Educational Specialist Degree
Effective Date: June 25, 2008
Last Review Date: October 27, 2022
Last Update Date: June 2025
(Graduate Policy 1.13)
The primary emphasis of the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree is placed on the development of specific competencies needed in science and mathematics education. Policies for the Ed.S. degree, unless noted below, are the same as for a non-thesis master’s degree. Differences occur in:
- Admission requirements
- Degree requirements
- Statute of limitations
Admission to the Ed.S. Program
(Graduate Policy 1.13.1)
Degree Requirements
(Graduate Policy 1.13.2)
See Master's and Specialist Degree Academic Standards Policy
Statute of Limitations for Ed.S. Program
(Graduate Policy 1.13.3)
For doctoral students receiving the Ed.S. degree while pursuing the doctoral degree (successfully completing the written and oral doctoral comprehensive exams to meet the comprehensive requirements for both the Ed.S. and Ph.D. degrees), the statute of limitations is the same as for the doctoral degree (five years from the end of the academic semester during which the comprehensive examination was successfully completed; see graduate policy “Statute of Limitations for Doctoral Programs”).
For Ed.S. students not in the doctoral program (taking the Ed.S. comprehensive only), the statute of limitations is the same as for the master’s degree (seven years; see graduate policy “Statute of Limitations”).