Ed_Doc

Wow...you weren't kidding when you said it was new. The Director job was posted on the Harvard University HR website *today* (7/28): http://www.jobs.harvard.edu/jobs/summ_r ... t_id=41562 "The Executive Director will play a key role in launching a new degree program and ensuring its success. The Harvard EdLD is a new, three-year, cohort-based program designed to train the next generation of leaders to enact transformational change in education systems. The program draws on the participation of faculty from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Harvard Business School, and the Harvard Kennedy School. The EdLD consists of two years of intensive coursework designed and taught by faculty from the three schools, combined with a year-long residency in a partner organization and a capstone project." Funding for this job is only guaranteed through July 30, 2010. I think this is a pilot program. Also, because it's not a research degree, I'm willing to bet the EdLD will be unfunded...ouch. The USP degree is different enough that I think it will continue on its own.

Hmm. They already have the Urban Superintendents Program in place that does much the same thing. Though still a research-based degree, the timeline to completion is accelerated and there is much more of a focus on practice. Link: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/academics/do ... index.html I will ask around about the implementaion of a Practicioner's Degree when I'm back from summer break, however!

Ed.D. is now 7% (I was told this when accepted) but the Ed.M. is up slightly from what I can tell. There are more Ed.M. candidates this year than the past few. They don't post the totals, but you can get some data here: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/admissions/s ... ofile.html

I had Ed.M. classmates who already had Masters degrees from other schools, some who were in PhD programs at other schools, and even one who already had a MD.

I only applied to the TIE Ed.M. in 2006-2007. My rationale was that it was the "perfect fit" for my interests, and I couldn't get excited about the programs at any other Ed School. HGSE was also the only place I applied for my EdD, primarily because I wanted to continue with a line of inquiry I picked up during my Ed.M.

Hi there! I had former professors that I knew would speak to my research interests write my recommendations. Though I'm not certain, I feel that GREs, GPAs, as well as experience are all equally weighed during the decision process. I was strong in some areas and only above-average in others, and they seemed to take all into consideration. I had a total of about nine years of experience before applying to the Ed.D. (6 years as a nuclear engineer, 2 as a classroom teacher, and 1 in research), though I'm a bit of a non-traditional student as I was enlisted in the Navy for many years before finishing my undergraduate degree. Overall, I would recommend focusing your statement of purpose on clear research interests and goals while also showing that you want to continue to grow and contribute to the HGSE learning community. Be clear about why you are passionate about understanding and contributing to the body of research in your field. If you have a strong background in research, talk about that, and if you don't, use your past experiences as a framework for future research agendas. Good luck!

You can find the 2008-2009 admissions stats for HGSE here: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/admissions/s ... ofile.html They will likely update that to reflect the 2009-2010 class stats sometime this summer. Hope this helps!

EdD - Education Policy, Leadership, & Instructional Practice ('07 Ed.M. - Technology, Innovation, & Education)

One way to settle your fears would be to Google C.V.s of people with EdDs from Harvard and see how their jobs stack up against others in their departments with PhDs. The HGSE doctorate is an EdD for two reasons: 1) it was the first EdD offered in America in the 1920s, so there is the feeling of continuation and 2) only the GSAS at Harvard can bestow PhDs by university policy. I assure you that having the EdD from Harvard on your resume is just as powerful as a PhD from another school.