ATSU-CGHS EdD program helping educator expand teaching knowledge
Posted: February 26, 2025
To meet his professional goals of conducting educational research and moving into an administrative role in academia, Kelley Benjamin Cooper, MS, sought a program that could provide the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve these aspirations while offering maximum flexibility.
The Doctor of Education in Health Professions Education (EdD) program at A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Studies (ATSU-CGHS) ended up being his perfect match.
“ATSU’s online EdD degree aligned exactly with my academic interests,” Cooper said. “I have an educational background in nursing and anatomy, and many of my students are pursuing health professional careers. This program allows me to learn how to better serve my students while also preparing me to conduct educational research, which is a professional goal of mine.”
Cooper has a bachelor’s of nursing degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing and a master’s in anatomy education from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
As an educator, Cooper understood the importance of lifelong learning and knew that expanding his knowledge through a doctoral program would require finding a program that provided the appropriate work-life balance.
“Leaving my professional job was not an option, so an online program with the convenience of completing coursework at an individual pace was the obvious right choice for me,” he said.
Designed for practicing clinicians, healthcare educators, leaders, and directors who are passionate about healthcare education and teaching others, the 55-credit hour program prepares students to effectively educate and train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
“The courses I have taken so far have shown me the importance of careful course and program assessment and evaluation,” Cooper said. “Each week, I learn something new that I can quickly incorporate into my professional role as an educator.”
In addition to the program’s asynchronous curriculum, Cooper said he has also benefited from the support of ATSU-CGHS’ dedicated faculty and staff.
“All of the professors leave personalized feedback on course assignments and provide helpful learning resources for each course learning module. The staff, including academic advisors and deans, have made themselves available and open to interacting with students,” he said.