A Doctor of Arts in Teaching degree is proposed to provide teachers with opportunities to become leaders in the conception, design, and evaluation of "state-of-the-art" curriculum and instruction. Graduates of the proposed program will learn how to address the needs of diverse students through action research; become adept at using research findings to facilitate the design of curricula which incorporate current information and technology and who will engage themselves and their students in reflective inquiry; acquire competence in advanced subject matter as well as in global, multicultural, ethical, and aesthetic issues; and put together a repertoire of effective pedagogical skills. A graduate will be a new type of master teacher; graduates will be curricular change agents who mentor teachers, who collaborate with other educators and leaders to improve schooling, and who become professional problem solvers in teaching and learning. This paper presents a rationale for the degree, results of a feasibility study/needs assessment conducted by Southwest Missouri State University, and policy implications. A program structure is proposed with five strands of inquiry: colloquium seminar, action research, instructional leadership, communities of teacher-researchers, and innovative scholarship. (Contains 17 references.) (JDD)