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If you are a K-12 or college in-service teacher interested in our Computer Science Education EdD Program, we are accepting applications now! Our next cohort will start in Fall 2024. The deadline for completed applications is January 12, 2024. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline.
The Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Computer Science Education is designed specifically for the practicing educator. Working together within a community of practice, you will learn the fundamentals of computer science education while learning through theory and research to inform your teaching and professional leadership efforts. Your work will be focused on positive, practical changes in classrooms, schools, and school districts. The program is cohort-based with participants working together as a community of learners to tackle common and individual problems of practice in computer science education.
This program is not intended to prepare educators for faculty positions in research-intensive universities. It is intended to prepare practicing educational professionals to draw on computer science, educational theory and research, and the expertise of colleagues and UF faculty, to address the pressing problems of practice facing computer science education today. The program is designed to prepare research and theory-inspired, teacher-leaders in computer science education to offer equitable and robust learning experiences to K-12 students, lead school-based and district-based computer science curriculum efforts, and provide engaging and relevant professional development experiences for aspiring computer science teachers.
TOTAL: 90-credit hours
*Transfer of credits occurs upon enrollment into the program.
The Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Computer Science Education is offered online with three required campus-based experiences, the first of which is a 2-day orientation in the first semester, followed by 4-day summer sessions at the end of the first and second year. Students complete two years of required online coursework as a cohort, followed by qualifying exams at the end of the second year. They then work on dissertations under the guidance of our full-time faculty.
A cohort-based, online community of practice combined with individual and small group mentoring helps students persist and succeed in attaining their doctoral degrees. All activities, assignments, and research are designed to synthesize theory, research, and practice and emphasize relevance to professional practice in computer science education. Information literacy and other support services are provided throughout the program.
Our ideal students are full-time educators and administrators who work with students in diverse educational environments (e.g. K-12, post-secondary, virtual or online education, non-profit) and are located in various states in the United States and abroad. Our graduates will have backgrounds in multiple disciplines (e.g. science, math, art, English, literacy) and serve in professional roles in the broad realm of education. Prior experience with computer science education is helpful, but not a requirement.
In addition to coursework, the program highlights guest speakers, one-on-one and group mentoring sessions, and synchronous sessions for immediate support. While most of the curriculum is designed asynchronously, various enrichment and support are facilitated using synchronous communications. The degree culminates with a dissertation in which the student addresses a research problem of practice in their setting with implications to both the field of computer science education and to their educational organizations. This program is designed to be completed within 3 – 4 years of study.
This Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Computer Science Education was inspired by the five-pillars serving as an overall philosophy and as design objectives with the primary goal of enacting our vision of the next generation of Computer Science educators with high-quality online learning experiences. Harnessing our reputation and expertise as leaders in online learning, we created the Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Computer Science Education with careful attention to the current challenges and opportunities in Computer Science Education and the affordances provided by online learning: