The Ed.D. and the Doctoral Study: Frequently Asked Questions

 1.      I’ve heard of a Ph.D., but I’ve never heard of an Ed.D. – what is it?

Education, unlike many other fields, is both an academic discipline and a profession. For that reason, there are two terminal degrees offered: the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.).

Ph.D. degrees, which have been granted since the Middle Ages, grew out of the arts and sciences, and are awarded by universities. Most Ph.D.s are awarded in purely academic disciplines, such as English or Biology.

In contrast, professional fields generally do not grant Ph.Ds. Instead, professional schools of universities award doctoral degrees specific to their profession. These schools include medicine (M.D.) and law (J.D.). Since 1921, when Harvard’s School of Education awarded the first Ed.D., Education Schools have also been granting Ed.D.s.

2.      What are the differences between Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs in general?

The most significant difference between the two degrees regards what they prepare you to do upon graduation. The general guideline is: Ph.D. programs are more about research and prepare researchers/faculty members while Ed.D. programs tend to be more about practice and prepare administrators. However, the lines between the two degrees can be very fuzzy and one institution’s Ed.D. program may be just like another institution’s – or even its own – Ph.D. program. A further complication is that although Ph.D. programs are generally designed to prepare faculty members, only 37% of Ph.D.s in Education become faculty members. Conversely, many Ed.D.s also become faculty, especially as teacher educators.

3.      What are the differences between the the Walden Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs?

Walden’s Ed.D. and Ph.D. program follow the general guidelines regarding the differences between the two programs; the Ed.D. is more practitioner-oriented and the Ph.D. is more research-oriented.

Other important academic distinctions are:

·         The Walden Ed.D. is course-based and the Ph.D. is largely independent study.

·         The final project for the Ed.D. is a doctoral study and the final project of the Ph.D., like other Ph.D.s,  is a dissertation.

4.      As a Walden Ed.D. student, will I have to write a dissertation?

As stated above, the  Ed.D. final project is a doctoral study rather than a dissertation.  Both of these projects require a significant amount of work, thought, reading, and writing.

       5. How is a doctoral study different from a dissertation?

Since Ph.D. study in all fields is designed to prepare researchers, the requirements for and the structure of dissertations are very similar across disciplines. The purpose of a dissertation is to further knowledge in a discipline by addressing areas that have been identified by other researchers. Dissertations define a problem, pose a question about that problem, and answer the question by collecting and analyzing data (evidence). They are almost always submitted as five chapters that describe the literature in which a problem is situated, the questions that the student will address through the research, the methods that will be used to collect and analyze data, what the student found through the research process, and the implications of the findings for further research and practice.

In comparison, Walden’s doctoral study is the capstone of the Ed.D. program which is designed to prepare practitioner/leaders.  Therefore, we expect that Ed.D. students will address problems that arise from practice. While students may develop a final product very similar to a dissertation, this final product can diverge from the dissertation format and can reflect a range of culminating options.

Regardless of the project that students choose, they must write an accompanying scholarly paper justifying the project.

This paper includes explanations of the following:

a.  the problem that is to be addressed, why the student chose it, and its importance to the field of education

b.  how the student will address the problem (i.e. what the project will be) and how the project addresses the problem,

                        c.  how the problem/project is addressed in the literature

d.  the  implications of the project for practice in a particular setting, for the wider field of educational practice, and for further research.

The doctoral committee will support the student with advice and counsel on the nature and extent of the final product.

6. Please give examples of the kinds of projects that Ed.D. students can choose.

Possible projects include:

·         Curriculum development project:  e.g,. developing a district-wide K-12 character education curriculum and piloting the kindergarten unit.

·         Assessment plan project: e.g., designing the complex plan needed for assessing whether a district meets its school improvement goals for AYP (Average Yearly Progress as described by the No Child Left Behind legislation).

·         Professional development design project: e.g., creating a plan to implement a professional development strategy that has been supported by research, such as a Professional Learning Community, throughout one school system. As part of this project, a student might collect and analyze baseline data about teachers’ attitudes towards professional development, develop training for administrators about launching learning communities, or interview administrators who have been trained.

·         Instructional evaluation project:  e.g., implementing and examining the influence of a new instructional method, such as orchestral music practice CDs, on the attitudes and motivation toward home practice of middle school orchestra students.

7. Does the Doctoral Study require a defense?

Like a dissertation, the doctoral study requires an oral defense that involves questioning by the committee.

8. Whom do I work with on my doctoral study?

During the first five semesters of the program, students produce drafts of elements of doctoral study as part of their coursework. At the end of the fifth semester, the program appoints a doctoral committee, consisting of a chair and one other faculty member, to facilitate continued work on the study (as described above).

9.  How many pages does the study have to be?

Like most doctoral programs, the Ed.D. does not require a number of pages for its capstone work. Our requirement is that  the study must accomplish what it sets out to do rather than reach specific length. That said, it should also be kept in mind that completing the work of a doctoral study will result in a substantial, scholarly document.

10. When do I know if the doctoral study has been approved and accepted? 

When the student’s committee determines that the work is complete, they approve it. The study then goes to a research task led by Dr. Dia Sekyai, Doctoral Faculty Chair for Research. A member of that group reads and either accepts the study or sends it back to the committee with suggestions for revision. The committee communicates those suggestions to the student.

11. What do I do once I finish the doctoral study?  What are the options for presenting it and to whom?

The program does not require you to present your study.  However, we certainly encourage you to present your work in your own district, at Walden residencies if possible, and in local and national educational conferences.