The Plymouth State University faculty accepted a proposal to add its first ever Doctoral program to its educational curriculum.
The proposal for the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) degree, which went before the PSU Faculty meeting Wednesday, May 2, is being established to help build upon the University’s commitment to the liberal arts. The last addition to Plymouth’s graduate studies was its Masters and Post-Master programs, which have been around since 1948 and are accredited at the local, regional and national levels.
The proposal for the Doctorate of Education degree is the next step for PSU; offering advanced graduate studies and research for students looking to pursue higher education. The degree is designed to be flexible and accessible for those students who decide to pursue it, making it possible to complete the degree while employed. After acquiring the degree, graduates will be qualified for administrative positions, teaching positions for K-12 and higher education, as well as qualify for work in agencies and organizations related to public education.
The degree is also designed to provide skill development and bestow knowledge upon today’s educators, making them visionaries for the N.H. public educational system’s future. It will add to educational innovation and reform in N.H., as well as improve classroom teaching. The New Hampshire educational system will benefit from PSU’s Ed.D program because the degree will be accessible through the state’s higher educational program and be offered through an institution that is known for preparing some of today’s greatest educational leaders.
The program came into effect in 2005 after many different N.H. schools added Doctorate degrees for many different subjects to their programs. Members of the Professional Development Committee for the New Hampshire School Administrators Association (NHSAA) approached former PSU President Donald Wharton and proposed the idea of Plymouth Sate adding an Ed.D degree to its higher education program. They created a survey that was distributed around N.H., and the majority of the respondents showed interest in PSU creating an Ed.D program. PSU is meant to be a public University that serves its students by offering ongoing opportunities for professional and educational development as well as further graduate education, so they put together a committee to help PSU meet those needs.
The goals of the Ed.D program are to enhance the leadership capacity of current professionals in the field of education through the growth of knowledge and skills, conduct research on current practice to help develop knowledge, and to foster scholarships, reflection and inquiry on professional practice. Examples of some of the proposed courses to be included in the Doctorate program are Leadership in a Diverse World, Ethical Leadership and Advocacy, Vision: Synergy and Synthesis, and Qualitative Methodology and Applied Research.
Specifics on the program are still being worked out. If you would like more information on the program, please inquire at the offices in Speare building.