Interdisciplinary PhD in ELPF
Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations (ELPF)
Description
The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations (ELPF) prepares individuals to serve in a number of educational settings and in a wide variety of capacities. Graduates go on to secure positions as leaders in schools and school districts, administrators in higher education institutions, and as university faculty teaching undergraduate and graduate students and conducting their own research.
ELPF has three areas of emphasis: pK-12 Administration, Higher Education Administration, and Educational Foundations. In each of these, a commitment to the urban mission is central to the inquiry process. Students are encouraged to develop unique, individual programs of study and to design final research projects that allow maximum interaction between and among their selected disciplines of choice. Students work closely with a faculty advisor to create an educational experience that is distinctive and meets their individual goals.
This degree is administered through the School of Graduate Studies and suggested compatible co-disciplines include: Curriculum and Instruction, Public Affairs and Administration, History, Economics, Political Science, the Social Science Consortium, and Sociology.
Discipline-Specific Admission Requirements
Discipline-specific requirements below are in addition to the requirements listed in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Application Procedure and Minimum Criteria for Admission and Minimum Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies.
- Undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), (or) a GPA of at least 3.5 for all post-baccalaureate work
- Three written recommendations from appropriate professors and practitioners in the field
- Autobiographical sketch: a brief resume of academic and professional goals with personal, academic and career history as it relates to those goals. It should also include reasons for choosing ELPF as a field of study.
- Evidence of graduate-level writing ability provided by writing samples, prior scholarly writing or the successful completion of an essay examination
- Official GRE test scores- no substitutions for the GRE exam. No minimum score is required, must meet the GRE requirements for other chosen discipline(s).
- An applicant may be contacted by divisional faculty for an interview
When evaluating applications, faculty take into account evidence of such factors as demonstrated leadership skills, commitment to education, communication and academic skills, a clear and important research agenda, cultural background, etc. In some cases, the division may ask that 12 hours of work at UMKC, including an education foundations course, be taken prior to full admission.
Alternate Admission Criteria
International applicants will be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program on the basis of background, experience and educational attainments in her/his home country. Exceptions to the general criteria for admissions may be made for students whose potential for success in the doctoral program may not be reflected in the general criteria. Students admitted under alternate criteria will be notified of preparation and coursework deficiencies to be satified prior to full admission.
Core Program Requirements
Students with Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations as a co-discipline will be required to take a minimum of 15 credit hours of core courses. The core curricula will vary, depending on whether students' research is primarily in educational leadership or the social-philosophical foundations of education and on the types of educational setting upon which they wish to focus. Specific courses will be selected with the advice and consent of the student's faculty advisor and supervisory committee. The supervisory committee may elect to accept coursework in an educational-specialist program or other post-master's degree program as counting toward the 15-credit-hour requirement.
Students seeking administrative certification for public school positions should check with their advisors to be sure they include all courses currently required in the states in which they wish to become certified.
The amount of required coursework (beyond the minimum 15-credit-hour core requirements) taken by students with urban leadership and policy studies in education as their coordinating-unit discipline will depend upon their previous preparation in the discipline, previous research competencies, personal career goals, as well as their research interests. All descriptions of the courses listed below can be found in the UMKC catalog.
All students with educational leadership, policy and foundations as either the coordinating-unit discipline or the co-discipline are required to take and complete
Other Discipline-Specific Special Requirements
The student, at a minimum, will be required to take and completed 12 hours of coursework that provides extensive preparation in research methodologies relevant to her/his professional goals and intended dissertation project. The student will select specific courses with the advice and consent of her or his faculty advisor and supervisory committee. Typical courses which would satisfy this requirement include (but are not limited to):
Comprehensive Examination Guidelines
Students with ELPF as the coordinating-unit discipline must pass a comprehensive examination including both the coordinating-unit discipline and the co-discipline areas.