USI to launch Doctor of Education program in fall 2018

The Higher Learning Commission has approved a new Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Indiana. The program, offered through USI's Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, will launch in fall 2018, with the first degrees projected to be awarded in 2022.

"Elevating community-based education through the establishment of this doctoral program puts the University of Southern Indiana at the cutting edge, nationally, in terms of innovation and intellectual creativity," said Dr. Ronald Rochon, USI provost. "Faculty and staff designed this first-rate program with great care to consider both rural and urban communities."

The program was developed in response to requests from area education professionals for an education doctoral program. USI held feedback sessions and consulted with national experts, area education professionals and local teachers and administrators to design a program that would provide maximum benefit to schools and their administrations.

According to data from the U.S. Labor Department and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the demand for school administrators in Indiana by 2022 will increase by 9.5 percent. Projections indicate that 1,400 school administrator positions (elementary and secondary) will need to be filled across Indiana from 2012 through 2022, including 70 in the Evansville area.

"This doctoral program is a stellar example of how community partnerships are integral to the USI mission," said Dr. Zane Mitchell, dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. "We would like to thank all of the superintendents and school districts in our region who identified this need and supported this program's approval."

Graduates of the EdD program will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between schools and communities, effectively solve problems through data and critical thinking, utilize research to enact effective change and serve as strong leaders for their constituents.

The program is geared toward working adults, with classes being offered in eight-week terms during the evening and through online delivery. Students will choose between concentrations in administrative leadership or pedagogical leadership, and complete a total of 45 hours of coursework and field experience. The program will culminate with a dissertation, which may be completed individually, or as part of a small team.

The EdD program will be the second doctoral program offered through USI's Graduate Studies. The College of Nursing and Health Professions launched a Doctor of Nursing Practice program in 2006.

For more information about the program, visit USI.edu/EdD.