Educational Leadership and Management

Major: Educational Leadership and Management
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Education (EdD)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 60.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 13.0401
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9033

About the Program

The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership and Management is a minimum 60 credit, part-time doctoral program designed to be completed in three or five years. The EdD experience ensures graduates develop the advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve complex problems of practice and lead change at the individual, group, and organizational levels. The curriculum focuses on sustainable leadership, systems inquiry, equity and social justice, and research in practice. The EdD program prepares graduates for leadership roles in public school districts, universities and colleges, foundations and organizations, corporations, healthcare organizations, and/or government agencies.    

Designed for working professionals, the EdD is offered in two formats: (1) completely online with both virtual and one-on-one sessions with faculty (and no residency requirement); and (2) in a hybrid, “executive” format delivered online (60%) and on-campus (40%) in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., on three weekends per quarter. To provide ultimate flexibility, both formats offer a three-year plan of study with students taking two courses per term, and the online format also offers a five-year plan of study with students taking one course per term.

The Drexel EdD program has a national reputation as an innovative leader in the field. Drexel is a proud member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)—a member organization of more than 100 institutions working together to continuously improve the EdD as preparation for scholarly practitioners. In 2019, CPED named Drexel's EdD the EdD Program of the Year.

EdD students learn in cohorts, supporting and challenging each other as they move together through the program. The curriculum includes core leadership courses focused on sustainable leadership; research courses that provide opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-life settings and prepare for dissertation study; and a doctoral dissertation experience wherein students complete a dissertation in practice. Students also specialize in one of ten concentration areas: Creativity and Innovation (including Mind, Brain & Learning), Educational Administration (with or without Pennsylvania Superintendent Letter of Eligibility), Education Policy, Global and International Education, Higher Education Leadership (Administration or Student Success track), Human Resource Development, Learning Technologies, Nursing Education, Special Education Leadership, and Sport Leadership.

Drexel EdD students have access to all School of Education faculty and benefit from their expertise and experience. All School of Education faculty teach in the program and/or supervise EdD students' dissertations.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, visit the School of Education EdD in Educational Leadership and Management website.

Admission Requirements

Application Requirements for New Applicants

For details regarding the items below, please review the Admission Application Checklist.

• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, verifying completion of a master's degree (with 3.5 GPA or better)
• Résumé indicating at least 3 years of professional work experience
• Three letters of recommendation. Use the Electronic Letter of Recommendation form to submit recommendation letters.

Submission Part 1: Professional Goals and Aspirations (300-word maximum)

• Discuss your professional goals and aspirations, including how your current skills, along with your study of educational leadership, will support your attainment of these goals.

Submission Part 2: A Problem of Practice (750-word maximum)

• In the Drexel EdD program, our students identify a problem of practice that becomes central to their dissertation research. While the final dissertation topic and the dissertation document evolve over time, generally our students arrive with one or more ideas for a problem of practice they have an interest in studying.
• In this essay, you are asked to identify and describe a problem of practice relevant to your current (or a former) context of professional practice.
• Describe the significance of this problem to this organization.
• Based on your present understanding of the problem, discuss the potential underlying causes and contributing factors that have created the current challenges.
• What questions could be explored to learn more about the problem that may help to create potential solutions?

Submission Part 3: Writing Sample (5-30 pages)

• Submit a 5-30 page writing sample that demonstrates your academic writing abilities. You must be the sole author of the sample. It is suggested that academic papers from prior coursework or journal articles (both that cite peer-reviewed articles) will represent you best in the admissions process. If a prior academic paper is not available, you may craft an academic paper 5-8 pages in length on a topic of your choice. Alternatively, you may provide a work-based report that evidences your critical thinking and writing skills. Again, you must be the sole author of the sample.

Supplemental Application Materials for New Applicants
To make your application more competitive, applicants are encouraged to submit one or more of the below documents. The EdD program is a very competitive program and additional materials for the faculty review committee to consider are encouraged.

• A detailed statement describing sustained leadership activities
• A detailed statement describing significant creative activities/products
• A detailed statement describing significant research activities/publications

Additional Information

More information about how to apply is available on the Graduate Admissions at Drexel University website.

Degree Requirements

Students in the EdD program are required to complete core leadership courses, research courses, and concentration courses. Upon completion of coursework and successful defense of a dissertation proposal, students become doctoral candidates, conduct their own research, and complete a doctoral dissertation in practice. 

EdD Candidacy Requirements

In summary, the sequence of events leading to EdD candidacy include the following:

• All courses must be passed with a grade of B or better.
• The dissertation proposal must be approved by the committee. (At this point students have completed 54.0 of the 60.0 credits required in the program.)

As doctoral candidates, students register for doctoral dissertation credits. Students must earn 6.0 doctoral dissertation credits overall and be registered in the quarter in which they graduate.

Program Requirements

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A science background is not needed.

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As needed, students can consult with their advisor to identify an appropriate alternate course option in the School of Education. Select a 500+ level course in the following areas: CRTV, EDGI, EDLT, EDPO, SCL, HRD

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For students with the background and interest in seeking PA School Superintendent Certification.  

If student's home state has a school superintendent certification, student will need to contact that state’s department of education for eligibility requirements. 

Any student required to participate in a program field experience and/or internship as a component of their coursework will be required to submit all required documents with regard to background checks/clearance(s) and field placement applications.

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Educational Policy course to be determined by Program Manager

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For candidates entering the program without previous formal study in the area of Higher Education.

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For candidates entering the program who have a strong background in the area of Higher Education and who seek to extend their previous studies in this area.  

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A 3.0 credit substitute course will be identified to replace EHRD 500 for students who have already earned a master's degree in Human Resource Development

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For students with the background and interest in seeking PA Supervisor of Special Education Certification.  

If student's home state has a school superintendent certification, student will need to contact that state’s department of education for eligibility requirements. 

Any student participating in field experience and/or internship placement related to a Drexel University School of Education course will be required to submit all required documents with regard to clearance(s) and placement.

Sample Plan of Study

3-year Option

5-year Option

Education Faculty

Emeritus Faculty