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Dissertation

All students in the Ed.D. program will complete a rigorous
research-based dissertation that integrates theory and research in the study of educational practice. The dissertation will include the results of the candidate's independent research and will typically focus on examination of (a) an educational problem, (b) a practice or program, or (c) an educational policy or reform. Most dissertations will be studies undertaken in the local context, having the potential to contribute to solutions of local educational problems. Dissertations will utilize a range of qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methodologies. The dissertation will present the results of the candidate's independent investigation in a manner that contributes both to professional knowledge in education and to the improvement of educational practice. Examples might include studies examining and/or evaluating reforms in curriculum and instruction, professional development, assessment, and applications of technology.

In understanding the features of an Ed.D. dissertation in comparison to those of a Ph.D. dissertation, it is important to understand that the Ed.D. dissertation is typically research study focused on educational programs or practices. Unlike the Ph.D. dissertation that is generally seen as contributing theoretically grounded knowledge and contributing to the research in a scholarly discipline, the goal of the Ed.D. dissertation is to generate knowledge that contributes to the understanding of educational practices, policies, or reforms.

Still, the Ed.D. dissertation is a significantly scholarly work that uses rigorous research methodologies in the study of educational problems and practices. The dissertation is expected to be based on one or more theoretical frameworks and to include a comprehensive review of relevant literature in which the research question or questions are situated. The dissertation most often involves collection of original empirical data, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of these data, interpretation of the findings, a discussion of their significance and implications, and an indication of important areas for further research.

Although Ed.D. dissertations differ in nature from more discipline-oriented and theoretically-focused Ph.D. dissertations, they are held to the same high standards of academic quality and rigor as are other UC doctoral dissertations. All students in the program will participate in a two-quarter pre-dissertation seminar in which the expectations regarding dissertations are explored in depth and during which they will begin planning their questions of study, reviews of research literature, and dissertation methodologies. The seminar will be the same as the current one for students in the UCI/UCLA Ed.D. program. In it, students also examine high quality dissertations prepared by students in Ed.D. programs and Ph.D. programs in education having rigorous academic standards of excellence, including, for example, dissertations prepared by students in the doctoral programs in education at Harvard and UCLA.

Candidacy Committees will ensure that dissertation proposals meet University of California standards. Dissertation advisors will work with candidates throughout the period of the dissertation, providing guidance to assist students in meeting the high expectations for an independent scholarly investigation in the field of education. All students will enroll in a minimum of half-time study as they conduct their research
and prepare their dissertation.

Each Ed.D. student's dissertation must conform to University regulations and specifications with regard to format and method of preparation as described in Manuscript Preparation: Standards and Procedures, Master's Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations (http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/ tdmanual.html or available through the UCI Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the University Archives, UCI Library). Candidates in the program will be expected to attend information sessions in which procedures for dissertation manuscript preparation and filing are presented.

The Dissertation Committee will work with the candidate and will be responsible for approving the final dissertation, assuring its conformance with guidelines developed by the program, academic standards for dissertations reflecting policies of the UCI Graduate Council, and University of California graduate degree requirements. The Committee will be composed of the student's dissertation advisor and three other faculty members. It will include two members from UCI and two from CSU, all of whom must be voting members of the Academic Senate on their respective campuses. The advisor may be from UCI or one of the participating CSU campuses and must be a member of the core faculty for the Joint Ed.D. Program. If the dissertation advisor is from a CSU campus, it will be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member playing a primary role in the emphasis area the candidate has selected.

The procedures used in appointing the Committee will conform with the Handbook for the Creation of CSU/UC Joint Doctoral Programs. Faculty resource requirements for the program reflect the substantial faculty demands associated with chairing and serving on dissertation committees.


Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership
Admission to the Program Additional Admission Requirement Residency Requirements Fees and Financial Aid Examination Assessing Academic Progress Advancement to Candidacy Examination Dissertation Dissertation Defense Courses (EDAD)	Dissertation All students in the Ed.D. program will complete a rigorous research-based dissertation that integrates theory and research in the study of educational practice. The dissertation will include the results of the candidate's independent research and will typically focus on examination of (a) an educational problem, (b) a practice or program, or (c) an educational policy or reform. Most dissertations will be studies undertaken in the local context, having the potential to contribute to solutions of local educational problems. Dissertations will utilize a range of qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methodologies. The dissertation will present the results of the candidate's independent investigation in a manner that contributes both to professional knowledge in education and to the improvement of educational practice. Examples might include studies examining and/or evaluating reforms in curriculum and instruction, professional development, assessment, and applications of technology. In understanding the features of an Ed.D. dissertation in comparison to those of a Ph.D. dissertation, it is important to understand that the Ed.D. dissertation is typically research study focused on educational programs or practices. Unlike the Ph.D. dissertation that is generally seen as contributing theoretically grounded knowledge and contributing to the research in a scholarly discipline, the goal of the Ed.D. dissertation is to generate knowledge that contributes to the understanding of educational practices, policies, or reforms. Still, the Ed.D. dissertation is a significantly scholarly work that uses rigorous research methodologies in the study of educational problems and practices. The dissertation is expected to be based on one or more theoretical frameworks and to include a comprehensive review of relevant literature in which the research question or questions are situated. The dissertation most often involves collection of original empirical data, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of these data, interpretation of the findings, a discussion of their significance and implications, and an indication of important areas for further research. Although Ed.D. dissertations differ in nature from more discipline-oriented and theoretically-focused Ph.D. dissertations, they are held to the same high standards of academic quality and rigor as are other UC doctoral dissertations. All students in the program will participate in a two-quarter pre-dissertation seminar in which the expectations regarding dissertations are explored in depth and during which they will begin planning their questions of study, reviews of research literature, and dissertation methodologies. The seminar will be the same as the current one for students in the UCI/UCLA Ed.D. program. In it, students also examine high quality dissertations prepared by students in Ed.D. programs and Ph.D. programs in education having rigorous academic standards of excellence, including, for example, dissertations prepared by students in the doctoral programs in education at Harvard and UCLA. Candidacy Committees will ensure that dissertation proposals meet University of California standards. Dissertation advisors will work with candidates throughout the period of the dissertation, providing guidance to assist students in meeting the high expectations for an independent scholarly investigation in the field of education. All students will enroll in a minimum of half-time study as they conduct their research and prepare their dissertation. Each Ed.D. student's dissertation must conform to University regulations and specifications with regard to format and method of preparation as described in Manuscript Preparation: Standards and Procedures, Master's Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations (http://www.lib.uci.edu/rrsc/ tdmanual.html or available through the UCI Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the University Archives, UCI Library). Candidates in the program will be expected to attend information sessions in which procedures for dissertation manuscript preparation and filing are presented. The Dissertation Committee will work with the candidate and will be responsible for approving the final dissertation, assuring its conformance with guidelines developed by the program, academic standards for dissertations reflecting policies of the UCI Graduate Council, and University of California graduate degree requirements. The Committee will be composed of the student's dissertation advisor and three other faculty members. It will include two members from UCI and two from CSU, all of whom must be voting members of the Academic Senate on their respective campuses. The advisor may be from UCI or one of the participating CSU campuses and must be a member of the core faculty for the Joint Ed.D. Program. If the dissertation advisor is from a CSU campus, it will be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member playing a primary role in the emphasis area the candidate has selected. The procedures used in appointing the Committee will conform with the Handbook for the Creation of CSU/UC Joint Doctoral Programs. Faculty resource requirements for the program reflect the substantial faculty demands associated with chairing and serving on dissertation committees.