Educational Leadership, Doctor of Education
The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership provides knowledge and skills for its graduates to lead organizational improvements within educational and education-related environments. The Ed.D. is designed to prepare scholarly practitioners whose program content and experiences emphasize application to practical challenges facing education organizations.
Using principles of improvement science, WKU Ed.D. candidates complete an innovative dissertation-in-practice utilizing a series of research-based interventions to impact a real-world problem of practice from their own organizational context. Program graduates gain new skills in leadership, research, and organizational improvement techniques, adding value to their own education institutions and the larger field of education practice.
The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership:
encourages participants to become practitioner scholars by promoting skills and knowledge in practice-based settings through a core sequence of leadership and research courses;
includes coursework in a customized professional specialization that enhances students' future career opportunities;
models interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration;
provides participants with leadership capacity to bring about changes that enhance organizational success; and
provides interdisciplinary research preparation focused on contextually based problems.
This program is part of the School of Leadership and Professional Studies and is an interdisciplinary program involving faculty and courses from other departments throughout the university. More information may be found at https://www.wku.edu/edd/.
Intakes
- Jan
- May
- Aug
Application Processing Time in Days: 30
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
Western Kentucky University (WKU) offers a range of job opportunities for international students, especially through on-campus employment, internships, and Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation. The university has a strong career services center that supports students with resume building, interview preparation, and connecting with employers through job fairs and networking events. WKU’s location and industry connections also provide students with access to part-time jobs and full-time career opportunities in various fields such as business, technology, health sciences, and education.
PSW Opportunity
Post-Study Work visa or permit, allowing international students on F-1 visas to work in the US after completing their studies, typically through Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Eligibility:
To be eligible for OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time in a US educational institution for at least one academic year and be seeking work related to their major.
Duration:
Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT, either before they finish their studies (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion).
STEM OPT:
Students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields can apply for an extended OPT period of up to 24 months.
Contact our PSA counselor for more information
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
- Official transcript(s) of all college work attempted indicating the applicant has received an undergraduate degree in accounting from an accredited college or university with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25 (4.0 scale) for the terms in which the student completed the last sixty (60) hours of undergraduate coursework.
- Official Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score report with a minimum score of 500.
Evidence of ability to communicate in English
- TOEFL: 79 iBT (including the Home Edition and Paper Edition tests)
- IELTS: 6.5
- Successful completion of ESLi at WKU
- Completion of ELS Level 112
Note: English proficiency scores are not required if the applicant's country of citizenship in on this list
Adequate academic preparation in the field of specialization
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Doctoral Degree/PhD
- Duration: 04 Year
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Total Tuition Fee:
71628 USD
Average Cost of Living: 14000 USD /year
Application Fee: 95 USD