Doctor of Education in Instructional and Academic Leadership
Doctor of Education in Instructional and Academic Leadership
Doctor of Education in Instructional and Academic Leadership
Program Overview
The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Instructional and Academic Leadership is a professional doctorate degree developed to serve a need to offer a terminal doctoral degree program to advance learning for our stakeholders in Guam, the surrounding Western Pacific region, and beyond the region.
Our EdD program emphasizes development of the “scholar-practitioner” who will integrate their professional experiences with research and theory to improve educational practices within their cultural contexts and to influence change in their educational and organizational settings.
The EdD program is an online program, 20 courses (3 credit hours each) and with the
dissertation built in as coursework in the program of study. Total of 60 credit hours.
The course format is 8-week online courses using Moodle as the learning management
system. The dissertation courses will run as 12-week online courses.
Unique Value of Our EdD Program:
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Cohort Focus: The EdD is designed as a cohort model to promote and cultivate a network of academic practitioners to support and learn with one another as a learning community throughout the program.
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Scholar-Practitioner: The EdD emphasizes the scholar-practitioner as the curriculum is intentionally designed to prepare students to apply research and theory to address problems/issues in practice and to influence change in the educational/organizational context(s), preparing them to make meaningful contributions for societal advancement.
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Cultural Relevance/Cultural Applicability: The program emphasizes the cultural context of our regions, diverse stakeholders and attentive to diverse cultures and cultural community contexts guiding one’s role as a scholar-practitioner, and extending to educational research that is relevant and respectful of diverse cultures – social and organizational cultural contexts.
EdD Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
EdD PLOs: Upon completion of the EdD program, graduates will demonstrate skills to include:
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Use research and data to inform leadership roles and decision making on issues in a variety of K-20 educational contexts.
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Identify and analyze problems of practice in relation to proffering solutions for practice improvements in the K-20 educational contexts.
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Demonstrate leading and co-leading with diverse stakeholders and attentive to diverse cultures and cultural community contexts guiding the leadership role and service leadership role.
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Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, about educational issues with a network of academic practitioners and the community.
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Know and adhere to professional ethics and standards that guide one’s profession and organization.
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Critique scholarship/research appropriate to the discipline.
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Apply appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches, and empirical evidence (qualitative and quantitative) to resolve issues in practice.
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Design, plan, and execute a research study, and provide evidence of empirical data to support the research results/findings in a written research document appropriate for publication and presentation related to the area of research focus.
The EdD PLOs exemplify and connect to our UOG Institutional Graduate Learning Outcomes.
UOG Institutional Graduate Learning Outcomes (IGLOs)
UOG IGLOs: The University of Guam has defined Institutional Graduate Learning Outcomes (IGLOs) as:
“Upon completion of their degree program, graduate students will:
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Demonstrate mastery of critical skills, theories, methodologies, and other content knowledge at a level that will enable them to address fundamental questions in their primary area of study;
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Plan, conduct, and complete a significant research or creative project;
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Exercise oral and written communication skills sufficient to publish and present work in their field;
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Adhere to the ethical principles of academia and their respective disciplines in coursework, fieldwork, and other appropriate situations; and
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Exemplify, through service, the value of their discipline to the academy and the community at large, interacting productively and professionally with people from diverse backgrounds.”
Admissions
- Graduate College Application
- ALL official transcripts
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae (current)
- Statement of Interest (two pages, double spaced, 12 font)
- Academic Writing Sample (three-five pages)
OR reply to writing prompt (three-five pages, double space, 12 font) - Three letters of recommendation
- Interview: Applicants may be invited for an interview with the EdD Program Admissions Team.
Admission Procedures
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Application to the University of Guam, Graduate Admissions Office.
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Submit all official transcripts from undergraduate and graduate institutions, noting conferral of degree, from an accredited U.S. Institution or from a recognized foreign institution, sent directly to the University of Guam, Graduate Admissions Office.
Application materials and process for the EdD program:
Part 1: Complete application to the EdD program will include:
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A completed graduate student admission application to the University of Guam, Graduate Admissions Office; to include all official transcripts.
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Earned a master’s degree in education or education discipline (or related leadership degree to the EdD program of study), and a minimum 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA on a 4.0 scale.
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Professional resume or curriculum vitae
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Statement of Interest (approximately 2 pages) denoting professional goals, teaching and/or leadership experiences, interest in post-master’s study and the EdD in Instructional and Academic Leadership program.
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Academic Writing Sample: such as, a written assignment/paper from a master’s course, an excerpt from a thesis, or provide a written response (approximately 3-5 pages) to the writing prompt noted in the application link.
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Three (3) Letters of Recommendation: Two (2) from current or former employers; and *One (1) from faculty from your master’s program (i.e., faculty for master’s courses taken or graduate faculty advisor, thesis chair, thesis committee member). *Preferred but if not available will accept the third one from current or former employer.
Part 2: Interview process
- Based on review of completed application materials, an applicant may be invited for
an interview as part of the admission process for consideration to be accepted into
the EdD program.
*Cohort System
The EdD in Instructional and Academic Leadership program is structured following a cohort system. Students who are admitted will be part of a cohort.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (60 credit hours)
The EdD in Instructional and Academic Leadership is structured in four learning domains or course groups, that are anchored to research and scholarship application to practice: (1) foundation courses; (2) research courses; (3) concentration courses for instructional and academic leadership; and (4) candidacy examination and dissertation series courses.
The program of study comprises twenty (20) courses at three (3) credit hours each course.
Total credits hours for the program of study and degree completion = 60 credit hours.
Foundation Courses (12 credits hours)
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| ED7000 | INTRODUCTION SEMINAR FOR THE EdD + This is a required first course that will cover an overview/orientation of the EdD
program of study, requirements and sequencing of events or degree milestones. The
candidacy requirement, mentoring component, and speaker series will be discussed;
and to include an overview of learning supports and resources. Further, students will
explore an initial research topic and connection to the cultural context and one's
leadership identity.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7001 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONS + This course will explore and examine educational issues and problems in practice as
informed by evidence with consideration of the organizational and cultural context
to inform the landscape of understanding and respond to issues and problems.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7002 | THEORIES FOR LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONS + This course will cover leadership and organizational theories and frameworks useful
to resolve and reframe problems and issues in educational and organizational contexts.
Students will examine their own leadership orientation/schema and engage in reframing
leadership roles in real settings and diverse contexts.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7003 | DIVERSITY, ETHICS, AND LEADERSHIP FOR EDUCATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS + This course will cover historical and current understandings of diversity, equity
and inclusion matters in schools and organizational contexts that frame an understanding
and application of knowledge, and insights to lead and co-lead organizational contexts
with others.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
Research Courses (15 credits hours)
Required:
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| EDR8000 | SCHOLARLY LITERATURE REVIEW + This course will develop your library research strategies to access scholarly articles
of literature. The research emphasis will include building your navigation library
skills of scholarly research themes of interest, theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks,
methodology, and divergent points of view for educational practices based on a problem
of interest.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDR8001 | QUALITATVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY + This course will cover an overview and orientation of qualitative research methods.
It will introduce students to a variety of qualitative research method approaches
and qualitative research designs (to include data collection and data analysis) applicable
to address issues in education and organizations. A focus will be on using research
to address issues in practice.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDR8002 | QUANTITATVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY + This course will cover an overview and orientation of quantitative research methods.
It will introduce students to a variety of quantitative research designs (to include
data collection and data analysis) applicable to address issues in education and organizations.
A focus will be on using research to address issues in practice.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDR8003 | RESEARCH DESIGN, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS + This course will cover an overview and orientation of research design methods. It
will introduce students to a variety of qualitative and quantitative research method
approaches and research designs (to include data collection and data analysis) applicable
to address issues in education and organizations. A focus will be on using research
to address issues in practice.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
ADV. RESEARCH ELECTIVE (Select one from below):
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| EDR8004 | CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW + Building on Scholarly Literature Review Course, this course will further strengthen
scholarly literature organizational skills of research themes, theoretical and/or
conceptual frameworks, methodology, and divergent points of view for educational practice
based on problems framed to building academic writing as the foundation to support
future dissertation research and academic writing. Prerequisite: Scholarly Literature
Review
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDR8005 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH + In this advanced qualitative methods course, students will be able to further develop
qualitative research knowledge and skills pertinent to developing the research design
and planning for doing data collection and analysis. Prerequisite: Qualitative Research
Methodology
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDR8006 | ADVANCED QUANTITATVE RESEARCH + In this advanced quantitative methods course students will be able to further develop
quantitative research knowledge and skills pertinent to developing the research design
and planning for data collection and analysis. Prerequisite: Quantitative Research
Methodology
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
Concentration Courses (18 credits hours)
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| ED7005 | INSTRUCTIONAL AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP + Engaging in and cultivating instructional leadership practices and actions at the
school/district levels and other educational settings. Defining and executing visionary
leadership practices with academic and community stakeholders. Building faculty capacity
in efforts of growing leadership and instructional expertise.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7007 | PROGRAM EVALUATION AND DATA FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PERFORMANCE + This course covers the foundational concepts of evaluation and incorporates the principles
of program evaluation and classroom assessment. As instructional leaders, the knowledge
to practice of how evaluation data at the micro level is essential to the overall
assessment of school or district level programs at the macro level. Concepts such
as formative and summative evaluation; norm-referenced and criterion-reference assessment;
and quantitative and qualitative data and its evidence to drive school improvement
efforts. This course will include field activity practices.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7008 | FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND BUILDING INSTRUCTIONAL CAPACITY + This course will include knowledge building on financial resources and building instructional
capacity with the application to the practice of the development and care of financial
matters. A range of financial priorities using student performance and attention to
best practices of resource allocation for student learning based on evaluating revenue
resources; developing and validating proposed school budget; and leadership skills
for best practices of school operations.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7009 | STRATEGIC PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP + Strategic planning process, assessment and analysis of data and issues in schools/district
contexts and academic settings that lead to creation of strategies for goal attainment
and achievement of educational outcomes.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7012 | EDUCATION POLICY AND CHANGE + This course will cover policy values and principles, theory, analysis, range of approaches
to policy development, implementation, and evaluation while incorporating multiple
stakeholder intentional discussions, review of current legislation and policy surrounding
a problem of practice.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| ED7013 | LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION AND GLOBAL ARENA + This course will expand on understanding leadership concepts and frameworks for engaging
in whole system learning and application of leading with people to improve processes
and practices. A foundation of leading and learning will be nested in a cultural awareness
and understanding of social and organizational cultural contexts and cultural practices
to advance application of leadership knowledge and skills. Course discourse will unite
perspectives of societal and cultural customs/manners of leading and collaborating
with stakeholders, and as a way of doing and engaging in leadership actions via one's
leadership identity and co-leadership with others. Additionally, the course will have
students analyze, critique and plan for one's leadership role and service leadership
role that connects and transforms learning communities in educational and organizational
contexts.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
Candidacy Exam (3 credits hours)
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| EDDR7014 | CANDIDACY ADVANCEMENT + Doctoral Students must enroll in 3 credits of candidacy advancement to work on the
advancement to candidacy examination. The examination will entail a required written
and oral examination. Students must successfully pass both parts of the examination
to advance to the doctoral candidacy designation. Advancement to candidacy allows
students to begin the dissertation proposal process.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
Dissertation Series (12 credits hours)
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| EDDR7015 | DISSERTATION PROPOSAL + Dissertation courses: The dissertation process is the culminating sequence of courses
that focus on the doctoral student's research work from proposal development to final
defense of the dissertation manuscript. This course is the proposal development course.
Required: A student must have passed the candidacy advancement examination and be
designated as a doctoral candidate to enroll in this course.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDDR7016 | DISSERTATION RESEARCH BEGINNING + Dissertation Research courses are for graduate students who have advanced to the designation
of doctoral candidate. Graduate Students in dissertation research courses are actively
conducting research and writing, and in mentorship with their dissertation chairperson
and dissertation committee members. ED-DR 7016 Dissertation Research Beginning (3
credits). Focus: IRB Process and Data Collection
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDDR7017 | DISSERTATION RESEARCH ADVANCE + Dissertation Research courses are for graduate students who have advanced to the designation
of doctoral candidate. Graduate Students in dissertation research courses are actively
conducting research and writing, and in mentorship with their dissertation chairperson
and dissertation committee members. ED-DR7017 Dissertation Research Advance (3 credits)
Focus: Further data collection and engage in data analysis.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| EDDR7018 | DISSERTATION RESEARCH FINAL + Dissertation Research courses are for graduate students who have advanced to the designation
of doctoral candidate. Graduate Students in dissertation research courses are actively
conducting research and writing, and in mentorship with their dissertation chairperson
and dissertation committee members. ED-DR7018 Dissertation Research Final (3 credits)
Focus: Manuscript completion and dissertation defense.
|
3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
CONTINUING REQUIREMENTS
Maintain 3.0 GPA or higher for all coursework in the EdD program. The School of Education
is responsible for the academic advisement of its EdD students. Students will be required
to maintain an online, electronic portfolio. The portfolio will be used as a basis
for assessment and advisement throughout the EdD program of study and will be closely
monitored at major decision points such as beginning of program, midpoint, and near
end of program.
Advancement to Candidacy Requirement:
Students will be eligible for candidacy consideration upon completion of major coursework with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Upon successful completion of the foundation courses, research courses, and concentration courses, and with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the EdD program, the student is eligible to enroll in the Candidacy Advancement course with approval from the student’s EdD program advisor/chair and the dissertation committee.
Students must enroll in 3 credits of candidacy advancement to work on the advancement
to candidacy examination. The examination will entail a required written and oral
examination. Students must successfully pass both parts of the examination to advance
to the doctoral candidacy designation. Advancement to candidacy allows students to
begin the dissertation proposal process.
Dissertation Requirement:
All students must complete a dissertation and successfully defend the dissertation.
Upon designation as a doctoral candidate, a student is eligible to enroll in the first
of four courses of the dissertation coursework sequence. Each dissertation course
is a 3-credit hour course and a 12-week course.
COURSE CREDIT HOURS & COURSE FORMAT
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3 credit hours for all courses in the program, to include dissertation courses. Note: courses offered in an 8-week online format with the exception of dissertation courses to be offered in a 12-week online format.
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1 – 2 credit hours for continuation of any dissertation course or continuance of candidacy advancement course. *Continuance will be in 2-week blocks/timeframe and upon approval of the EdD program committee.
Grading System and Minimum Course Grade Requirements
-
EdD program will follow the current UOG Graduate Bulletin grade scale of A+ to F.
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The final course grade for academic satisfactory performance is between a grade A+ to a grade B for the EdD program.
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Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in the EdD program throughout the entire program of study.
Retaking of course
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Students who attain a final course grade C+ or below will be required to retake the course.
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Students must earn the minimum “B” grade upon retake in order to continue and remain in the EdD Program and to uphold the required minimum 3.0 GPA in the program.
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Students who earn a grade of C+ or below upon retaking a course are subject to dismissal from the EdD Program.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
Timeline for Degree Completion:
“Students will be allowed seven calendar years of continuous enrollment from their first enrollment at the University of Guam to the date of certification of completion of degree requirements for the major to fulfill degree requirements of the bulletin in force at the time of entrance.” (UOG, 2024-2025, Undergraduate Catalog & Graduate Bulletin, p. 598)
EdD *Projected Schedule of Courses (1st Cohort)
*Note: course projection schedule and order noted below are subject to change.
FANUCHÅNAN (Fall) 2024
- Orientation
- Intentional Mentoring Session(s)
FAÑOMNÅKAN (Spring) 2025
- ED 7000 Introduction Seminar for the EdD
- ED 7001 Contemporary Issues and Problems in Education and Organizations
FINAKPO´ (Summer) 2025
- ED 7002 Theories for Leadership and Organizations
- ED R8000 Scholarly Literature Review
FANUCHÅNAN (Fall) 2025
- ED 7003 Diversity, Ethics, and Leadership for Educational and Organizational Contexts
- ED R8001 Qualitative Research Methodology
FAÑOMNÅKAN (Spring) 2026
- ED 7005 Instructional and Visionary Leadership
- ED R8002 Quantitative Research Methodology
FINAKPO´ (Summer) 2026
- ED 7007 Program Evaluation and Data for Evidence-Based Performance
- ED 7008 Financial Resources and Building Instructional Capacity
FANUCHÅNAN (Fall) 2026
- ED 7009 Strategic Planning and Leadership
Adv. Research Elective: choose one from the following courses: - ED R8004 Critical Literature Review
- ED R8005 Advanced Qualitative Research
-
ED R8006 Advanced Quantitative Research
FAÑOMNÅKAN (Spring) 2027
- ED 7012 Education Policy & Change
- ED R8003 Research Design, Data Collection and Analysis
FINAKPO´ (Summer) 2027
- ED 7013 Leadership and Learning for the Western Pacific Region and Global Arena
- ED DR7014 Candidacy Advancement
FANUCHÅNAN (Fall) 2027
- ED DR7015 Dissertation Proposal
FAÑOMNÅKAN (Spring) 2028
- ED DR7016 Dissertation Research Beginning
FINAKPO´ (Summer) 2028 - FANUCHÅNAN (Fall) 2028
- ED DR7017 Dissertation Research Advance
- ED DR7018 Dissertation Research Final
Program Chair:
Gutierrez J. Kathrine
Office Location: Expertise
Faculty