Advanced Executive Leadership EDD

Major: Advanced Executive Leadership
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Education (EdD)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 60.5
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 13.0401
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11.9039

About the Program

The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Advanced Executive Leadership (EdDEx) is a single-sector, cohort-based, accelerated two-year program in which executive leaders advance their leadership capacity to address persistent, complex problems of practice within their organizations. This program begins with a cohort-customized study-abroad experience to examine programs and practices in ways that expand perspectives on US-based challenges. Two years of coursework involve deep exploration of key leadership practices that focus on the socio-political aspects of executive leadership, such as stakeholder engagement, strategy, authority, adult learning, and development. A second policy-focused immersive experience occurs in the second year, customized to students’ praxis and scholarship, e.g., international, federal, or state policy. Students will evolve their theory of action as they engage in course content, concurrently chronicling their learning in a reflective case study dissertation-in-practice to be defended in Term 7, followed by a praxis-oriented capstone in the final quarter. This part-time hybrid program requires two 3-day residencies on the Drexel University's Philadelphia campus each term, offset with asynchronous coursework. Applicants must verify that they are able to attend these residencies as they are an integral part of the program.

This program is designed to support established leaders with at least five years of executive leadership experience. It aligns with the United Nation’s inner development goals, designed for the United Nations 2030 Sustainability Goals to foster the inner development and transformation required for sustainable progress on local, national, and global concerns.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please visit the School of Education's website. 

Admission Requirements

• Academic transcripts indicating completion of both bachelors' and master's degrees from regionally-accredited institutions with minimum 3.5 graduate GPA. 
• Resume/CV indicating 5+ years experience in an executive-level leadership position. 
• Three (3) professional letters of recommendation (one must be from a supervisor). 
• Two personal essays: 
  • A thorough description of a problem of practice you want to address that is the basis for your interest in this program (maximum 500 words)
  • A reflective essay on your perspectives on leadership, including how you need to develop as a leader to resolve your problem of practice, and how this executive leadership degree would help you to do so (maximum 1,000 words)
• Verification of ability to attend hybrid sessions (typically provided by employer)
• Applicants to this program must hold a valid, unexpired passport that permits international travel during October 2026. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will not be eligible for enrollment. 

Degree Requirements

Sample Plan of Study

Program Level Outcomes

Goal 1    Being: Relationship to Self 

• Display a deep understanding of one’s own values, motivations, and biases, using this self-awareness to inform one’s actions and decisions. 
• Display a deep understanding of one’s own values, motivations, and biases, using this self-awareness to inform one’s actions and decisions. 
• Critically examine one’s own thoughts, beliefs, and values and consider how they have been shaped by larger social and cultural forces. 
• Reflect on the ways in which one knows and understands themselves. 

Goal 2    Thinking: Cognitive Skills 

• Utilize whole-system thinking and develop a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all aspects of society and the environment to develop effective and sustainable solutions to complex problems. 
• Critically examine and question dominant paradigms and ideologies and consider alternative ways of understanding the world. 
• Reflect on the ways in which knowledge is constructed and produced and how different forms of knowledge can be legitimized or marginalized. 

Goal 3    Relating: Caring for Others in the World 

• See oneself as part of a regenerative social system that prioritizes equity, inclusion, and diversity and supports the well-being of all individuals and communities. 
• Critically examine power relations and social structures and work toward social justice and equity. 
• Reflect on the ways in which different forms of knowledge can be used to reinforce or challenge existing power structures. 

Goal 4    Collaborating: Social Skills 

• Build collaborative, cooperative relationships with others and work toward shared goals in a spirit of mutual respect and trust. 
• Critically examine power dynamics within groups and teams and work towards equitable and collaborative relationships. 
• Recognize the role that communication and collaboration play in knowledge production. 

Goal 5    Acting: Enabling Change 

• Take action to create positive change in the world in ways that align with personal values and goals and that support the well-being of all individuals and communities. 
• Critically examine power relations and social structures and work towards positive social change. 
• Recognize the role that knowledge production and legitimation play in social change