The Doctor of Education degree is designed for students who plan careers as school or district-level leaders. This degree emphasizes the application of educational research related to problems of practice in the field of educational leadership. Courses for superintendent certification are embedded in the program. Five courses are required for this certification, four of which apply toward the EdD. The fifth course is a superintendent internship. (See Administration Certification, Superintendent ).

Students who plan careers as university professors or educational researchers may consider the PhD program in educational leadership. In contrast to the EdD which is designed for scholar-practitioners, the PhD program includes more preparation for conducting research and policy analysis.

Admission requirements

The EDLE program has a rolling application deadline for fall semester admission; however, to ensure your application can be reviewed by all faculty in a timely fashion, please get your complete application package to both the Graduate School and the EDLE program by no later than May 1. Any application materials received beyond that date may not be reviewed in time for you to be accepted for the Fall semester. Applicants must submit an application to the Toulouse Graduate School and send official scores for one of the following tests: GRE (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing), MAT, or GMAT. They must also submit an application portfolio directly to the educational leadership program office that includes the following: 

1. Letters of recommendation from three persons who can provide evidence of the applicant’s reading, writing and critical thinking skills. One of the letters should be from a college or university professor familiar with the individual’s work, and one letter should be from a supervisor or mentor familiar with the individual’s professional work.
2. A detailed resume.
3. Documentation of having experience as a public or private school teacher at the elementary or secondary school level for a minimum of two years.
4. A three-page personal statement addressing the applicant’s two most important professional achievements; the applicant’s career goals, and an explanation of how completing the degree in educational leadership will relate to those goals.
5. A sample of his or her best written work in the form of a research term paper, a published article or book chapter, or a district agency report.

It is expected that applicants have had experience as public or private school teachers for a minimum of two years and will hold a teacher’s certificate.

As many as 18 hours of advanced study beyond the master’s degree or its equivalent at another institution may be accepted and credited toward the doctorate in educational leadership, provided the program coordinator recommends acceptance of the transfer credit to the graduate school.

1. The time limit for doctoral credit applies to the transfer credits.
2. The time limit for the degree plan begins with the date of the first course on the degree plan including transfer credit. The time limit for the doctoral courses is eight years.
3. Transfer credit must be a B or higher.
4. Courses completed at other institutions must be equivalent to the doctoral courses at UNT.
5. In accordance with the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, at least one-third of the semester hours required for any graduate degree must be completed in course work at UNT.

Residency requirement

See residency requirements in the “Doctoral degree requirements ” section of this catalog.