Doctor of Education in Career and Technical Education
It was the culmination of a perfect storm, an opportunity that led to the Doctor of Education in Career and Technical Education at UW-Stout. "The student demand and need for the program was documented; the System eliminated restrictions on universities like Stout and subsequently invited proposals that made sense to the institution, from a mission and resources perspective, and the college had capacity to develop the proposal," according to Carol Mooney, program director of both the education specialist degree and new doctoral degree. After extensive research, including market analysis and needs assessment, the UW System Board of Regents and the Higher Learning Commission approved the Ed.D. in CTE. "The consultants were blown away with the readiness of the campus, including the infrastructure and faculty, and the level of research the faculty were engaged in," Mooney said.
The first cohort group, consisting of 12 working professionals, started courses on Oct. 25, 2013. The three-year 60-credit degree has students taking face-to-face hybrid and online courses year-round. The Ed.D. in CTE is a program for those who want to be immersed in and have an engaging, practical hands-on approach in developing the skills sets needed to teach and lead in a career and technical education environment.
"It has been a whirlwind. The current cohort group is highly engaged; the faculty are impressed with the students' commitment and excitement to be in the program," stated Dr. Mooney.