The Area of Concentration (or AoC) in the School Improvement program provides a specialized, thematic concentration to the student's studies. Made up of 15 credit hours of electives and the student's dissertation, the AoC comprises a student's focus within the program. Specific AoC's are developed in conjunction with various departments within College of Education at the University of West Georgia. Currently, the available AoC's include: 

  • School Counseling
    School Counseling
    • CEPD 8138 - Advanced Multicultural Counseling
    • CEPD 8152 - Consultation, Collaboration and Programs
    • CEPD 8156 - Designing Effective Programs
    • CEPD 8102 - Lifespan Human Development
    • CEPD 8171 - Current Issues in Counseling/Supervision
  • Educational Leadership
    Educational Leadership
    • EDLE 8304 - Leadership for Organizational Change
    • EDLE 8305 - Effective Management to Promote Student Learning
    • EDLE 8306 - Instructional Leadership for Improving Schools 
    • EDLE 8312 - School Finance & Resource Management
    • EDLE 8324 - Ethics in Educational Leadership
    • EDLE 8329 - School Leadership in a Pluralistic & Diverse Society
  • K-12 Online Teaching 
    K-12 Online Teaching
    • MEDT 7461 - Instructional Design
    • MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education
    • MEDT 7491 - Implementation, Assessment, and Evaluation of Online Learning
    • MEDT 7492 - Leadership and Administration of Online Learning and e-Learning 
     
  • Instructional Technology 
    Instructional Technology
          • MEDT 8461 - Diffusion of Innovations
          • MEDT 8463 - Issues in Instructional Technology
          • MEDT 7461 - Instructional Design

    Choose one elective from the 7000 series list below: 

                • MEDT 7479 - Digital Game Based Learning
                • MEDT 7480 - Global Learning and Collaboration with Technology
                • MEDT 7462 - Internet Tools, Resources and Issues in Education
                • MEDT 7464 - Integrating Technology into the Classroom
                • MEDT 7465 - Resources for Children & Young Adults
                • MEDT 7466 - Digital and 35mm Photography
                • MEDT 7467 - Web Design for Instruction (prerequisite MEDT 6401)
                • MEDT 7468 - Introduction to Multimedia (prerequisite MEDT 6401)
                • MEDT 7470 - Digital Video Production & Utilization
                • MEDT 7471 - Data Networks for Instruction
                • MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education
                • MEDT 7473 - Advanced Multimedia (prerequisites MEDT 7467 & MEDT 7468)
  • Reading
    Reading
    • READ 7201 - Integrating Language, Literacy, and Technology Across Content Areas
    • READ 7261 - Literacy Engagement through Writing
    • READ 7262 - Trends in Literacy Instruction
    • READ 7263 - Comprehensive Literacy Assessments and Interventions
    • READ 7267 - Culturally Diverse Literature, P-12
    • READ 7271 - Literacy Theory, Development, and Practices in the Digital Age
    • READ 7285 - Special Topics
  • Media Specialist
    Media Specialist
    • MEDT 7469 - Supervision of School Library Media Program
    • MEDT 8464 - Issues in School Library Media
    • MEDT 7485 - Special Topics

    Choose one elective from the 7000 series list below (or other approved by school library media family):

    • MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education
    • MEDT 7475 - Distance Education Professional
    • MEDT 7464 - Designing Technology-Enhanced Instruction
    • MEDT 7476 - Assessing Learning in Technology - Enhanced Instruction
    • MEDT 7490 - Visual & Media Literacy for Teaching & Learning
    • MEDT 7473 - Advanced Multimedia
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
    Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
    • READ 7239: TESOL: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom
    • READ 7240: TESOL: Literacy, Linguistics, and Second Language Acquisition
    • READ 7241: TESOL:  Methods, Materials, and Assessment through Clinical Experience
  • Special Education 
    Special Education
    • SPED 7701 - Program Planning & Evaluation 
    • SPED 7704 - Administrating Special Education Programs
    • SPED 7716 - Autism Characteristics and Theory (Autism Endorsement)
    • SPED 7726 - Autism Instruction and Collaboration (Autism Endorsement)
    • SPED 7729 - Special Education Law
    • SPED 7767 - Challenging Behaviors (Autism Endorsement)
    • SPED 8771 - Curriculum Design & Implement

    (Note: Autism Endorsement includes SPED 7716, SPED 7726, and SPED 7767)

  • Early Childhood Education
    Early Childhood Education
    • ECED 8272 - Teacher as Leader
    • ECED 8271 - Advanced Curriculum Seminar
    • ECED 7266 - The Young Child: Home & Community
    • ECSE 8562 - Using Data to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners
    • ECSE 7566 - Advanced Instructional Strategies for the 21st Century Classroom
    • ECSE 7560 - Contemporary Issues in Education 
    • ECED 7273 - Family/School Involvement for School Improvement

 

Another option available to students is to develop a customized AoC. At a minimum, an individual AoC must meet the following criteria:

  • It must have a thematic, cohesive foundation.
  • It must consist of a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit.
  • The coursework must be post-Masters level.
  • It must be approved by the Director of the Ed.D. Program in School Improvement.
  • It must have been completed within seven years of the date of admission to the Ed.D. degree program.
  • A grade of B or higher must have been earned in the coursework.

**Please note that any customized AoC must be pre-approved by the program.**