ED 8010 - Historical Topics in Higher Education
This course examines the development and evolution of American higher education from the colonial period to the present day. Topics include the purpose of higher education, university types, student life, and the evolution of student learning. Students will choose an individual topic related to American higher education or health care education and explore past and present opportunities and challenges. (3 credits)
ED 8020 - Legal Aspects of Higher Education
This course introduces students to the legal and institutional processes that shape educational policy at the federal and state levels. Select contemporary problems involving legal restriction and protections will be explored. Some of these topics include accessibility, distance education, governance in higher education, academic freedom, the Higher Education Act and Title IX and Civil Rights. (2 credits)
ED 8030 - Curriculum Development and Instructional Design
Students will focus on the application of theory to practice as it pertains to curriculum development, instructional strategies, and assessment practices in higher education classrooms. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding, students develop a unit that includes coherence amongst standards, assessments, and instructional practices. Specific topics of inquiry will include the practice of instructional planning and implementation with technology, collecting student data, and data-driven decision-making in order to evaluate and modify the curriculum in response to students’ needs. (3 credits)
ED 8040 - Active Learning Pedagogies
This course focuses on the implementation of various active learning pedagogies (e.g., flipped classroom, peer instruction exercises, small group discussion, think-pair-share questions, case-based studies) designed to scaffold students’ content understanding, enhance student learning and increase active engagement in the higher education classroom and online learning environments. A major focus of the course will be to facilitate course participants’ critical and creative thinking in the incorporation of active learning pedagogies in their discipline-specific curriculum. (2 credits)
ED 8050 - Assessment of Learning in Higher Education
This course is designed to help participants collect and connect assessment evidence in practical ways, leading to more effective teaching and learning practices. Students will examine and design educational assessments in higher education settings. The focus will be given to assessment strategies for learning. Students will reflect upon the ways in which interpretations from the results of assessments will inform future actions. (2 credits)
ED 8060 - Program Evaluation
This course focuses on key theory and practice components in program evaluation for higher education. The course includes issues related to program assessment, outcome measures, and accreditation processes that impact colleges and universities. Prerequisite: ED 8200 (2 credits)
ED 8100 - Introduction to Statistics
Students will explore statistics from both conceptual and applied perspectives. Basic concepts such as levels of measurement, central tendency, variance, probability and sampling theory, the Central Limit Theorem, and the normal curve will be presented. Additionally, measures of association and hypothesis testing techniques such as correlations, t-test, Chi-Square, and regression will be presented. These concepts and techniques, along with the proper presentation of results, will be examined through the evaluation of published scholarly literature in order for the student to understand the application of the concepts and the value of statistical analysis. (3 credits)
ED 8150 - Applied Statistics for Education
This course builds on previous courses in Statistics to prepare students to conduct their own research projects. Topics will focus on inferential statistics and applications of statistics to research questions in education. Emphasis will be on inferential methods and practical applications using appropriate statistical software or programming tools. Students will acquire the ability to use descriptive statistics and the appropriate statistical tests in the design of their own research methodologies. Prerequisite: ED 8100 (3 credits)
ED 8200 - Research Methodology I
Students will examine the philosophical underpinnings of educational research, differentiate the methodological foundations of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research approaches, and identify the ethical and legal considerations involved in conducting and reporting educational research. Based on a topic of interest, students will locate, read, and synthesize a corpus of research across a broad range of methodological approaches.
Students will produce a written review of the literature to advance their understanding of how their topics are situated in a broader field of study and to begin developing a rationale for their future research. This course is intended to enhance students’ abilities to become both consumers and producers of educational research. (3 credits)
ED 8250 - Research Methodology II
Students will examine diverse methods and designs used in qualitative and quantitative research. They will develop the skills necessary to design a research study, develop research questions and hypotheses, and apply the techniques used in analysis. Other topics include the application of techniques to current educational issues, understanding the role of research and policymaking, and an emphasis on real-world data and student individual research projects. Prerequisite: ED 8200 (3 credits)
ED 8300 - Faculty Roles and Responsibilities in Higher Education
This course examines the roles and responsibilities of faculty in diverse higher education institutions. The three interconnected activities of teaching, scholarship, and service will be emphasized, along with expectations for faculty roles such as clinical supervision. Additional topics include the role of faculty members in supporting the mission and values of the institution, general considerations for the tenure and promotion process, as well as professional expectations of faculty around engaging with colleagues, administrators, students, and community members. (1 credit)
ED 8400 - Research Capstone I
The Capstone is a culminating project that allows students to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired during the Ed.D. program. In this first Capstone course, students will define a problem related to an area of practice in their field, complete a literature review, and develop a research methodology that is approved by the appropriate institutional review board (if applicable). Each student will receive individual mentoring from their research advisor as they develop the beginning phases of the capstone project. (3 credits)
ED 8450 - Research Capstone II
In this second Capstone course, students will collect data and work through data analysis and conclusions. By the completion of this course, students will submit their written Capstone project in the format of a complete research article that is formatted according to a journal in the student’s field and a research poster to be presented for completion of the Capstone graduation requirement. Prerequisite ED 8400 (3 credits)
ED 6000 - Foundations of Educational Leadership
Students will become familiar with different ways of exercising leadership, their own strengths and weaknesses, and how they can best work with others in a leadership context. In addition, they will learn and apply leadership skills in a way that encourages them to challenge their own beliefs and assumptions about what constitutes education leadership.
This course offers a comprehensive review of contemporary issues and perspectives on leadership, including multidisciplinary and systems-oriented approaches as well as classic theory. Topics include the development of leadership theories and styles, personal assessment and development, values and ethics, motivation, power, followership, group dynamics, multiculturalism in leadership, conflict resolution, and the mission and vision process. (3 credits)
ED 6620 - Foundations of Classroom Management
This course is designed to help pre-service teachers organize an enriched learning environment and develop strategies for managing and motivating students to help them become better and more responsible learners. This course is an introduction to the theory and application of management techniques that provide the basis for an effective, efficient, and positive classroom climate.
Techniques that result in the effective use of time, efficient use of materials, and improved student behavior are identified and practiced. Emphasis is placed on the importance of classroom dynamics in creating a proactive approach to classroom management. Non-credit-hour field experience is required. (2 credits)
ED 7000 - Policy, Ethics and Legal Frameworks in Education
This course examines the policy context, legal framework, and ethical considerations for education in the United States. The course is designed for teachers and other educators to expand their knowledge of education law and policymaking at the local school board, state, and federal levels. (3 credits)
ED 7040 - Technology Leadership
Education leaders need to understand the use of technology for teaching, learning, and managing their school environments. The development of these skills includes school/district-wide technology planning and leadership that incorporate instructional design, curriculum integration with standards, advanced technology programs, logistics of technology implementation, professional development, and evaluation.
Educational leaders will develop an understanding of how to create and support technological change through a systems approach. Topics include understanding the sources of resistance to technology change, tools for planning, decision-making and change, creating and supporting a culture for learning and change, and implementing technology to become more efficient and effective in daily practices. (3 credits)
ED 8350 - College Teaching Practicum
This course is designed to create a genuine teaching and learning experience. Students work closely with a higher education faculty member assigned as a mentor. The practicum will provide a guided experience with all aspects of college teaching, including syllabus and learning objective creation, assessment, communication, active learning, and classroom management. (3 credits)
MG 6008 - Managerial Communications
This course explores the various techniques, instruments, processes, and styles employed by leaders to communicate effectively within organizations. Students write, give oral presentations, and learn how to employ electronic media effectively. Exercises employ numerous real or simulated business situations that require communication in different styles, using various forms and methods. This course is designed to establish common communication protocols, determine critical self-awareness profiles, and identify the Rockhurst themes that will be applied throughout the program. (2 credits)
MG 6310 - Organizational Behavior
This course increases students’ awareness of organizational processes and practices, including leadership, management, motivation, morale, group dynamics, interpersonal communications, conflict, and group problem-solving. The course provides conceptual insights and behavioral skills needed for successful leadership of continuous improvement in individual, team, and organizational performance. (2 credits)
MG 6380 - HR and Managing People
This course focuses on the best practices of supervision and ways of effectively partnering with HR, including communicating with employees, planning and delegating to individuals, leading the team, building trust and respect, motivating performance, intercultural communication, evaluating performance, coaching to improve performance, developing and maintaining discipline, and managing conflict. Prerequisite MG 6310 (2 credits)
Peter Drucker claimed, “the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation.” This course will take a 360-degree look at the notion of business innovation, ranging from the entrepreneurial to corporate and from the individual (creativity) to the collective (strategic). Students will explore a number of resources that help define innovation specific to business results and explore ways to foster creativity, whether from an entrepreneurial perspective or an intrapreneurial effort to improve enterprise results. (2 credits)
MG 6680 - Organizational Change
Change management within modern organizations, whether public, private or not-for-profit, is a complex process with many moving parts. The larger an organization becomes, the greater the complexity. This course focuses on the fundamental assessments, tools, processes and interventions used to identify, agree upon, and enact a successful change initiative.
Using an integrated learning model, students will explore and apply these principles in both written and live case studies. Specifically, the following will be addressed: multiple models of the change process (techno-structural, human systems, balanced metrics), tools of organizational analysis, methods for overcoming stakeholder resistance, and techniques for ensuring buy-in and support from people at all levels of the organization. Prerequisite: MG 6310 (2 credits)
