Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

In order to be eligible to apply for the doctor of education program, applicants must have earned the minimum of a Master's Degree with a 3.5 cumulative grade point average from an accredited institution and have five or more years of verified teaching experience at public or private schools accredited by the Southern Association of Universities and Schools (SACS) or the Georgia Accrediting Commission Inc. (GAC.) at the Accredited with Quality (AWQ) or Accredited (ACC) Level.

Applicants must submit the following documentation to the Graduate Admissions Office:

1. Completed graduate admissions applications.
2. Two professional references; one from the supervisor (the person who evaluates your performance) and one from a former professor or instructor. References submitted as part of the application process for previous degree programs will not be accepted.
3. Five annual teaching evaluations that verify five years of professional experience as Georgia-certified educators. Non-Georgia-certified educators, leaders or educators in independent schools, and higher education faculty must provide verification of five years of professional employment.
4. Professional activities resume.
5. Copy of valid professional Georgia teaching certificates at the appropriate level (Georgia-certified educators) or letters from the head of the school, Board of Trustees, dean, or department chair to verify the quality of work (Non-Georgia-certified educators). Applicants who do not hold Georgia certification and desire to be certified in Georgia must complete all requirements established by the Professional Standards Commission (PSC).
6. Personal affirmation forms.
7. Official final transcripts from all graduate colleges and universities attended in the past (Piedmont University transcripts are on file).
8. Scholarly, informative letters of intent, including goal statements.  
9. Official GRE test scores that are no more than five years old at the time prospective students submit applications for admissions. The target GRE scores are the 60^th percentile for the combined verbal and quantitative sections and a score of 4.0 on the analytic writing section.
10. For educational leadership applicants, applicants who are not currently serving in a leadership position must also provide a letter from the building or district administrator indicating agreement that the applicant will be released from other responsibilities for two full days per week or the equivalent to allow the candidate sufficient time to participate in and successfully complete the required clinical work.