Doctor of Education - Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction: Literacy

The following deadlines are for admission into the Doctor of Education - Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction: Literacy program.

• Fall Final Deadline: April 1st

The Ed.D. is an advanced degree, and candidates must hold a master’s degree in literacy, education , or a closely related field with a GPA of 3.5. Preference is given to applicants who have at least three years of applicable professional experience.

The program admits one cohort each year to begin study in the fall semester. Admission is competitive and potential students are encouraged to begin the application process early. Priority date for admissions consideration is March 1 , and the final deadline is July 1. To be eligible for scholarships, you must apply by March 1. If selected as a finalist, an interview with program faculty will be required.

Admission to the Ed.D. program requires applicants to submit the following items:

• Application for Graduate Admission at Salisbury University, which can be done by visiting our Online Application Center.
• Application fee of $65. Accepted methods of payment include credit/debit cards and electronic checks. The application fee is waived for all military and veteran applicants.
• If you live in Maryland and would like to be considered for in-state tuition, please complete the Residency Form and return to the Tuition Residency Office.
• Official transcripts from each college or university you attended. (Applicants with coursework on file at SU do not need to provide official transcripts for SU credit hours). Transcripts should be sent to:
  • Paper: Office of Graduate Studies, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Electronic: graduateadmissions@salisbury.edu
• Curriculum vita or resume
• Statement of interest.
  • Upload a two-page statement of intent that provides the admissions committee with information regarding why you believe a program in literacy is an appropriate fit for you , its relevance to your career goals , and potential literacy research interests.
• Writing sample
  • Upload a writing sample (no longer than 25 pages) that demonstrates your ability to be successful with graduate level writing. Examples include:
    • Master’s program paper
    • National Board portfolio sample
    • Published editorial
    • Sample of professional development delivered at your school
    • Advocacy materials you have developed
    • Conference paper
• Three professional letters of recommendation.

Good Neighbors Scholarship

Good Neighbors Scholarship allows eligible out-of-state students to enroll in graduate programs at Salisbury University (and its satellite locations) and apply for support to cover a portion of the non-resident graduate tuition at Salisbury University. This discount is only valid for students currently residing in contiguous counties to Salisbury University’s main campus or satellite location. This discount does not apply to online courses.

Christopher Scholarship

Christopher Scholars Program provides competitive scholarships to incoming doctoral students in the Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction in Literacy Doctoral program. To be eligible, the student must submit their application by the priority deadline. The scholarship may be renewed provided the student remains in good standing and has continued financial need.

Diane D. Allen Scholarship

The Diane D. Allen Scholarship supports dissertation research in the Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction in Literacy Doctoral program. The scholarship is awarded to a current student in the program. Award notification will occur in the summer.

The Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction in Literacy Doctoral program currently offers two Graduate Assistant (GA) positions. Assistants are eligible to receive a stipend and tuition waiver (paid at the in-state rate) of up to 18 credits per fiscal year. To be eligible, students must be enrolled full time. A full-time assistantship requires a time commitment of 20 hours per week.

This is the most common loan for Master’s and Doctoral level education. There are three types of federal loans for graduate students:

1. Low interest Federal Perkins Loans awarded through the Financial Aid Office
2. Direct PLUS Loans for the U.S. Department of Education
3. Direct (Unsubsidized) Loans from the U.S. Department of Education, the most common type of loan for graduate students

Visit the federal student aid website for more details.

To make professional development opportunities accessible to all teachers in Maryland Eastern Shore public schools, Salisbury University provides a grant to any teacher who is an out-of-state resident but is a full-time classroom teacher in a Maryland Eastern Shore public school. These grants reduce the cost of tuition to the in-state rate for any graduate course, provided the course is relevant to the teacher's professional duties.

LEARN WHERE YOU WORK GRANT APPLICATION

We’ve compiled information on Direct Billing and Tuition Reimbursement Options.

This program consists of 60 hours of graduate study, which includes a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation credits to be taken over three consecutive semesters beginning in the summer of the third year of full-time study.

Full-time students take two courses each fall, spring and summer for a total of 18 credit hours per year. Full-time students will take three years to complete the required courses and a minimum of a fourth year to write the dissertation.

Students pursuing the degree on a part-time basis will take one course during the fall and spring semesters and two courses during the summer semester for a total of 12 credit hours per year. Part-time students will take four years to complete the required courses and a minimum of a fifth year to write the dissertation.

Through coursework students will:

• develop a comprehensive and evolving knowledge of literacy;
• identify, contextualize, and propose solutions for problems of practice;
• articulate a vision for teaching and learning predicated on national research trends and tailored to address regional and local needs;
• improve the quality of services within an education setting through applied research and evaluation of local, state, and national curriculum policies and practices;
• apply dynamic teaching for the renewal and improvement of schools, school systems and institutions of higher education; and,
• envision themselves as transformational leaders who can collaboratively design and implement solutions to problems of literacy practiced in school.

Graduates of the Ed.D. program will:

• Demonstrate the ability to ground professional practice in literacy theory and research.
• Be able to write about literacy and education in relation to equity and social justice for multiple audiences.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify, contextualize, and develop solutions that address problems of literacy practice in varied educational and community contexts.
• Demonstrate the ability to use data to critically understand and evaluate the effects of developed innovations on problems of literacy practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply critical inquiry to and through formal and informal contexts.
• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and make recommendations to improve the quality of services within literacy contexts through applied research and evaluation of local, state, and national policies and practices.
• Demonstrate the ability to broadly disseminate research that has the potential to resolve critical problems of literacy practice.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of equity and social justice in shaping their approach(es) to solving problems of literacy practice.

For a full list of outcomes, search for your program in SU's Academic Program Student Learning Outcomes database.

Learn about our robust course offerings.

Visit our catalog to see the requirements for this program:

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Learn more about the Department of Literacy Studies, including our faculty, in-depth program information and student resources.

You can view our handbook below:

• Doctoral Program Handbook (PDF)