Educational Leadership, Ph.D.

About the Educational Leadership Ph.D. Program

The Educational Leadership Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in EC-12 Education Policy is an online program preparing students for leadership positions in a wide variety of settings at local, state, national, and international levels, including school districts, universities, government agencies, nonprofits, and policy think tanks. Students receive rigorous training in leadership, organizations, policy theory, research methods, policy implementation, and advocacy. Coursework involves the application of theory to real-world issues such as racial and economic disparities in student achievement or the role of school vouchers in education reform. A cohort model allows students to move through the fully online program together and be part of a learning community. The program courses are delivered synchronously online via web-based links using video conferencing, students regularly engage in a virtual classroom as if they were face-to-face. Applications are reviewed in the spring for a summer cohort start every year.