies | 3 |
| EDD 701 | Introduction to Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDD 720 | Educational Research Design and Measurement | 3 |
| EDD 722 | Qualitative Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| EDD 723 | Quantitative Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| EDD 724 | Mixed Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| Curriculum and Instruction Concentration Area | ||
| EDD 702 | Innovation in Curriculum Development and Evaluation | 3 |
| EDD 704 | Political and Legal Trends in Educational Policy | 3 |
| EDD 703 | Critical Issues in Educational Justice | 3 |
| EDD 705 | Critical Issues in Special Education | 3 |
| Focal Area Electives | ||
| 9 credits of graduate-level coursework related to candidate’s area of focus. | 9 | |
| Pre-Dissertation | ||
| EDD 800 | Pre-Dissertation Seminar | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam 1 | ||
| Integrated Dissertation 2 | ||
| EDD 801 | Education Research Experience I: Research Questions/ Literature Review | 3 |
| EDD 802 | Education Research Experience II: Instrumentation and Data Collection | 3 |
| EDD 803 | Education Research Experience III: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis | 3 |
| EDD 804 | Education Research Experience IV: Findings and Conclusions | 3 |
| Total Minimum Credits Required | 54 | |
- 1
Students are required to sit for a comprehensive exam following the satisfactory completion of all courses at the 700-level, courses in the elective focus area, and EDD 800. Students are required to successfully pass the exam before enrolling in EDD 801. Questions are furnished to students in Summer Session 1 and collected in Summer Session 2. Please refer to the Comprehensive Exam policy for additional information.
- 2
The Ed.D. Integrated Dissertation Model is embedded in the entire program. It culminates in a series of five courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research dissertation. Candidates will conduct the project in a setting related to their area of concentration, presumably their current employment setting. The student will enroll in EDD 800-EDD 804 and select a committee who will serve to provide support, feedback, and approvals throughout the Integrated Dissertation. The Integrated Dissertation Advisor will be the instructor of EDD 800-EDD 804 and serve as the chair of the committee. All Ed.D. candidates will, in consultation with their Integrated Dissertation Advisor, solicit participation of committee members to be maintained for the entirety of the Integrated Dissertation EDD 800-EDD 804 (a minimum of two semesters). The committee shall consist of the following: 1 Integrated Dissertation Advisor and 2 WCU faculty members who hold terminal degrees. At least one member of the committee should be designated as the methodologist and have familiarity with the research methods proposed by the candidate. In addition to the three required committee members, candidates have the option to add a fourth committee member who can serve as either a research site advisor or content specialist. They must hold a terminal degree and be approved by the Program Advisor in consultation with the Integrated Dissertation Advisor.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Policy, Planning, and Administration - Higher Education Administration Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional and Research Core | ||
| EDD 700 | Doctoral Seminar in Educational Studies | 3 |
| EDD 701 | Introduction to Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDD 720 | Educational Research Design and Measurement | 3 |
| EDD 722 | Qualitative Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| EDD 723 | Quantitative Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| EDD 724 | Mixed Methods for Educational Researchers | 3 |
| Higher Education Aministration Concentration Area | ||
| EDD 706 | Critical University Studies | 3 |
| EDD 707 | U.S. College Students Today | 3 |
| EDD 709 | Higher Education Administration, Governance, and Leadership | 3 |
| EDD 710 | Critical Perspectives on Race in Higher Education | |
| Focal Area Electives | ||
| 9 credits of graduate-level coursework related to candidate’s area of focus. | 9 | |
| Pre-Dissertation | ||
| EDD 800 | Pre-Dissertation Seminar | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam 1 | ||
| Integrated Dissertation 2 | ||
| EDD 801 | Education Research Experience I: Research Questions/ Literature Review | 3 |
| EDD 802 | Education Research Experience II: Instrumentation and Data Collection | 3 |
| EDD 803 | Education Research Experience III: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis | 3 |
| EDD 804 | Education Research Experience IV: Findings and Conclusions | 3 |
| Total Minimum Credits Required | 54 | |
- 1
Students are required to sit for a comprehensive exam following the satisfactory completion of all courses at the 700-level, courses in the elective focus area, and EDD 800. Students are required to successfully pass the exam before enrolling in EDD 801. Questions are furnished to students in Summer Session 1 and collected in Summer Session 2. Please refer to the Comprehensive Exam policy for additional information.
- 2
The Ed.D. Integrated Dissertation Model is embedded in the entire program. It culminates in a series of five courses whereby students demonstrate mastery of required competencies through the completion of a final culminating independent applied research dissertation. Candidates will conduct the project in a setting related to their area of concentration, presumably their current employment setting. The student will enroll in EDD 800-EDD 804 and select a committee who will serve to provide support, feedback, and approvals throughout the Integrated Dissertation. The Integrated Dissertation Advisor will be the instructor of EDD 800-EDD 804 and serve as the chair of the committee. All Ed.D. candidates will, in consultation with their Integrated Dissertation Advisor, solicit participation of committee members to be maintained for the entirety of the Integrated Dissertation EDD 800-EDD 804 (a minimum of two semesters). The committee shall consist of the following: 1 Integrated Dissertation Advisor and 2 WCU faculty members who hold terminal degrees. At least one member of the committee should be designated as the methodologist and have familiarity with the research methods proposed by the candidate. In addition to the three required committee members, candidates have the option to add a fourth committee member who can serve as either a research site advisor or content specialist. They must hold a terminal degree and be approved by the Program Advisor in consultation with the Integrated Dissertation Advisor.
Get Started on YourEdD in Education Policy, Planning, & Administration
If you’re interested in making a difference in the lives of students, WCU’s Doctor of Education Policy, Planning, and Administration program is for you! Apply today and start changing the world one student at a time.
Apply NowPrograms Related to WCU’s EdD in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration
- Master of Education in Early Childhood
- Master of Education in Secondary Education
- Master of Science in Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs
- Graduate Certificate in Principal Leadership
- Graduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership
- Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs
- Teacher Leadership Certificate
- Certificate in Literacy
