MSU Texas one of 10 new members of Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate
Within its first year of having a Doctorate of Education program, Midwestern State University has been accepted as one of 10 new members to the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate.
MSU Texas joins more than 115 current institution members in the important work of redesigning professional practice preparation in education for the improvement of Pre-K-college education and the organizations that support it. Institution members of CPED learn together, both from and with all members.
Kym Acuña, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Learning at MSU Texas, said, “With our participation in CPED, we have the opportunity to collaborate with Ed.D. programs across the country to refine and innovate the Ed.D. experience in order to prepare educational leaders who are prepared to lead equitable, high quality schools.”
New members were chosen through an application process and evaluated by a membership committee composed of leaders of current CPED institution members. Based on the application and support materials of each of these new institution members, CPED anticipates that adding these institutions to the Consortium will add a value that will push CPED’s collective work even further.
MSU Texas’ first cohort of doctoral students began in the spring semester of 2021. Matt Capps, Dean of the Gordon T. & Ellen West College of Education, said that when the program was created, they wanted something that would set MSU Texas apart from other schools. “We wanted students to gain practical experience that directly correlates to district-level leadership. The CPED came as a recommendation from the external review team that would do just that.”
In studying the doctoral options, Capps said they came across the Dissertation in Practice, which differs from the traditional dissertation. “The Dissertation in Practice requires students to engage with a school district problem as part of a problem-solving investigation. A traditional dissertation often is ‘theoretical’ and will likely result in a long project that has no practical application in a school setting. We did not want that for our students so the CPED brought together some objectives that, if applied correctly, will have a positive impact on our students as well as those in K-12 settings.”
For those interested in earning a master’s degree, it’s not too late. Deadline for application is Aug. 1. The next Ed.D. cohort begins in Spring 2022. Contact Sierra Trenhaile at the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School, 940-397-4920.