Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D.
Admission Requirements
Acceptance into the Program
The decision to admit an applicant to doctoral work constitutes a significant commitment from the faculty of the department in the form of advising, teaching, chairing or serving on the student’s committee, supporting portfolio opportunities, and guiding the successful completion of the dissertation. Admission to the doctoral program consists of multiple stages and the collective judgment of program faculty regarding the likelihood of applicant success across all phases of the degree program. These judgments take into account the applicant’s academic achievements, professional experiences, oral and written communication, and other related capabilities. An applicant is not automatically admitted on the basis of meeting the minimum criteria.
An applicant must have earned at least a master’s degree from an accepted, accredited institution in Curriculum and Instruction (CI), Educational Leadership, or a related field. A minimum graduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to be considered for admission. The CI doctoral program may admit applicants conditionally at the program's discretion, when an applicant is currently enrolled in a required degree that will be completed prior to enrollment in CI doctoral courses (if all other admission criteria are met). Final, official degree transcripts must be received by the Marshall University (MU) Graduate Admissions Office before enrolling. The CI doctoral program does not offer provisional admission. Details of all admission requirements and other pertinent information can be found on the CI doctoral program website at www.marshall.edu/ciedd.
Application and Admission Dates
The CI doctoral program utilizes a selective and competitive admission process that provides the opportunity for individuals to apply to the program year-round. Application deadlines for upcoming semesters are available on the CI doctoral program website included above. The program may offer a waitlist option, at its sole discretion, for select admission terms, depending on applicant qualifications and available space in the program. Please refer to the outline of admission requirements that follows.
Submission of the Application, Transcripts, Goal Statement, and Resume/Curriculum Vitae to the Marshall University Graduate Admissions Office
Application: The “Marshall University Graduate Application for Admission” must be completed and submitted. The online application is available at https://www.marshall.edu/admissions/graduate/. Apply to the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Curriculum and Instruction (Code: GEKO) as a Distance-Only Graduate Student.
Transcripts: Applicants must request that official transcripts, for all completed undergraduate and graduate degree programs, be sent by the degree-granting institution(s) to the MU Graduate Admissions Office.
Goal Statement: Applicants must develop an original goal statement that is written as an essay (500-750 words) that addresses the following topics and program goals:
- professional experiences that provide a basis for the applicant’s contributions to the program;
- role of the Ed.D. in the applicant’s professional growth plan;
- personal strengths that will contribute to the applicant’s success in the Ed.D. program; and
- further information the applicant deems relevant to the admissions process and decision.
Resume or Curriculum Vitae: Applicants must provide a current resume or curriculum vitae that includes educational and professional experience, and may also include, but is not limited to, prior or current experience in areas such as:
- Academic service: educator, peer mentor, team leader, program coordinator, curriculum development team member or leader, etc.
- Scholarly and/or research endeavors: thesis publication, researcher, publication in a refereed journal, presenter or similar role, program/grant reviewer, etc.
- Academic honors and/or awards: National Board Certification, teacher of the year, recipient of other awards or honors, etc.
- Other: certifications, grant awards, etc.
Once these items are received, all application materials submitted up to this point (application, transcripts, goal statement, and resume/CV) will be forwarded from the Graduate Admissions Office to the CI Ed.D. Admissions Committee for review.
Completion of the Writing Prompt Assessment and Participation in an Interview
The CI Ed.D. Admissions Committee will invite the most qualified applicants to complete a scheduled electronic writing prompt assessment (at no additional cost to the applicant) and to participate in a virtual interview with program faculty.
Writing Prompt Assessment: Applicants will respond to a timed, online writing prompt that will be evaluated by the CI Ed.D. Admissions Committee. The online writing prompt will be evaluated using a rubric based on content quality, organization, evidence/examples, and mechanics.
Interview: Applicants will participate in a virtual interview with program faculty. Interviews are guided by a prepared set of questions designed to further gauge an applicant’s readiness for doctoral studies. The interview also provides applicants the opportunity to meet program faculty and ask questions to learn more about the program. Being invited to the interview does not guarantee admission to the program.
The CI Ed.D. Admissions Committee will make final recommendations regarding admission and applicants will be notified as soon as possible.
Program Requirements
In addition to Marshall University's standards for good standing at the graduate level, candidates admitted to this Ed.D. Program must adhere to all policies and procedures outlined in the Curriculum & Instruction Ed.D. Handbook, including the expectations listed below:
- Attend and participate in the annual, virtual Doctoral Candidate/Faculty Seminar and other activities scheduled for doctoral candidates.
- Identify a chairperson and work with the chairperson to identify committee members no later than the end of the fourth semester of enrollment.
- Meet at least once a semester with the advisor or chairperson to discuss plan of study progress, course registration, portfolio progress, and/or dissertation progress.
- Maintain continuous enrollment in the program from admission and first term of enrollment through graduation. Continuous enrollment and exceptions are defined in the handbook.
- Maintain a GPA of 3.25 in the doctoral program. Courses with a grade of "C" or below will not count toward the doctoral degree.
- Use the university-assigned resources (including email, distance learning, and virtual learning platforms) and regularly check for related program and course-related communications.
- Become involved in teaching, course development, research, publications and/or presentations with Marshall University faculty members to gain experience and meet portfolio requirements.
- Complete all dissertation requirements within three years of portfolio completion and admission to candidacy.
- Participate in hooding and commencement ceremonies upon completion of the degree.
Dismissal from the Program: If the candidate fails to maintain continuous enrollment or fails to show progress toward completion of the dissertation, and if the candidate has already utilized the inactive status request, the candidate may be subject to dismissal from the program.
- The candidate will be notified by registered mail of dismissal from the program and given the opportunity of due process as defined by the Marshall University Graduate Catalog in writing.
- The candidate will meet with the chair to defend continuation in the program.
- If the appeal is granted, the candidate must submit in writing a plan to complete the program in a reasonable time.
- If the appeal is denied, the candidate will be dismissed from the program. A hold will be placed on the candidate's ability to register for classes.
Plan of Study
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (21 hours) | ||
| CI 701 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| CI 702 | Curriculum Theories | 3 |
| CI 703 | Theory Models & Res. of Teach | 3 |
| CI 704 | Soc Cult Pol Determ Curr | 3 |
| CIEC 700 | Technology and Curriculum | 3 |
| CI 627 | Program Plan and Evaluation | 3 |
| CI 735 | Policy Studies | 3 |
| Area of Emphasis (9 hours) | ||
| Committee -approved Area of Emphasis course | 3 | |
| Committee -approved Area of Emphasis course | 3 | |
| Committee -approved Area of Emphasis course | 3 | |
| Research and Support Courses (27 hours) | ||
| EDF 703 | Research Design | 3 |
| EDF 676 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| EDF 625 | Qualitative Research Educ | 3 |
| CI 677 | Writing Publicatn Prof Ed | 3 |
| EDF 711 | Survey Research in Education | 3 |
| EDF 725 | Adv Qualitative Research | 3 |
| or EDF 776 | Comp Analysis in Doctoral Res | |
| CI 797 | Curr & Inst Dissertation Res (Complete a total of 9 Credit Hours) | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours | 57 | |