Doctor of Education

The Department of Educational Leadership offers two (2) degree programs in educational administration: the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree.

The programs were implemented at South Carolina State University in August 1983 and strive to produce graduates who possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to produce and maintain high academic achievement in the public schools through effective performance, reflective decision-making, and humanistic practice.

In June 1986, the South Carolina Department of Education, using standards developed by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), approved the Ed. S. and the Ed. D. degree programs for granting elementary and secondary principal and superintendent certification. In December 1986, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) granted Level IV accreditation to South Carolina State University because of the quality of the Ed. D. degree program in Educational Administration.

The Ed. D. degree program of study is designed to give students a broad conceptual framework in leadership theory and research. The program requires a minimum of 75 semester hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree to qualify for principal and superintendent certification in South Carolina. All students admitted into the Ed. D. degree program with an Ed.S. degree in educational administration and principal and superintendent certification are required to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours at South Carolina State University.

Entry Requirements

Applications for advanced-level degree programs (Ed.D. and Ed.S.) may be submitted once per semester, on or before the deadline, to be considered for admission for the following semester. The deadlines are April 1 (for Fall Semester admission) and November 1 (for Spring Semester admission). Standard graduate application forms are available from the School of Graduate Studies and online at www.scsu.edu. Minimum credentials required are (a) a completed School of Graduate Studies application form; (b) an up-to-date résumé; (c) official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work; (d) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores; (e) three letters of recommendation from professional educators and (f) a copy of a valid educator certificate.

Note: Items (a)-(f) must be submitted directly to the School of Graduate Studies on or before the deadline.

Eligibility Requirements (Ed.D) Applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible for admission to the Ed.D. degree program:

Score a minimum of 1000 on the GRE verbal and quantitative sections or 1,500 on the GRE verbal, quantitative and analytical sections; or 410 on the MAT.
Present evidence of a 3.50 or better grade point average (on a 4.0 grading system) for all graduate work completed.
Present evidence of a minimum of five (5) years certified contractual educator experience.
Complete an interview and writing the examination.

Satisfaction of the requirements listed above does not guarantee admission to the program. Only a limited number of places exist in the Ed.D. degree program, and selection is competitive. Admission is based on the faculty’s assessment of each applicant’s potential for success in the program considering the criteria and the number of available positions.

The programs of study illustrated below reflect requirements for both the respective degree and level of administrator certification. Ed.S. Degree Program of Study (For students who have a master’s degree and no administrative certification. This program leads to principal and superintendent certification.)

Eligibility Requirements (Ed.S) Students must meet the following requirements to receive the Ed.S. degree in educational administration: Score a minimum of 900 on the GRE verbal and quantitative sections or 1,350 on the GRE verbal, quantitative and analytical sections; or 391 on the MAT. Present evidence of a 3.25 or better grade point average (on a 4.0 grading system) for all graduate work completed. Present evidence of a minimum of three (3) years certified contractual educator experience.

The applicant must receive a favorable review of these credentials and be selected for admission by the Educational Leadership Admissions Committee which is composed of the Educational Leadership faculty.

Based on the decision of the Admissions Committee, a letter of acceptance or non-acceptance will be sent to each applicant from the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.