Interdisciplinary Ed.D. for Educational Leaders
Our Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) and Certification Program prepares transformational leaders across K-12, higher education, social sector, and healthcare fields who are committed to equity-oriented change. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program is a 60-credit program that follows a hybrid, cohort model with one night a week of on-campus courses and the remaining instructional hours taking pace in asynchronous online learning. Within the cohort model (new cohorts begin each Fall), students complete three years of coursework, followed by a year of dissertation advisement.
The curriculum for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership includes two key strands: (a) content courses that cover theories, subject-matter knowledge, and professional skills needed to lead in educational settings, and (b) research courses that cover concepts and skills for designing, conducting, analyzing and presenting a scholarly study and dissertation. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Program offers four concentrations and four certification options:
Concentrations:
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Social Sectors (e.g., leadership in organizations, government, non-profits, healthcare, and criminal justice)
- Healthcare Education (refer to the Ed.D. in Healthcare Education page)
Goal 1: Our graduates will develop strong qualitative and quantitative research skills in order to be critical consumers and producers of knowledge.
Objective 1.1: Students will acquire qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research skills as a tool for collecting and using data for leading change and making decisions in their fields
Objective 1.2: Students will develop the capacity to design and implement their dissertation research according to the scholarly and technical requirements of the field.
Goal 2: Our graduates will develop a strong foundation in their field’s theoretical and empirical literature, as well as the capacity to apply theory to practice-based problems.
Objective 2.1: Students will develop a strong foundation in their field’s theoretical and empirical literature.
Objective 2.2: Students will demonstrate the ability to apply a theoretical framework or empirical study to a problem of practice, as well as the capacity to reflect on the efficacy of their decision-making.
Goal 3: Our graduates will develop a strong foundation in leadership focused on inclusive cultures, social justice, and equity-minded change.
Objective 3.1: Students will develop the capacity to participate in and lead inclusive cultures in their field.
Objective 3.2: Students will develop critical analysis skills and practices around the role of social justice in equity-minded change.
Goal 4: Our graduates will develop mastery of specific skills that they can apply to their professional fields.
Objective 4.1: Students will develop an understanding of the impact of historical, political, and contextual perspectives on their professional practices.
Objective 4.2: Students will develop the capacity to apply effective leadership practices in their field, including mission, strategic planning, finance/operations, learning design, and communications.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDL 800 | Prof Sem: Doctoral Studies | 3 |
| EDL 805 | Quantitative Research I | 3 |
| EDL 820 | Interdisciplinary Ldsh Theory | 3 |
| EDL 830 | Critical Ldsh: Social Justice | 3 |
| EDL 835 | Qualitative Research I | 3 |
| EDL 840 | Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| EDL 845 | Historical, Political, & Legal Contexts of Leadership: K-12 | 3 |
| EDL 850 | Learning Design&Env: K-12 | 3 |
| or EDL 851 | Learning Design&Env: HE | |
| EDL 855 | Scholar-Practitioner Sem: K-12 | 3 |
| or EDL 856 | Scholar-Practi Sem:Higher Ed | |
| EDL 860 | Strat Plan,Eval,Fiscal Resour | 3 |
| EDL 865 | Comm & Research Dissemination | 3 |
| EDL 870 | Proposal Writing: K-12 | 3 |
| or EDL 871 | Proposal Writing: Higher Educa | |
| EDL 875 | Organizational Theory&Change | 3 |
| or EDL 846 | Hist/Pol/LegalContxt Ldsh: HE | |
| EDL 880 | Community Engaged Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 885 | Global Perspectives on Ldsh | 3 |
| EDL 893 | Dissertation Study I | 6 |
| EDL 894 | Dissertation Study II | 6 |
| EDL 890 | Adv Resrch Method: Quant/Mixed | 3 |
| or EDL 891 | Adv Resrch Method: Qualitative | |
| EDL 899 | Dissertation Study III | 0 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| EDL 800 | Prof Sem: Doctoral Studies | 3 |
| EDL 830 | Critical Ldsh: Social Justice | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDL 805 | Quantitative Research I | 3 |
| EDL 820 | Interdisciplinary Ldsh Theory | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| EDL 845 | Historical, Political, & Legal Contexts of Leadership: K-12 | 3 |
| EDL 875 or EDL 846 |
Organizational Theory&Change or Hist/Pol/LegalContxt Ldsh: HE |
3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDL 835 | Qualitative Research I | 3 |
| EDL 850 or EDL 851 |
Learning Design&Env: K-12 or Learning Design&Env: HE |
3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDL 840 | Mixed Methods Research | 3 |
| EDL 860 | Strat Plan,Eval,Fiscal Resour | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| EDL 880 | Community Engaged Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 885 | Global Perspectives on Ldsh | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDL 870 or EDL 871 |
Proposal Writing: K-12 or Proposal Writing: Higher Educa |
3 |
| EDL 855 or EDL 856 |
Scholar-Practitioner Sem: K-12 or Scholar-Practi Sem:Higher Ed |
3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDL 890 or EDL 891 |
Adv Resrch Method: Quant/Mixed or Adv Resrch Method: Qualitative |
3 |
| EDL 865 | Comm & Research Dissemination | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDL 893 | Dissertation Study I | 6 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDL 894 | Dissertation Study II | 6 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDL 899 | Dissertation Study III (Only Required if Dissertation is Incomplete ) | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |