Western's Doctor of Education Program (EdD) is designed for aspiring superintendents and district leaders, including assistant superintendents, executive directors and others in district level leadership positions. Candidates who have either earned the Washington State Initial Superintendent's Certificate, or who are currently in the WWU program, may apply for candidacy for the EdD program. This four-year program is comprised of two parts. The first two years of the program include 6 courses (32 quarter credits) delivered using a variety of modalities built to accommodate education professionals, and a two-year internship resulting in a Washington State Superintendent's Credential. The next two years of the program moving into candidacy will be six courses that include two research institutes (40 quarter credits), plus a research sequence culminating in the dissertation (15 quarter credits).
In Washington State, while the law does not require a superintendent to have a doctorate level degree, the trend in hiring throughout the State shows that districts prefer a candidate who has achieved a doctoral degree.
Application Information
Candidates must meet the requirements of the Graduate School (gradschool.wwu.edu) in addition to the following department/program requirements:
- Master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university;
- Valid Washington State certificate (teacher, ESA, principal, or program administrator);
- At least 45 credit hours (30 semester credit hours) of post-baccalaureate or graduate level course work in education;
- Resume outlining your education and professional history;
- Letter of recommendation from your prospective mentoring superintendent supporting your application and indicating their willingness to serve as your mentor.
- Statement of purpose to include:
- why you want to become a district level leader;
- how your understanding of diversity relates to improving learning for all students;
- your understanding of diversity and equity and your leadership experiences related to student diversity and equity in your response, recognizing that your school/district has students with diverse backgrounds;
- for this statement of purpose, diversity may include but not be limited to ethnicity/race and culture, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and students in highly capable, disability, and EL/ESL programs.
- No Graduate Record Exams (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are required.