College of Education and Health Professions

Doctoral and Specialist Degrees


Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Ed.S. in Educational Leadership

The Ed.S. in Educational Administration provides professional preparation for students involved in school site administration and those who have districtwide administrative responsibility.

Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction
The College of Education and Health Professions offers the NCATE-Accredited, Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction degree program. The Ed.S. coursework can be completed completely online if the student’s area of interest is special education or educational technology. Those who select other areas of interest must take some classes on the Fayetteville campus.  The Ed.S. program is designed for people who have a master's degree in education who wish to pursue an advanced degree.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Ed.D. in Adult and Lifelong Learning

The Ed.D. degree in adult and lifelong learning will prepare students for employment in programs that provide adult literacy and education, lifelong learning, community and nonprofit organizations, military education, postsecondary education, and continuing professional education.

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

The Ed.D. in Educational Administration provides professional preparation for students pursuing careers as principals and other building administrators and supervisors in public and private schools; superintendents and other central administrative personnel; federal and state governmental agency officials; educational administration professoriate; and other education related professionals.

Ed.D. in Higher Education

The Ed.D. in Higher Education offers three areas of specialization: college administration (including student personnel work), college teaching and faculty leadership (developing faculty to provide leadership skills on their campuses).

Ed.D. in Recreation and Sport Management

The Ed.D. in Recreation and Sport Management prepares students to become teachers, researchers, and leaders in the area of recreation and leisure in university settings.

Ed.D. in Workforce Development Education

The proposed online delivery with some on-campus course requirements of the Doctor of Education in Workforce Development Education with options in Workforce Leadership and Human Resource Development will prepare graduates for leadership, teaching and research careers.


Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction

The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction emphasizes the generation of new knowledge or the reformulation of existing knowledge as a basis for the development of educational theory.

Ph.D. in Counselor Education

The Ph.D. in Counseling prepares students as counselor educators and supervisors who will attain leadership roles in academic and agency settings.

Ph.D. in Educational Statistics and Research Methods

The Ph.D. in Educational Statistics and Research Methods develops professionals in the areas of educational statistics and research methods.

Ph.D. in Community Health Promotion

The Ph.D. in Community Health Promotion prepares students to become teachers, researchers, and leaders in the area of community health promotion in university settings.

Ph.D. in Kinesiology

The Ph.D. in Kinesiology prepares students to become teachers, researchers and leaders in the area of kinesiology in university settings. Concentrations in Exercise Science and Pedagogy are available.

Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Education and Research

The Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Education and Research prepares students for employment as college faculty, administrators and service providers in the field of rehabilitation.

Ph.D. in Education Policy

The Ph.D. in Education Policy will prepare scholars for careers in academia, think tanks and public service in the field of K-12 education policy. The program of study will engage students in education policy research, based on the social sciences and other academic disciplines, supported by empirical methods.

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) is a practice-focused doctorate for those nurses who desire a terminal degree with a clinical focus. The D.N.P. prepares advance practice nurses to function as experts and leaders in increasingly complex health-care settings. There are two levels of entry for the practice doctorate: post-B.S.N. and post-M.S.N.