USC Rossier School of Education, one of the nation's oldest and largest institutions of professional education, is hosting a conference October 22-24 to discuss the future of Ed.D. education doctoral programs.

This is part of an ongoing discussion being promoted by The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, which is bringing together about two dozen colleges and institutions to create a more cohesive strategy for Ed.D. programs nationwide. Ed.D. doctoral programs are typically geared towards working professionals to help them master skills in educational leadership, while education Ph.D. programs are usually more research-oriented.

Among the institutions planning to participate in the conference are Rutgers University, the University of Missouri, the University of Florida, Arizona State University and The College of William and Mary.

"It is an honor to host these fine institutions with a common mission to redefine the Doctorate in Education as a highly regarded and relevant pursuit for all practitioners who plan to have an impact on education," said Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher. "I am looking forward to discussing the development of the USC Rossier School of Education's Ed.D. program and the innovative steps taken to create a truly distinctive program."

In 2001, USC Rossier School of Education retooled its three-year Ed.D. program to emphasize more collaborative student work and analysis of outside data. For example, students in Rossier's Ed.D. program now divide up larger education themes into manageable chunks that they investigate to provide solutions and answers for daily problems faced by school district officials. The school has 563 Ed.D. students.

Schedule

Wednesday, October 22
USC Galen Center, Founders Club
Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 23
USC Davidson Conference Center, Embassy Room
Continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m.

Friday, October 24
Wilshire Grand, Room 930, Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m.