Midwestern State University announced in a press release Wednesday, Sept. 3, that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved the university’s request to offer a “doctoral degree in educational leadership,” starting January 2021.

“This is a significant accomplishment for Midwestern State University and especially for our dedicated faculty in the West College of Education,” President Suzanne Shipley said in the press release. “We are now able to provide our community of educators with a significant level of academic attainment.”

The Ed.D. program will primarily focus on PK-12 educational leadership, noting “public school administration, instructional technology, adult and higher education and education administration,” the press release stated. The program is designed to aid students in executive leadership positions in education administration.

The program is taught by the likes of the Dean of West College of Education Matthew Capps, associate professor Phillip Blacklock, associate professor Kym Acuna along with adjunct faculty and will feature hybrid courses.

“We look forward to continuing to build upon the relationship we have with our area educators and want to thank the West Foundation for their support of this project along with many others in the college,” Capps said in the press release.

The program will require a master’s degree, 54 semester credit hours and a dissertation. Students are also given the option to do 57 hours after their master’s degree for an internship course for superintendent certification.

Applications open Sept 15. and are due by Nov. 1.