Educational Leadership, EdD Admission Requirements
- A graduate application, including personal statements.
- A master’s degree in education from an accredited institution with a recommended GPA of 3.5 or better.
- One official transcript from each college, university or professional school attended.Transfer credits included on a transcript must include grades earned; if not, an official transcript from the original school must be submitted. Transcripts must be sent from the issuing school in a sealed envelope, or electronically via a password-encoded email from the sending institution and contain the appropriate signatures and seals to be considered official.
- Successful completion of coursework related/similar to any of the following areas (at the master’s level, unless otherwise approved by the program director): Educational Research, Psychology, Sociology, Human Relations, Education, Social Justice, Diversity or Inclusive Practices.
- A minimum of three letters of recommendation from individuals in a position to evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study and/or field-related work experience, including at least one from a professor familiar with the student’s writing skills and level of critical thinking.
- A minimum of five years of experience working as an educational leader if PK-12 administrative certification is desired (e.g., school/district-level administrator, mentor, teacher, educational organization leader).
- A current résumé.
- An interview with the Admissions Committee, if deemed necessary/beneficial by the Admissions Committee after the initial review of the application.
- In exceptional cases, after reviewing an applicant’s academic record, the Director may request GRE or MAT scores if needed.
- International applicants should visit www.arcadia.edu/international for detailed information on admissions requirements and application procedures. Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language except for non-native speakers of English who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.) A course-by-course evaluation of all transcripts by an independent evaluation service based in the United States also is required.
Application Deadline
Because of the doctoral program’s cohort model, all students who enter in a given year begin the program together in the fall semester. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the cohort for that fall reaches capacity.
Deferred Admission
An accepted student who wants to defer his or her admission for one year must submit a request to do so in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Program Coordinator. Deferments will be granted by the Department on an individual basis. Once a deferral is granted, the student must submit the required deposit to reserve his or her position in the cohort. This deposit will be credited toward tuition. A student who is granted a deferment must understand that he or she will be subject to the prevailing tuition at the time of matriculation to the program.
Academic Policies and Procedures
Continuous Enrollment: Students must be enrolled continuously in the Ed. D. program. In case of a personal emergency, a student may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for a leave of absence; however, this is not guaranteed.
Readmission: A student who has withdrawn from a graduate program for personal reasons, (that is, other than a dismissal for academic or ethical reasons) may reapply within one year of that withdrawal by sending a letter requesting reinstatement to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Dean forwards that request to the appropriate departmental admissions committee, which will communicate its decision to the student. In some cases, a student may be asked to submit materials updating the original application. If the withdrawal was granted contingent upon some action(s) on the part of the student, the student also will be required to demonstrate that the recommended steps have been taken. If more than one year has elapsed, a completely new application must be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Management.
Time Limits: Students enrolled in the cohort program must complete coursework within five years of receiving candidacy. Dissertation must be completed within five years after the completion of coursework.
Program Continuation: Students who are not making appropriate progress will be counseled out of the program at the end of a given year of coursework. Students who engage in any other activity that would support a reason for dismissal (cheating, plagiarism) may be asked to leave immediately or at the end of the semester. Continuance in the program for those with under a 3.0 GPA will be conditional for the next semester provided their grade point average improves to at least that level during that time.
