ADA, Okla. – East Central University is excited to announce its first doctoral program, pending Higher Learning Commission accreditation approval.
The Doctor of Education in Rural Education at ECU is designed to focus on the needs unique to rural school leaders and working adults.
Rural education leaders need to know how to address the unique issues in rural communities, such as “varying access to healthcare, food security, Internet connectivity, access to advanced coursework, and high-quality educational resources” (OSDE, 2020, para. 2).
About one third of U.S. public schools are designated rural by the National Center for Education Statistics, and the Ed.D. in Rural Education is specifically designed to address rural education’s unique circumstances and challenges.
Optimized coursework will help educational leaders navigate curriculum development, strategic planning, supervision, organizational change and advocacy for rural schools. Courses will be offered fully online in eight-week terms so working professionals can integrate graduate study into their lives, with five opportunities to enroll each year.
This program includes an applied dissertation. The distinctive experience provided by an applied dissertation includes researching issues, challenges, or policy questions in a local rural community to develop solutions that have an immediate impact on day-to-day operations and activities in rural school settings.
For more information, contact Dr. Jerry Mihelic at 580-559-5350 or gmihelic@ecok.edu.
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