Community College Leadership Program (EdD)

All candidates pursuing the EdD must complete a minimum of fifty-four (54) credit hours at Morgan after admission to the program.

• In addition, all candidates must select a specialized internship in a community college other than their current institution. The internship must be approved prior to the start of the class.
• All doctoral candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. To be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, the student must have completed a minimum of 45 credit hours, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, with no “I” or “F” grades. Grades of “C” are not acceptable.
• Each student must submit a dissertation concept paper at the end of the second year of study. Successful completion of the concept paper triggers the final set of requirements of the program, including the written comprehensive exam, dissertation proposal and defense, IRB approval, and the final defense of the dissertation.
• All students must submit a dissertation study. When the dissertation has been completed to the satisfaction of the committee chairperson, the committee members, in addition to CCLP administrators, and the DASLP department chair, a dissertation defense will be scheduled during which the student must orally defend his/her work before the entire dissertation committee.
• All requirements for the EdD degree must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years. The granting of a leave of absence by the School of Graduate Studies does not automatically extend the time limit. Students must obtain an extension request with the School of Graduate Studies.
• While completing the dissertation phase, students must maintain an active registration with the Office of the Registrar.

Vision

To provide an environment that nurtures, enhances, and teaches the emerging cadre of 21st century leaders for the community and technical colleges in our nation.

Mission

To provide essential instruction of leadership competencies necessary for the emerging 21st century community and technical college leader. 

• To increase diversity in community and technical college leadership.
• To strengthen the role and voice of future administrators and faculty at community and technical colleges.
• To enhance the intellectual, cultural, social, and ethical potential of scholars and faculty as they pursue upward mobility in community and technical colleges.
• To expand the context and content of leadership development by exposing scholars to a cohort learning environment.
• To enrich scholars with the ability to research relevant topics facing America’s community and technical colleges, and to add to the existing literature that informs policy and practice.
• To seek opportunities to expand course offerings, locations, and services for the graduates of the program.

Institutional and Cultural Awareness

• Embraces the mission, vision, and values of the community college.
• Respects and values the institution's past and present, always with any eye toward the future.
• Actively focuses on ways to eliminate structural bias in the institution's design so that all students, regardless of their personal circumstances, have the resources that they need to achieve their educational goals.

Governance, Local, State, and Federal Policy

• Knowledgeable about how the institution works, as well as local, state, and federal policies and how they impact student success.

Student Success

• Supports student access and success by meeting the students wherever they are so they can achieve their educational goals.

Leadership

• Understands that employee success depends on harnessing individual leadership skills and working as part of a team.

Institutional Transformation

• Understands the importance of implementing profound change within the institution that has significant impact on the communities that the institution serve.

Advocacy

• Understands and embraces the role of champion with regard to public and government relations advocacy and mobilization of stakeholders to support community college core values.

Partnerships and Collaboration

• Cultivates partnerships by investing time in mutually beneficial, ethical relationships where collaboration supports student success

Communication

• Demonstrates effectual communication skills

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral program in Community College Leadership, an applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Master’s degree from an accredited university or college
2. One to three years of higher education work experience, preferably at a community college
3. A cumulative 3.0 GPA in graduate school coursework

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer admission should be made based on that review.

The School of Graduate Studies coordinates the application process. 

• Apply here: www.morgan.edu/apply
• More information for International Students can be found here

Students achieve candidacy by successfully passing the Comprehensive Examination and the Proposal Defense. Prior to achieving Candidacy GRAD 993: Pre-Candidacy.  Students are also expected to complete an internship prior to candidacy.

Once a student achieves candidacy, enrollment in any course other than 799, 797, 998, or 997 is generally prohibited.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, or a certificate must seek approval through the program up to the School of Graduate Studies.  The request must be accompanied with a revised Plan of Study.

Describe the selection of committee members, general nature of the thesis, other expectations as warranted including the method of defense.

Each student must select a committee chair, as well as two additional committee members. Students are expected to give an oral defense of the proposal and the final dissertation.

For a dissertation to be accepted by the School of Graduate Studies, it must:

• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of prior scholarship, including qualitative or quantitative research relating to the dissertation topic;
• Reveal ability to analyze, critique, interpret, and integrate information from prior scholarship into hypotheses or research questions sufficient to form the basis of a dissertation;
• Reflect use of appropriate research methodology, including current data collection techniques and appropriate data analysis tools including the use of proper statistical applications and other software applications;
• Display findings in a sequential and logical manner, and when needed, through the use of appropriate tables, graphs, or other methods of presenting quantitative or qualitative data;
• Include a coherent discussion of the relationships among the prior scholarship, the hypotheses or research question(s), the findings and data, and the meaning of the results; and
• Reflect a mastery of grammar, punctuation, sentence construction, paragraph formation, and style consistent with requirements outlined and approved in this Handbook.

The School of Graduate Studies reserves the right not to accept dissertations that fail to meet these standards. The general expectation is that the dissertation committee provides assurance that these standards are met and indicates so with the signatures of the members being published in the dissertation.

The School of Graduate Studies at Morgan promotes responsible and ethical research among graduate students. Students are cautioned to avoid practices that threaten the integrity of a student’s research, including, but not limited to, falsification or fabrication of data, violations of privacy and confidentiality provisions, conflicts of interest, cheating, plagiarism, and copyright infringements. Unethical research threatens the integrity of academic and scientific enterprise and will subject the student to severe penalties.

To learn more about graduate student funding please visit this site.

EdD (54 credit hours)

• ASLJ 601 - Legal Aspects of Education- 3 Credits
• EDHE 601 - Politics of Higher Education- 3 Credits
• EDHE 600 - The American Community College- 3 Credits
• EDHE 601 - Leadership and Administration in Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDSR 604 - Introduction to Educational Research- 3 Credits
• EDSR 810 - Qualitative Research Methods- 3 Credits
• EDSR 632 - Quantitative Research Methods in Education- 3 Credits
• EDHE 604 - Community College Finance and Budgeting- 3 Credits
• EDHE 605 - Community College Planning and Management- 3 Credits
• EDHE 606 - The Learning College- 3 Credits
• EDHE 607 - Student Development in Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDHE 608 - Technology in Contemporary Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDHE 609 - Contemporary Issues in Urban Education- 3 Credits
• EDHE 611 - Professional Development for Careers in Community Colleges II- 3 Credits
• EDHE 615 - The Community College Presidency- 3 Credits
• EDHE 616 - Community College Trustees and Governing Boards- 3 Credits
• EDHE 617 - Clinical Internship-The Community College Experience- 3 Credits
• EDHE 627 - Mixed Methods Research for Community College Leaders- 3 Credits

• ASLP 993 - Doctoral Pre-Candidacy- 3 Credits 
• EDHE 997 - Dissertation Guidance- 3 Credits
• EDHE 998 - Dissertation Defense- 3 Credits

Course Sequence

Year 1, First Semester (Fall): 9 Credits

• EDHE 600 - The American Community College- 3 Credits
• EDHE 601 - Leadership and Administration in Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDSR 604 - Introduction to Educational Research- 3 Credits

Year 1, Second Semester (Spring) : 9 Credits

• EDHE 604 - Community College Finance and Budgeting- 3 Credits
• EDHE 605 - Community College Planning and Management- 3 Credits
• EDHE 609 - Contemporary Issues in Urban Education- 3 Credits

Year 1, Third Semester (Summer): 6 Credits

• EDHE 608 - Technology in Contemporary Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDSR 810 - Qualitative Research Methods- 3 Credits

Year 2, Fourth Semester (Fall): 9 Credits

• ASLJ 601 - Legal Aspects of Education- 3 Credits
• EDSR 632 - Quantitative Research Methods in Education- 3 Credits
• EDHE 601 – Politics of Higher Education- 3 Credits

Year 2, Fifth Semester (Spring): 9 Credits

• EDHE 607 - Student Development in Community Colleges- 3 Credits
• EDHE 616 - Community College Trustees and Governing Boards- 3 Credits
• EDHE 627 - Mixed Methods Research for Community College Leaders- 3 Credits

Year 2, Sixth Semester (Summer): - 3 Credits

• EDHE 615 - The Community College Presidency- 3 Credits

Year 3, Seventh Semester (Fall): 6 Credits

• EDHE 611 - Professional Development for Careers in Community Colleges II- 3 Credits
• EDHE 617 - Clinical Internship-The Community College Experience - 6 Credits

Total Credit Hours: 54

Continuing Semesters

(Continuing enrollment required to complete the comprehensive exam, proposal defense, and dissertation defense)

• ASLP 993 - Doctoral Pre-Candidacy- 3 Credits (Reports as 9 Credits)
• EDHE 997 - Dissertation Guidance- 3 Credits (Reports as 9 Credits)
• EDHE 998 - Dissertation Defense- 9 Credits (Reports as 9 Credits)

*Note:

Pre-Candidacy cannot be used to fulfill academic, curricular credits.  The course is used only when the curriculum has been completed and has not yet reached Candidacy status within the program.  The course registration maintains the student status as a matriculated, full-time student.

The student will continuously register in Fall and Spring terms for EDHE 997 (Dissertation Guidance) until the Dissertation is completed and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for review.  The course is used only when the curriculum has been completed and the student is completing the research and writing of the Dissertation. The EDHE 997 course registration maintains the student status as a matriculated, full-time student (student registers for 3 credit hours each semester, but is acknowledged as having a 9-credit hour load).  

After the Intent to Defend the Dissertation form has been received by the School of Graduate Studies, this course registration will be changed to EDHE 998 (Dissertation Defense) for the given semester and count for 3 credit hours of curricular coursework (EDHE 998 will also count as 9 credits of load).  EDHE 997 will not count toward curricular credits. Other courses cannot be substituted for EDHE 997 (Dissertation Guidance). The only eligible grade for EDHE 997 (Dissertation Guidance) is the grade of “S” and the only acceptable grade for EDHE 998 (Dissertation Defense) is “P/F” (Pass/Fail).