Ed.D. Handbook (Admitted 2020-2023)

Program Overview

Webster University is well known for its mission to ensure excellent academic experiences that transform students for global citizenship. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program provides unique opportunities for Webster University to be an innovative leader in the global educational arena. 

The Doctor of Education is designed to be a 3-year program, with 40 credit hours (excluding pre and co-requisites) in total. The actual graduation timeline depends on the availability of the students and scheduling with Dissertation Chairs and Committee Members. Doctoral students will have content building during the first two years through 15 credits of coursework per year, then those who passed the comprehensive exam will take Dissertation hours during the third year. Students with an Ed.S. degree in hand will be waived 15 credits of first year coursework.

Ed.D. Emphases

Educational Leadership

Special Education: Dyslexia

Special Education: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Special Education: Severe Developmental Disabilities and Autism

Special Education: Trauma-Informed Education and Intervention

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

Transformative Learning in the Global Community

*The four emphases in Special Education combined into one in 2022.

Emphases

Educational Leadership

The Ed.D. with an emphasis in Educational Leadership at Webster University prepares leaders who (1) are equipped with the theoretical and practical knowledge of an education system, institution, or organization, (2) understand the legal aspects of running a school, (3) are familiar with the research and instructional tools for improving the lives of various stakeholders in a school system, and (4) take leadership and create initiative for the day-to-day running of a school, district, or an educational institution. The program is designed for educational leaders who have the vision of making a difference in today's schools. The curriculum focuses on research, application of classical and contemporary theories for problem solving, data driven decision making, fostering collaboration, rapport building, and sustainability in any educational culture. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to integrate global perspectives into their professions to optimize the learning environment for both teachers and students.  

In order to meet the requirements of the program, a student must complete a total of 40 credit hours, or 25 credit hours if entering the program with an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership. We accept Webster's Ed.S. or an Ed.S. from any other university or college in educational leadership. 

Special Education

Creating conditions and environments for all learners to reach their full potential are keys to making our global citizenship mission real. An Ed.D. with an emphasis in Special Education from Webster University prepares educators to better understand the developmental, socio-emotional, and academic needs of exceptional learners. With these highly developed skills and competencies, students will better design programs and conduct advocacy for the academic and social success of exceptional learners. This program offers practicing educators, related service professionals, and other qualified individuals, opportunities to advance their understanding of special education issues and interventions in schools, community agencies, and other clinical settings. This specialized program utilizes extensive research, modern and classical theories, and application of the knowledge learned in the classroom. This program is designed to prepare a student to enter a teaching, leadership, or researcher role in the field of Special Education. This role could be in school buildings, district offices, universities, government settings or non-profit agencies.  

In order to meet the requirements of the program, a student must complete a total of 40 credit hours. A student must enter the program with a closely related master's degree. 

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

The Ed.D. with an emphasis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at Webster University is designed for individuals who seek to develop the scholarship (practice, theory, and research), instructional skills, and competency for educating teachers and learners of English overseas or in the United States. The program allows candidates to develop a solid theoretical background in content areas such as language history and policy, language and culture, second language acquisition, and language assessment and research, while preparing them to become language educator-scholars and leaders. 

In order to meet the requirements of the program, a student must complete a total of 40 credit hours. A student must enter the program with a closely related master's degree from Webster University or another university. 

Transformative Learning in the Global Community

This emphasis is intended for educators who want to further develop their knowledge base about transformative education. Doctoral students will engage in intellectual discourse with our faculty, educators in the St. Louis metropolitan area, and passionate individuals all over the world. Our School of Education hosts an academic convention in the Spring semester and the topics have been related to social justice and equity in the past. Doctoral students have been invited to present and participate at our conference. This has been an invaluable learning experience for professional networking and academic collaboration.

This program is designed to prepare a student to enter a teaching, leadership, or researcher role in the field of education. In order to meet the requirements of the program, a student must complete a total of 40 credit hours. Currently there is not a master's program in Transformative Learning in the Global Community at Webster University. Students may enter this emphasis with a closely related master's degree which is interdisciplinary per se or related to social justice and equity issues.

The program runs every other even year. In order to run this emphasis, there needs to be at least eight students accepted and enrolled in this emphasis.

Program Goals

The Ed.D. student will: 

• Investigate and critically analyze the issues, theory, practice, and policies in education systems (global, community, organizational, individual) and global environments as related to ethics, policy, politics, and social justice. 

• Apply research to develop knowledge and capacity for studying and supporting transformative learning for individuals, organizations, and communities. This vigorous study should contribute new information to the knowledge base of others in the field. 

• Reflect on the roles educators take as leaders of change through collaboration with colleagues, students, and families. 

• Demonstrate the ability to facilitate and model collaborative inquiry and dialogue for constructivist and transformative learning. 

General Policies

Academic Warning, Probation, and Dismissal Policy

Doctoral students are expected to maintain a minimum B letter grade average to remain in good academic standing. The doctoral student has a responsibility to demonstrate the  ability to complete graduate-level coursework, including a demonstrated expertise to write clearly and succinctly. If the student receives letter grades of C, ZF, WF, or NC, then the conditions outlined in the university’s Academic Warning, Probation, and Dismissal Policy in the Graduate Catalog will prevail.  

Continuous Enrollment

Students who enter the program must complete all degree requirements within seven years after completion of their initial course. Students who apply but do not enroll within one year must submit a new application to both the university and the program.  

Students are required to be continuously enrolled in the program. If a student does not register for any credit in a particular term or semester, they need an approval from the Ed.D. Director in writing. Only special circumstances with a strong rationale will be approved. Students who do not register for any credit in a term or semester will be prohibited from continuing in the program if an official approval form from the Ed.D. Director is not in place.  

A student may apply to the Dean of the School of Education for a leave of absence for one year. If the absence is approved, the five-year program limit will be suspended for that year and will resume at the end of the leave of absence, whether or not the student enrolls in courses. Extensions are based on academic considerations and are limited. The student may be required to repeat preliminary examinations or take additional course work, or both. In the event that the program is not admitting students in the year that the student intends to return, the student will need to wait for an additional year to resume their academic work in the program. 

Degree Conferral

Once a student passes the final Dissertation Defense, they will be formally recommended to receive their doctoral degree. The student must complete all degree requirements and submit a Petition to Graduate by the deadline specified in the academic calendar. See: Petition to Graduate. 

Grading Criteria

The Ed.D. uses two grading scales:  

1. Letter grades for the four content courses (determined by the chosen emphasis) and core courses (EDOC 7001, EDOC 7002, EDOC 7003, and EDOC 7004). Letter grades are based on the grading criteria in the Graduate Catalog.  

2. The Dissertation Chair should use CR or NC (Credit or No Credit) in grading EDOC 8000 and 8010 dissertation hours, starting from Fall 1, 2024, per Office of Academic Affairs' updated policy.

Advancement Criteria

Doctoral students at Webster University will work through four distinct steps of doctoral study leading to degree conferral:  

Step One: Admission to the Program

Prospective students must complete and submit the Application for Admission online through Graduate Admissions. The applicant is expected to have identified and have expert knowledge in their areas of interest. The admission packet will be reviewed, and if considered appropriate, an interview will be scheduled with the Doctoral Admissions Committee. The Committee may require the applicant to provide other materials to speak to the readiness of the applicant for the Ed.D. program. For more information regarding the application process, see “Admission to the Program”.

Step Two: Coursework

The student will complete the program’s required coursework, as listed in the program schedule. Coursework takes approximately two years to complete. For more information regarding the required coursework, see “Required Coursework and Program Schedule”. 

Step Three: Comprehensive Exam

The student will take a Written Comprehensive Examination. Upon successful completion of the examination, the student may continue to work on their literature review in order to facilitate the development of their research questions, but the Ed.D. student cannot engage in research until they have completed and obtained the approval of the IRB. For more information regarding the Comprehensive Exam, see the “Comprehensive Exam” section.

Step Four: Dissertation Project

The student will write and defend a Dissertation based on their content expertise. The Dissertation will be a publishable manuscript that displays the student’s mastery of research in their subject area. The student will select a faculty member as their Dissertation Chair. The Chair will guide the student to produce a doctoral-level Dissertation.  

The above four steps are described in detail in the following sections.

Admission to the Program

Prospective students must apply and meet the admission criteria in order to be considered for the program. Admission criteria for the program is listed in the Graduate Catalog. Prospective students must complete and submit the Application for Admission online through Graduate Admissions. The deadline to submit all admission materials is July 1st. After admission to the Ed.D. program, students will begin coursework in the Fall term. Inquiries may be addressed by email to Dr. Lee at yleejohnson31@webster.edu 

After all materials have been submitted, the full admission packet will be reviewed. The applicant must be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of educational research methods and design. The Ed.D. Admissions Committee may require the applicant to provide other materials to speak to the applicant’s readiness to begin the Ed.D. program.  

Should the Committee find weaknesses in certain academic areas, the applicant will be strongly advised to take additional coursework that will not count toward the degree requirements. If an applicant needs to expand their research base, they may take those courses concurrently with the Doctor of Education curriculum.  

Required admission packet: 

• All undergraduate and graduate transcripts with evidence of a bachelor’s degree and a master's degree 

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for graduate coursework 

• Current (within the last five years) General GRE test scores including Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing 

• Three (3) letters of recommendation 

• Application fee of $125 (waived for Alumni, current Webster University faculty, staff, and students) 

The admission packet will be reviewed, and if considered appropriate, an interview will be scheduled with the Doctoral Admissions Committee. The Committee may require the applicant to provide other materials to speak to the readiness of the applicant for the Ed.D. program. Should the Committee find weaknesses in certain academic areas, the applicant may be advised to take additional coursework that will not count toward the degree requirements.  After admission to the Ed.D. program, students will begin coursework in the Fall term. 

The applicant must successfully complete an interview with Ed. D. Program Admissions Committee during which the applicant presents their research interest. 

Required Coursework

Requirements for students entering the program with a closely related master's degree:

Year 1

•      Four content courses in your chosen emphasis (Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, and Spring 2)

•      EDOC 7901 Doctoral Apprenticeship (Summer)

Year 2

•      EDOC 7001 Doctoral Writing Seminar (Fall 1)

•      EDOC 7002 Quantitative Research Methods (Fall 2)

•      EDOC 7003 Qualitative Research Methods  (Spring 1) 

•      EDOC 7004 Prospectus and Dissertation Writing (Spring 2)

•      EDOC 7902 Comprehensive Exam and Prospectus Defense (Summer)

The Comprehensive Exam is a written exam at the end of the second year. Once a student has successfully passed the exam, they will become a doctoral candidate and form a Dissertation Committee. Once the Dissertation Committee has been identified and approved by the Ed.D. Director, the student may prepare for the Prospectus Defense in the same term. If the Dissertation Committee is available, the student may complete the Prospectus Defense. If not, the student will take part in the Prospectus Defense in the subsequent term. Students who passed the Prospectus Defense may begin taking Dissertation credits (EDOC 8000) in Year 3.

Year 3 Dissertation Research (10 hours, maximum)

•      EDOC 8000 Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing (5 credit hours) (Fall 1 & 2)

•      EDOC 8000 Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing (5 credit hours) (Spring 1 & 2)

•      EDOC 8010 Project Completion - Students who do not complete Dissertation writing within 10 hours of EDOC 8000 will take EDOC 8010 Doctoral Project Completion (1 credit hour) until completion. This course keeps students active in the university system and grants access to library resources.

•    EDOC 8020 ProQuest Publication of Dissertation (a 0-credit course taken after passing the oral defense to ensure students submit their Dissertation to ProQuest for publishing)

Requirements for students entering the program with an Ed.S. degree:

Year 1

•      EDOC 7001 Doctoral Writing Seminar (Fall 1)

•      EDOC 7002 Quantitative Research Methods (Fall 2)

•      EDOC 7003 Qualitative Research Methods (Spring 1) 

•      EDOC 7004 Prospectus and Dissertation Writing (Spring 2)

•      Comprehensive Examinations End of Second Year (Summer)

•      EDOC 7902 Comprehensive Exam and Prospectus Defense (Summer)

Year 2 Dissertation Research (10 hours, maximum)

•      EDOC 8000 Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing (5 credit hours) (Fall 1 & 2)

•      EDOC 8000 Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing (5 credit hours) (Spring 1 & 2)

•      EDOC 8010 Project Completion - Students who do not complete Dissertation writing within 10 hours of EDOC 8000 will take EDOC 8010 Doctoral Project Completion (1 credit hour) until completion. This course keeps students active in the university system and grants access to library resources. 

•    EDOC 8020 ProQuest Publication of Dissertation (a 0-credit course taken after passing the oral defense to ensure students submit their Dissertation to ProQuest for publishing)

Students must make satisfactory progress through their programs. Any breaks in enrollment should be addressed as described in the Continuous Enrollment policy. 

Comprehensive Exam

The Written Comprehensive Examination (conducted in EDOC 7902) will take place in the Summer term. The exam is a take-home exam. All students in the same cohort will complete the exam during the same period of time in Summer. Grading will be conducted by doctoral faculty. Students who fail the exam will be given a second chance. Students who fail the second time will be dismissed from the program. Further guidelines are included in the EDOC 7902 syllabus.

Prospectus

Students will write and successfully defend the Prospectus of their Dissertation. The Prospectus is a draft of the first three (3) chapters of their Dissertation: Introduction to the Problem, Literature Review, and Proposed Methodology. In the Prospectus, each chapter is usually about twenty (20) pages in length, not including the references or title page. The student should complete the Prospectus draft in EDOC 7004.

The university provides a handbook for students on general guidelines for preparing a graduate thesis or Dissertation. The section titled “Thesis and Dissertation General Formatting Guidelines” provides detailed information on the elements, layout, format, and style of a Dissertation; a sample is provided. A Dissertation may be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.  

During the research and writing phase of the Prospectus, students will remain in close contact with their Dissertation Committee. Committee Members should be familiar with a student’s work, offering critiques along the way that the student will discuss with their Dissertation Chair. The student should remain open-minded to feedback from the Committee and be able to successfully defend their beliefs both orally and in writing.  

When the Dissertation Chair is satisfied that the student’s Prospectus is ready to be defended, they will schedule a Prospectus Defense meeting. The student’s Prospectus Committee will decide if the proposed study is of doctoral-level quality and if the student should/can continue in that direction. The student’s Prospectus Defense will take place after completion of second-year courses. A student may be asked to repeat their defense, depending on the consensus of their Dissertation Committee. 

After a student’s successful Prospectus Defense, the Prospectus Signatory Sheet will be completed and submitted. See: Prospectus Signatory Sheet in the appendix. The final draft of IRB application (if human subjects are involved) should be presented to and agreed by the Dissertation Committee at the Prospectus Defense meeting. Agreement of the IRB application does not imply passing the defense. Upon successful Prospectus Defense, the student should officially submit an IRB application with the Dissertation Chair's endorsement. 

The student is expected to not make any changes to the research design after the Prospectus Defense and IRB approval. Any necessary changes will need to be agreed by the IRB (via Change in Protocol Form), the Chair, and all Committee Members by email. Data collection should begin after successful Prospectus Defense and IRB approval. (Exception: Pilot studies which will not be included as data for the Dissertation can be conducted before the Prospectus Defense. Pilot studies need to be IRB approved as well.) 

Dissertation

The Dissertation Committee is usually formed during the second academic year while the doctoral student takes a directed study, EDOC 7004, with a Dissertation Chair. A list of faculty and their areas of research interest can be found on the Doctoral Faculty Profiles page. See: Dissertation Committee Members Form

The Director of Ed.D. will assist the student in determining a possible Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Chair will assist the student in selecting a Dissertation Committee of doctoral faculty members who will guide their doctoral research and will also serve on both the Prospectus and Dissertation Committees. The Committee will include two to three (2-3) doctoral faculty members and a Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Chair and the Committee Members must meet the criteria for doctoral faculty. Committee Members will work with the student to determine a plan of study and guide the Dissertation. While researching and writing the Dissertation, the student will be responsible for maintaining consistent communication with the Dissertation Chair and each Committee Member. Developing a schedule of meetings will be helpful. Each Committee Member will vote to determine if and when a student completes their Dissertation.  

Dissertation Chair

Dissertation Chairs are preferred to be full-time Webster University faculty. In the event that there is no available full-time faculty who has the content area expertise needed for the Dissertation, an adjunct, a staff member, or outside faculty may serve as Chair. Dissertation Chairs from outside of Webster University need to be approved by the Ed.D. Director on a case-by-case basis. The student’s Dissertation Chair should be selected according to the faculty member’s content expertise. This should include topic interest or subject matter expertise, experience in Dissertation direction, or methodology expertise. The Dissertation Chair is responsible for guiding the student to produce doctoral-level original scholarship in the proposed topic area. The Dissertation Chair must be approved by the Director of Ed.D. A checklist of the Dissertation Chair’s responsibilities is on the important forms page. See: Checklist for the Dissertation Chair. 

Committee Members

Dissertation Committee Members can be full-time or adjunct faculty/staff at Webster University. Any Dissertation Committee Member(s) from outside of Webster University need(s) to be approved by the Ed.D. Director on a case-by-case basis. The student’s Dissertation Committee Members should be selected according to each faculty member’s content expertise. This should include topic interest or subject matter expertise, experience in Dissertation guidance, or methodology expertise. Individuals who are not Webster University faculty may serve on Committees if vetted by the Director of Ed.D. All of the student’s Committee Members share responsibility for ensuring that the student produces high-quality scholarship. A checklist of each Committee Member’s responsibilities is on the important forms page. See: Checklist for the Dissertation Committee Members

Ideally the Dissertation Chair and the Committee will remain consistent throughout the Prospectus and Dissertation Phases. There may be times when a change is necessary. Should this occur, the student must submit a new Dissertation Committee Members Form. See: Dissertation Committee Members Form

Dissertation 

After successful completion of the Prospectus Defense, the student will proceed to the Dissertation phase. The Ed.D. student should seek to complete a Dissertation that contributes to the knowledge base of a specific discipline and transformative learning. The student will research, write, and further develop their Dissertation. The student’s Dissertation preparation will be supervised by their Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Chair will determine when the student is prepared to give the final oral defense of their Dissertation.  

Responsibilities of the Doctoral Student

The student is expected to engage in the active preparation of the Dissertation process from the onset of the doctoral program. The student is responsible for choosing a topic, submitting proofread drafts of materials to the Dissertation Chair, preparing adequately for meetings, thoroughly reviewing all Dissertation policies and procedures, and communicating on a regular basis with the Dissertation Chair via email, phone, or other communication modality. The student is responsible for the mechanics and edits of all documents including completing all forms necessary for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, the Prospectus, and the Dissertation. 

The student is expected to maintain contact with the Dissertation Chair throughout the Dissertation process to ensure that the research and writing adhere to the agreed-upon plan. As the project is the student’s responsibility, they must frequently keep the Dissertation Chair informed of progress. The student should contact the Dissertation Chair in the event of any significant changes in their personal or professional life which may interfere with program completion. Also, students are expected to maintain regular contact with the Ed.D. Director of Ed.D., Dr. Yin Lam Lee-Johnson, via email: yleejohnson31@webster.edu 

Clarification Requests

If at any time a student believes the advice given by their Dissertation Chair is inadequate, the student may submit a written request for clarification to the Director of Ed.D. A copy of this request should also be submitted to the Office of the Dean of the School of Education. The Director of Ed.D. must respond to this request in writing within two (2) weeks of receipt, and a copy of the response shall be filed in the student’s permanent record. 

The entire Dissertation Committee needs to unanimously vote 'yes' to pass the Prospectus or Dissertation at the defense. If a student fails the defense, the Dissertation Committee will prepare a report including reasons for failure and requirements that must be met to defend again. The Dissertation Chair will file this report with the Director of Ed.D. within seven (7) days from the date of the defense. The student must complete a written permission form for a second defense from their Dissertation Chair and file the form with the Director of Ed.D. If the student is unable to pass the second defense, the student may be dismissed from the Ed.D. program. 

Communicating with the Committee

The Dissertation Chair will determine when a document is ready for electronic review by the Committee and will initiate communication amongst Committee Members. The student should avoid consulting the full Committee for feedback without prior approval of the Dissertation Chair. Several meetings with the Committee are required for the preparation of Prospectus Defense and the final Dissertation Defense. The Dissertation Chair will notify the School of Education’s Dean and the Director of Ed.D. of the date/time/location of all Committee, Prospectus, and Defense meetings. Committee participation from a distance may be facilitated through video conference, phone conference, or other electronic media as approved. 

Dissertation Defense

Each student is required to complete an oral defense of their Dissertation, administered by their Doctoral Committee. The time and location of the defense will be announced at least ten (10) days in advance by the Dissertation Chair with the approval of the Office of the Dean and the Ed.D. Program Office.  

Drafts of Dissertation

It is an expected practice to share Dissertation drafts with Committee Members via email. The documents should be saved in Microsoft Word or PDF format and clearly labeled with the researcher’s name and stage in the process (example: Jane Smith Prospectus Chapter 2). Students should adhere to the formatting guidelines provided in the general guidelines for preparing a graduate thesis or Dissertation document, under section titled “Thesis and Dissertation General Formatting Guidelines” which provides detailed information on the elements, layout, format, and style of a Dissertation; a sample is provided. All drafts of defense documents should be shared with the entire Committee at least 14 days before any defense date(s). 

Institutional Review Board (IRb)

Several university faculty members sit on the university’s IRB. The Board reviews and approves all human subjects’ research conducted by Webster University faculty, staff, and students. The IRB process must be completed before any contact with human subjects. For more information about IRB process, go to https://www.webster.edu/academic-affairs/institutional-review-board.php.  

Publication of Dissertation

As part of the final process of the defense, students must submit their Dissertation for publication. Students will need three (3) completed copies of their final project. See the “ProQuest Instructions for Electronic Submission” section in the “Graduate Thesis & Dissertation General Guidelines” handbook. 

For information on Dissertation publishing, please contact: 

Heidi Vix 

Acquisitions Library/Library Online Resources 

Emerson Library 

Webster Groves Main Campus (WEBG) 

314-968-6951