Curriculum and Instruction - EdS

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Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

About This Program

The EdS is a 36-credit post-master’s degree designed to enable experienced educators to specialize and improve their professional competence in specific areas or fields. The EdS degree meets the advanced study needs of persons seeking leadership roles in public education, junior colleges, and small private and state colleges. The coursework requirements extend competencies for individuals serving in such positions as program developers, trainers, curriculum specialists, supervisors, instructional leaders, and college instructors. The EdS is also related to certification needs of some educational leaders. The EdS is especially appropriate for those individuals who wish preparation beyond the master’s degree level, but who are not interested in doctoral work with its greater emphasis on developing proficiencies in conducting independent research.

Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U. S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.
Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower;
Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Course Number Acceptability

The Program of Study for a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, if the student has a master’s degree, must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.
Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

Matriculation Start Semester

An EdS degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

Admission Requirements For This Program

To be evaluated against established criteria, students must submit to the School of Graduate Studies at Utah State University an electronic application for admission (http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/)

Requirements for admission include:
• Official copies of both undergraduate and graduate credits from all colleges or universities attended. An average grade of B (3.0) or better is required during the last 60 semester credits.
• Three letters of recommendation (required). At least two of these letters should come from individuals who can evaluate the student’s academic abilities. All letters should address the student’s potential for successful graduate study.
• Documentation of a master’s degree related to the area of specialization.
• Evidence of writing ability as requested by the department of specialization.
• A statement of specific reasons for wanting to enroll in the Educational Specialist degree.
• An up-to-date vitae (resume) documenting at least two years of successful teaching experience or equivalent.

Admission Deadline

On-campus EdS applications are reviewed Feb. 1 for Fall Semester.

Program of Study

All courses require a grade of C or better. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. An advisor approves a student’s Ed.S. program of study and provides advice and counsel to the student as needed.

EdS and EdD/PhD Relationship

For USU students who wish to transfer from the Ed.S. program to a related doctoral program or vice versa, credits earned from one program do not automatically transfer to the other. The student interested in a transfer from one post-master’s degree program to another must make a request for program transfer through his or her major advisor. Upon the advisor’s recommendation, the appropriate program advisory committee will then make a determination regarding the acceptance of such a transfer. Transfer between programs will require adherence to the new program’s requirements.

It is important to note that the comprehensive examination completed for the EdS will not substitute for the doctoral comprehensive examination, given that the doctorate requires more extensive coursework.