Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

This doctoral program prepares scholar-practitioners to become transformational leaders in educational organizations. Two areas of specialization are offered: (1) Higher Education Leadership and (2) P-12 Leadership. Enrollment is in cohort groups organized by area of specialization to support learning and professional networking Instruction is 75% online and 25% on-campus (main campus in Statesboro, GA). The curriculum stresses practical knowledge and skills for preparing scholar-practitioners to become transformational leaders The program is divided into three distinct tiers of study. First, in Tier I candidates complete 30 semester hours of post-masters degree credit of coursework in educational leadership and related areas. Both the Higher Education Leadership and the P-12 Leadership areas of specialization have recommended programs of study for this phase of the program. Tier I coursework may be completed as transfer credit. Next, in Tier II candidates complete an additional 30 semester hours of prescribed coursework in either Higher Education Leadership or P-12 Leadership. During Tier II, candidates are enrolled as a cohort in classes where the delivery is a hybrid of on-campus instruction and online instruction. The on-campus portion consists of four Saturdays per semester (typically, one Saturday every four weeks) and the online portion consists of asynchronous and “live” instruction through Georgia Southern’s state-of-the-art online learning system. The Tier II phase consists of five semesters of continuous enrollment, including summers. Next, in Tier III candidates conduct their doctoral research project and write the dissertation. Actually, candidates will begin initial preparation as early as their first semester in Tier II when they will work in teams to prepare extensive bibliographies in broad areas of inquiry related to their research interests. In the second year of Tier II, candidates prepare a comprehensive review of literature that will inform their doctoral research project. The project is designed to be action-oriented research that focuses on real problems in real school or higher education settings. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is not a professional licensing program. Most candidates who enroll in the P-12 Education Leadership area of specialization program will have already completed their respective states’ professional licensing requirements for school or school district administration.