Online Ed.D. Curriculum
Becoming a leader in today’s educational system means understanding policy, pedagogy and population needs, as well as developing the research skills necessary to evaluate educational literature and track performance for informed decision-making at your own institution. Brenau’s online Ed.D. curriculum consists of 54 credit units, divided among core courses, research and dissertation advising and your chosen concentration.
Core courses
In our core Ed.D. curriculum, you’ll be challenged to understand the theory behind how education is practiced and critically explore the evidence for those theories. Regardless of your concentration, you will progress through the following 12 credits with your cohort:
- ED 900 Doctoral Seminar—This seminar is intended for students beginning their doctoral plan of studies to meet certain objectives within their first semester of entering the program.
- ED 845 Curriculum Design, Theory, & Evaluation—Explore research-based practices for designing, evaluating, implementing and continuously improving curricula.
- ED 860 Leadership in Education—Explore models of leadership and leadership development while building your own capabilities for creative problem solving through communication and interpersonal relationships.
- ED 865 Academic Program Assessment & Evaluation—Take a holistic perspective of program and student evaluation, learn strategies for planning and evaluating assessment methods, and more.
- ED 870 Educational Issues & Policy—Reflect and discuss current policy issues impacting the field of education and complete a research project based on an issue you feel is critical to the field.
- ED 901 Ed.D. Comprehensive Exam—The comprehensive exam will allow doctoral students to identify, analyze, and synthesize selected areas of educational topics.
Research and dissertation advising
You will take 24 credits of your Ed.D. curriculum focused on advancing your research skills and developing the capstone of your degree—your doctoral dissertation.
- ED 930 Advanced Research Methods—Build skills for analyzing data sets, evaluating research design and technique and designing research.
- ED 935 Intermediate Qualitative Research—This is an intermediate research course focusing on quantitative methods including ANOVA, MANOVA, regression analysis, non-parametric statistics including chi-square, and introductory clinical trial design in a practice setting.
- ED 940 Qualitative Research Methods—Comparisons and critiques of the major forms of qualitative research methodology and assessment of credibility, trustworthiness, reliability, and validity of studies that use qualitative designs are topics covered in this course. It will include development of research designs that can be used to inform therapeutic decision making and to assess intervention outcomes.
- ED 945 Qualitative Procedure and Analysis—This course focuses on the practical application of qualitative research methods.
- ED 960 Dissertation Advisement 1: Literature Review—Begin developing the dissertation by posing questions and reviewing existing content to find a specific issue or problem to address.
- ED 965 Dissertation Advisement 2: Proposal—Build skills for designing the research for your dissertation, hone your proposal and begin developing the first chapters of your dissertation.
- ED 970 Dissertation Advisement 3: Collection of Data—With advisor approval, enter the main phase of research for your proposed topic and continue producing chapters for the dissertation.
- ED 975 Dissertation Advisement 4: Research Conclusion—Analyze your data, complete writing and revisions and prepare for oral defense of your dissertation.
Concentration courses
The remaining 18 credits of your degree program consist of courses within your chosen concentration area. For more information about each concentration, including course descriptions, please visit the concentration page that interests you most.
Please note: Each course in the EE and MGE concentrations includes required practicum activities embedded in the course assignments. If you are not a classroom teacher, contact our Clinical Experience Office for assistance in completing these assignments. Students in the Middle Grades Education concentration must choose either a Math & Science focus or a Language Arts & Social Studies focus.
Elementary Education
- ED 820: Innovations in Language Arts – EE
- ED 823: Innovations in Mathematics – EE
- ED 824: Innovations in Science – EE
- ED 843: Trends and Issues in Elementary Education
- ED 830: Theoretical Foundations of Teaching & Writing – EE
- ED 836: Learning Theories & Cognitive Development in the EE Learning Environment
Middle Grades Education
- English Language Arts (ELA) Concentration
- ED 801: Study of the English Language
- ED 840: Innovations in Language Arts – MG/SEC
- ED 832: Theory Foundations of Teaching & Writing in MG/SEC
- ED 851: Literature through Multimedia
- ED 804: Special Topics in ELA
- ED 837: Instr. Leadership in the MG/SEC Classroom
- Mathematics Concentration
- MS 801: Essential Mathematics for Teachers
- ED 833: Innovations in Mathematics – MG/SE
- ED 838: Psychology of Learning Mathematics
- ED 839: Seminar in Mathematics Education
- ED 837: Instr. Leadership in the MG/SEC Classroom
- ED 800: Integrated Math-Science in MG/SEC classroom
- Science Concentration
- ED 834: Innovations in Science – MG/SEC
- BY 803: Ecology for Teachers
- ED 841: Special Topics in Science
- ED 847: Science Leadership
- ED 837: Instr. Leadership in the MG/SEC Classroom
- ED 800: Integrated Math-Science in MG/SEC classroom
Leadership in Higher Education
- ED 842: Serving Contemporary College Students in an Inclusive Higher Education Environment
- ED 844: Enrollment Management in Higher Education
- ED 846: Organizational Governance in Higher Education
- ED 848: Finance and Fiscal Policy in Higher Education
- ED 859: HR in Higher Ed. leadership
- ED 854: Crisis Communication and Risk Management in Higher Ed.
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
- ED 855: Advanced Educational Psychology for Non-Ed Majors
- ED 856: Theory of Teaching and Learning in Higher Ed
- ED 857: Assessment of Learning
- ED 858: The Art and Science Instructional Design
- ED 861: Advanced Digital Andragogy & Learning Technologies
- ED 862: Leading Higher Ed. Curr. Planning & Program Review
Special Education
- SE 891: Special Education Law
- SE 892: Advanced Special Education Assessment
- SE 893: Trends and Issues in Special Education
- ED 894: Transforming Teaching and Learning Using Technology
- SE 890: Evidence Based Practices in Special Education
- SE 895: Advocacy, Collaboration and Family Partnerships in Special Education
Advance as an educator and prepare for leadership. Earn your Ed.D. online with Brenau University! Get in touch today to start the next chapter of your career.