University of Nebraska-Lincoln

CPED-Influenced Program

CPED Ed.D. Cohort

School/Department where the Program is Housed

Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education

Program Description

Cohort organization. Designed for working educators with a variety of backgrounds and educational settings. The 2 years of coursework involve on-campus classes each semester (some cohort-dedicated, others open to all students), some online cohort coursework, with a capstone completed in year 3.

Philosophy and Mission

The EdD cohort is an intellectually rigorous and contextually relevant program of study in which educators address challenges and opportunities of practice in order to create and sustain effective teaching/learning contexts in the concrete realities of P-16 classrooms, work, and community settings. Our approach allows educators to be engaged actively in their professional working environments while exploring theories, ideologies, and applications in sustained dialogue with peers and faculty. The program conceptualizes scholarship of practice as “both substance and process,” critical to educators who can analyze, evaluate, model, and teach in a cross section of educational settings” (Shulman, et al, 2006).

Admissions Requirements

(1) Undergraduate GPA: minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Graduate GPA: minimum of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale. (2) 50th percentile on each of the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical sections of the GRE taken in the last 5 years; for international students, a TOEFL score of 79 (3) Minimum 2 years as an educator in school or other educational settings. (4) Fit between applicant goals/interests and programmatic ability to meet them. Include a narrative that describes the relations, challenges and opportunities among teaching, learning, curriculum with personal goals and interests in completing an EdD as a cohort member; (5) Evidence of writing abilities through provision of a sample such as a thesis, course paper, published article, curriculum document, etc. (6) Completion of all steps for graduate admission to UNL and TLTE. This is a selective and competitive program and top candidates are determined through a review committee. No single criterion is more important than another. The application file is reviewed as a total package.

Description of each year of the Program — number of courses, credits, time frame; core, specializations, dissertation/capstone

Coursework Sequence Example:

Spring 2010- Challenges & Opportunities (3 credits); Field Studies in Education (3)
Summer 2010- Challenges & Opportunities (3); Practitioner Inquiry I (3); Choice/Advanced Study course (3)
Fall 2011- Challenges & Opportunities (1); Field Studies in Education (3); Choice (3)
Spring 2012- Challenges & Opportunities (1); Practitioner Inquiry II (3); Choice (3)
Summer 2012- Practitioner Inquiry III (3); Choice (6) Fall 2012-Practitioner Inquiry IV (3)
Spring 2013- Capstone Design (3)
Summer 2013- Capstone Conduct (6)
Fall 2013- Capstone Documentation (3)

Milestones Employed in the Program — comprehensive/qualifying exams, papers, or products necessary for graduation

Admission (see requirements above); successful completion of coursework (see above); comprehensive examination (portfolio + orals) → candidacy; capstone (dissertation)

Signature Pedagogy

Cohort organization; inquiry-oriented; core interdisciplinary experiences; arts of the practical coursework; advanced study in an area of emphasis

Laboratories of Practice

The program is aimed at educators wishing to analyze problems of practice, develop new knowledge, structure experiences, grow practical insight, and become leaders of practice. Each student engages in practitioner-based action research projects in their own educational setting.

Inquiry Courses

Four inquiry courses:

A general Practitioner-based Action Research course will provide an overview of quantitative and qualitative traditions for all cohort participants. A second practitioner-based research course will be selected to provide an intellectual and methodological basis for advanced, specialized study. Two additional courses will support the development of iterations of the practitioner-based action research project. These courses will enable you to:

• Read with understanding across empirical and theoretical research from diverse traditions exploring educational praxis.
• Gain insights into the socio-cultural problems and lived experiences of people across diverse educational settings from multiple research perspectives.
• Practice research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation associated with a series of practitioner-based action research projects, building an intellectual and methodological basis for conducting practitioner-based action research.

Capstone

The capstone will meet all requirements for a doctoral degree at UNL and involve a practitioner-based action research project to be written and defended at an oral exam. We do not yet have students at this stage of the program as it will be conducted during year 3.

Syllabi

• Challenges and Opportunities

Key Contact Person

Susan Wunder, Associate Professor and EdD Coordinator. 216A Henzlik Hall. Lincoln, NE 68588-0355. Phone 402.472.3346. swunder1@unl.edu

Cost Structure

The costs are those of UNL Graduate Studies. See http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/prospective/money.shtml

Program Link

http://cehs.unl.edu/tlte/graduate/eddcohort.shtml