Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D.
Program of Study
The Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction will be delivered in a lock-step cohort model, on the Athens and Demorest campuses of Piedmont College and may include synchronous interactive video. Candidates will complete coursework on a schedule which is designed to provide optimum learning opportunities. Program completion is dependent on meeting all dissertation requirements.
Candidates for the doctoral program must complete a minimum of 73 hours beyond the master’s degree. The program is divided into three areas. Area I courses form the foundation on which the doctoral program is built. Area II courses provide an in depth and advanced look at the areas affecting P-12 schools while preparing the candidate to do advanced graduate research. Area III supports the candidate throughout the dissertation process. The curriculum for the Ed.D. program is designed to promote depth and breadth to the study of curriculum and instruction while promoting teacher leadership and school improvement. Candidates explore major areas of concern in the contemporary school as well as historical issues affecting schools today.
Area I (30 hours)
Either an Education Specialist (EdS) degree from Piedmont College or an Education Specialist (EdS) degree or thirty (30) credits beyond the master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction or related field from an accredited college or university. A transcript analysis will be conducted by the program director and an individual program of studies will be developed.
Area II Courses (31 hours)
| EDD 8831 | Trends and Issues in Curriculum Leadership | 3 |
| EDD 8830 | Philosophical Views in Education | 3 |
| EDD 8847 | Advanced Studies in Learning and Cognition | 3 |
| EDD 8841 | Advanced Study of Differentiated Instruction: A Paradigm for Embracing Student Diversity | 3 |
| EDD 8855 | Reading and Writing at the Doctoral Level | 3 |
| EDD 8856 | Collaborative Communities: Innovative Teaching and Learning in a Multicultural Environment | 3 |
| EDD 8862 | Educational Law, Ethics, and Policy | 3 |
| EDD 8870 | Program Design and Evaluation | 3 |
| EDD 8875 | Preparing for Admission to Candidacy and Understanding the Purpose of a Literature Review | 1 |
| EDD 8899 | Quantitative Research and Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| EDD 9900 | Qualitative Research and Analysis in Education | 3 |
Area III Courses
| EDD 9901 | Dissertation Applied Research I | 3 |
| EDD 9902 | Dissertation: Individual Support for Scholarly Writing I | 1 |
| EDD 9903 | Dissertation: Individual Support for Completing the Research Plan | 1 |
| EDD 9904 | Dissertation Applied Research II | 3 |
| EDD 9905 | Dissertation: Individual Support for Scholarly Writing II | 1 |
| EDD 9906 | Dissertation: Individual Support for Prospectus Preparation and Continued Research | 1 |
| EDD 9907 | Dissertation Applied Research IIIA | 1 |
| EDD 9917 | Dissertation Applied Research IIIB | 1 |
| EDD 9927 | Dissertation Applied Research IIIC | 1 |
| EDD 9908 | Dissertation | 1 |
In addition to the coursework outlined above, candidates will also complete the following requirements to earn the Ed.D. degree:
- Completed application for graduation
- Documentation of meeting Doctoral Candidate Learning Outcomes (DCLOs), and, the DCLO Interactive Display requirements
- Comprehensive Examination
- Admission to Candidacy
- Residency Requirements
- Dissertation Prospectus Defense with Human Subjects Review of Research Plan
- Dissertation Research and Defense
- Submission of final dissertation document to the library for publication
Interactive Learning Artifact Display
Doctoral candidates are required to demonstrate mastery of the Doctoral Candidate Learning Outcomes (DCLOs). The Interactive Learning Artifact Display allows candidates to share knowledge gleaned from coursework, faculty, other Piedmont students, and their own research. An exhibition/poster synthesis of their learning provides candidates with an avenue to guide other educators in best practice; connecting theory to practice; modelling knowledge, skills, and dispositions; and to motivating others to action. This culminating event occurs at the end of Area II coursework and is scheduled with the Director of Doctoral Studies in conjunction with the major professors in the program. Faculty, community members, the candidate’s colleagues, and Piedmont students are invited to attend the event.
Committee Structure
During the last semester of Area II coursework, each doctoral student will select a committee chair who is a faculty member of the Piedmont College School of Education. Once the chair is confirmed and the student enters Area III, they work together to select at least two other committee members to make up the committee (one must be Piedmont faculty, the other Piedmont faculty or a person with a terminal degree approved by the Director of Doctoral Studies). Members other than Piedmont faculty must submit a current vita (unless already on file). The proposed committee membership should be submitted on the “Doctoral Committee for Doctorate of Education Candidate” form to the Director of Doctoral Studies for final approval.
The doctoral committee, in consultation with the candidate and research director, is charged with advising the candidate on the required research skills, guiding the dissertation research, and approving the dissertation prospectus and the final dissertation defense.
Field Experience:
A minimum of 20 hours field experience in all levels of P-12 environments is required. These experiences will be aligned with course requirements and documented on a field experience documentation form.
Comprehensive Examinations (COMPS)
Candidates will complete comprehensive examinations after completing Area I and Area II coursework. The COMPS are designed as a multiple choice examination covering salient content from all courses in Area II. Candidates must pass COMPS before entering Area III.Candidates may retake the examination only one time. If the candidate fails the examination the second time, he/she must schedule a meeting with the Director of Doctoral Studies.
Admission to Candidacy
The Admission to Candidacy examination requires a student to write a scholarly paper prior to entering Area III. This examination is designed to assess the student’s ability to synthesize research and to produce a coherent, scholarly, literature review on a topic relevant to his or her research interests. The Admission to Candidacy Committee reviews each student’s paper and evaluates the quality of the submission. The committee determines the student’s readiness for candidacy and his or her potential for writing a dissertation. The committee assigns a pass, pass with revisions, or fail assessment. Candidates who receive a pass with revisions or a fail can re-write the paper one time. If the candidate fails Admission to Candidacy, he or she must wait one full year to retake the examination.
Dissertation Prospectus
The dissertation prospectus must be approved by the candidate's doctoral committee. The prospectus typically consists of the first three chapters of the dissertation and is reflective of the candidate’s knowledge of the literature in curriculum and instruction, as well as the literature associated with the dissertation topic. Candidates must present the prospectus in person to the committee in a professional presentation as well as a written format. Candidates will be advised of approval of the prospectus by the committee along with any recommendations.
Dissertation
The Ed.D. culminates in the preparation and defense of a dissertation. The dissertation is prepared under the supervision of the doctoral committee. The committee receives continuous updates and revisions during the process in order to better facilitate communication of the project. When complete, the chair and the candidate will schedule a defense of the dissertation. The defense is heard by the doctoral committee, which must approve both the oral defense and the written dissertation. The academic community is invited to attend the final defense of any doctoral candidate.
Dissertation Editing Fee
All candidates must submit their dissertations for review by a final editor after the completion of the dissertation defense. Candidates are required to complete all suggested changes under the leadership of their doctoral chairs. All candidates may be required to pay a one-time dissertation editing fee prior to completion of the program.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement
Candidates for the Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) are expected to be continuously enrolled through all phases of their program. Full-time study load for students enrolled in Area I and Area II in the Ed. D. program is a minimum of 6 credit hours. Students who have completed Area I and Area II course work and who have successfully passed the comprehensive examination and Admission to Candidacy move to the dissertation phase (Area III). Thereafter, as candidates progress through the dissertation (Area III) phase, they must be enrolled in a minimum of 1 credit hour to be considered full-time doctoral candidates and must maintain regular communication with their doctoral committee chair.
Requests for a leave of absence for extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by case basis and must be made in writing to the Director of Doctoral Studies. Final approval rests with the Dean of the School of Education.