The program leading to the Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership is designed to prepare educational leaders for a wide variety of professional positions including K-12 administration and supervision, data-based decision-making, research, teaching in higher education, education association leadership, and state and national policy making. The goal is to prepare professionals who possess the knowledge and skills needed to provide leadership and to produce meaningful change in educational organizations with the underlying premise of social justice. A minimum of 48 credit hours are necessary to complete the coursework for the doctoral program in addition to a minimum of 12 dissertation credits.

Admissions Criteria

Admission to the Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership is competitive and meeting the minimum requirements does not ensure admission to the program. The admissions committee reviews applications and considers a number of criteria, including a goodness of fit between student and faculty.

Individuals interested in applying for the doctoral program with a concentration in educational leadership must submit the following:

• An ODU application to the University. Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for applications. Applications for Graduate Study can be completed online or submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions (757-683-3685).
  
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate courses and degrees completed. To be considered for the program, applicants must have completed a Bachelor's and a master's degree from regionally accredited colleges/universities. The master's degree should be in educational leadership or a related discipline. A minimum GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) overall for the master's degree and in the major area of study is required.
  
• Two original essays. The first essay should be approximately 1,500 words (including citations) discussing a current topic in educational leadership. This should be written as a research-based position paper (formerly submitted papers are acceptable). The second essay of approximately 500 words should state the candidate's qualifications, professional and career goals, and reasons for seeking the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. 
  
• Three letters of recommendation from professional sources qualified to assess the candidate's suitability for study at the doctoral level. One letter of recommendation should be from a graduate advisor or faculty member with whom the candidate has studied and one should be from a current or former supervisor at work.
  
• Official GRE scores taken within the last 5 years that indicate a total score of 1000 with 450-500 minimum on both the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections and a minimum of 4.5 on the analytical writing component. While these scores are recommended, other portions of the total application package will be considered.
  
• Applicants whose native language is not English must also submit current scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 550.

Students interested in applying for Financial Aid should visit the Financial Aid Website at http://www.odu.edu/af/finaid/index.shtml as soon as possible. The Financial Aid Office also offers a payment plan.

Program Requirements

Prerequisites: