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EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership

The EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership is an accelerated professional doctoral program that can be completed in just two years. The program is designed to help leaders in education, business, and other sectors advance their leadership skills and solve complex problems within their organizations. The program combines the convenience of online learning with the value of in-person meetings through a cohort-based “super "hybrid learning model. Each cohort takes courses together online and meets in person with their classmates and professors for two long weekends each term.

This transformative doctoral program prepares experienced professionals to lead in rapidly evolving, complex systems. Grounded in change leadership, adaptive challenges, and systems thinking, students engage in immersive global experiences, policy exploration, and personal leadership development.

From the first term, students apply tools such as systems mapping and reflective case study research to real-world problems of practice. Two immersion experiences—one study abroad and a second customized to policy interests—foster deep cultural awareness and strategic perspective. The program integrates inner development work, including adult learning theory, Theory U, and subject-object interviews, to cultivate leaders capable of navigating uncertainty and catalyzing change.

The capstone project and reflective dissertation culminate in actionable impact, supporting scholarly-practitioners ready to transform organizations and communities.

Highlights & Key Features

Highlights:

  • Immersion Experiences: An international study experience grounded in cultural awareness and systems learning, and a second customized policy-oriented immersion
  • Real-World Impact: Dissertation and capstone anchored in your own leadership context
  • Personalized Development: Adult development interviews and Theory U practices support growth
  • Change Leadership: Learn to lead through complexity, uncertainty, and adaptive challenges
  • Reflective Practice: Bridge scholarship and leadership through case study research

This innovative doctoral program is designed for experienced professionals ready to lead transformational change in education, nonprofits, health systems, government, and beyond. With a focus on systems thinking, adaptive leadership, and personal development, this program empowers students to tackle real-world problems with purpose and perspective.

Key Features:

  • Global Study Abroad Immersion
    The program launches with an international study abroad experience designed to foster deep perspective-taking, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural systems awareness.
  • Customized Second Immersion
    Midway through the program, students engage in a second immersive experience—tailored to their problem of practice—which may involve international travel, policy exploration, or embedded field research aligned with their leadership goals.
  • Problem of Practice-Centered
    Students bring their own leadership challenges into the program, building systems maps, refining theories of action, and leading change in real time.
  • Reflective Case Study Dissertation
    Rather than a traditional dissertation, students chronicle their learning and leadership growth through a reflective case study directly tied to their professional context.
  • Inner Development Focus
    Grounded in adult development theory and global Inner Development Goals, students engage in guided self-assessment, feedback, and leadership practice.
  • Capstone Project with Impact
    Students translate their doctoral journey into a tangible, high-impact capstone project designed to catalyze organizational or systemic change.

Immersive Study Abroad Experiences

The EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership program gives students a unique opportunity to gain global and policy perspectives on leadership through two summer immersive experiences. In their first term, students will travel to a country outside the U.S. for two weeks to study leadership related to their desired sector. For example, a cohort of K-12 students will examine another nation’s education system from the policy level to the classroom.

In the second year, students complete a policy-focused immersive learning experience that is customized to each student’s problem of practice that they plan to address through their dissertation. Students may work together in groups or individually depending on their problems of practice and their learning experiences may take place in the U.S. or abroad.

Advanced Executive Leadership Courses and Curriculum

The EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership is designed for individuals in senior leadership positions who want to address persistent and complex challenges their organizations face in today’s ever-changing world. The curriculum, oriented to advanced leadership and policy, is grounded in five core leadership development goals, adapted from a globally recognized framework for sustainable leadership. These goals provide a powerful foundation for cultivating the skills, mindsets, and capacities needed to lead effectively in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.

The curriculum includes an embedded reflective case study dissertation-in-practice that captures each student’s learning journey as they utilize content learned in their courses to address industry-specific problems.

A full list of courses and course descriptions can be found in the Drexel Catalog.

Key Skills:

  • Advanced leadership capacity to navigate complexity
  • Strategic tools for systems thinking and policy alignment
  • Demonstrated impact through dissertation and capstone
  • Deepened cultural intelligence through immersive global experiences
  • Publishable scholarship and professional contributions

How Long Does It Take to Complete the Program?

Unlike a traditional education doctorate program, the EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership involves an acceletered curriclum designed to be completed in two years. Students take an integrated 7.5 credits per term in a “super” hybrid format that involves synchronous and asynchronous online learning and in-person instruction that takes place two executive weekends per term.

Who is an Ideal Candidate for the EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership?

The executive education doctorate program is intended for individuals who hold senior leadership positions within their organizations. The immersive coursework and field experiences will equip leaders with the knowledge and skills to address persistent systemic challenges. Students must have at least five years of positional leadership experience and expect to spend at least 20 hours per week studying and completing assignments. Students will also need permission from their employers to meet the time demands of this program that include the executive weekends and the summer immersive experiences.

Admission Requirements

  • Academic transcripts indicating completion of both bachelor's and master's degrees from regionally accredited institutions with a minimum 3.5 graduate GPA.

Required Documents

  • Resume/CV indicating 5+ years of experience in an executive-level leadership position
  • Three (3) professional letters of recommendation
  • Personal Essay
  • Problem of Practice
  • Solo-authored Academic Writing Sample
  • Verification of ability to attend hybrid sessions (typically provided by employer)

How to apply to the EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership

New students interested in applying for the EdD in Advanced Executive Leadership can begin the online application here.

Do you have questions or would you like to talk to someone about the program? Email enroll@drexel.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are immersive learning experiences?

Students in this program will engage in two immersive experiences. In Term 1 students will travel to a country outside the United States for two weeks to study leadership from that perspective and specific to that sector. These immersive experiences will bring local cultural experiences and connections with local and national leaders. They will involve a mixture of course-related field trips, class time, and cultural excursions. In Term 5, students will engage in a second immersive experience related to policy. These experiences will be customized to each student’s problem of practice and positioned to help them experience the influence of policy – as well as the opportunity to influence policy itself. Students may engage in these in small groups, or individually, depending on their problems of practice and the ideal situation related to policy. Policy immersions will not exceed two weeks but may be shorter and may or may not include travel overseas.

Why is it necessary to come to campus so often?

Our EdD program is built upon the belief that leaders learn through leading, and that learning is an integral part of leading. We also believe that learning is essentially a social experience as we construct reality by understanding ourselves and our actions with and through others. Our 3- and 5-year programs are also cohort models.

Your visits to campus will also support content integration. In this program you will be taking 7.5 credits per term: 2 three credit courses and one 1.5 credit research seminar. Your coursework will be intimately related, and the hybrid experiences allow for deep consideration of the connections through dialogue with cohort colleagues as you reflect on course content, your own experiences, and those of your cohort.

How can I write a dissertation in two years?

You will be writing your dissertation from day one in this program as you embark upon a reflective journey to capture your inner development as a leader and the evolution of your thinking around your problem of practice. This will be the focus of your 1.5 research seminar, a class you will take each term as you progress toward your dissertation defense. The reflection case study falls within our portfolio of experiential dissertations and has been customized for this program.

Program Director

Deanna Hill, PhD Assistant Clinical Professor Drexel University School of Education

Deanna Hill, JD, PhD
Program Director

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Program Questions

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For questions about all School of Education academic programs, please contact enroll@drexel.edu.