Adult Learning and Leadership EdD

The Adult Learning & Leadership degree program, at the Ed.D. level, is designed for professionals who wish to develop their skills in helping adults learn inside and outside the classroom, and hone their leadership abilities. The intellectual framework of the program examines the relationship of adult learning to organizational, management and leadership issues. The program prepares scholar-practitioners who examine practice in light of theory, and vice versa, in ways that enable them to lead, assess, and plan strategically for adult learning programs and interventions. Students master research skills that support their leadership in helping individuals to learn more effectively, and in helping organizations to learn from and with those adults.

The EdD requires 75 credits of coursework, a certification examination, a qualifying paper, and a dissertation. Up to 30 graduate credits can be transferred, with College approval, from an accredited institution, if the student earned a B grade or better and the courses are determined to be relevant to EdD program requirements. The remaining 45 credits must be taken at Teachers College. The EdD degree program has three required foundational courses and other recommended in-program requirements. Students make choices in consultation with their advisor about courses to take in the areas of adult development, adult learning theory and applications, program development and evaluation, systems learning, leadership, strategy and management, human resource development, group dynamics, organizational behavior, technology, conflict resolution, and research.  Many of these courses are offered by the ADUL Program or the O&L Department; other courses can be taken elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University, or could be approved transfer credits.

Required Coursework:

Foundations (9 credits)—required:

• ORLD 4050 Introduction to adult and continuing ed (3)

• ORLD 4053 Facilitating adult learning (3)

• ORLD 5057 Adult learning & ed: Theory & practice (3)

Adult Development (3)—choose from the following:

• ORLD 4051 How adults learn (3)

• ORLD 5070 Leadership for adult development (3)

Adult Learning Theory and Applications (4-6 credits)—choose from the following:

• ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)

• ORLD 4827 Fostering transformative learning (2-3)

• ORLD 4828 Imagination, authenticity, and individuation in transformative learning (2-3)

Program Development and Evaluation (3 credits):

• ORLD 5053 Developing and managing adult learning programs (3)

• ORLD 5063 Online teaching and learning: Applying adult learning principles

System Learning (3 credits)—choose from the following:

• ORLD 4027 Societal transformation

• ORLD 5061 The learning organization (3)

Leadership (3 credits)—choose from the following:

• ORLD 5023 Leadership and self-development (3)

• ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance organizational effectiveness (3)

Human Resource Development (3 credits)—choose from the following:

• ORLD 5055 Staff development and training (3)

• ORLD 5062 Global and strategic human resource development in organizations (3)

• ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)

Conflict Resolution (minimum of 3 credits):

• ORLJ 5340 Adaptive negotiation & conflict resolution (3)

Research Requirements

Ed.D. (Minimum 15 points):

At the Ed.D. level, coursework must include one (or more) statistics course(s), a research design and data collection course (either qualitative or quantitative), a data analysis course (either qualitative or quantitative), and a dissertation seminar. These courses include, but are not limited to, those listed below. Ed.D. ORL 6500 and ORL 6501 are specifically designed to support qualitative research design, data collection and analysis for ALL dissertation work. Candidates must take ORLD 7500 (1 point if independent study or 3 point structured proposal writing course) in the semester in which they prepare and/or defend their dissertation proposals. Ed.D. candidates must also enroll in ORLD 8900 (or a 3-point Teachers College course) during fall and spring semester, after passing the certification examination.

Select up to 15 credits from the following suggested Research Courses:

• HUDM 4120 Basic concepts in statistics (3)

• HUDM 4122 Probability and statistical inference (3)

• ORLD 4800 Workshop: Critical literature reviews (2)

• ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)

• ORL 6500 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Design and data collection (3)

• ORL 6501 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Data analysis and reporting (3)

• ORLD 7500 Dissertation seminar in adult education (1-3)

• ORLD 7900 Directed dissertation research (3)

Elective Courses (27 points total):

Electives include, but may not be limited to, additional courses in adult learning and development, courses in conflict resolution, policy and evaluation, technology for learning, and management/information systems. These are tailored to the student’s career goals and may be taken in the Department or elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University. Electives may include transfer courses. Students are required to take a minimum of 6 points total at Teachers College outside of our immediate Program area to satisfy the Teachers College breadth requirement.

Some recommended electives include, but are not limited to, the following courses:

• ORLD 5060 Learning and technology in organizations (3)

• ORLD 4065 Leading change in a democratic society (3)

• ORLD 5540 Social entrepreneurship & leadership

• ORLD 4091 Somatics: Mind/body approach to leadership development (3)

• ORLD 4815 Developing critical thinkers (1)

• ORLD 4844 Helping adults learn (1)

• ORLD 4850 Discussion as a way of teaching (1)

• ORLD 4855 Learning as a way of leading (1)

• ORLD 4860 Teaching race in predominantly white organizations (1)

• ORLD 5815 Critical theory and adult learning (1)

• ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)

• ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)

• ORLD 4085 Management & leadership skills in practice (3)

• ORLD 6054 Learning to think strategically (3)

Final Project

Ed.D. Dissertation

Students in the Ed.D. program are also required to pass a certification examination, write a qualifying paper, and successfully defend their dissertations. Dissertations frequently focus on topics of interest to the candidates and the organizations they lead or aspire to lead.

Please see the most recent Program of Study Advisement Guide (located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website as a PDF file) for actual core sequence requirements.