Doctor of Education (Ed. D.) in Educational Leadership

Preparing transformative leaders.

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program is designed to prepare transformative leaders who embody the knowledge, character, and skills to guide dynamic and diverse learning organizations toward continuous improvement and sustained effectiveness. The integrated curriculum focuses on theory and applied research in leadership and guides students through the dissertation process as they complete their coursework. Practical instruction is offered face-to-face as well as online, with flexible, convenient scheduling designed to fit into the busy lives of educators.

Program Highlights

• Accommodative Learning Environment. The Ed.D. program provides a flexible delivery system for students to interact with fellow students and with their instructors, both in person and online. Enjoy the personal nature of face-to-face with the ability to interact in an online environment.


• Focused 3-year Path to Graduation. The structural design of this doctoral program allows for graduation in as few as 33 to 36 months.


• Integrated Dissertation Track. This Ed.D. program allows for individual learning plans, which are designed to guide students through the dissertation process while completing their coursework. Senior faculty support doctoral students through the use of small group seminars that start as soon as students begin the program.


• Cohort Membership. The graduate program enables students to support and learn from other students, raising expectations that all but the occasional student will complete the program successfully.


• Small Cohort Size and Strategic Groupings. This doctoral program limits the number of students within a cohort to maintain a student to teacher ratio that is advantageous for active learning. Online learning groups are strategically arranged to facilitate interaction and learning among students and faculty.
   
• High Degree of Interaction with Faculty. The doctoral program is structured to enable frequent real-time interaction among students and instructors, in face-to-face and online settings.
   
• Experienced, Christian Educators. Concordia University has a strong faculty of educators who are faithful to the university’s mission to “empower students. . . for lives of learning, service, and leadership.”


• Rigorous and Integrated Curriculum. The Ed.D. curriculum gives students the knowledge base to thrive in a competitive environment. Cultivating skills from a variety of disciplines, the program strives to foster systems thinking and to develop student abilities to lead and manage learning organizations.


• Scholarly Research. The doctoral program encourages research that utilizes theory and applied research to develop student abilities to generate new knowledge and to apply knowledge and skills to successfully lead diverse learning organizations.


• Ethical Leadership. The leadership of the Graduate School of Education promotes student analysis and application of ethical standards to build a shared vision in educational settings.


• Educational Trips. This Ed.D. program includes educational trips that enhance student understanding of policy, law, and practice to effect change in dynamic and diverse educational settings while building a sense of community among students and faculty (Trips to: Washington, DC and People’s Republic of China).


• Competitive Cost. The Concordia Ed.D. is competitively priced near or below other Ed.D. programs in the region. Tuition costs are also “locked” (no annual increase) for three years.

Getting Started

If the Concordia Ed.D. program interests you, please request information, or contact our Graduate and Adult Admissions Counselor, Lorene Wenz, by phone (949)-214-3657 or by email.