Degree Requirements

The doctoral program requires a doctoral examination and a minimum of 75 hours: 60 hours of course work and 15 hours of dissertation research. Students are also required to complete a residency requirement.

Course of Study

All students must meet with an advisor to develop a Course Planning Document for CPED Ed.D. Applicants holding a Type 75 Certificate (General Administrative-Principal) and having at least two years administrative leadership experience may work towards a Doctor of Education degree. The Doctor of Education program primarily serves those seeking P-12 positions. The Doctor of Philosophy program serves those interested in focusing on research. EAF is currently not taking applications for Ph.D. In the CPED Ed.D. Candidates may also complete certification requirements for the Superintendent Certification or Chief School Business Official within the program, essentially obtaining 2 endorsements and the doctorate in one program of study. Courses are offered nights and weekends to accommodate schedules of full-time educational professionals. Some online options exist for select courses. Doctoral degree students have eight years to complete the degree.

Required Core Courses (30 hours)

All doctoral students in the EAF department, whether in the P-20 or higher education concentrations, are asked to complete a core curriculum of 30 hours that focus on administrative theory and educational leadership (6 hours), qualitative and quantitative research design (6 hours), key issues in doctoral-level scholarship (3 hours), and – at the dissertation stage – work on dissertation research itself (15 hours).

Course # Course Title

EAF 582 Administrative Theory in Education
EAF 583 Seminar in Educational Leadership
EAF 509 Research Design in Education
EAF 521 Moral and Political Foundations of Education Policy
EAF 415 Qualitative Research in Educational Settings
EAF 594 Doctoral-level Scholarship
EAF 599 Dissertation Research (15 sem hrs)

Foundations Classes (6 hrs)

P-20 CPED Concentration (27 hrs)

Research Hours (9) or Chief School Business Official Endorsement (9 hrs)

Total Hours 75

Pass Comprehensive Examination
Defend Dissertation Research

Technology Requirements

To successfully complete Educational Administration and Foundations courses, students in all programs are expected to have frequent and convenient access to a computer and Internet resources. Review the EAF technology requirements.

Department Doctoral Procedures and Forms

Dissertation Information

Institutional Review Board (IRB)
CITI Training
Graduate School Dissertation Information and Assistance

Graduate School Commonly Used Forms

Request for Auditor Registration
Request for change in graduate degree audit
Request to Extend Time to Complete Graduate Masters / Doctoral Degree Program
Request for Exception to Graduate Council Bylaws for Thesis/Dissertation Committees - apply to department chair

Residency Policy

Learn about the required Residency Policy.

Within the First Two Weeks of Your Last Semester

Follow instructions on the Educator Licensures page.
Follow instructions on the Graduation Procedures page.

Transfer hours for those with Superintendent Certification

While you cannot count master's degree hours toward a doctorate, you can count up to 30 hours from an education specialist program towards a doctoral degree with a stipulation that the transferred hours have to occur within eight years from the time one graduates. For example, students who defend their dissertation in 2012 could only transfer in courses from 2004. They could not transfer courses taken earlier. Students must meet with the department chair or their advisor to complete the Course Planning Document.

Students are also required to complete a residency requirement that involves a minimum number of course hours rather than presence on the Illinois State campus. Applicants with a recent education specialist degree from an accredited institution must take at least 30 hours beyond the education specialist coursework and 15 dissertation hours.

Typical 33-hour program for those who transfer from an education specialist program:

EAF 415: Qualitative Research in Educational Settings
EAF 508: Applied Educational Research
EAF 510: Research Methodology and Statistics in Education II
EAF 511: Research Methodology and Statistics in Education III or EAF 515: Methods of Qualitative Research in Education (depending on nature of dissertation topic)
EAF 521: Educational Policy Analysis
EAF 576: Administration of Instructional Programs
EAF 582: Administrative Theory in Education
EAF 583: Seminar in Educational Leadership
EAF 587: Community Relations Seminar
EAF 590: Introduction to Doctoral Research (one credit hour)
EAF 591: Research Seminar: Doctoral Exam Preparation (one credit hour)
EAF 592: Research Seminar: Dissertation Proposal Preparation (one credit hour)
EAF 5XX: Elective related to dissertation
EAF 599: Dissertation Research

Doctoral Degree in Education Administration and Foundations: P-12 Administration