Education Specialist, EdS

Overview

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) program is intended to help extend professional understanding and practice in the critical area of education. Ed.S. students will develop capacities to think, communicate, and model biblical excellence in educational leadership positions. They will more clearly represent Christ-centered perspectives in the broader society by influencing students, their families, faculty, and staff with competencies specifically designed for Kingdom growth. Students complete a concentration in Educational Leadership. Courses are provided 100% online. Students must be accepted into the Ed.S. program to enroll in courses. CIU Education Programs are endorsed by the Higher Education Accreditation Program (HEAP) of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Program graduates who meet specific requirements are eligible to apply for appropriate ACSI teacher or administrator certificates. 

Purpose

The Ed.S. program strives to produce professionals who lead others in addressing educational needs from a biblical perspective.

Objectives

Candidates will understand, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate:

• High-quality educational leadership from a biblical perspective, theoretical approaches, research findings, and alternative models of effective leadership and functioning of organizations, groups, and individuals within organizations.
• Ways to enhance their personal callings and contribute to the quality of an educational setting through leadership, presentation, and publication.

Admission Requirements

• Online application
• Application fee
• Official transcript for highest earned degree and any master’s level credits earned
  • A minimum 3.0 GPA for the most recent degree obtained
  • A master’s degree from an accredited institution that provides a relevant foundation for doctoral studies in educational leadership (An education or education-related field is the strongly preferred focus of the master’s degree.)
• Two general references
• Academic writing sample (Published article or graduate research paper)
• Resume or curriculum vitae that provides evidence of sufficient teaching, administrative, and leadership experience to undergird degree program requirements
• An interview with the Ph.D./Ed.S. Committee

Residency and Transfer Policies

A maximum of 15 credit hours of appropriate master’s work may be applied toward the Ed.S. program, as determined by the program director. Transfer credit must be from an accredited institution with a grade of “B” or above. Students accepted before 2023/2024 who apply for readmittance may keep their accepted B- courses toward their degree and their accepted B- transfer courses. This does not imply admittance, just what the advising worksheet reflects.  

CIU graduate students who meet the requirements to be accepted into the Ed.S. program may transfer 15 hours from the CIU Master of Education program. Students will transfer EDU 7300 Foundations of Education (for EDU 9300), EDU 6231 History of Christian Education (for EDU 9200), and EDU 6425 Supervision of Instruction (for EDU 9520).  If a student completed the M.Ed. Educational Administration concentration, EDU 5525 Law and Personnel (for EDU 9550) and EDU 5515 Institutional Advancement (for EDU 9555) will also transfer.  If the student completed the M.Ed. Instruction and Learning concentration, EDU 7410 Instructional Models (for EDU 9350) and EDU 5330 Authentic Assessment will transfer (for EDU 9330). Transfer will be finalized by the EdS/PhD Acceptance committee. at time of acceptance. 

Time Limitation

The time limit for completion of all requirements is six years, measured from the date a student begins coursework in the Ed.S. program.

Completion Requirements

Although advisors assist students in planning their courses of study, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements for graduation have been met.

• Demonstrate competency of each of the program’s outcomes through satisfactory completion of coursework.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), with no grade below a “B” applicable to the degree. Current or readmitted students in good standing who previously transferred or obtained a B- in class may retain that credit. (Transfer grades are not calculated in the cumulative GPA.)