Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction: P-12 Disciplinary Concentration

About this field

The Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: P-12 Disciplinary Concentration degree offers an engaging and flexible educational model designed to fit the busy schedules of working professional educators in a variety of instructional fields. Our innovative program provides practical opportunities for students to relate theoretical foundations to curricular and instructional issues facing schools and other educational systems. You will enjoy learning from our quality faculty whose real-world experience and knowledge has been acquired through many years learning, researching, and working in the domains of our field. Our program delivery includes online and hybrid options. Additionally, 2 required one-day doctoral seminars are held on a Saturday in Valdosta, GA in June at the beginning of year one and beginning of year 2. Electives will vary in delivery format based on your approved selections, and they must align with your declared disciplinary concentration.

Advantages of this program are:

• Approved by the GaPSC as an advanced program, which will lead to a certificate upgrade but will add no new field to your certificate.
• Students holding a valid GaPSC Standard Professional certificate (or higher) qualify for the Alternate Level 6 Certification Option upon successful completion of 36 credit hours and an approved portfolio.
• Students holding a valid GaPSC Standard Professional certificate (or higher) qualify for a Level 7 Certification upon successful degree completion.
• No GACE exam required
• Available concentrations include:

Art	Architectural Drawing / Design	Behavioral Sciences
Business Ed.	Curriculum & Instruction	Elementary Education
English	ESOL	Gifted
Health & Physical ED	History	Instructional Technology
Mathematics	Media specialist	Middle Grades Fields
Music	Political Science	Reading
Science	Spanish	SP ED Adapted Curriculum
SP ED General Curriculum	Speech	Trade and Industrial Fields

 

Cost and Length of Program

The prescribed Ed.D. C&I course sequence will allow you to complete the coursework phase of the program within 30 months. The dissertation process varies in length from student-to-student due to unique nature of each dissertation, but students regularly complete the dissertation phase within 30 months. Costs will also vary by student because we allow transfer credit for up 2 qualified courses. Based on completing 46 course hours and 9 dissertation hours, the cost of the program is *$20,500 including standard University fees. We encourage you to compare our cost with any other institution. We think you will be pleasantly surprised to see what a great value VSU is.

*Estimated cost computed based on Fall 2019 rates.

Please follow this link to a document that lists the required courses and their descriptions in the recommended sequence.

Admissions Requirements

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to ensure receipt of documents. Please allow at least 7-10 days for delivery by mail.

IMPORTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION

Completed applications are reviewed by a doctoral admissions committee comprised of departmental faculty.  Admissions decisions are based on composite scoring of qualitative and quantitative factors including the academic writing sample, recommendations, professional activities/achievements, prior grades, and test scores.  Many factors influence admissions decisions including qualifications of other applicants and space available in the program.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

International applicants must meet all admission criteria and documentation requirements as defined by the program, however, additional documentation may be required. Please review the information below for specific information and guidelines.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Exam or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Applicants whose first language is not English (based on country of citizenship) must submit official scores on the TOEFL exam or IELTS exam. International applicants whose first language is not English but who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution may be exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.
• Certificate of Finances - The Certificate of Finance is required of any applicant requiring a student visa to enter the United States to complete his or her studies. This document is considered a part of the application for admission and applications will not be reviewed without this document. Applicants who do not require an I-20 student visa to complete their studies are exempt from this requirement.
• Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework. This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service such as Josef Silny, ECE, etc. The transcript evaluation does not replace the transcript requirement. Official transcripts are still required.

ADMISSION CLASSIFICATIONS

• The Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction program ONLY admits Regular Status students.
• Probationary Status is not available for Doctor of Education programs at Valdosta State University.
• Irregular Admission is not available for Doctor of Education programs at Valdosta State University.

ADMISSION QUESTIONS

For admission questions about this program, please contact the Graduate School by phone, email, or stop by our office.

• Call Us: 229-333-5694 or toll free 800-618-1878, Option #5
• Email Us: gradschool@valdosta.edu or rlwaters@valdosta.edu
• Visit Us: Psychology Building (Main Campus), Third Floor, Suite 3100

Application Tips

• Be familiar with Graduate School’s application requirements and forms 
• Test scores should be as current as possible. If your scores are borderline, consider taking them again. We will accept your highest score(s).
• Graduate GPA’s should be no lower than 3.5. on a 4.0 scale.
• Your writing sample should be well structured, answer the questions, and have no grammatical errors.
• Your resume and professional background should be complete, up-to-date, and contain sufficient information to judge likelihood of success in doctoral work.
• At least one letter of reference should come from an immediate supervisor who knows your work. If possible, another should come from a previous supervisor.
• Make sure ALL of your material is submitted to the Valdosta State University Graduate School well before the application deadline.

Graduation Requirements

1. A candidate must successfully complete, defend and submit a dissertation.
2. A candidate must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination or equivalent before admission to candidacy.
3. A candidate must have a GPA of 3.25 or above on all doctoral coursework.
4. A candidate must complete an application for graduation one semester prior to their expected graduation date.

Program Retention, Dismissal, and Readmission

1. The academic residency requirements are satisfied upon completion of two consecutive semesters of six semester hours or more of coursework.
2. No more than 6 semester hours of post-master’s academic work may be transferred from another institution into a Dewar College of Education doctoral program.  Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission, by the academic department.  To be eligible, credit must be no more than seven years old prior to completion of the degree.
3. Earning grades below “B” in graduate courses will result in the following consequences: Students admitted Fall 2011 and thereafter will be dismissed from the Graduate School if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points unless otherwise indicated by individual program policy. A grade of “C” (although it may be credited toward a degree) equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D,” “WF” or “F,” or “U” (none of which will be credited toward a degree) equals two deficiency points.
4. If dismissed from the program a student will not be considered for readmission.
5. Candidates failing to maintain a 3.25 GPA on all doctoral coursework may face academic sanctions as determined by the Doctoral Coordinating Committee.
6. A comprehensive exam must be successfully completed prior to entering candidacy. Candidates are permitted two attempts to complete the comprehensive exams. Candidates who fail to successfully complete the comprehensive exam after two attempts will be dismissed from the program.
7. Doctoral candidates may take up to five years from the term in which comprehensive exams are taken and passed to complete their dissertation work. A one year emergency stop-out may be requested by the student through the Emergency Stop-Out Form. During the stop-out the student must register for a minimum of 1 hour of dissertation credit per term. If the dissertation proposal has been approved before the stop-out year then an updated and reapproved proposal is required by the end of the first semester following the stop-out. An additional extension of two years beyond the 5+1 year limit would require successful completion of a second comprehensive exam that is scheduled, taken, and graded within one term of the expiration of the 5+1 year limit. The two years will begin in the term after the second comprehensive exam is passed. The dissertation proposal must be updated to reflect current literature. The updated proposal must be approved by the dissertation committee during the first term of the two year extension. Failure to pass the second comprehensive exam will terminate the dissertation process.