How do you get the big picture of the Ed.D. program? Read the handbook, come to residency early, and talk with other people who’ve successfully completed doctoral programs. Ask your Academic Advisors, course instructors and chair (once assigned) to clear up areas of confusion.

Like traditional doctoral programs, Walden’s Ed.D. is accredited by our regional accrediting body. A recent review of the field by the Ed.D. faculty leaders has demonstrated that there really is no "traditional" Ed.D. program. It is a fairly new degree and programs vary widely in their focus. We are very proud of the excellent faculty and resources Walden has to offer its students.

Both programs lead to a doctoral degree. The Ed.D. program is more practitioner-based, while the Ph.D program is more research-based. The Ed.D. program faculty leaders are working during the spring of 2007 to articulate these differences to students because the question is asked so often. Watch for future mailings! The Ed.D. program is only three years old and we’ve just now had our first chance to follow a group of students through the program. This experience is helping our sharpen our own focus on this question.

To get the most from your studies, you should dedicate blocks of time to your program. Students report that they spend 12 to 20 hours a week per course on readings, assignments, research projects, and online discussions. This range will vary, however, based on your time mangeament skills and prior knowledge of the content. We also recommend students continually invest in extra reading in their field.

The program is designed for you to complete it in 3 years, but there are so many factors that are difficult to control in the final year that can cause it to take t it can some students take longer. You will begin your doctoral study work during Semester 6. Students will be enrolled in EDUC/EDAD 8090 starting in the 8^th semester to support the writing of their doctoral study. . For those of you who anticipate that your doctoral study will not be finished and approved by the end of the 9^th semester, you will have an opportunity to continue your enrollment in EDUC/EDAD 8090 and work with your committee until you are finished. Your enrollment in 8090 will be continuous until the approval of the doctoral study. If your doctoral study is approved in the middle of any term after the 9^th term, you will be eligible for a tuition refund representing the proportion of the semester left after your approval date. Every student has up to

Would Walden consider offering 3 cr. instead of 6 cr. classes?

All courses in the program are 6-credits and run for 16 weeks. Based on feedback, our students prefer to move through the program more quickly than a 3-credit model would allow.

The quantitative research methods course is offered in the 5^th semester, to followed by the qualitative research methods course in the 7^th semester.

You will take 3 proseminar courses and will write a Comprehensive Paper in each one. The Comps may be useful drafts of chapter 2 of your doctoral study, the literature review. The other questions about the ComPs can best be answered by the looking at the Ed.D. Program Guide, available on the Ed.D. webpage.

Although there are instances when the first person are used, 3rd person is preferred and provides a more scholarly voice.

Please refer to your instructor’s preferences.

We expect that your research program will continue to evolve.

If you write an exceptional paragraph in the first two years can we use this paragraph in the last year without worrying about www.turnitin.com reporting it as plagiarism?

This question has been asked recently by students in many of Walden’s programs. As a result, the director of the Writing Center did some serious exploration of this question and determined that "quoting" yourself briefly does  not require citations or would be considered plagiarism. It’s best to discuss this with your faculty instructors, and doctoral chair and Writing Center along the way. The ultimate goal is to continually revise our writing!

What’s the difference between an Academic Advisor and a doctoral study chair? Academic Advisors are few in number and mighty in information. They work in Minneapolis and answer any and all questions about university polices & procedures and guide you towards degree completion. The doctoral study chair is the faculty member with whom students develop ideas for their doctoral study and will work with through completion of the study.

doctoral Doctoral study chairs were originally selected and proposed by students, but starting with students who are in their 5^th semester in the Spring of ’07, the chair and the second committee member will be assigned. The assignment will be made based on the student’s prospectus and will be ready in time for the start of Semester 6. During Semester 6 and 7 students will be in an advising course called EDUC/EDAD 8080 "Doctoral Study Companion" with their chair. In semesters 8 they move to EDUC/EDAD 8090.

Ed.D students are required to submit a doctoral study while Ph.D students are required to submit a dissertation. In both cases, you are required to execute a research study and show that you are contributing original knowledge to the field. The recently revised Ed.D. Program Guide describes the doctoral study.

The courses are designed to help you continually sharpen and perhaps narrow your topic, if needed. In some cases, students might need to broaden their topic in preparation for the prospectus. Your doctoral study chair will be your best resource in defining your topic and research question(s) in preparation for the doctoral study proposal.

Contact Academic Advising at Ed.D.advise@waldenu.edu.

Ed.D. students start working in the first semester on the research problem that will lead to a researchable question. Students can use the ComP papers to prepare drafts of the prospectus and proposal and do extensive reading and preparation outside of class to facilitate their timing. If students don’t finish before the end of Semester 9, they will remain enrolled in the 8090 section and can continue to work with their doctoral study chair. Students can work with their academic advisors or doctoral study chair if they face obstacles in their research site or other challenges. Both people are dedicated to helping a student work through any challenges they may face so they can successfully complete the doctoral study.

Please read the Doctoral Study Process Guidelines http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Files/DocsResearchCenter/Ed.D.GuidelinesFeb2007.doc and The Milestones checksheet also summarizes major accomplishments by semester (http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/StudentFaculty_6736.htm).

Your oral defense will be a conference call with your committee. You will do your oral defense of your proposal prior to executing your research. Your committee will approve the readiness of the study for your oral. You can read more about the oral presentation in the Doctoral Study Process Guidelines at: http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Files/DocsResearchCenter/Ed.D.GuidelinesFeb2007.doc

Yes, Walden University uses APA standards, but there may be some adjustments throughout your program. All faculty and students should refer to: http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/StudentFaculty_7176.htm. Students are the best enforcers, however!

Students do not currently have access to turnitin.com, although this is planned for the future. However, you could request that your instructor submit your paper to turnitin.com and then share the results with you before you would make your final submission.

Currently, there is just one residency required for Ed.D. students. You can find the schedule for conferences at the residency webpage: http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/StudentFaculty_3974.htm

Yes, you will have access to the residency website for 60 days after the residency ends. If you need help accessing the website, please contact support@waldenu.edu

Can I request a certain professor?

The Ed.D. program is designed on to take advantage of keeping cohorts of students together. Therefore cohort-based model and students are not able to select their instructors. We strive to keep students together as they move from semester to semester, sometimes combining two or more groups in the advanced courses. (Ask Cheri ? or call Cheryl Lucas, Head of EAs or Keona T, Head of Ed admissions or Dawn Wolff who is downstairs.).

Walden does not currently offer a Specialist degree. . If you would be interested in Walden starting an Education Specialist degree, please contact Lawrence Baird at lbaird@waldenu.edu.

Every state has its own requirements. Please contact your State Board of Education. .

When and where is the graduation ceremony? Graduation ceremonies are anticipated to be in Minneapolis every summer in July and in Dallas every January, but only the summer 2007 date and location are set. You can learn more about graduation at:

http://www.commencement2007.com/school/walden/faq#4. Contrary to popular hopes, there will not be graduation ceremonies in other states with large populations of Walden students. But if you plan a big party and potluck, please let us know!

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