Ed.D. Program Requirements

California Coast University is committed to helping students complete the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree. The University also understands that applicants have a wide variety of educational backgrounds and skill levels and that the program may not be a good fit for everyone. With this, the University wants each applicant to be fully informed and aware of the program requirements prior to enrollment.

To be successful in the Doctor of Education program, students must demonstrate the following:

• Professional experience working in a position related to education – For this, an applicant would have a minimum of three to five years of professional experience related to the field of education - i.e. teaching, administration, training, nursing education, overseeing professional development within an organization, etc. Applicants must also submit a resume for review prior to acceptance.
• An applicant must have an earned master’s degree in Education, or;
• An earned master’s degree in another field may be considered if the Admissions Committee evaluation indicates the applicant has the necessary foundation and professional experience to succeed in the program. An applicant with a master’s degree in a major outside of education, must complete the following four prerequisite courses: EDU 510 Models of Teaching, EDU 523 Strategic Issues Management, EDU 524 Curriculum Design and Evaluation, EDU 536 Ethics in Education.
• An applicant must submit a writing sample prior to acceptance. The writing sample will help the faculty to know if the applicant has the writing skills required to be successful in the program. To view additional information on the required writing sample, click here.
• Students must have internet access to complete research requirements for the program.
• The Doctor of Education programs are writing centered with students completing four writing assignments (3 - 4 pages each) for each of four units. This equals sixteen writing assignments per course (13 courses total). Writing assignments are based on course materials, outside research, and professional experience. To view an example of a doctoral writing assignment, click here.
• Students complete a doctoral dissertation based on original research in the field of education. Upon successful completion of the doctoral courses and the comprehensive examination, students are provided additional information and guidelines for completing the dissertation. As a final requirement, doctoral students must appear before their Dissertation Committee for an oral defense of the dissertation.
• Students complete a total of 66 semester units for the Doctor of Education degree program.

After consideration and review of the information listed above, and if the Ed.D. seems like a fit, please feel free to submit an application for admission!