Wisconsin Idea Executive Ph.D. Cohort
This is a three-year cohort which began in the Fall 2007 semester and continues through 2010. No other applications are being taken at this time. If you are interested in applying for the program, please check back in 2009.
The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) offers its Ph.D. in Educational Leadership through a Cohort Program that will focus explicitly on preparing K-12 leaders to dramatically improve student performance and close the achievement gap. Because the goal of the program is to reach out to the state to provide advance training to future district-level educational leaders, we refer to the program as the Wisconsin Idea Executive Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, or the "Ph.D. cohort"
program.
Program Description
The program will be cohort based, will meet on a weekend format during the academic year and during the week in summers, and will have the theme of improving student performance and closing the achievement gap infused through all courses. The program will be structured to allow students to finish within three to three and a half years, with a structured dissertation at the end. The dissertation will focus on analysis of schools and districts that have dramatically improved student learning and closed the achievement gap, using a case study or comprehensive district plan based on a thorough needs assessment.
During the academic year, students will complete two courses each semester. These two courses will be offered over five weekends each semester. The weekends and course times will be published in advance of the program. Faculty teaching the two courses will collaborate to determine an appropriate course schedule as part of the weekend structure in advance of the course offering. In addition, faculty will use Learn@UW, field experience, and other teaching technologies to ensure that each course meets the equivalent of 40 hours per 3-credit semester course. The months that the courses will be offered over five weekends each semester are listed below:
Early September Late January
Later September Mid February
Mid October Early March
Mid November Late March
Early December April
Each weekend schedule will include a class meeting from 4-9 p.m. on Friday night, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday for 70 contact hours for the two classes. The remaining 10 hours will be designed by the instructors to meet individual course needs.
In summer, students will be enrolled for 9 credits over a 12-week summer schedule. Specific meeting times will be determined to address student needs, and dates will be published in advance to ensure student availability.
Admission to the Program
The Department expects that student candidates for the Wisconsin Idea Executive PhD Cohort already hold a master’s degree and/or principal’s license.
The coursework in the cohort program is designed to build on this foundational experience.
Because the Department designed the cohort program for participants who already have an initial certification, we assume that participants have already achieved some of the requirements. If you do not hold an administrative license and would like us to review your course work to determine what courses would be accepted into the program, we would be glad to do so. Fax transcripts to the attention of Shari Smith (fax 608-265-3135). Be sure to indicate you are interested in the Executive PhD Cohort.
You will find all directions for applying to the program on the ELPA web site. See the Department's general admission requirements.
If you have questions relating to admissions, please contact Shari Smith, Student Services Coordinator,
ssmith@education.wisc.edu or 608-263-2701.
As part of the admissions process, you need to take the general GRE (Graduate Record Examination). We are only interested in the verbal and quantitative scores. Click here for information on applying to write the exam and site locations.
See other available downloadable forms to facilitate the process.
Program Features
- Cohort Program – For the first cohort, up to 25 students will be admitted to establish a professional learning community and to complete the requirements together. A minimum of 15 students is required for a PhD cohort to begin.
- Accelerated: Students can complete an entire PhD program at the top-ranked program in the country in three to three and a half years while working full time.
- Expanded Career Options: Along with completion of the PhD, students will receive licensure for the superintendent, director of special education and student services, and director of curriculum and instruction.
- Leading for Learning: The goal of the program is to link district leadership to high student achievement for all students and close the achievement gap.
- Focus on Equity: ELPA is committed to training leaders dedicated to equity and equal educational opportunity. To that end, we are committed to actively recruiting and retaining an able and diverse student body for this particular learning community that celebrates issues of difference on a number of parameters; sex, race, language, social class, sexual orientation, disability, geography, familial background and professional experience.
- Evidenced Based: Students will learn the most recent, research-based, effective practices to improve student achievement across the district and to close achievement gaps between students.
- Data Based: Students will leave with a sophisticated set of strategies to use data to raise consciousness about district inequities, to make date-based decisions, and to empirically evaluate program effectiveness. These strategies will not only help students become highly successful district leaders, but also national leaders in their district improvement efforts. They can pass this knowledge on to the building leaders in their districts
Examinations
Cohort participants must pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination as a partial requirement for completion of the Ph.D. degree. The student may take the exam after the completion of at least 18 credits in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis coursework and must take the exam no later than the semester in which he or she completes 24 credits in ELPA courses. The student must pass this qualifying exam prior to scheduling his or her preliminary exam.
Students must also pass the Ph.D. preliminary examination as a partial requirement for completion of the degree. The student must have completed or expect to complete the research requirements during the semester in which he or she takes the preliminary exam. The Department must approve the student’s program plan, research requirement plan,
and minor option plan before the student takes the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination is an oral examination based on the departmentally approved program requirements and the dissertation proposal. Three faculty members, two of whom must be from ELPA, comprise the Examination Committee. For more information see http://www.education.wisc.edu/elpa/reference/READYPRELIMS.pdf
Cohort participants must pass the final oral examination as a partial and final requirement for completion of the degree. The student must have completed or expect to complete all program requirements during the semester in which he or she takes the final oral examination. The Department Chairperson must certify that the student's program is complete before the exam may be scheduled. The final oral examination committee is composed of a three member reading committee and two additional professors (non-readers). At least three of the final oral committee members must be from ELPA. If a student follows the Minor Option A plan, then at least one member must be from the Option A department. In both Option A and Option B plans at least one member must be from outside ELPA. For more information see http://www.education.wisc.edu/elpa/reference/READYFINALORALS.pdf
Minimum Standards & Progress Toward the Degree
A minimum of seventy five graduate credits must be completed in the Doctor of Philosophy degree program with an overall GGPA of at least 3.00. The student must maintain a minimum overall GGPA of 3.00 in educational administration coursework between admission and the time of the Preliminary Examination.
The qualifying examination may be taken after the completion of 18 credits and shall be taken no later than the completion of 24 credits of coursework in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and before filing to take the preliminary examination. If failure results, the qualifying examination may be repeated one time. After a failure the student is required to complete a minimum of six (6) additional credits in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis before retaking the examination.
Three professors must agree to serve on the student’s dissertation writing committee.
The preliminary examination must be passed within seven years from the date of admission to the program. The dissertation must be satisfactorily completed within five years of passing the preliminary examination.
The Graduate School requires that after completion of the preliminary examination and all program requirements the student enroll for at least three graduate credits each semester as a “dissertator” until completion of the final oral examination.
Any student who fails to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree will be declared “inactive.” Students declared “inactive” will be ineligible for any final examination or degree in the Department. “Inactive” students must have a new graduate program approved and must meet the new program and examination requirements in effect at that time.
Students declared “inactive” for three years may be dropped from the Ph.D. program. Students who have been dropped must seek readmission and meet all existing admission, program, and examination requirements.
Additional Information
GRE
You need to take the general GRE. We are only interested in the verbal and quantitative scores. Click here for information on applying to write the exam and site locations.
Tuition
3 credits of graduate level course work is currently $1,723.31 (spring 2007). Tuition information is available at
http://registrar.em.wisc.edu/students/fees_tuition/tuition.php
Review of previous coursework for inclusion in Executive PhD Cohort
The Executive PhD Cohort was designed with the idea that participants would already have an initial certification, thus some of the requirements would already have been met.
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