Online Doctorate in Education Leadership (EdD)

Help teach the world a better way to learn

Build executive-level skills to drive change in classrooms, school districts, higher education institutions and more. Our online EdD program offers the advanced leadership knowledge you need in an innovative online format that lets you balance doctoral-level study with a busy, full-time career.

In as few as two years, you can equip yourself for a new level of impact in education. Our EdD program features online coursework with an on-campus residency experience, plus structured dissertation completion that begins at the very start of your program.

Online EdD Concentration Options

Alverno offers the following concentration options for the online EdD:

  • K-12 Leadership:  Prepare to transform schools and school districts. Includes the option to take two additional courses and prepare for superintendent eligibility.
  • Higher Education Leadership: Learn to lead programs, departments and initiatives in colleges and universities that lead to better student outcomes and innovation.
  • Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gain the instructional skills you need to effectively connect with the 21st-century college student in on campus, online or in blended-format programs.
EdD candidate
EdD candidate gives presentation

ABD and EdS-to-EdD Completion Options

Students from another doctoral program who have completed all coursework requirements, but not their dissertation, can apply to the Alverno EdD and complete their doctoral degree with us. All ABD students will complete a total of between 30-33 credits of coursework.

Educational specialist (EdS) degree holders who want to earn an EdD can apply a total of 15 credits from their EdS program to the EdD. EdS courses take the place of concentration courses in the EdD program.

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- Charlotte Bell, EdD Candidate
I absolutely love the program at Alverno! My favorite part has definitely been the encouragement to dig into my interests and to work from a strengths-based approach.

Program Outcomes

The EdD program consists of 54-57 credits of coursework.* The program aims to equip students with executive-level skills for leadership as classroom innovators or administrative leaders in education and other industries.

Graduates will:

  • Understand and apply principles of transformative and responsive leadership
  • Address issues of equity, including bias, inequity, and disproportionality, through strategic intervention
  • Understand and apply ethical principles in education when developing strategies or responding to issues and challenges
  • Develop and refine their skills in scholarly and professional writing
  • Build qualitative and quantitative research skills that can be used to analyze and solve problems in education

* ABD students complete 30 credits (minimum) of coursework.