Coursework & Dissertation

Coursework Completion

You’ll complete your Ed.D. coursework in two years — 12 credits per semester — to form the academic foundation needed to proceed into your individual research and dissertation.

For those in the Principal Residency Network (PRN), you can expect to complete your coursework in three years, with your dissertation in the fourth year. After successful coursework completion, the university awards the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) and students complete the Comprehensive Assessment.

Upon passing the assessment, candidates for the degree are assigned a major advisor, officially beginning the dissertation of the Ed.D. program in Year Three. With strong advisement and ongoing support from a committee of experts, the majority of candidates will complete the dissertation in the third academic year.

Those needing additional time will move into the extended advisement phase until such time as they are ready to complete. Note that there is a six-year limit to complete, dating from the start of initial coursework in the program.

Dissertation

As part of JWU’s Ed.D. program, you will be required to submit a dissertation that demonstrates you have acquired the technical and professional competencies associated with educational leadership and the ability to conduct research.

In keeping with the mission and conceptual framework of the Educational Leadership program, students are strongly encouraged to develop a dissertation on a significant topic or challenge in PK-12 and/or a lifelong learning setting that can be resolved effectively.

Doctoral Dissertation I and II

Upon completion of the coursework, students are required to register for Doctoral Dissertation I (EDUC9005) in the fall and Doctoral Dissertation II (EDUC9010) in the spring to support the dissertation development. With the guidance of faculty, students will submit a dissertation proposal.

Detailed procedures and expectations for the entire research/defense phase of the program appear in the Educational Leadership Program Guide and the Dissertation Handbook. The proposal undergoes a rigorous review by the major advisor/committee, external reviewer, and, if needed, the Institutional Research Board before moving into the data collection phase of the dissertation work.