Across the United States, at least 30,000 rural schools employ approximately 916,000 personnel. Oklahoma has 205,945 students in rural schools, comprising 264 school districts. The Ed.D. in Rural Education is specifically designed to address rural education’s unique circumstances and challenges. Specific coursework will help educational leaders navigate curriculum development, strategic planning, supervision, organizational change, and advocacy for rural schools.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2020), 52% of the schools in Oklahoma are defined as rural.
In addition to general educational requirements in a doctorial program, this program focus on the needs that are unique to leaders in Oklahoma rural schools. 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).
This program includes an applied dissertation. The distinctive opportunities provided by an applied dissertation included working on issues, challenges, or problems in a local rural community to research possible solutions that can be put into place immediately. The applied focus of this program allows the students to research that has an immediate impact on day-to-day operations and activities in the rural community.
High-quality courses with flexible delivery
Courses will be offered fully online in eight-week terms so working adults can integrate graduate study into their lives, with five opportunities to start each year. Professional instructional designers support faculty to prioritize student learning and ensure that courses meet high quality standards.
Degree for the working adult/professional. 8 weeks online courses. Concepts learned in courses today can be implemented in rural communities tomorrow.
Five entry points for admission throughout the year.
Possible hours from master’s transferred to EdD
Oklahoma’s most affordable tuition