All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.

Additional Requirements

• Master’s degree

Program-Specific Application Deadlines

• U.S. Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): March 1
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Oct. 1

• International Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): Jan. 1
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Aug. 1

Additional Documentation

Your application must include the following:

• Professional history and goal statement that is typewritten, double-spaced and no more than 10 pages. It will be used to provide background information about you, determine the appropriateness of your experience and interests in relationship to the academic focus of the program, and assist in making major professor assignments. Describe your contributions to and experience in the practice of adult learning and leadership or another field of educational practice, as well as any contributions you have made to the scholarship of adult learning and leadership or another field of educational practice. In addition, discuss how you foresee this program will contribute to the attainment of your future professional goals and anticipated contributions to the field. If research topic is known, include this information along with any preference for major professor.
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Writing sample. Select one of the articles below and prepare a typewritten, double-spaced, five-page essay which (1) summarizes the key points of the article, (2) analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the research, (3) discusses if the author's conclusions are supported by the research, and (4) identifies the implications of the work for the field of adult education. In addition to reviewing the content of each applicant's response, the criteria used to evaluate the essay will cover (1) the thesis focus (originality and clarity); (2) the organization of the essay and thought process; (3) supporting reasons (ideas and details); (4) appropriate APA style (http://www.apa.org/); (5) documentation of other sources included, (6) audience awareness; (7) sentence (sentence diction/syntax/tone/voice) and writing (grammar/spelling/usage/ punctuation) conventions; and (8) overall presentation.
  • Erickson, D.M. (2007). A developmental re-forming of the phases of meaning in transformational learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 58(1), 61-80.
  • Kasworm, C. (2010). Adult learners in a research university: Negotiating undergraduate student identity. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(2), 143 -160.
  • Niewolny, K.L., & Wilson, A.L. (2009). What happened to the promise? A critical (re)orientation of two sociocultural learning traditions. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(1), 26- 45.
  • Ponton, M.K., Derrick, M.G., & Carr, P.B. (2005). The relationship between resourcefulness and persistence in adult autonomous learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(2), 116-128.
  • Zacharakis, J., & Flora, J. (2005). Riverside: A case study of social capital and cultural reproduction and their relationship to leadership development. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(4), 288-307.
• Three professional references with name, institution or company, position and email address
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended
  • Failure to list any colleges or universities from which you received a degree or enrolled in graduate coursework may result in dismissal from the university.
  • If your transcripts are not in English, you must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority.
  • You will be asked for official transcripts after notification of admission.

The adult learning and leadership doctorate will prepare you for a career in:

• education
• corporate and nonprofit sectors
• college or university faculty or administration
• corporate learning and development
• military

Required Academic Core Courses (15 credits)
(If you do not have a master's degree in adult learning and leadership, you must take these courses in addition to the 60 credit hours in the doctoral degree, as determined by the supervisory committee.)

• EDACE 780 - Introduction to Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits)
• EDACE 790 - Characteristics of the Adult Learner (3 credits)
• EDCEP 816 - Research Methods in Education (3 credits)
• EDACE 818 - Critical and Social Issues in Adult Learning (3 credits)
• EDACE 830 - Program Planning in Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits

Required 900-Level Doctoral Courses (15 credits minimum)

• EDACE 916 - Foundations of Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits)
• EDACE 960 - Introduction to Doctoral Studies (3 credits)
• EDACE 975 - Scholarly Writing (3 credits)
• EDACE 980 - The Dissertation Process (3 credits)
• EDACE 986 - Doctoral Seminar (3 credits)

Required Research Courses (15 credits minimum)

• EDCEP 817 - Statistical Methods in Education (3 credits)
• EDCEP 917 - Experimental Design in Educational Research (3 credits)
• EDLEA 838 - Qualitative Research in Education (3 credits)
• EDLEA 938 - Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Methods (3 credits)
• EDLEA 948 - Data Representation and Writing in Qualitative Research (3 credits)

Electives
Select electives appropriate to the area of emphasis that satisfy the minimum 60 credit hours for the program. Choose from electives with the EDACE prefix, additional quantitative or qualitative research courses or other disciplines.

Doctoral Research (12 credits minimum)

• EDACE 999 - Doctoral Research (1-18 credits)

Required Academic Core Courses (15 credits)
(If you do not have a master's degree in adult learning and leadership, you must take these courses in addition to the 60 credit hours in the doctoral degree, as determined by the supervisory committee.)

• EDACE 780 - Introduction to Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits)
• EDACE 790 - Characteristics of the Adult Learner (3 credits)
• EDCEP 816 - Research Methods in Education (3 credits)
• EDACE 818 - Critical and Social Issues in Adult Learning (3 credits)
• EDACE 830 - Program Planning in Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits)

Required 900-Level Doctoral Courses (15 credits minimum)

• EDACE 916 - Foundations of Adult Learning and Leadership (3 credits)
• EDACE 960 Introduction to Doctoral Studies (3 credits)
• EDACE 975 Scholarly Writing (3 credits)
• EDACE 980 The Dissertation Process (3 credits)
• EDACE 986 Doctoral Seminar (3 credits)

Required Research Courses (15 credits minimum)

• EDCEP 817 - Statistical Methods in Education (3 credits)
• EDCEP 917 - Experimental Design in Educational Research (3 credits)
• EDLEA 838 - Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)
• EDLEA 938 - Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)
• EDLEA 948 - Data Representation and Writing in Qualitative Research (3 credits)

Electives
Select electives appropriate to the area of emphasis that satisfy the minimum 60 credit hours for the program. Choose from electives with the EDACE prefix, additional quantitative or qualitative research courses or other disciplines.

Clinical Experience (6 credits)

• EDACE 991 - Internship in Adult Learning and Leadership (or equivalent)

Doctoral Research (12 credits minimum)

• EDACE 999 - Doctoral Research