famu educational leadership phd handbook

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Educational Leadership M.S. Program

The Educational Leadership Master Program offers a planned sequence of educational experiences for:

• (A) individuals seeking a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and,
• (B) individuals who posses a master’s degree and wish to earn Level 1 certification in Educational Leadership.

Both program options will prepare graduates for entry level (Level 1 Certification) administrative positions in Florida school systems and other related fields.

Educational Leadership Master Program Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission must meet the following admission requirements:

Applicants must have at least two years of full-time classroom teaching experience.

• Acceptable documentation of instructional expertise must include a rating of “effective” or higher on the “Performance of Students” and “Instructional Practice" sections of the candidate’s two most recent performance evaluations per Section 1012.34, F. S. For applicants who are not employed by a Florida public school district, an alternative equivalent documentation demonstrating two years of effective instruction with a record of student learning gains may be submitted.  Upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system documentation of Professional Instructional Expertise documentation.

At a minimum, applicants must have demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom and demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues.

• Applicant’s documentation of demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom, and documentation of demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues, as well as any other documentation of Professional Leadership Potential must be upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system.
• In addition, the applicant must upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system, the FAMU Educational Leadership Master’s Programs’ School Administrator/Leader Professional Leadership Potential Form . This form is to be completed by the school administrator/leader to address the applicant’s professional leadership potential (at a minimum, demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom and demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues as well as any other documentation of Professional Leadership Potential ).

The Graduate Admissions Office requires all applicants to use the online application portal

Applicants must submit three professional references. One of the references must be from a school administrator/leader. Upload all Professional References into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system.

"If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people." Chinese Proverb

Professional Leadership Potential Form

Educational Leadership Master’s Program Applicants must upload into the Graduate School’s CollegeNET system, the FAMU Educational Leadership Master’s Programs’ School Administrator/Leader Professional Leadership Potential Form.

This form is to be completed by the school administrator/leader to address the applicant’s professional leadership potential (at a minimum, demonstrated critical skills and dispositions that focus on improving student achievement in the applicant’s own classroom and demonstrable improvement of teaching effectiveness in the classrooms of colleagues as well as any other documentation of Professional Leadership Potential).

Leadership Potential Form.  

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• Strategic Plan

Graduate Programs

Many of FAMU’s schools and colleges offer graduate studies. As of today, we have 29 master's degrees, 3 professional degrees and 12 doctoral programs.

College of Agriculture & Food Sciences Graduate Programs

College of Education Graduate Programs

College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Programs

College of Science and Technology Graduate Programs

College of Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities Graduate Programs

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Graduate Programs

School of Allied Health Sciences Graduate Programs

School of Architecture and Engineering Technology Graduate Programs

School of Business & Industry Graduate Programs

School of Nursing Graduate Programs

School of the Environment Graduate Programs

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• Strategic Plan

Leadership Team

Dr. Donald Palm

Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President

Allyson Watson, Ph.D.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Linda F. Barge-Miles

Chief of Staff/Board Liaison

Rica Calhoun

Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer

Dr. Kyle Eidahl

Faculty Senate Representative

Cynthia Henry

Executive Assistant

Dr. William E. Hudson

Vice President, Student Affairs

Joseph Maleszewski

Vice President, Audit

Carmen Cummings Martin

Assistant VP, Alumni Affairs/University Advancement

Robert Seniors

Vice President, Information Technology Services/CIO

Dr. Denise Wallace

Vice President, Legal Affairs/General Counsel

Keith Miles

Director, Communications

Dr. Charles A. Weatherford

Vice President for Research

Tiffani-Dawn Sykes

VP and Director of Athletics

Danielle McBeth

Director, Government Relations

Dr. Erick Akins

Director, Title III Programs

Rebecca Brown

Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO

Dr. Roddrick D. Jones

Interim Vice President for Strategic Planning, Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness

Dr. Daniel Osborne

Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Educational leadership, phd, doctor of philosophy in educational leadership degree program requirements.

Candidates may choose a concentration in one of the following areas: P-12 Administration and Higher Education. Candidates complete designated course work to satisfy the concentration area requirement. Superintendent and principal certifications are offered at the Master’s degree level. The PhD level courses are not listed as the Texas administrator certification courses. Although PhD graduates are preferred by school districts for many central office administrative positions, Texas does not require a PhD for superintendent and principal certifications. The certification courses are Masters level courses. Additionally, applicants for certification must take and successfully pass the TExES #64 (Superintendent) and/or #68 (Principal) exams.

Please contact the  College of Education  for information about administrative certification.

PhD in Educational Leadership Program Requirements

See your advisor to ensure you take the course that is appropriate for your concentration.

Students attending full-time should be able to complete the formal doctoral course work within 2 – 2 ½ years if they attend during both regular sessions and summer. Students who only enroll full-time during regular semesters require longer than two full years. Each student will be given seven (7) years to complete the doctoral program. Students who earn two “C’s” may be dismissed from the doctoral program.

Note: See Program Handbook for Additional Information.

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership Degree Sequence

Marketable skills.

Marketable skills, as defined by the  Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30TX Plan , include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas, are valued by employers, and can be either primary or complementary to a major. Marketable skills are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities. 

PhD Educational Leadership

Degree Skills

• Interpersonal relationships
• Communication 

Co-curricular and Extracurricular Skills

• Cultural competency
• Planning and managing change
• Identifying, producing and utilizing research 

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Undergraduate Catalog

A PDF of the entire 2024-2025 Undergraduate catalog.

The Ph.D. program in educational leadership is designed as a non-traditional program to insure the academic success of qualified individuals who are interested in serving in rural and urban educational environments. The department admits a cohort of candidates in the fall semester (August) of each year. Candidates complete the course work in this full-time program in two years (6 semesters). Candidacy is attained upon passing the comprehensive examination during semester 7. Upon passing the comprehensive examination, candidates may register for dissertation hours. Because of the developmental focus of this program, transfer credits are not accepted.

This Ph.D. program is based upon the cohort model with a transformational leader philosophical foundation. Inter-and intra-personal developments are program foci, and immersion in cultural and diversity phenomena is emphasized. Attention to the development of the exemplary professional and scholar are important as evidenced in the emphasis placed upon theoretical content and research methods.

The Ph.D. program in educational leadership is an intensive learning experience. The curriculum is organized around the premise that effective leadership requires an understanding of multiple human contexts and the ability to use technical competence and administrative skills, combined with personal understanding and commitment.

Graduates of this doctoral program pursue leadership career opportunities in educational settings and organizations; PK-20 institutions and organizations involved with local, state, national and international education agendas. The program provides professionals with theoretical bases and practical understandings that enable them to be transformational leaders, effective change agents and successful program managers, particularly in schools, higher education and agencies that serve the needs of minority and at-risk populations.

 The percentage of graduates of this program substantially exceeds the national average for graduates of doctoral programs in the United States of America. The rigor and design of the program coupled with faculty commitment and candidates’ behavior contribute to this graduation rate.

Applications for admission into the Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership should be submitted by February 15 of each year to:

The Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Florida A&M University College of Education Gore, C Education Complex, Bldg. C, Room 124 501 Orr Drive Tallahassee, FL 32307

Applicants must have completed a master’s degree in an educationally related area from an accredited college or university in order to be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership. Admission decisions will be made spring semester of each academic year with written notification to accepted applicants in that term.

Submission of a completed application does not guarantee admission. Applications are evaluated based upon a calculated formula. For applicants who wish to apply for fellowships or assistantships, financial aid paperwork must be submitted as soon after admission into the program as possible.

Applicant must submit the following information to the School of Graduate Studies and Research:

• A completed graduate admission application with $30 non-refundable application- processing fee. FAMU graduates and former students must complete Readmission form (Subject to change by FAMU).
• Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts as well as transcripts for work completed in post-secondary institutions for which no degrees were awarded.
• An official copy of results of the Graduate Record Examination (taken within the last five years).

Please submit items 1-3 by February 15th for admission consideration fall semester to:

The School of Graduate Studies and Research Florida A&M University 469 Tucker Hall Tallahassee, Florida 32307-4900

Applicants must submit the following information to the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling chair:

• A current resume.
• Three letters of reference from professionals who can assess the applicant’s ability to succeed in a doctoral program. Applicants must request these and include them as part of their application packet.
• A statement of professional goals presented as a narrative of 1000 words or less that describes the applicant’s educational expectations, career aspirations, level of skills, and any special qualifications or experiences.
• Copies of teaching or other professional certificates. A teaching certificate IS NOT required for admission to this program.
• Samples of any published work completed by the applicant.

Please mail all items 4 through 8 to the following address by February15 for admissions consideration for the following fall semester:

Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling Attn: Educational Leadership Chairperson Florida A&M University College of Education 501 Orr Dr. Gore Education Complex, Building C, Rm. 124 Tallahassee, FL 32307-4900

Curriculum Guide

The curriculum for the doctoral program is organized around the premise that effective leadership requires an understanding of the social context, technical competence, managerial skills, and personal understanding and commitment. The courses that constitute the curriculum are organized into four core areas:

Candidate complete at least 54 semester hours of course work as designated by the Program faculty. Course work is determined for each admitted Cohort.

*** Course requirements are subject to change in accordance with state and federal mandates and other factors.

The total number of semester hours varies according to each candidate’s progression in the program. Candidates are full-time and enroll for 9 hours each semester including summers.

Course of Study

Individuals selected for this Ph.D. program are members of a cohort and enroll in the same courses each semester. The program faculty determines the specific courses for each cohort from an approved course list. In each course, candidates are urged to focus on problem-centered learning experiences, critical thinking, research particularly in their specific areas of interest, and their research and presentation competencies and endeavors. The applicants must clearly demonstrate ethical behavior, mature judgment, and responsibility for themselves, their work ethics, and their assignment completion at a high level of proficiency once admitted to this Ph.D. program.

The program is designed as an intensive learning experience. Students are enrolled full time in three courses (9 semester hours) each semester including summers and complete 54 credit hours of course work. In addition to the course work, students will complete a minimum of 15 hours of dissertation semester hours. The minimum total of 69 semester hours is required for program completion. The areas encompassed by the coursework include inter-and intra-personal development, communication, social foundations, statistics and research methods, organizational theory, management and leadership, and technological applications in research and leadership. Cohort participants enroll in courses as a group. Within each course, students are encouraged to focus the problem-centered learning experiences on their specific area of interest.

Graduation Requirements

The requirements for graduation from the Ph.D. program in educational leadership are: 1. The successful completion of a minimum of 18 courses and a minimum of 15 dissertation credit hours in the leadership, research, professional and specialty cores. 2. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all course work. No grade of “C” or below will be accepted toward credit in the Ph.D. program and only two classes in which a grade of “C” or below must be repeated. 3. Submission of a TaskStream folio with specific graded artifacts for each course in the doctoral sequence. 4. Evidence of successful integration of program content through the successful completion of the doctoral comprehensive examination and the successful defense of the proposal and dissertation. 5. The submission of the dissertation approved by Ph. D. program coordinator, department chair, dean of the college of education, and dean, graduate studies and research. Copies of the dissertation have to be made on 24-lb acid free dissertation paper and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research with the binding fee and with a statement to the Department of Educational Leadership chair from the dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research that the dissertation and fees have been submitted before a student may participate in graduation. A bound copy must be provided to the dissertation committee chair, the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling, dean of the College of Education, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, and the FAMU library, and all copies desired by the candidate. No candidate may graduate or participate in graduation activities whose dissertation has not been submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research for binding and evidence of such has been provided to the coordinator of the Ph.D. in educational leadership.

Note: Dissertation credit hours may add to the minimum number of semester hours required for completion of the doctoral degree

Common Professional Core

• EDA 6061 Effective School Organizations (3)
• EDA 6064 Organizational Behavior in Educational Settings (3)
• EDA 6199 Intn’l Per Of Edu Leadership
• EDA 6213 Culturally Revelant Leadership
• EDA 6215 School And Community Relations (3)
• EDA 6216 Leadership & Communication Technologies In Teaching/learning Organizations (3)
• EDA 7062 Diagnosing & Creating Effective Organizations (3)
• EDA 7967 Comprehensive Examination
• EDA 7980 Dissertation (variable 1-6)

Research Core

• EDA 6421 Advanced Research Methods (3)
• EDA 7405 Quantitative Research Methods
• EDA 7406 Quant Research Method II
• EDA 7415 Qualitative Research Design
• EDA 7935 Res Proposal Seminar
• EDA 6191 Race, Class, And Gender: Policy Issues In Leadership (3)
• EDA 6278 Self & Interpersonal Contexts In Teaching/learning Organizations (3)
• EDA 7220 Personnel Issues In Adult Education Enterprises (3)
• EDA 7224 Organizational Development And Human Resources (3)
• EDA 7233 Legal Issue In Educational Policy (3)
• EDA 7280 Curriculum & Public Policy (3)
• EDA 6289 Polit & Pol-mak Lo/g

Specialty Core

• EDA 6240 Sch Fin & Educ Polic
• EDA 6260 Facilities & Other Auxiliary Services (3)
• EDH 6635 Overview Of Higher Education Administration (3)
• EDH 7307 Curriculum, Instruction And Distance Learning In Higher Education (3)
• EDA 7905 Directed Individual Study (3)
• EDA 7930 Special Topics In Leadership (3)