Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

The Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies provides a rigorous course of study along with mentored research and teaching experiences to enable students to achieve core educational objectives as scholars in three specialization areas. Several thematic contexts, critical to our state and region, will provide the platform for the study of education and achieving the competencies in each area. These unique themes include: the rural nature of our state context, the poverty many children and families live in throughout the region, and the cultural context of Appalachia, all as they impact education. The research interests of faculty members participating in the program address aspects of these themes.

The primary objective is to prepare students who have both breadth and depth of knowledge in education and who will (a) conduct original research and (b) contribute to the knowledge in the discipline. Doctoral candidates who achieve these objectives will be well prepared to serve as members of the academic communities of peer institutions of higher education.