Prospective students will apply to either SCSU or WCSU and receive their degree from the institution where they are matriculated. Admission policies to the program will be consistent with existing criteria for admitting graduate students at SCSU and WCSU. A maximum of 25 students (total for both institutions) will be admitted, as a cohort, every other year. Applications will be received in the spring semester starting on February 1, with the expectation that those accepted will begin the program of study in the following fall semester. A faculty committee, consisting of faculty from both institutions, will be responsible for reviewing application files, ranking candidates and conducting interviews with applicants selected as finalists. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring that all required documents are received by the Graduate School of the university to which they are applying.

The deadline for applications to the Ed.D in Nursing Education program has been extended to April 1st, 2023. Qualified applicants who were denied admission to the program due to faculty or space constraints may be placed on a waiting list. Applicants on the waiting list will be notified if a slot is made available.

The overall goal of the admissions committee is to admit individuals who, in the professional opinion of the faculty, demonstrate the greatest potential for making significant contributions to the field of nursing education through their teaching, scholarship and service activities.

Students attain matriculation status when they have met all requirements for admission to the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program and have received a letter of acceptance from the School of Graduate Studies at SCSU or WCSU with a copy of their planned program attached (see graduate catalogues at SCSU and WCSU).

Specific requirements for admission to the Ed.D in Nursing Education are as follows:

1. Graduate School Application and fee. Application should be made to the Graduate School of the respective institutions where they wish to be matriculated (WCSU or SCSU)
2. Masters’ degree in nursing, with an overall GPA of at least 3.0, from a regionally accredited university
3. Official transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework
4. Current RN and/or APRN license
5. CV or Resume. The CV/Resume (five page limit) should highlight professional experiences, service, scholarship, awards, publications, certifications, and presentations should be included. Continuing Education in the last five years is pertinent.
6. Personal or Phone Interview- applicants who are considered finalists may be required to participate in a personal, phone or videoconference interview with a member of the Ed.D. Program Committee
7. Three letters of reference: Letters of reference should focus on academic and professional abilities. At least one letter is preferred to be from an academic source
8. Background Checks (students are responsible for the cost)
9. For international students, a score of at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 80 (internet) on the TOEFL exam
10. Personal Statement describing the following (limited to three pages):
    • Reasons for seeking admission to the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program
    • Professional goals
    • Research interests related to the scholarship of teaching and learning
    • Potential contributions to nursing education
    • Discussion of experiences in previous graduate work

Students admitted to the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program may transfer up to six (6) credits towards the degree. However, a student admitted to the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program and who has begun taking classes within the program, will not be eligible to transfer additional credits unless the student has obtained advanced written permission from the Ed.D Program Coordinator(s).

Requirements for transfer credit include:

• No more than a five (5) year time period from the time the course was taken to the time when requesting transfer credit.
• Completion of course in a Doctoral Program at an accredited institution of higher education.
• Recommendation by the Ed.D. Program Coordinators (from SCSU and WCSU) to the Graduate Office (where the student is matriculated) for acceptance of the course for graduate transfer credit.
• All pertinent course materials, such as course description, syllabus, and official transcripts etc., should be submitted to the Ed.D. Program Coordinator(s) where requesting approval for transfer credit.
• Grades from courses accepted in transfer are not computed in graduate quality point average (QPR).
• Course must be equivalent to those in the program.
• Course grade must be at least a B.

The GPA is computed using quality points earned for graduate credit at WCSU. Grades for courses accepted in transfer are not computed in the GPA. The Division of Graduate Studies uses the following quality point system to compute the GPA:

Course grades of “D+,” D,” “D-,” or “F” may not be counted toward a graduate degree. However, they are included in computation of the GPA.

• The grade “WF” is computed in the GPA. It carries academic penalty. This grade is received when a student stops attending class without officially withdrawing, or withdraws without the instructor’s permission after the published date for withdrawing without penalty.
• The “INC” grade must be made up within a semester of the time the “INC” was recorded. If not completed within that time, the grade becomes an “F” unless the instructor recommends an extension of time for justifiable cause, the extension not to exceed one additional semester (fall, spring, or summer session). The only exception to this policy will be made for students making satisfactory progress while completing a thesis or research project. Such students are limited only by the time allowed to complete their degree.
• The grades “P” or “FP” are not computed in the QPR. “A student may choose or change a choice of this option up to the final day of the drop/add registration period for a semester”. The choice or change must be made in the Division of Graduate Studies.
• Students who choose to audit a course (“AUD”) receive no grade and no academic credit for that course (see WCSU Graduate Catalog for further information).

The grade of “I” (incomplete) is given for work that was passing but which could not be completed due to circumstances beyond the students’ control. An “Incomplete” may not be given to enable a student to do additional work to raise a deficient grade. “Q” code indicates that students must register to take the course again. A code of “Q” may be assigned each time a student does not complete course requirements (see SCSU Graduate School Catalog for other information about incomplete grades).

Grading policies are determined by where the course (the student is enrolled in) originates (where the faculty teaching the course is employed)

Students failing to meet academic standards at their admitting institution will be reviewed by the Ed.D. Program Committee where academic decisions are made.

Doctoral students will be placed on academic probation for not meeting overall QPR requirements and/or for not meeting course requirements as described below.

Students will automatically be placed on academic probation if the QPR falls below a 3.0. Students will be notified of this status by the Graduate Program Coordinators. If, after attempting an additional 9 credits, the QPR is still below 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program. Please note an overall QPR of a 3.0 is required for graduation.

A grade of “B” or above must be achieved in each course in the program of study or the course must be repeated. Only one course within the program of study may be repeated and a grade of “B” (3.0) or better must be achieved on the second attempt. The course may only be repeated once. Grades achieved for both attempts are included in the calculation of the QPR (SCSU and WCSU graduate school policy). Failure to achieve a “B” or better in the repeated course will result in dismissal from the program without the possibility of readmission. Students who repeat a course must join the next available cohort (applicants are admitted every other year).

Conditions under which students are subject to academic dismissal are found in the SCSU and WCSU School of Graduate Studies catalogue and the student handbooks.

Students on academic probation who fail to raise the QPR to a 3.0 after completing the next 9 credits of course work will be dismissed from the program.

Students whose QPR falls below 3.0 during the last semester will be placed on probation and given one semester to raise the QPR level to 3.0. Failure to raise the QPR to 3.0 will result in dismissal from the program and the graduate school. A student who is dismissed from the program will not be considered for readmission.

Students will be notified in writing of probation, suspension/dismissal status by the Ed.D. Program Coordinators and by the School of Graduate Studies at SCSU or WCSU.

Copies of letter notification of academic status are placed in the student’s file.

All requirements for the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program must be completed within a 7-year period. The 7-year period begins when the first doctoral course to be included in the program of study is taken. Extensions may be granted if there are compelling extenuating circumstances. A student may petition the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program Coordinators prior to the expiration of courses for an extension. Extensions must be approved by the Ed.D. Committees. Revalidation of a limited number of courses may be permitted.

Students who withdraw from the program (and were in good academic standing at the time of withdrawal) may petition the Ed.D. Program Committee for readmission. Students must meet with the appropriate Ed.D. Program Coordinator to discuss their potential for success within the program. Students must reapply to the program and meet current program admission requirements. If readmission is granted, students will be expected to join the next available cohort. Students must repeat courses if the course was taken more than five years ago.

The Ed.D. Program Coordinator at the institution where the student has matriculated is the academic advisor for all doctoral students at that institution. Upon formal admittance to the program, each student is assigned an advisor (the Ed.D. Program Coordinator) to assist in program planning and in reviewing the student’s progress. During the initial meeting with an advisor, a planned program of study will be completed and forwarded to the SCSU or WCSU Graduate School.

Students are required to meet with their advisors upon entry to the program and at regular intervals for the purpose of program review, performance evaluation, and advisement. These will generally take place during the Residency periods and at midpoint and at the end of each semester. Advisement sessions may occur in person, by phone or through video-conferencing.

Each doctoral student must maintain an e- portfolio consisting of at least one assignment from each course in the planned program of study, and other materials that document individual student achievement of the doctoral program competencies, goals and outcomes. Students must be willing to share their portfolio with the Ed.D. Program Committee and/or advisor. Student portfolios are used for program evaluation purposes. Students will be notified when faculty request portfolio submissions.

The following excerpt on academic honesty is directly quoted from the SCSU AND WCSU Student Handbooks and/or Graduate Catalogs.

Academic honesty is the cornerstone of higher education. An honest approach to one’s work is the only approach-in the laboratory in research, or in examinations. Cheating of any kind is, and must be, condemned by all members of a college community’

Behavior that falls under the heading of academic dishonesty includes the following:

• The use of illicit aids during examination periods
• The giving and receiving of aid on any examinations
• Copying from another student’s examination, term paper, laboratory report, etc.
• The theft of course material
• Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another writer and presenting them as your own. It is a kind of academic theft, and is therefore dishonest. Once your name appears on an essay or term paper, you are stating that the ideas and language in the paper that are not attributed to another are entirely your own, and the reader assumes that these are your work. An obvious form of plagiarism is copying the exact words from your source without providing quotation marks and without giving credit to the source, usually in a footnote. A less obvious, but equally dishonest form of plagiarism is the changing of a few words (paraphrasing) or using of an author’s original idea without properly introducing and documenting that change or usage. The ideas, interpretations, and words of an author belong to the author. They are the author’s property. They are protected by law and they must be acknowledged whenever you borrow them.

Students are referred to the SCSU and WCSU Student Handbooks for information about the consequences of Academic Dishonesty and student appeal processes when instances of academic dishonestly are reported.

Students are referred to the SCSU and WCSU Student Handbooks and/or Graduate Catalogs for information about how to appeal at grade at SCSU and WCSU.

Grade appeal policy implementation procedures are determined by where the course (the student is enrolled in) originates.

Students are referred to the SCSU and WCSU Student Handbooks and/or Graduate Catalogs for information about course withdrawal.

Course withdrawal policies are determined by where the course (the student is enrolled in) originates (where the faculty member teaching the course is employed).

All matriculated doctoral students who have completed all requisite requirements to become doctoral candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination. The exam is designed by the doctoral faculty to assess the students’ mastery and synthesis of knowledge garnered during coursework. Further, it is intended to gauge the student’s potential for independent dissertation research. Students must pass the Comprehensive Examination in order to progress to the Science of Nursing Education course work and the dissertation phase of the program of study.

The comprehensive examination is given during the intercession following the 2nd fall semester of the program and before the Science of Nursing Education courses. The comprehensive examination will consist of three questions corresponding to the following program concentrations: Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education, Specialization in Nursing Education, and Leadership in Nursing Education. Students unsuccessful on this examination will be required to meet with their advisor to review their potential for progression within the program. Upon approval of the Advisor, and with positive recommendations from the program coordinators, the student will be permitted to re-write one or more sections of the comprehensive examination. Students unable to write a successful examination on the second attempt will be dismissed from the doctoral program.

At least two graduate faculty members (one from SCSU and one from WCSU) read each blinded individual student examination and independently rate the three sections using a standardized rubric.

The dissertation proposal is a required component of the doctoral program, and must be approved for a student to become a doctoral candidate. Specific details regarding the dissertation proposal and required forms will be distributed to doctoral students by the Ed.D. Program Coordinators.

Once students satisfactorily pass coursework, the comprehensive examination and the dissertation proposal hearing, they are considered doctoral candidates and may begin dissertation research.

The dissertation is a culminating component of the doctoral program. Only upon successful dissertation defense before a dissertation committee may a student apply for graduation. All requisite forms and further details are available from the coordinators of the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program. Students must complete all degree requirements within seven years.

Doctoral students admitted into the Ed.D. in Nursing Education Program are invited to participate in Ed.D. program curriculum meetings. Students in each cohort (one from WCSU and one from SCSU) will be invited to volunteer to serve as student representatives to the program committee. The responsibilities of the student representatives are to bring student concerns and comments to the program committee and to share news from the program committee with the students.

Students enrolled in NUR 808 may participate in educational practicums located in academic nursing education settings. Students must comply with all requirements of the agency or agencies where the practicum is located. These may include (but are not limited to): health requirements, CPR, background checks, fingerprinting and/or drug toxicology testing.