Doctor of Education In Leadership

This section of my e-Portfolio contains an electronic collection of items and evidence that shows my journey in the doctoral study of leadership with a concentration in online education.

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership prepares graduate students to contribute to their professional communities as leaders who address real-world problems through evidence-based decision making. Students engage with other professionals in their specific fields, including partners ranging from school districts and state government to businesses and nonprofits, to apply skills and knowledge to complex problems of practice (American College of Education Graduate Catalog, Vol. 1602USA2, 2016).

Ed.S. to Ed.D. Completion Pathway

Students bringing in a completed Ed.S. with degree conferred as an admission requirement are eligible for the Ed.D. Completion Pathway. Completed Ed.S. degree at a 3.0 GPA or better can be transferred in its entirety at 33 credit hours and 31 credit hours are required to earn the degree. I transferred my Education Specialist Career & Technical Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout into this program.

The following are the courses required as part of my Ed.D. Completion Pathway program:

LEAD6001 Introduction to Advanced Studies (2016)

Students will undertake an examination of the rigors of advanced graduate study and reflect on personal strengths and challenges at the start of their program. Topics include identity as scholar-practitioner, models of inquiry, self-assessment, and professional goals.

ASMT6010 Benchmark: Research Competency Exam (2016)

This course provides additional support, as needed, for students to successfully complete the Research Competency Exam at the conclusion of 28 semester credits of their doctoral program. The assessment measures student understanding of research terms and practices.

SEM6601 Doctoral Seminar I (2016)

This first-year seminar addresses basic issues related to the research process, focusing on individual concerns regarding methodology and the alignment of research components. Students will specifically consider how to think about the research elements in relation to successfully completing their dissertation.

LEAD6113 Ethical Leadership and Social Justice (2017)

The course focus is on theory, research, and practices related to ethical administration. Students will assess ethical decision making and implications for policy.

LEAD6143 Strategic Planning and Operations (2017)

This course focuses on the overall performance of an organization by identifying, clarifying, and aligning specific leadership behaviors to the organization’s mission, goals, and values. Strategic plans will be developed to ensure that an organization is effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of stakeholders within and outside of the organization while meeting its goals and sustaining its values.

RES6023 Quantitative Research Designs (2017)

This course provides students with an introduction to different types of quantitative research methods and statistical techniques for collecting and analyzing quantitative data. Topics include the nature of research, sampling, hypothesis testing, variance (F-test), two samples t-test (independent and dependent), multiple samples test (ANOVA and repeated measures), assessment reliability and validity, threats to validity, and components of a concept paper (prospectus), proposal, and dissertation. The course concludes with a comprehensive overview, including answers students need to know and be able to explain in a proposal or dissertation defense.

Protecting Human Research Participants - National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research (2017)

This course is designed to prepare investigators involved in the design and/or conduct of research involving human subjects to understand their obligations to protect the rights and welfare of subjects in research. The course material presents basic concepts, principles, and issues related to the protection of research participants.

LEAD6123 Management of Financial Resources (2017)

Students will examine principles and concepts of finance at local, state, federal, and international levels; strategies for maximizing and obtaining financial resources and economic issues of the third sector.

RES6033 Qualitative Research Designs (2017)

Students will compare qualitative research designs and application to real-world issues. Topics include data collection and analysis, as well as ethical issues in qualitative research.

SEM6611 Doctoral Seminar II (2017)

This second-year seminar for Ed.D. students supports the development of the literature review in relationship to data analysis, addressing both qualitative and quantitative approaches in direct correlation to selected methodology. Concept paper and a mock IRB experience are included. 

LEAD6153 Policy and Governance (2018)

Students will analyze specific current and future public policies and conduct policy impact analyses. Students will evaluate best practices for working with local school councils, volunteer boards, advisory councils, and external stakeholders.

LEAD6133 Models of Leadership and Coaching (2018)

Students will evaluate and compare different leadership and coaching models, analyze the relationship between leadership effectiveness and leadership coaching and determine appropriate-ness of each type of leadership and coaching for diverse settings.

RES6521 Research Methodology (2018)

This course is designed for students to complete Chapter 3 of the dissertation proposal. Final approval of Chapter 3 by the course faculty member and the dissertation chair is required for successful completion.

RES6531 Literature Review (2018)

This course is designed for students to complete Chapter 2 of the dissertation proposal. Final approval of Chapter 2 by the course faculty member and the dissertation chair is required for successful completion.

RES6541 Finalizing the Dissertation Proposal (2019)

This course is designed for students to complete the Dissertation Proposal. In addition to completing Chapters 1-3, this course is designed to support students in obtaining DRR and IRB approval. Final approval of the Dissertation Proposal by both the course faculty member and dissertation chair is required for successful completion.

RES6551 Analyzing the Dissertation Research (2019)

This course is designed for students to complete Chapters 4 and 5 of the dissertation. Final approval of Chapters 4 and 5 by the course faculty member and the dissertation chair is required for successful completion

LEAD6031 Doctoral Leadership Seminar II (2019)

This third-year leadership seminar focuses on the final stages of the leadership journey and dissertation process for Ed.D. students. This seminar empowers students to represent themselves as experts and leaders. Students will identify ways to present the findings of a research project to a dissertation committee and how to complete the steps required to publish and present the material in future conferences.

RES6302 Defending the Dissertation (2019)

Students prepare, defend, and deliver the final presentation of their dissertation. Final dissertation approval and final completion of their doctoral portfolio are also expected. 

Dissertation: Emergency Preparedness Training Perceptions of K–12 School Personnel: A Quantitative Cross-Sectional Study of Two Illinois School Districts (Defended July 30, 2019)

Curriculum Vitae: Robert Leahy Curriculum Vitae 2024

American College of Education. (2019). Course Description Listing.

Go to Ed.D. Writing Examples page.