Doctor of Education in Leadership in Schooling: STEM Option, Ed.D.

Doctor of Education in Leadership in Schooling: STEM Option

Advance your skills as a researcher and instructional leader of PK-12 programs with UMass Lowell's Leadership in Schooling Ed.D. STEM Option. This 100% online program is for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators or those who work in STEM fields in higher education. However, leadership aspects are focused on PK-12. Although this program is not a licensure program, graduates have progressed in their careers as STEM Department chairs, principals, superintendents, college faculty and curriculum coordinators.

Courses are online during the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters. Please note that there is a required one-week summer residency each year. New students begin studies in the middle of May, during the Summer semester, and complete the program as a cohort. You will take two courses each semester and complete the program over three years.

As a student in the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Schooling: STEM option, you will collaborate with STEM professionals around the world and work through a social justice lens to find solutions to problems of practice within your own schools and districts.

Earn a Top-Ranked Master's for Under $20k

One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

No GMAT/GRE Required

Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available

Career Outlook

582,136

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+10.3%

% Change (2020-2021)

91.4K/yr

Median Earnings

112,362

Annual Openings

Source: Lightcast, 2022

Curriculum Outline

- Number of Courses Required: 14 (42 credits)

Required Courses (5 Courses / 15cr)

EDUC.6227 Foundations of Student Learning in STEM fields
EDUC.6910 Developing Inclusive School Contexts
EDUC.6940 Systems Leadership I
EDUC.6960 Strategic Partnering with Families and Communities - Available Spring 2023!
EDUC.6991 Reading and Applying Educational Research

Research Design & Methods (4 Courses / 12cr)

EDUC.6911 Applied Research Design
EDUC.6921 Quantitative Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders - Available Spring 2023!
EDUC.6922 Qualitative Research Methods Practitioner Leaders - Available Spring 2023!
EDUC.6931 Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders

Specialization Courses (2 Courses / 6cr)

EDUC.6225 Education Reform in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics
EDUC.6226 Leadership and Research in STEM Education

Residency

One week residency required each summer*

Dissertation Planning and Execution (3 Courses / 9cr)

EDUC.7501 Dissertation in Practice - Available Spring 2023!
EDUC.7502 Dissertation in Practice: Data Collection and Analysis
EDUC.7503 Dissertation in Practice: Dissertation Completion - Available Spring 2023!

*Fee required

Course Descriptions

EDUC.6225 Education Reform in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics

This blended course explores the ongoing efforts to improve the equity and quality of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. By examining a series of STEM education reform efforts form the local, state, and national levels, students will gain a practical and theoretical understanding of both the historical role policy plays in education and its chronic shortcomings. Students will investigate an example of a local example of STEM reform and report on it to the class from a reform perspective. Finally, the educator's role in implementing effective reform in is considered. 3 credits.

EDUC.6226 Leadership and Research in STEM Education

Educators in this course will explore and analyze current research in STEM education, investigate how student performance data informs school and district program decision making, learn how to lead and empower teachers in the mapping of STEM curriculum across grade levels, and develop strategies to develop effective district-wide STEM professional development for K-12 educators. 3 credits.

EDUC.6227 Foundations of Student Learning in STEM fields

This course examines key crosscutting issues that enable STEM teachers to understand how knowledge is obtained and verified. During the course you will explore the theoretical foundations and research that would help you to better understand the nature of cognitive processes, the development of STEM reasoning abilities, and applications for teaching. 3 credits.

EDUC.6910 Developing Inclusive School Contexts

This course will introduce students to theory and research about structural inequities, barriers to education, and promising practices for addressing these barriers. Students will examine theory and research and implications for practice in PK-12 Leadership. 3 credits.

Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

EDUC.6911 Applied Research Design

This course is designed to provide PK-12 practitioners with an understanding of the principles of research design and the ethical responsibilities of conducting a research study. Participants will learn a broad range of research methodology approaches that can be applied to problems of practice. Participants will become skilled at reading, evaluating, and judging the trustworthiness of studies using different methodology approaches. They will design a practitioner-oriented research study. 3 credits.

Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

EDUC.6921 Quantitative Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders

The primary focus of this course is to prepare practitioner leaders to understand, interpret, and analyze quantitative data as it relates to their identified problem of practice. 3 credits.

EDUC.6922 Qualitative Research Methods Practitioner Leaders

This is the first in a two-part sequence of courses that will introduce students to the scope of issues, techniques, and perspectives that compose qualitative research methodology. In this first course students will be introduced to historical, philosophical, and theoretical issues undergirding the approach, principles of research design, data collection techniques, and approaches for preliminary organization of the data. Students will also be introduced to literature and technologies of the field. 3 credits.

EDUC.6931 Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders

This course is designed to provide second year EdD students opportunities to learn how experts in the field are applying principles of improvement science to address educational problems--particularly those related to equity. At the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate how they will apply improvement science methods to address a persistent educational problem in their own school or system contexts. 3 credits.

EDUC.6940 Systems Leadership I

Drawing on organizational, management, and educational scholarship, this course introduces students to concepts and practices associated with strategic systems leadership. Students will apply their understandings of how to leverage both formal and informal sources of influence in their analysis of relevant teaching cases and the data they collect in an extensive field study project. 3 credits.

Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

EDUC.6960 Strategic Partnering with Families and Communities

This course will critically examine the variety of issues associated with partnering with parents, families and community organizations. Through analysis of theory, research and collective knowledge, doctoral students will learn how to strategically engage parents, families and community organizations and recognize the different forms of engagement. This course will emphasize collaborative strategies that "shares power" with key stakeholders in U.S. schools. 3 credits.

EDUC.6991 Reading and Applying Educational Research

This course is designed to build student capacity for evidence-based decision making in K-12 schools. Specifically, it will advance student ability to locate educational research, evaluate it for quality, extract findings, and apply those findings to practice. Critically, the process of applying research to practice will consider local context and draw on stakeholder experiences, weaving them together with scholarship to develop school improvement plans. 3 credits.

EDUC.7501 Dissertation in Practice

Ed.D. students will design their study, complete their proposal, conduct their study and defend their dissertation in practice, while enrolled in dissertation credit. This course is for ED.D. cohort students only. 3 credits.

EDUC.7502 Dissertation in Practice: Data Collection and Analysis

In this second course of the EdD dissertation course series, students will collect and analyze data with the support of the course instructor. 3 credits.

EDUC.7503 Dissertation in Practice: Dissertation Completion

In this final course of the EdD program students formally report on their data in a written dissertation that they defend at the end of the semester. 3 credits.

Ed.D. Program Requirements

The Ed.D. requires completion of 42 credits beyond the master's or education specialist (CAGS) degree. Nine of these credits are focused on dissertation research. The research for the Ed.D. is applied in nature and may examine an issue pertinent to a local setting. The Ed.D. program requires completion of 11 online courses (33 cr) and 9 credits of dissertation research support through online dissertation seminars. Additionally, candidates must attend a week-long summer residency each year they are in the program.

In order to complete either degree, candidates must:

Complete the required minimum number of credits in the specified program;
Complete all courses, including residency requirements, with a cumulative grade point average of B or better;
Have no more than two courses below the grade of B counted toward their degree;
Pass two doctoral examinations;
Satisfactorily complete and defend a dissertation proposal;
Satisfactorily complete and defend the dissertation;
Submit all required paperwork at each stage of the degree;
Maintain continuing matriculation if not enrolled in coursework or dissertation research credit;
Conform to all human subjects requirements for research as specified by the Institutional Research Board (IRB);
Complete the program within eight years from the date of admission.

Program Requirements

To be recommended for a University of Massachusetts Lowell doctorate degree, candidates must satisfy all of the general requirements below, plus any additional requirements that may be required by the department through which the program is offered. Any additional requirements for this program are either listed below or may be found in the University's Graduate Program Catalog.

General Requirements:

Students must complete the program of study designed by the Department in which they are enrolled and approved by the University.
Satisfactory grades in all subjects offered for the degree must be earned. See Academic Standing.
All financial obligations, including tuition, fees and expenses, must be satisfied as evidenced by completion.
Upon completion of all their courses, graduate degree candidates must submit a signed Declaration of Intent to Graduate (DIG) form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Graduate Program Policies

In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Spring 2023 Tuition	Cost Per Credit	Cost Per 3-Credit Course*
Graduate
Graduate Online Education Courses in the Ed.D. and Ph.D.****	$495	$1,485

*If the number of contact hours exceeds the number of credits, tuition is calculated by multiplying by the total number of contact hours.

**Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.

***Applies to CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS and MSIT courses.

****Applies to graduate online education courses in the Ed.D. and Ph.D.

Additional Costs
Term Registration Fee	$30
Late Fee	$50
Graduate Degree and Certificate Application	$50

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Admission Requirements

Applications for 2023 will be accepted January - October 15, 2022. Admissions decisions will be sent by year end 2022. Applications received after the deadline, if there are openings, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

An M.Ed., Ed.S. or master's degree in a field relevant to K-12 education
Should be currently working in a K-12 school or other setting that serves these students, have at least three years' experience as a teacher and/or as an instructional leader, have a commitment to continuing to serve such students as a leader who will influence excellence and equity
Should have three years' experience as a STEM teacher or other roles in STEM within the district e.g. elementary STEM coordinator; mathematics coach
Official transcripts from previously earned degrees
Two letters of reference that speak towards the candidate's capacity for/record of leadership or STEM leadership in or relevant to K-12 settings and their commitment to learning and continued personal and professional growth including an ability to give and receive feedback/engage in interchange of ideas.
A professional resume
A two-page statement of purpose in which the applicant describes their understanding of equity-based educational problems and identifies and articulates the reasons to address a contextually relevant, equity-based problem (for STEM applicants should have a STEM focus).

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Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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