Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
Benefits
- Program designed to prepare candidates as leaders in the area of curriculum by focusing on six core competencies (curriculum, instruction, leadership, research, program evaluation, and professionalism).
- Course work that helps candidates blend theoretical knowledge with the practical application.
- Evening and weekend classes accommodate students working full-time in educational settings.
Degree Requirements
Total Hours: 72
Practicum: Yes
Comprehensive: Written Exam
Dissertation: Required
Length of the Program
Assuming normal progress, it is reasonable to expect part-time students who have completed all prerequisites and enroll in six semester hours during each Fall and Spring semester could complete coursework and dissertation in approximately 10 semesters. Time for degree completion, including the dissertation, is seven years. (See SOE Policy: Time Limit for Degree Completion)
Technology Expectation
All students are provided Internet access to link electronically to classmates, faculty and student services. In order to use these technological resources, all students must have the computer skills necessary to support academic work (i.e., word processing, PowerPoint) and to access e-mail and the Internet.
Continuous Enrollments
Doctoral students in Curriculum and Instruction are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. (See SOE Policy: Advanced Standing - Continuous Enrollment) This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must do one of the following:
- Enroll in one of the following:
- At least one course
- CIEP 610 - Doctoral Studies (maximum enrollment two semesters)
- CIEP 600 - Dissertation Supervision
- A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the School of Education's Associate Dean of Student Academic Services.
Curriculum Plan
Completion of the Ed.D. degree program in Curriculum and Instruction requires: 1) 72 semester hours of which 45 must be completed at Loyola University, 2) a written comprehensive exam covering core Curriculum and Instruction courses, and 3) a dissertation and oral defense. Students may apply up to 27 hours of credit from a master's degree or prior coursework.
Program Prerequisites
Students should present transcript evidence of successful completion ("B" or better) of the courses listed below, or their equivalent. Students who enter the program without these prerequisites may complete them while enrolled in the program. However, prerequisite hours will not be applied to the total of 45 required hours. Upon acceptance transcripts will be reviewed to determine if prerequisites have been meet.
- CIEP 440 - Curriculum & Instruction
- CIEP 442 - Curriculum Development
- RMTD 400 - Research Methods
- RMTD 404 - Statistics
Required Core courses (24 semester hours)
- CIEP 520 - Doctoral Seminar (three 1 hour seminar courses)
- CIEP 521 - Curriculum Theory
- CIEP 522 - Curriculum Policy
- CIEP 523 - School Reform as Improvement
- CIEP 524 - Multicultural Education
- CIEP 561 - Practicum
- Two CIEP seminars at the 500 level
Required Research courses (9 semester hours)
- RMTD 406* - Program Evaluation
- RMTD 420* - Educational Research I: Building a Body of Evidence Using Qualitative Methods
- RMTD 421** - Educational Research II: Building a Body of Evidence Using Quantitative Methods
* RMTD 400 is a prerequisite for RMTD 406 and RMTD 420
** RMTD 404 is a prerequisite of RMTD 421
Focus Area Elective Courses (12 semester hours)
Four additional courses offered within the School of Education. Student should plan the electives with advisor's assistance based on the student’s career interest and dissertation interest. It is recommended that students whose dissertation analysis is beyond the scope of RMTD 420, RMTD 421 and RMTD 406, select an advanced RMTD course that will support their dissertation data analysis as part of these 12 hours. This would be an agreed upon course between advisor, dissertation chair, and student.
Program Benchmarks
- Admission to the Doctoral Program
- Comprehensive Exam: A written comprehensive exam is required. Students can apply for comprehensive exam after successful completion of RMTD 420, RMTD 421, and Curriculum and Instruction required courses.
Comprehensive application deadlines:
- Fall Exam - August 1
- Spring Exam - December 1
- Candidacy: The requirements for doctoral candidacy are: 1) successful completion of all specifically required coursework; 2) successful completion of all comprehensive examinations; 3) approval of the dissertation proposal by the approved dissertation committee and Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- Program Completion and Degree Conferral: Upon a successful dissertation defense and submission of the final dissertation, students will be conferred their degree at next University conferral date.
Degree Conferral
While the commencement ceremony is every May, degrees can be conferred May, August, and December. Students must apply for graduation/degree conferral. Students should apply for graduation in the semester they anticipate completing all degree requirements. Failure to meet application deadlines may result in a delay of the conferral of the degree to the following semester. Applications for Degree Conferral are due:
- August 1 for December conferral
- December 1 for May or August conferral
Please note the degree conferral application is valid for only one semester. If the degree is not conferred for the semester requested, a new application and fee are required for a subsequent semester.
