This program will prepare students to effectively and ethically lead complex organizations and cultivate change in emerging organizations. The degree is built on a core of leadership knowledge and skill development, along with complementary areas of inquiry (e.g., research), emphasis, and application. This degree provides both spectrums of skills in high demand for employers: a thorough grounding in skills related to leading people, as well as an understanding of the specific professional skills related to education and research. The balance of these complementary skill sets prepares graduates of this degree to become transformative leaders in sectors such as education, athletics, healthcare, government, and nonprofit agencies. The program is designed to satisfy all of the graduate requirements of UW-Green Bay.

Coursework is focused on the following four areas: 1) Leadership sequence: Composed of leadership core coursework; 2) Inquiry sequence: Coursework covers research design and methods; 3) Emphasis sequence: Choice of emphasis area will be made by the students based on what best suits their professional goals and industry area; and 4) Application sequence: Coursework covers a field-based course, immersive leadership seminar (on-campus), and dissertation project.

Graduates with a Doctorate of Education in Applied Leadership will be prepared to pursue leadership positions in K-12 (superintendents, directors, principals, assistant principals, etc.) and higher education, nonprofits, health organizations, government agencies, and private companies. Example position titles include public policy leader, city and local government official, postsecondary education administrator, health services executive, and nonprofit (superintendents, directors, principals, assistant principals, etc.)  and charitable organizer.

 EdD Applied Leadership students will complete 54 credits of primarily online graduate coursework.  The program is unique for several reasons including a choice of an emphasis area, leadership field-based course, and immersive leadership experience on-campus in the second year of their work toward degree. This immersive component will strengthen and focus the cohesiveness of cohort relationships and centered on leadership with regional and area presenters. 

Student Learning Outcomes and Program Objectives

Program-level student learning outcomes include:

• Examine how behavior impacts an organization and its unique culture
• Design and implement policies and processes to effectively lead change in an organization
• Apply teaching and learning principles and methods in the construction of educational training and development
• Apply leadership knowledge, theory, principles, practices, and skills within an organization
• Utilize ethical behavior and decision-making within an organization, with a focus on equity and its role in shaping policy
• The degree is a community-focused degree program that fosters development of strong leadership skills in a collaborative environment to effect organizational transformation. Graduates will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion with a focus on addressing inequalities in organizational systems, policies, processes and practices.  Moreover, this program emphasizes innovative and strategic thinking, and is targeted toward learners with diverse backgrounds in fields such as education, psychology, public administration, non-profits, and athletics, including those currently working in a profession overlapping with these areas.  

Credit for Prior Learning

The Applied Leadership Ed.D. allow students to pursue academic credit for graduate-level knowledge gained through various experiences, both traditional and nontraditional, via the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) process.  Graduate faculty in Education evaluate whether CPL experiences are equivalent to specific courses. Examples of prior learning may include the following:

• Completion of professional certifications or licensure
• Military training or service (connected to coursework in the degree program)
• Work experience in a specialized field (connected to coursework in the degree program)
• Non-credit coursework or training programs

Students who are interested in pursuing this option must submit a graduate portfolio which includes an abstract, artifacts (reports, program designs, certifications, etc.), a crosswalk describing how the evidence meets learning outcomes as well as a statement describing where the knowledge was acquired.  Please meet with the program director for more details, including a list of previously vetted programs that would not require a complete portfolio.  If approved, this coursework will appear on the transcript as transfer credit.  No more than six (6) credit hours may be awarded and used to fulfill degree completion requirements. 

Admission Requirements 

The Office of Graduate Studies sets minimum standards for admission requirements to all graduate programs. Please consult this section of the catalog to review requirements for admission, including the official transcripts you must submit. All applications will be reviewed by a graduate admission committee who will make admission recommendations based on the listed criteria. Applicants who do not meet these criteria can be accepted on a provisional basis based on committee recommendations.

In addition to the minimum requirements described above, admission to the Doctorate of Education in Applied Leadership program also requires:

• A 200-300 word statement describing principal areas of academic interest, capabilities, experience, and reasons for pursuing the doctorate degree. 
• Three letters of evaluation from professional contacts who can attest to academic potential (i.e. former professors, current supervisors, past supervisors, and/or co-workers).
• Preferred: Minimum of 3 years satisfactory teaching or professional experience.

International students should consult the Office of Graduate Studies requirements for all international applicants in the front of the catalog. Please note that this program is online. International students are welcome to apply for and enroll in an online program. However, they are unable to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa based on enrollment in this program. 

A Sample Course Plan is available on the Applied Leadership Ed.D. website here: https://www.uwgb.edu/applied-leadership-edd/about/sample-course-plan. 

The emphases listed below do not represent all possible options.  Additional options may exist, please contact the Program Director for individualized pathways.

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Leadership and Peak Performance Certificate

Progress to Degree  

1. Candidate applies to the Doctorate of Education in Applied Leadership program by submitting an application, application fee, official transcripts, resume, statement of intent, and three letters of evaluation to the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Office of Graduate Studies. 
2. Candidate is admitted into the Doctorate of Education in Applied Leadership program by the Graduate Admissions Committee. 
3. In year three, after completion of 32 credits (not including electives), student enrolls in EDUC 888 Dissertation Project Seminar.
   1. Student successfully completes a dissertation project proposal.
   2. 
      
      Students will be assigned a committee chair and begin creating the rest of the committee while they are writing the dissertation proposal. All committee members will be in place within year three. The Dissertation Committee Composition will consist of 3 members required, with a 4 committee member maximum. 
      1. Committee Member 1, Committee Chair assigned to student by the faculty.
      2. Committee Member 2, Faculty member with an earned doctorate (required)
      3. Committee Member 3 and optional Member 4:  Additional member must be one of the following (required):      
         • ​academic scholar
         • professional/practitioner from the field
         • community partner
4. Student begins EDUC 899 Dissertation coursework.
   1. Student maintains continuous enrollment, semester-to-semester (fall, spring, and summer) until the dissertation's completion. Enrollment options include:
      1. Completing 6 credits of EDUC 899. 
      2. After 6 credits of EDUC 899 have been completed, the student may enroll in:
         1. GRAD 893 Dissertation Completion (a 0-credit dissertation completion course for doctoral students)
         2. EDUC 899 for additional dissertation credits
         3. Enroll for other graduate course credit applicable to the Ed.D. in Applied Leadership program.
5. Student writes and publicly defends their dissertation.
6. Faculty approves defense and dissertation manuscript. Student uploads their dissertation to ProQuest.
7. Degree is awarded and graduate receives diploma.