• Program Overview
• Admission Requirements
• Graduation Requirements
• California Principal Certification Requirements
• Program Requirements

Program Overview

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The purpose of Argosy University’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Initial Educational Administration degree program is to prepare individuals to serve as school principals and/or building-level administrators. The program is designed for practicing educators who have already completed a graduate level program from a regionally accredited institution or an appropriately certified foreign institution, and seeking administrative licensure at the initial or K-12 level. Completion of the EdD in Initial Educational Administration degree program results in a terminal degree which includes a specific writing, research, and dissertation sequence.

Note

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The EdD in Initial Educational Administration degree program leads to the California Commission on Teaching Tier I Preliminary Administrative Services Credential upon completion of all state and program requirements, including passage of the California Basic Skills Requirement. This program is approved by the California Commission on Teaching and only meets the certification requirements for the State of California. Students, who want to work in any other state, are responsible for investigating the other states’ criteria about the reciprocity of the California Commission on Teaching Tier I Preliminary Administrative Services Credential.

Admission Requirements

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• A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an appropriately certified foreign institution
• A grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) in work leading to the master’s degree and in any subsequent graduate study
• A minimum score on an Argosy University pre-approved English language proficiency test is required for all applicants whose native language is not English or who have not graduated from an institution at which English is the language of instruction as specified in Section Five, Admission Policies, “English Language Proficiency Policy.”
• A minimum of three years of verified full time teaching experience in grades Prekindergarten-12. If teaching experience is from another state, applicant must submit formal verification that the school was a state-approved school
• Evidence of valid educational certificate
• Evidence of a criminal background or fingerprint check
• The principal at the school where the aspirant is employed must sign a Memorandum of Understanding that the potential candidate will be permitted to perform most of the 240-hour practicum at that site.
• Interview with Program Admissions Committee and recommendation for admittance
• A Writing Sample submitted with the program application

All applications for admission must be submitted to the Admissions Department. An admissions representative is available to help interested applicants complete the following required documentation:

• Completed Application for Admission Form
• Current résumé
• Three letters of recommendation (two from a source familiar with the student’s academic abilities and one from a current school or district administrator)
• Official transcripts from all postsecondary schools attended

Graduation Requirements

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A student is eligible for graduation from the EdD in Initial Educational Administration degree program when the following requirements are met:

• Successful completion of 60 credit hours that includes
  • 45 credit hours of coursework
  • 12 credit hours of dissertation
  • 3 credit hours of practicum
• A grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0), and a grade of “B-” or better in all required courses
• Passage of the dispositional assessment
• Passage of the Comprehensive Examination
• Successful defense of dissertation
• Completion of all requirements within seven years of matriculation in program
• Completed Petition to Graduate Form submitted to campus administration

California Principal Certification Requirements

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Graduation from the EdD in Initial Educational Administration degree program does not guarantee certification. To qualify for certification, the following conditions must be met:

• Successful completion of all program requirements, including the Administrative Practicum and Dispositional Assessment
• Minimum of three years of full-time successful teaching experience or experience in P-12 schools as a certified salaried employee
• Passage of the California Basic Skills Requirement (CBEST)

Program Requirements

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The EdD in Initial Educational Administration degree program requires the satisfactory completion of 60 credit hours distributed as follows: Core Course requirements, 21 credit hours; Academic Writing and Research requirements, 18 credit hours; Elective requirements, 6 credit hours; Practicum requirements, 3 credit hours; Dissertation requirements, 12 credit hours.