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Ph.D. - Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership - Curriculum & Educational Leadership

Do you want to help prepare schools and students to better meet the needs of the 21st century? The Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, & Leadership with a concentration in Curriculum & Educational Leadership prepares specialists, leaders, and researchers with expert knowledge in curriculum development, learning design, and K-12 school and division leadership. Drawing from disciplines of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, socio-cultural perspectives, and policy, the doctorate in Curriculum & Educational Leadership will equip you with the knowledge and skills to successfully meet the challenges facing K-12 education today and in the future. Throughout the program, real-world experiences allow students to study at the intersection of theory and practice.

The Curriculum & Educational Leadership concentration is designed for teachers and other educational professionals seeking leadership and teaching roles in academic and professional settings. Scholarly inquiry is integrated into coursework and drives each doctoral candidate’s independent dissertation. Throughout the program, participation in the community of scholars through on-campus co-curricular opportunities, faculty-directed research projects, and professional conferences is strongly promoted.

Course of Study

Doctoral students in the Curriculum & Educational Leadership program complete a 69-semester hour program, including a 9-credit dissertation. Dissertation topics are typically derived from an identified problem of practice, involve rigorous research methodology, and ultimately aim to contribute to the field of practice and the body of scholarly knowledge.

Prior to undertaking their dissertations, students complete coursework in four areas: 

  • Educational leadership
  • Research design and methods
  • Concentration courses in curriculum leadership and leadership across selected educational dimensions
  • Cognate courses leading to individualized specialization, cognate designed in conjunction with their academic advisor) 

See the Ph.D. EPPL - Curriculum & Educational Leadership Program of Studies for more details. 

Watch the webinar to learn more!

Curriculum & Educational Leadership Program Contact

[[crgare,Chris Gareis]]
Professor of Education
(757) 221-2319

Download Program Fast Facts (PDF)