Online EdD

Admission requirements

In order to be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must have completed a master's degree with a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.5 and must have completed three years of professional education experience. Preference will be given to those with leadership experience in an educational setting.

Admission will continue until the cohort is filled. A completed application packet will include the following materials:

1. Graduate application
2. Application fee
3. Official transcript(s) of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework.
4. Three recommendations: Names of three individual recommenders are entered as part of the online application process. These names should be professional or academic references who can attest to the applicant’s leadership ability and potential for academic success in this terminal degree program. These should not be personal references (friends, family, etc.).
5.  Writing assessment: Submit a 1,000-word response (not inclusive of references) to the following prompt using APA7 format and citations, when appropriate. If you have any questions about the proposed prompt, please email ceh@cmich.edu. 
   Prompt: The Counseling, Educational Leadership, and Higher Education (CEH) department seeks to prepare leaders who work toward transforming education with equity-centered and research-informed leadership approaches. In your essay, complete with citations: 
   
   • Describe your leadership approach and how it aligns with the aforementioned CEH department’s conceptualization of leadership
   • Integrate theories or empirical research that informs your leadership approach
   • Describe how earning a doctorate in educational leadership will enhance or strengthen your capacity to enact transformational change within your educational setting
   • Outline potential research areas you are interested in exploring during the doctoral program
   
   Note. Please avoid broad, colloquial depictions of leadership approaches and clichéd statements about your interest in pursuing this degree in your response. Examples to avoid:
   • It has always been my dream to obtain a doctorate
   • I fully believe in the power of education
   • Leadership plays an important role in today’s society
   
   
6. Optional: GRE scores are not required for admission
7. Current résumé or vita identifying education level, training, experience, and professional accomplishments. Applicant must have at least three years of experience in education or a related field.
8. Interview: Participation in an interview with program faculty, current program students, or alumni
9. TOEFL score: If your native language is not English, submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL is required of all non-native speakers unless they have completed two years of university-level coursework in an English-language institution.

The Doctoral Program Committee will make all decisions regarding admissions, selecting the cohort from those with a completed application who also interviewed. Preference will be given to those applicants who have a demonstrated history of educational leadership and who have career goals consistent with the expectations of this program. The application will be evaluated holistically.