EdD in Educational Leadership and Management
Drexel University School of Education
Global forces, emerging technologies, and federal mandates are just a few of the challenges that are transforming education entities into increasingly complex organizations that require exceptional leadership.
Drexel University's Doctorate of Education (EdD) degree program in Educational Leadership and Management stands alone as a rigorous, accelerated part-time doctoral of education program that produces leaders with the skills and knowledge to create educational reform. Through collaborative discourse, action research, and the latest learning technologies, students acquire a facility in finance, leadership, management, creativity, and strategic thinking within the context of their individual education entity, university, and state.
Drexel's EdD degree program is steeped in research and is a proud R1 Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the highest level of classification for research activity.
Drexel’s Doctorate in Education (EdD) degree prepares professionals for leadership positions in a wide variety of educational environments and addresses the challenges faced by today's schools and organizations. The program’s scholarly platform is based on a philosophy that diverse individuals develop transformational leadership skills appropriate for success in diverse, mainstream educational or business environments.
Within the comparative field of part-time doctoral study, Drexel's EdD degree program offers an unrivaled path to career advancement in the field of education. It is ideal for principals, school superintendents, K-12 and higher education administrators, and directors as well as community-based, educational organizers who have already completed a master's degree and seek an academic credential from one of the nation's leading providers of education.
The EdD program at Drexel University's School of Education offers a number of distinctive benefits:
- Students learn in cohorts, exchanging ideas, challenging each other, and networking.
- Students choose from a list of concentrations to suit their career interests.
- The rigorous curriculum prepares students for leadership in a variety of organizations in public, private, and business environments.
- Personalized academic and career advisement helps students identify and work towards their goals.
- Students have access to the program’s customized portal, which includes online resources and opportunities to connect with other students for academic discourse and social networking.
- Students graduate prepared to meet the challenges of diverse educational environments and ready to serve in a variety of educational leadership roles.
A doctorate degree in education can open the door to a wide range of careers. In a K-12 school setting, an EdD student can obtain a principal or superintendent certificate through the program to enable them to lead schools and school districts. Drexel’s EdD program also equips students with the skills to conduct thorough research in education, making graduates strong candidates for careers in a non-profit organizations or higher education institutions.
Education professionals looking to reach the pinnacle of their education and take the next step in their career would be wise to consider an EdD degree from Drexel University. Drexel’s doctorate in educational leadership and management provides students with the advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve complex problems and lead change at the individual, group, or organizational level. Students who are eager to learn and passionate about their area of education would be the perfect candidate to apply for an EdD degree at Drexel.
Students in Drexel’s EdD degree program typically complete a 3-year plan of study. Students take classes during the first two years of the program and complete their dissertation research during their final year. In addition to a three-year plan of study, Drexel also offers a five-year plan of study for students who wish to earn their degree at a slower pace than the typical three-year plan.
The EdD in Educational Leadership and Management programs offers support to students in their first year in the program through the EdD Mentoring and Coaching (MAC) program. Each student who starts in the EdD program is matched with an alumni MAC who shares similar career interests or goals. MAC’s provide guidance and support to students as they navigate their coursework and adjust to being a doctorate of education student. Having been a student themselves, alumni MAC’s act as a sounding board to provide advice and share resources and services. The MAC program also allows students to build their networks and gather advice on career advancement. While MAC’s are assigned to serve students in their first year, many EdD students and MACs stay connected to each other throughout the duration of the program.
The MAC program is coordinated by Deanna Hill, JD, PHD. For questions about the program and how to become a MAC, please contact edd@drexel.edu.
Drexel’s EdD in Educational Management and Leadership program is offered through a number of delivery methods to help accommodate a flexible class schedule for working professionals or career changers.
The accelerated three-year, part-time EdD program delivery option allows students to have a flexible schedule while working in their respective field. Students participating in the three-year program will take two courses per term.
Drexel University also offers an extended five-year, part-time EdD program delivery option, which enables students to take 1 course per term, which can help increase the affordability and tuition reimbursement opportunities for students and their employers.
The EdD in Educational Leadership and Management degree program is offered as the following:
Online EdD Degree Program
We understand that the lives of our students can be quite busy. That is why we offer a flexible, part-time online EdD program with a 3-year and 5-year plan of study. Students learn online together in cohorts of up to 20 students. At no time will a student ever need to come to campus.
Drexel University has been offering online courses for doctoral students since 1996, bringing its recognized faculty and curricula to a worldwide student body. Today, Drexel offers over 100 online degrees and online certificate programs for adults. Drexel online programs offer the very same faculty, curriculum, and degree as Drexel's distinguished on-campus programs.
EdD Executive Weekend Hybrid Format
The EdD program is also taught in an "executive weekend" in-class/online format, with classroom sessions held on Friday evening and Saturday morning/afternoon three times per quarter. Students enroll in the EdD program in cohorts taking courses together allowing for interaction and networking among peers and local leaders. Cohorts contain no more than 20 students at a time. Core courses are taught in-person, while concentration courses are taught online.
The executive hybrid EdD program format is offered at Drexel University's Main Campus in Philadelphia, PA.
The goal of Drexel's unique EdD program in Educational Leadership and Management is designed to generate dynamic leaders with in-depth knowledge and expertise of the complex challenges that face school districts, colleges and universities, foundations, and government agencies.
Students complete study within their area of specialization in preparation for their required research courses prior to the dissertation phase of study.
EdD Degree Program Concentrations
The Education Doctorate (EdD) program is based on the Drexel philosophy that theory springs from practice. Students are encouraged to challenge their own thinking within a group and venture beyond problem-solving to a unique model of individual leadership that will become a lifelong pattern of professional communication and growth.
Students may choose from the following EdD concentrations:
There are 2 concentration options within the Creativity and Innovation concentration:
- Creativity and Innovation Concentration A: Creativity and Innovation. The Creativity and Innovation concentration provides program participants with a deep foundation and contextual background in the field of creativity to address the needs of education and industry. Collaborative creative leadership involved in innovation management is a focus where the vital role of creative strengths in fueling new bottom-line innovations is highlighted. Creativity serves as the stimulus to enhance educational and corporate innovations.
- Creativity and Innovation Concentration B: Mind, Brain, Learning, and Innovation focuses on innovative teaching and training within education and the workforce. The courses explore advancements in technology and research related to the human learning process and how this informs pedagogical practices across learning formats (online, hybrid, and face-to-face). Mind, Brain & Learning focuses on evidence-based practices from the Learning Sciences and Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science related to designing courses, modules, or programs that support transformative teaching and learning. The Mind, Brain & Learning option within the Higher Education Leadership concentration also examines neuroplasticity, neurodiversity, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Universal Design for Learning using creative and innovative practices to meet the needs of all learners.
Students are challenged to develop interdisciplinary models of curricula and teaching strategies, and examine the impact on education of major social issues such as poverty, domestic violence, and drug abuse. An experiential component takes the student into various central office positions for a year-long internship.
The Educational Policy concentration combines academics with Drexel University's tradition of applied learning. Students engage with policies and policy issues impacting education, those working in it, and those served by it. Policy studies are contextualized within the range of jurisdictional entities from local to national and international settings. Heavy emphasis is placed upon the roles of ethics and ethical decision-making in past and future policy-making.
The Global and International Education (GIE) concentration is designed for individuals interested in learning about the complex economic, political, cultural, and social structures that shape learning in different parts of the world. Coursework is centered on the analysis of international and comparative education and builds through the study of how culture, society, politics, and economics relate to education. Addresses how the role of state and market forces impact K-12, higher education, government and education special interests abroad.
There are 2 concentration options within the Higher Education Leadership concentration:
- Higher Education Leadership Concentration A: Administration, Leadership & Assessment examines the historical growth and advancement of colleges and universities in the U.S., including the roles of school boards, community organizations, state boards of education, state government agencies, special interest groups, professional organizations, and unions. There is an in-depth focus on legal issues and assessment, which are core to higher education. Courses examine strategies of success through an understanding of the career patterns of faculty, deans, vice presidents, provosts, and presidents and how decision-making and change are implemented. Within this framework, coursework explores the impact of variables such as the law, politics, and power structures at an educational institution.
- Higher Education Leadership Concentration B: Administration, Student Success & Innovation explores the connection between strategic enrollment management and institutional planning and sustainability. This concentration focuses on the institution’s critical role within the community through civic engagement and partnerships. The courses examine the student lifecycle from recruitment and the enrollment funnel to the student experience and graduation. There is a focus on the integration of creativity and innovation as catalysts for change within higher education.
The Human Resource Development concentration is designed to produce 21st century leaders with the competencies and capabilities to facilitate workplace learning, performance and change in any organizational setting. Human resource development focuses on the strategic aspects of people and organizational practices, like training, career development, organization development, employee engagement, leadership development, coaching and mentoring, culture change, and talent development, among other areas.
The Learning Technologies concentration is designed for individuals interested in leading change through meaningful technology integration in either the business or school environments. The five concentration courses focus on areas in Instructional Design, Performance Support, Virtual communities, Learning in Participatory Culture and E-Learning Leadership. Through this coursework, students learn how to design and incorporate different learning technology platforms into school curriculum and business training settings and gain real-world practice solving learning and performance problems collaboratively through a transformational model of change.
There is a nationwide shortage of nursing faculty. The Nursing Education concentration prepares registered nurses to assume faculty positions while providing them with a robust interdisciplinary education between Drexel's School of Education and the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Please note: students who wish to pursue this concentration must have an RN license.
Students are prepared to take on supervisory roles within the education system after gaining the unique leadership knowledge and skills needed to successfully direct programs within special education. Graduates are equipped with the advanced skills, knowledge, and competencies to head programs that meet the needs of students at risk for and with disabilities in a variety of environments.
For full EdD program course descriptions, please see the Drexel University Course Catalog.
If interested in pursuing an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management degree from Drexel University, use the links below to apply to a specific program or contact us for more information.
We encourage students to visit the School of Education's EdD Admissions page to ensure they are aware of all the requirements for admission to the program.
Alumni Spotlight
Dr. Todd Brown began his career in business but switched to education in search of a more fulfilling role. Now, Dr. Brown is a special education specialist in the Philadelphia suburbs. For him, attaining a doctorate was a long-held dream made possible through the flexibility of Drexel’s online EdD coursework. “This worked for me because I already had a very busy job, and I could do the coursework as my work and personal schedule allowed.” Dr. Brown applies several of the concepts from his courses to his career. “I’ve used many of the leadership principles in my current job, especially the notions of capacity-building and understanding the difference between management and leadership. Also, the research aspect of the degree program really helped me be an “informed consumer” of research.”
Hear from our Students
“When I found out that there was the EdD with a nursing education track, it really aligned with my current and long-term goals. It is such a unique program. It is interdisciplinary; taught in the School of Education by their faculty while my core classes will be taught by nursing faculty. Something else I really like is the varied perspectives in education I’m seeing. In my cohort there are military leaders, high school and grade school teachers all with different experiences and philosophies.”
Katie Farrell
MSN and EdD student