Doctoral Programs

School of Education Doctoral Programs

The School of Education offers doctoral programs for active professionals interested in leadership and teaching positions in all fields and levels of education.

DISTINCTIVE PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Semi-cohort program with small, focused classes and personalized instruction
Sense of community that helps students develop helpful and supportive relationships
Excellent faculty with proven expertise, extensive research experiences and professional affiliations, and a strong desire to help students succeed in the program
Opportunities for involvement in undergraduate and graduate programming at SPU
Relevant educational theory and practice applicable to current school issues including
- Teaching and learning
- Leadership models
- Ethical decision making
- School change and reform
- Educational policy
- Organizational systems
Comprehensive preparation for students to explore and utilize a variety of research paradigms
Focus on research that has immediate value and also meets the needs of schools
Clear degree distinctions between empirical research-focused (Ph.D.) and practitioner (Ed.D.) degrees
Fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

COMPARISON OF DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

	Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)	Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.)	Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education (Ph.D.)
Students	School leaders and educators who desire to develop as practitioners	Educators who desire to develop as scholar-teachers	Counselors who desire to develop as scholar-teachers
Specializations	School Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Global Education, Literacy Education, Educational Technology, School Counseling	Curriculum and Instruction, Teacher Preparation, Global Education, Literacy Education, Educational Technology	Counselor Education
Washington State Certifications and Endorsements	Superintendent Program Administrator ESA School Counseling		ESA School Counseling
Research Emphasis	Ed.D. students are prepared to be users and evaluators of research for practitioner purposes. The dissertation is a study of an educational problem grounded in school practice. It includes a written report and oral defense.	Ph.D. students are required to conduct research that leads to publishable scholarly work. The dissertation is an empirical study based on sound theoretical constructs . It includes a written report and oral defense.	Ph.D. students are required to conduct research that leads to publishable scholarly work. The dissertation is an empirical study based on sound theoretical constructs . It includes a written report and oral defense.


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