Ed.D. Application Information

Application Deadline

The deadline for all applications to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program is February 28 for study beginning the following fall term.

Program Requirements

Admission to the Ed.D. in educational leadership is competitive.  Admission decisions are made on a number of criteria including academic qualifications; leadership potential, experience and accomplishments; and the applicant’s fit with the program goals and objectives and the expertise of the program faculty. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

Students are admitted to the program based upon program capacity (which limits the total number that can be accepted), the applicant’s qualifications, and the applicant’s fit with the program goals and objectives and the expertise of the program faculty.  In addition to the University requirements above, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in a relevant area (e.g., educational leadership; literacy, mathematics, or science education; higher education; human services; special education; technology in education) from an accredited university by the month in which they begin doctoral work
2. Applicants must demonstrate scholastic ability by having achieved a minimum graduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale in their undergraduate degree and 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in their master’s program.
3. Applicants should be working in or toward a leadership role in their current position (e.g., administrator, coordinator, or teacher leader at a district/school, higher education, or education department in other organization). A current Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) must be submitted as part of the application.

Application Requirements

To apply to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program, complete the steps of the UD online graduate application process. Some items specific to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program include:

• Transcripts of all previous academic work at the undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) level.  Please note that the Mathematics Education Ph.D. specialization requires the applicant to hold a master’s degree in mathematics or a related field. Applicants may upload unofficial copies of their transcripts and if admitted, all transcripts will be verified by the Office of Graduate and Professional Education. Applicants who previously attended the University of Delaware still need to upload an unofficial transcript, but do not need to provide official transcripts for verification. Please do not send any transcripts to the School of Education.
• GRE scores are not required for application to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program.
• Three letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit at least three letters of recommendation from people qualified to assess the applicant’s leadership skills and academic potential. One letter must be from the applicant’s supervisor. These letters are submitted online online and the process is described at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/apply/recommendation.html. It is advisable to ask your the people who will write your recommendations well in advance of the deadline.
• Essay or personal statement: The Ed.D. in Education Leadership program does require specific questions to be addressed in the application essay.
  1. Explain why you are applying to this particular program, that is, why do you want to be admitted to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership?
  2. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership requires that candidates be involved in planning and implementing a series of initiatives targeted at specific improvement needs that candidates identify and in which they may exercise leadership. Describe the contexts and responsibilities in your current position which would allow you to exercise leadership.
  3. Describe a problem in your area of interest that typifies the kind of issue that you would like to pursue as a leadership professional and why you think it is important to address.
• Supplemental materials are appropriate if they help to establish the candidate’s ability to analyze, reason, interpret and write clear and persuasive prose. A grant proposal, report, journal article, or other succinct writing may be included with the application.
• A resume is required. All graduate programs require the submission of a resume.
• All students whose native language is not English must submit official copies of the TOEFL or IELTS test. The minimum acceptable score for the paper-based TOEFL test is 600; the minimum acceptable score for the Internet-based TOEFL test is 100. The minimum acceptable score for the IELTS is 7.0.International applicants who have completed a bachelors or masters degree from an American university may have this requirement waived.

Other notes:

• It is a Delaware State Board of Health Regulation and a University of Delaware mandate that all entering graduate students born after January 1, 1957 give proof of proper immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella. If immunization requirements are not met, the student will not be eligible to register. Specific information may be obtained from the Student Health Service (302) 831-2226.