Focus of Study Options
Adult and Continuing Education
The Focus of Study is designed to help professionals gain the necessary knowledge in the area of adult learning and continuing education. It provides a framework focused on the major theories of adult education, instructional strategies for the adult learner, critical analysis of instructional programs, and assessment of the adult learner.
Curriculum and Instruction
Today’s educational environments require understanding critical aspects of how learning happens for a diverse population spanning multiple ages. This Focus of Study examines how standards shape assessment while building needed skills in content areas each strengthen by the ability to read well.
Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education focus of study will provide an in-depth exploration of theory, research, and practical applications relevant to professionals working in the early childhood field. Students will gain advanced knowledge of developmental theories and modern early childhood practices which influence children, educators, families, stakeholders, and public policy.
Educational and Community Organizations
A Focus of Study on educational and community organizations prepares individuals to lead in diverse settings, to handle transition and change, and effectively communicate to stakeholders. These skills are essential for sustainable growth, enhanced functionality and use of emerging technologies. As an effective executive, approaches to motivate and ways to influence others are considered on a corporate and individual level. Knowledgeable leadership creates high-performing individuals who support the mission and goals of an organization.
Health and Wellness
The Focus of Study in Health and Wellness provides students with the information necessary to expand their knowledge in the health and wellness field. The program provides content that includes not only the fundamentals of health and wellness, but also the theories, systems, and policies. Students enrolled in this focus of study will be provided the opportunity to learn foundational leadership skills in health education.
Higher Education
The Focus of Study is intended to prepare administrators in acquiring or enhancing necessary skills to successfully lead higher education institutions. The courses offer a broad perspective of critical issues facing higher education, emphasizing the complexity of student concerns while balancing the demands of outside constituents, e.g. accreditors, state and federal regulators, community, students, and faculty. Designed to complement and support professional agendas, individual studies prepare leadership to understand the integrated aspects of complex systems influenced by modern societal issues.
Instructional Leadership
Instructional or organizational leaders must be able to assist their schools, organizations, and communities in moving away from less effective traditional views of teaching and learning by embracing a more proactive approach of using formative assessment data to build curriculum, design instructional delivery, and teach with the future in mind instead of solely relying on summative evaluations measuring only what has already been taught in the past. Educational and organizational leaders can then make informed decisions and learner-centered adjustments much earlier in the process, maximize all available resources, and ultimately, foster higher levels of achievement and performance within their schools or organizations.
International Education
This international education Focus of Study is intended to prepare and equip leaders with skills, knowledge and a theoretical foundation to address international education and transnational dimensions of learning. It is well suited to those aspiring to work in the field of international education, spanning international schools, institutions of higher education, international organizations, international aid agencies, global foundations, and non-profit organizations among others. Designed to complement and support professional agendas, the course provides a broad overview of international dimensions of education, introducing students to international development policy, international aid, refugee education, international organizations, global foundations, cross-national studies of education, international migration, and global pedagogy and curricula. Students will also learn strategies and gain experience in conducting comparative research and cross-national policy analysis.
Online Education
This Focus of Study supports candidates who seek to serve as technology leaders and emphasizes new ways of thinking about technology and the integration of applications. Learning how to design environments which enhance and support organizational goals are considered to maximize learning for both individual and corporate purposes.
Second Language Instruction
The focus of study in second language instruction provides students with information to work with second language learners in a variety of settings. The program provides content addressing key foundational theories and research based strategies to support the educational or instructional needs of diverse learners. Students enrolled in this focus of study can select courses which address instructional methods applicable to traditional classroom settings or they may select courses which support working with second language learners through a leadership role.
STEM Leadership
The STEM Focus of Study utilizes digital resources to foster the innovative engagement of diverse learners associated with the integrated contents of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The courses offer a holistic overview of historical and current issues and trends impacting integrated science education while cultivating research-based strategies to improve learning and leadership in the field.
NIH and CITI Training
All students pursuing advanced degrees are required to have completed the NIH Training in Protecting Human Research Participants. This is usually accomplished within RES6013 - Research Methods . Students with transfer credit may not be required to take RES6013 but are still subject to completing the required training prior to graduation.
A recommendation, but not a requirement, is a certificate of completion for the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI*) in Human Subjects Research. Expect additional fees. This is strongly recommended for students who anticipate conducting dissertation research involving human subjects. The CITI offers training modules for a Social-Behavioral-Educational (SBE) track, as well as additional modules of interest. More information can be found on the CITIProgram.org website.
This program also offers two additional pathways for students transferring in a completed Ed.S. degree or entering as an “All But Dissertation” (ABD) student.
A student with a confirmed 3.0 GPA in an Ed.S. program or has been confirmed to have completed all Ed.D. work besides their dissertation (ABD) at a 3.0 GPA are eligible to transfer his/her prior coursework/degree to ACE in its entirety and complete his/her Ed.D. in the appropriate pathway below.
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