Dissertation
The Ed.D. dissertation is the capstone of the Leadership Program. Its goal is in service of the primary objective of the Program to improve educational practice. The dissertation is essentially the traditional dissertation but with some key differences. Whereas a traditional dissertation may focus primarily on theoretical research, the Ed.D. dissertation applies theoretical ideas to tangible, real-world problems. Based on the concept of action research, the dissertation is written with the intention of improving practice and policy. Please see list of recent dissertation titles.
For the dissertation, students work individually with the support of faculty and ELP colleagues:
For the dissertation, students work individually with the support of faculty and ELP colleagues:
- To learn and use research methods that are linked to leadership in the field, including the ability to analyze problems and solve them as well as the ability to understand the research literature and apply it appropriately
- To apply concepts and theories to existing or predicted educational problems
- To work with faculty and practitioners to design and carry out a project that can be implemented to improve educational practice
- To learn how to disseminate the dissertation findings to a wide audience of practitioners
