Per the Student Handbook, In Unit 1 of ED780, students must complete a Handbook Acknowledgement form to be assigned an RPC. During week 2 of ED780, students will be invited to a mandatory informational session covering key details about the applied research project, the role of the Research Project Coordinator (RPC), and an overview of the ED800-level courses. This session will also serve as an opportunity for students to meet the RPCs. Students will be contacted by their RPC after the listening session.

The handbook states students will connect with their RPC during Unit 8 of ED810 about site permission and work to obtain final permissions during ED820. Site permission is required before students can apply to the IRB for research approval.

Per the student handbook, students will be assigned an RPC during ED780.

Your RPC will send it via email during ED810. In ED820, you will find the form link in your course, under Course Resources.

The RPC guides students through the research project, provides oversight and advice, and is one of the approving members for the final applied research project and paper. The RPC role is clearly defined in the Student Handbook.

• • RPCs:

    • Assists with the selection and approval of research topic and 1-2 research questions

    • Support for site permission documentation

    • Supports IRB submission for approval to conduct research

    • Consultation on research focus and project requirements

Site permission will be required from each site being utilized for research.

Page length requirements are primarily intended as guidelines to ensure your work demonstrates the depth, comprehensiveness, and rigor expected at the doctoral level. Page length guidelines are indicators of the expected scope and thoroughness of analysis. You can review page length guidance in the student handbook.

Courses must be taken in sequential order.  See your program version for your classes.

The program is designed for students to take two 700-level classes per term initially, but there may be times when one class is required.  ED780 is the first class students are required to take one class per term.

The 800-level courses build on each other, where students propose and develop a research project, collect and analyze data, develop conclusions, and present the results.  Students must complete the 800-level courses in sequence. If a student does not successfully complete an 800-level course, the student must retake the course or, if approved by the Research Committee complete a 0-credit extension course (based on their progress in the class).

Quality always supersedes quantity. A well-crafted, concise document that thoroughly addresses the research question and demonstrates critical thinking is far more valuable than a lengthy submission that lacks focus or substance. The goal is not to fill pages but to develop and articulate sophisticated academic arguments with appropriate evidence and analysis. Work directly with your instructor on the content and length.

The IRB checklist and template will be provided during ED820.

Continue to work directly with your instructors and RPCs to establish quality and doctoral-level writing. Some research may require additional substance, therefore, page length requirements are intended as guidelines to ensure your work demonstrates the depth, comprehensiveness, and rigor expected at the doctoral level. 

No, once your topic is approved in 810, the topic is set.

This will be dependent on the study. Work directly with the instructor on what is needed.

800-Level Course Progression:

• The typical progression begins in ED810 and continues through ED840

• Research focus on areas like educational leadership, professional development, and innovative practices will continue to be supported

Individual research topics will be evaluated for academic rigor and potential impact.

The IRB will not approve any research with vulnerable populations. This is not permissible in this program. 

Third party tools used for data analysis are reviewed but in limited amounts of information only. We more go over methodologies and how to match what types of analysis goes with each.

Graduates of the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation degree program will adhere to the following commencement schedule: 

• EdD students who officially graduate between January 1 and June 30 may participate in the upcoming Fall (October) Commencement Ceremony.

• EdD students who officially graduate between July 1 and December 31 may participate in the upcoming Spring (May) Commencement Ceremony.

Approval and signoff on the student’s final applied research project paper is required to graduate.

Yes they are 10-weeks as well, and require regular active participation.

We cannot register students until all grades are posted and finalized for the previous term. This is because successful completiom of the current term is required for registration in the next term.

As you work on your research, many of you may use citation generators (such as Sourcely, Zotero, EasyBib, or built-in database tools) to format your reference list. While these are powerful tools, they are not definitive authorities. They are formatting robots that lack human judgment. Some generators simply format references, while others locate sources in online databases and produce an entire citation with minimal input.

To ensure your work meets Purdue Global academic integrity standards, please keep the following principles in mind:

• A citation generator cannot read or understand your source; it only follows patterns and metadata. If incorrect information is entered or if the tool pulls flawed or incomplete data, it will produce an incorrect citation. You are ultimately responsible for the accuracy and veracity of every author name, title, date, DOI, and URL included in your work.

• Importantly, generating a citation does not confirm that the cited source actually says what you claim it says. You are expected to read the full article or source, not just the abstract or citation, and verify that the content accurately supports your argument, interpretation, or claim. Citing a source without confirming its relevance or accuracy is a misuse of citation practices and may constitute an academic integrity concern.

• Many generators automatically locate source information using only a title. In doing so, they may select the wrong edition, version, or medium (for example, a magazine article instead of a peer-reviewed journal article). You must verify each generated citation against the actual source you read and used, ensuring alignment between the citation, the content, and how it is represented in your writing. Be especially vigilant for hallucinated URLs, placeholder links, or mismatched publication details.

• A generator may produce a “technically correct” APA reference, but it cannot determine how that source should be integrated into a scholarly sentence or argument. Issues with capitalization, page ranges, secondary citations, or contextual use remain the author’s responsibility

• Finally, citation generators can create perfectly formatted references for sources that are methodologically weak, biased, outdated, or non-scholarly. It is your responsibility, not the software’s, to evaluate the quality, credibility, and appropriateness of every source you include.

Tools can support efficiency and save time, but they cannot replace scholarly judgment or critical reading. Before submitting any draft or final paper, carefully review each citation and confirm that you have read, understood, and accurately represented the source. Keep a copy of all sources you use as you work on your papers, whether or not they are actually referenced in the final product. Your instructors and/or RPC may ask for information related to your paper and/or the actual reference used, and it is your responsibility to have that material available upon request.