Area of Concentration
The Area of Concentration (or AoC) in the School Improvement program provides a specialized, thematic concentration to the student's studies.
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:
Available Areas of Concentration
- 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
- 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
- EDLE 7312 - Schools and Community Engagement (offered every semester)
- MEDT 7461 - Instructional Technology, Media, and Design (name change begins fall 2020)
- MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education (Pre-requisite: MEDT 7461 or MEDT 7464)
- MEDT 7491 - Implementation, Assessment, and Evaluation of Online Learning (Pre-requisite: MEDT 7472)
- MEDT 7492 - Leadership and Administration of Online Learning and e-Learning (Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: MEDT 7491)
- MEDT 8463 - Issues in Instructional Technology
- MEDT 8465 - Human Performance Improvement
- MEDT 7461 - Instructional Technology, Media, and Design
- MEDT 7479 - Digital Game Based Learning
- MEDT 7480 - Global Learning and Collaboration with Technology
- MEDT 7462 - Internet Tools, Resources and Applications
- MEDT 7464 - Designing Technology Enhanced Instruction
- MEDT 7466 - Digital Photography in Instruction
- MEDT 7467 - Web Design for Instruction
- MEDT 7468 -Instructional Multimedia Design and Development
- MEDT 7470 - Digital Media Production and Utilization
- MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education (Pre-requistie:
- MEDT 7461 or MEDT 7464)
- MEDT 7473 - Advanced Multimedia
- MEDT 7476 Assessing Learning in Technology-Enhanced Instruction
- MEDT 7490 Visual and Media Literacy for Teaching and Learning
- MEDT 8461 - Diffusion of Innovations
- 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
- READ 7239: TESOL: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom (offered summer)
- READ 7240: TESOL: Literacy, Linguistics, and Second Language Acquisition (offered fall)
- READ 7241: TESOL: Methods, Materials, and Assessment through Clinical Experience (offered spring)
(Note: Reading Endorsement includes READ 7271, READ 7263, and READ 7201)
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MEDT 7469 - New title as of Fall 2020, will be offered Spring 2021: Strategic Leadership Role of the School Library Media Specialist
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MEDT 8464 - Trends and Issues in School LIbrary Media
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MEDT 8468 - The Instructional Leadership Role of the School Library Media Specialist (first offered in Spring 2021)
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MEDT 8470 Action Research for School Library Media (will first be offered in Fall 2021, prereqs MEDT 7469, 8464, 8468)
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MEDT 7485 - Special Topics
Choose one elective from the 7000 series list below (or other approved by school library media family):
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MEDT 7472 - Introduction to Distance Education
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MEDT 7475 - Distance Education Professional
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MEDT 7464 - Designing Technology-Enhanced Instruction
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MEDT 7476 - Assessing Learning in Technology - Enhanced Instruction
MEDT 7490 - Visual & Media Literacy for Teaching & Learning -
MEDT 7473 - Advanced Multimedia
- READ 7239: TESOL: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom (offered summer)
- READ 7240: TESOL: Literacy, Linguistics, and Second Language Acquisition (offered fall)
- READ 7241: TESOL: Methods, Materials, and Assessment through Clinical Experience (offered spring)
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SPED 7701 - Program Planning & Evaluation (offered spring, summer, fall)
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SPED 7704 - Administrating Special Education Programs (offered spring)
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SPED 7716 - Autism Characteristics and Theory (Autism Endorsement) (offered summer & fall)
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SPED 7726 - Autism Instruction and Collaboration (Autism Endorsement) (offered spring & fall)
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SPED 7729 - Special Education Law (offered spring & summer)
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SPED 7767 - Challenging Behaviors (Autism Endorsement) (offered spring & fall)
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SPED 8704 - Multicultural Issues in Education (offered summer)
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SPED 8771 - Curriculum Design & Implement (offered spring, summer, fall)
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SPED 7782 - Directed Research Readings in Special Education (offered fall)*
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SPED 8783 - Readings in Research (offered fall)*
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SPED 8784 - Research Seminar (offered spring)*
(Note: Autism Endorsement includes SPED 7716, SPED 7726, and SPED 7767)
*Prior to selecting these three courses you must first speak to to the Program Coordinator
- ECED 8272 - Teacher as Leader (Spring Only)
- ECED 8271 - Advanced Curriculum Seminar (fall only)
- ECED 7266 - The Young Child: Home & Community (spring only)
- ECSE 8562 - Using Data to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners (summer only)
- ECSE 7566 - Advanced Instructional Strategies for the 21st Century Classroom (spring & summer only)
- ECSE 7560 - Contemporary Issues in Education (summer only)
- ECED 7273 - Family/School Involvement for School Improvement (summer only)
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.