Ed.D. Program: Educational Leadership

    Program Overview

    The Ed.D. concentration in Educational Leadership offers two options: PK-12 Leadership and Higher Education Leadership. Both options help educational leaders develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to act as change agents in their communities, with the ability to use rigorous research to address a wide range of problems related to practice and policy.
    The PK-12 Educational Leadership option helps educational leaders—including school-level, district-level, and teacher leaders—develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to act as equity-oriented change agents in their schools and communities. Students in this concentration will be challenged to understand and use research effectively to address problems of practice, and to use data to lead and support others in various improvement efforts focused on equitable teaching and learning.  Current and aspiring classroom, school, and district PK-12 educators are encouraged to apply for admission into this concentration option.
    The Higher Education Leadership option offers a focused study of the complexities of colleges and universities, their missions, contexts, challenges, and successes. This option prepares higher education leaders and practitioners who will take their scholarship and knowledge, and apply it to effecting change and development in a range of higher education settings such as universities and colleges, state or federal governing and coordinating boards.
    Both options help educational leaders develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to act as change agents in their communities, with the ability to use rigorous research to address a wide range of problems related to practice and policy. The program covers issues of organizational and leadership theory common amongst K-12, pre-school, and higher education institutions. Notably, the GSE’s inquiry-oriented curriculum will focus specifically on the individual challenges and issues our students face as educational leaders. Students will read and critique research, analyze and discuss case studies, participate in simulations, practice communication skills, and conduct their own investigations of meaningful issues and problems. Students in this concentration will be challenged to understand and use research and data effectively in meeting the problems of practice, particularly those related to equity and social justice.

    The Rutgers Ed.D. program is intended for working professionals. Students take 6 credits in the summer and 6 credits in each of the fall and spring semesters. Students begin their doctoral education as part of a cohort and are encouraged to follow the recommended curriculum sequence to complete the program with their cohort in a little more than three years. Alternative sequences can be followed as needed. However, the cohort is a key element of the learning experience in this program.

     For more information about this program:

    Program Details

    Application Deadline

    Jan 15

    Entry Term(s)

    Summer

    Program Level

    Doctoral

    Program Type

    Degree

    Format

    Hybrid

    Credits

    *60

  • What You’ll Learn

    Students who complete this 60-credit program will exit having developed theoretical frameworks and critical perspectives needed to use research to both address issues, and effectively influence change in the educational communities they serve. The core courses of the Ed.D. program will explore topics including the sociocultural foundations of education, the history of educational reform, and educational leadership as it relates to communities and organizational change, amongst others. Courses required for the Educational Leadership concentration will prompt deeper inquiry into subjects such as organizational theory, leadership and social justice, and assessment, data, and analysis. Through shared exploratory learning and problem-solving exercises, students will gain common knowledge, form a supportive network of scholarly practitioners concerned with similar issues, and develop real-world, research-backed skills to address the challenges of the 21st-century educator.

    For more information about the courses in this program, please visit the course catalog and online schedule of classes.

    *The number of credits to complete this program has recently been reduced from 72 to 60 and this change is still pending final university level approvals.

  • Program Requirements

    This program typically takes just over 3 years to complete and requires:

    • 60 Graduate Course Credits
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 1st Summer
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 1st Fall
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 1st Spring
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 2nd Summer
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 2nd Fall
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 2nd Spring
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 3rd Summer (Dissertation)
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 3rd Fall (Dissertation)
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 3rd Spring (Dissertation)
      • 6 Credits – Completed in the 4th Summer (Dissertation)
    • Dissertation 
      • The Ed.D. culminates with a yearlong dissertation experience. The dissertation requires students to identify and investigate a problem of practice systematically using current literature, and inquiry methodology. Students are to write a final report that is presented publicly that may include a conference presentation, journal article or book chapter, or presentation to a local community. Students will have the option of working on their dissertation projects individually or in groups organized around key topics of interest. Students may also choose to pursue more traditional dissertations.
  • Faculty

    Melinda Mangin
    Maqueda Randall-Weeks
    Gail Verona
    Nichole Garcia
    Dan Battey
    Alisa Belzer
    Mary Elizabeth Curran
    Nora E. Hyland
    Amy Lewis
    Carrie Lobman
    Carolyn A. Maher
    Cheryl A. McLean
    Lesley M. Morrow
    Sharon K. Ryan
    Keith Weber

  • Careers and Outcomes

    Graduates of the Ed.D. program who pursued the Educational Leadership concentration are prepared to be change agents in the educational communities they serve. Educators working in traditional K-12 school settings who complete the program may go on to pursue roles including school superintendent, school principal, and other leadership roles at the school, district, or state level. The program may also position graduates for advanced roles in higher education, such as professor, provost, dean, or school executive. Other opportunities exist outside traditional school settings, including nonprofit, government, and private consultant or advisory roles.

  • Admissions Requirements
    • Personal Statement
    • Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
    • Academic Writing Sample
    • Official Undergraduate Transcripts
    • Official Graduate Transcripts
    • 1-2 Letters of Recommendation (optional)

    Click here for more information on the Ed.D. Program Admissions Requirements.

  • How to Apply
    1. Collect the materials required for admission
    2. Submit your application online at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/
    3. Submit supporting materials online
    4. Any supporting materials that cannot be submitted electronically should be mailed to Graduate Admissions’ New Brunswick office. Their mailing address can be found here: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/about/contact-us
  • Tuition & Financial Assistance

    Tuition: 

    For tuition and fees information please visit the tuition landing page.

    Financial Aid:

    While students are encouraged to apply for federal student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there are a number of other merit- and need-based support options, including loans and college work-study programs within and external to Rutgers. For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website.

    Scholarships, Fellowships & Assistantships:

    Generous GSE alumni, friends, and community members have established and continue to donate to more than one dozen fellowships and scholarships to help deserving students reach their goals. These awards are granted on the basis of academic achievement and or financial need. While these awards are competitive, interested students are encouraged to apply for consideration and submit the required materials. Students must also submit a FAFSA application to be eligible.  

    To review all current awards and learn more about the donors that established them, please click here.

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