Teacher Education: Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Program Description

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Education with an emphasis in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Secondary Education (with further specializations in Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, English Language Arts Education, or Science Education) prioritizes a practitioner focus in doctoral studies.

The purpose of the Ed.D. is to enhance the practice of classroom teachers, local curriculum specialists and other professionals actively involved in classroom instruction, supervision or professional development in the various areas of emphasis. This may be achieved through advanced courses in educational foundations, inquiry, analysis and evaluation methods for problems of practice, and a self-determined area of study.

Designed to be completed over a three-year period, the Ed.D. requires 48 semester hours of post-master's coursework.

The School of Education at the University of Mississippi is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), a consortium of over 80 colleges and schools of education which have committed resources to work together to advance the understanding of the contemporary doctorate in education.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Education must meet the following requirements:

• A Master’s degree in a related field area with a 3.0 GPA minimum from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university.
• Full or Part-time employment in the field of education
• A completed online Graduate School application which includes:
• Official transcripts
• GRE scores (less than five years old with verbal, quantitative, and writing component sub-scores)
• 3 years teaching or relevant experience (letter from employer on letterhead)
• Hold or be eligible to hold a valid teaching license in the content or related area
• Two letters of recommendation signed by the recommender. Letters of recommendation should speak to the applicant's competency to conduct rigorous, scholarly work as well as the applicant's impact on his or her professional practice.
• A personal statement (not to exceed 750 words) including responses to the following:
• Describe a significant Problem of Practice relevant to your current context of professional practice.
• Why is this problem important?
• Discuss the potential underlying causes.
• Discuss the ways in which this problem aligns with your chosen area of specialization.
• Interview with doctoral admissions committee.

Application deadline:

• The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Education with emphasis in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, or Secondary Education (with further specializations in Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, English Language Arts Education, or Science Education) has a Priority Admission Deadline of March 1st and a final Deadline of June 1st (with no guarantee of openings in this cycle).

See the Graduate Handbook for information on completing the application process.

Online/Regional Campus Options

The Ed.D. is a residency program on the Oxford Campus. Residency options at other UM campuses are possible based on demand and strength of applicant pool.

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