Doctoral education degree programs

Toggle navigation. You are here Home. Doctoral Programs. Keep in mind that a doctoral degree in nursing is a terminal degree in the field does not qualify for a position as a physician. DNP programs have gained a lot of popularity over the years and are designed for RNs who seek advancement while remaining practicing nurses. A DNP prepares graduates for leadership in the nursing industry by advocating for and making policy, managing and directing nursing programs at health facilities, and ensuring that their communities offer the best healthcare to citizens who need it most.

Whether you want to work in a government agency or would prefer a position with a related organization, a doctorate in public administration can help you achieve your goals.

People with this doctoral degree often serve as politicians, lobbyists, non-profit directors, grant writers, administrators, or government affairs directors. If you want to go into government or politics, you could work at the local, state, or national level. Students in this field study human resources, public policy, budgeting, ethics, organizational leadership, and decision-making. As a professional doctorate, the DNP may be one of the shortest paths to a doctorate when compared to the PhD which generally requires a lengthy dissertation.

Many people who earn a doctoral degree in public health conduct research in the fields of epidemiology, environmental science, clinical trials, or academia. Others choose leadership roles in public health organizations that work to better the health outcomes for populations or groups of people.

For example, you could become a safety engineer, a clinic manager, or an executive of a hospital system. Classes for this degree program often cover health equity, data analysis, biostatistics, and healthcare policy.

Concentrations are available at many universities; options may include Health Education, Leadership and Laboratory Science. Graduates often work for government agencies, universities, think tanks, and various institutions. Doctoral programs often prepare students through the study of ethics, decision-making, research, leadership, and cultural diversity.

Students identify problems, gather valuable data, and create effective solutions. A doctoral degree in psychology can help you understand how people think and the influence that thought has on behavior. Many people pursue this degree because they want to work as licensed clinical psychologists in schools, private practices, hospitals, or organizational settings.

The doctoral curriculum often covers counseling theories, psychopathology, culture, motivation and behavior, and cognition. Programs leading to licensure typically require students to engage in a lengthy supervised practicum.

Although the PhD is just one type of doctorate, it does have one distinguishing feature: the dissertation requirement. The length of time it takes to complete your doctorate depends on the university and type of doctoral program.

Some people may be able to complete the degree in less time, of course. This is simply an average. For those of you pursuing a PhD, the dissertation requirement significantly impacts your completion time. Generally speaking, it takes most students 3 years to 5 years for degree completion. The time it takes to complete a doctoral program online varies widely by the university. For some universities, 3 year PhD programs are the norm. One common question we hear asked is if there are any 1 year online doctoral programs.

Another way to speed up your degree is by enrolling at a university that offers accelerated doctoral courses 8 weeks long. Since the courses take half the time to complete, you can finish your doctoral studies in the shortest possible timeframe. For example, one university may require 64 credit hours for an EdD while another may only require 42 credits. Designed with the practicing educator in mind, this Ed. The cohort-based Educational Administration Ed. These problems of practice help students hone their leadership skills within a team and in the field.

This 3-year doctorate in education culminates with a Dissertation in Practice DiP. The Ed. Likely career paths include VP for Student Affairs or Dean of Students, though graduates also end up leading non-profits. Current K PE teachers can up their game with the Ed. For the final project, this Ed.

With the exception of the Executive Ed. Practicing school and district administrators looking to improve school systems can explore the Educational Leadership Ed. This 3-year, cohort-based Ed. Tier I or other leadership certification is required for admission.

The accelerated, 2-year Executive Ed. Most meetings take place in Atlanta, with occasional visits to the Athens campus. Classes are offered in a blended learning environment, with some virtual learning to allow working professionals flexibility. The part-time Ed. Elective courses allow students to cultivate their own interests. The traditional option is delivered in a face-to-face instructional format; the practitioner option combines online and in-person meetings in a cohort group approach.

You can become an effective K leader by pursuing the Educational Leadership Ed. To appeal to working professionals, classes in this cohort-based doctorate are held 3 weekends per semester in a blended learning environment. Interested in enrollment management, institutional research, and student development? Check out the Higher Education Ed. Full-time students who are able to identify a dissertation topic by the end of their second year can finish the Ed.

Whether the goal is to continue as an educator at the K level or teach at a university, the Art, Mathematics, and Science Education specializations within the Curriculum and Instruction Ed.

IUB also offers a cohort-based Ed. This online doctorate in education helps literacy and language specialists build on their existing skills. Appropriately, the Ed. This practice-based Ed. In the third year of the program, group capstone projects bring students face-to-face with a community problem of practice to research and solve. In addition, all doctoral students in education have the opportunity to travel overseas for 3 weeks on a faculty-led, most-expenses-paid trip with the Fellowship to Enhance Global Understanding program.

Coursework is online, but you should try to plan for 3-day summer residencies at JHU each year—attendance is strongly encouraged. Looking for a quality Ed. You can work full-time while you study. Graduates of the LEAD program pursue leadership positions in school districts e. Designed with the working professional in mind, both Ed.

Aspiring superintendents of school districts or chief executives in state education agencies might be attracted to the cohort-based Cooperative Superintendency Program. This highly-ranked Ed. Some e-learning components are offered alongside on-campus work.

Prospective principals, superintendents, and administrators seeking to know more about policy, politics, law, finance, and organizational theory related to education should look to the standard Ed. For example, the credit Global Studies in Education Ed. Meanwhile, students in the on-campus Higher Education Ed. From field placements to internships and capstone projects, this cohort-based Ed.

It comes complete with subject specializations that are aligned with career goals, including a Language, Literacy and Culture Ed. For dissertations, students work collaboratively on thematically related topics. This leads to a shorter dissertation process. The curriculum can be completed in less than 3 years; coursework and the Dissertation in Practice DiP encourage students to self-reflect on how to modify their own strategies and approaches. Already have significant leadership experience?

Consider the Global Executive Doctor of Education. This accelerated education doctorate is only 25 months and requires participants to travel to 9 intensive class sessions in locales such as Los Angeles and Hong Kong while completing the rest of the coursework online.

Online EdD programs often feature the following elements :. L ike homework in a regular classroom, offline components support the online EdD degree curriculum. While live sessions typically mimic traditional classrooms, some people may feel that there is no replacement for the face-to-face networking and hands-on workshops that brick-and-mortar classrooms offer.

To fill this need, some programs offer on-campus immersions. Immersions are opportunities for students to meet at regular intervals to network with their teachers, fellow students and in some cases, work on group projects together for credit hours. Though class size varies from program to program, those universities that offer online classroom experiences typically feature less students for a more concentrated experience.

This may help to ensure that each student receives attention and guidance from their professors and establishes relationships with their peers. Credits, requirements, class size, class schedules and on campus vs. As you compare online EdD program options, you may want to research the average cost of a doctorate degree in education program.

Like other components of Doctor of Education programs, tuition costs can vary. Only you will be able to determine the most affordable online education doctorate program for you. Students completing an education doctoral program online may choose to concentrate on a particular topic in the field of education.

While education doctoral programs vary, some schools may offer an organizational change and leadership concentration as part of their program. This concentration may be a fit for someone who wants to sharpen their skills in decision-making or conflict resolution, or learn how to better drive change in their work environment.

Another common concentration available is educational leadership. A doctorate in education program with a concentration in reading and literacy may interest individuals who are interested in helping others take command of and develop an appreciation for language.

An EdD program with a concentration in early childhood education may be useful to professionals interested in policy, theory, advocacy, research, postsecondary teaching and leadership positions focused on early childhood education, including early childhood special education. Some schools are now offering educational technology concentration options as part of their education doctoral programs. These concentrations focus on software and hardware development, implementation and application to facilitate and enrich the learning experience.

The U. Department of Education credits emerging educational technologies as factors in the modernization of the U. Some programs can be completed in 36 months. While program lengths may vary, online education doctorate programs often offer the same or similar courses as their on-campus counterparts. Whatever your focus, common themes in an EdD online program often include:. Different schools of education may offer varying EdD program concentrations, so you may want to contact your desired college or university for more information on its EdD online program offerings.

Perhaps your desired school offers a different type of advanced education degree—a Doctor of Philosophy Ph.

EdD programs are designed for application of knowledge to real-world organizational, leadership and education issues. Some individuals may be interested in pursuing an online education doctorate with no dissertation required.

Some schools offer an alternative like the online Education Specialist EdS degree, which typically does not require students to complete a dissertation or residency. EdD programs however, may require what is known as a capstone project instead of a dissertation. According to the Glossary of Education Reform , a capstone is a long-term, multi-faceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic experience for the students.

They tend to be investigative projects that culminate in a final product or presentation, as determined by the school program.

Learn more about the differences between EdD vs Ph. If you are wondering how to get a doctorate in education online, there are a few things to keep in mind. Individuals interested in enrolling in online education doctorate degree programs will often need to meet the following basic requirements:. Since requirements and courses of study vary from program to program, you will need to contact your desired college or university to find out if there are any additional requirements for your chosen program.

There are a few online Doctor of Education programs that students may be able to pursue with only a bachelor's degree which may also be obtained online in some cases. If you are considering a doctorate degree in education, then you may be interested in learning more about what types of EdD jobs are available as well as EdD jobs in demand.

Education doctorate careers vary, and can include working in school or district administration, in government or in the private sector. Doctor of education jobs may encompass areas like curriculum development, teaching, research and education policy planning. Below are a few EdD careers that may be of interest to those who are wondering about the kinds of education doctorate jobs that would suit them best. Within the elementary school setting, Doctor of Education jobs may include school leadership roles such as principal and vice principal.

Other roles in the kindergarten through middle school setting may include special education coordinators or instructors and instructional coordinators. Beyond principals and vice principals, high school positions for EdD graduates might include academic and career counselors and technical educational support directors.

They also oversee the development, implementation and monitoring of instructional material. At the college and university level , doctorate in education jobs may include provost, dean, registrar, president and vice president. EdD graduates could also choose to pursue jobs like admissions administrator or student affairs administrator. Another career option is that of the registrar, who is tasked with maintaining records involving courses, graduation requirements, transcripts and student data.

Outside of the school systems, education policy jobs for those with doctorate degrees in education may include researcher and education lobbyist. Career options within education-based nonprofit organizations might include executive directors and social and community service managers. Policy and planning careers in government can also be found on state, local and federal levels. There are a number of job opportunities for professionals with a doctorate in education on the district and school administration level.

These may include school superintendents, educational administrators on the district level, educational IT administrators, training and development managers and other academic management roles. There may also be human resources careers within school districts that are considered EdD jobs as well.

If you are seeking to pursue leadership roles in the field of education, or desire to improve teaching and academic systems in the public or private sectors, an EdD may be a good fit for you. In the end, only you can conclude whether an EdD is worth it. An online doctorate in education program may be suitable for you if working in a leadership role is one of your goals. Before embarking on your journey to obtain an EdD, you may want to research demand for EdD jobs or demand for education doctorate graduates in your area.

The salary and job outlook for Doctor of Education careers differs by role. While the U. Here are some more figures to consider as you weigh your career options in the field of education:.

In searching for the best online education doctoral programs to fit your needs, carefully consider the structure of the coursework and the admissions requirements. Included in our list are some of the EdD online programs from across the country. Find a school that interests you and find out what it takes to graduate with an online Doctorate in Education.

Delivered online by the Baylor School of Education, the EdD in Learning and Organizational Change prepares students to apply essential teaching principles toward managing the dynamics of organizational change. The program is designed for experienced educators[MD2] and learning and development professionals interested in driving positive change in school systems, corporations, governmental or non-governmental agencies, and community programs.

Ready to discover more? Request information from Baylor directly. In as few as three years, you can graduate ready to design solutions and enact changes that benefit all involved in an organization. Learn in live, online classes, conduct a dissertation and collaborate with classmates and faculty regularly throughout the program.

No GRE. Request information from Dayton directly. Through live online classes, engaging collaborative course work, and in-person learning opportunities on campus in Nashville, Tennessee, the program empowers influential leaders to address systemic challenges and drive positive change within the workplace. The program consists of 54 credit hours, which can be completed on a full- or part-time schedule.