EDD_EDLD - Educational Leadership (Ed.D)
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Degree Designation(s)
Program Title
Program Level
Program Modality
Concentration
- Higher Education Administration
- K-12 Leadership
- Literacy Studies
- Nurse Educator (Ed.D)
- Socioscientific Studies
Program Location Information
Dr. John R. McConnell III
Dean, Eriksson College of Education
Location: Claxton Building, Room 210
Phone: (931) 221-7757
Email: mcconnellj@apsu.edu
Dr. Andrea Lee
Chair, Department of Educational Specialties
Location: Claxton Building, Room 304A
Phone: (931) 221-7098
Email: leea@apsu.edu
Dr. Daniel Bailey
Doctor of Education Program Coordinator
Location: Claxton Building, Room 206
Phone: (931) 221-7542
Email: baileyd@apsu.edu
Program Description
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership is designed for experienced professionals seeking to strengthen their leadership practice through scholarly inquiry and the investigation of authentic problems of practice. The program prepares practitioner leaders to improve educational organizations across P-12 schools, higher education, healthcare, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other learning-centered environments.
Designed for working professionals, the Ed.D. follows a cohort model that may typically be completed in approximately three years through part-time enrollment. Students may choose one of five concentrations:
Higher Education Administration
K-12 Leadership
Literacy Studies
Nurse Educator
Socioscientific Studies
Students pursuing the K-12 Leadership concentration may complete additional coursework to become eligible for Tennessee instructional leader licensure.
The program requires 60 credit hours consisting of 39 hours of core coursework, 9 hours of concentration-specific coursework, and 12 hours of dissertation research. Students must also successfully complete a comprehensive examination and dissertation. Students typically enroll in two courses during the fall and spring semesters and three courses during the summer.
Courses are offered in online and hybrid formats designed to accommodate working professionals. When face-to-face sessions are scheduled, students may participate remotely through university-supported web conferencing technology.
Austin Peay State University has been a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) since the program's inception. CPED is an international consortium of colleges and schools of education committed to advancing the Doctor of Education as the premier professional practice doctorate. Consistent with the CPED framework, the APSU Ed.D. emphasizes equity, ethical leadership, data-informed decision making, practitioner inquiry, and the investigation of complex problems of practice.
The program develops educational leaders who:
apply leadership theory and evidence-based practices to improve organizations;
analyze complex organizational challenges and develop sustainable solutions;
use research, inquiry, and evaluation to support data-informed decision making;
analyze educational policy and its impact on diverse learners and organizations;
demonstrate ethical leadership, cultural responsiveness, and professional integrity;
collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders to improve educational outcomes; and
contribute meaningful improvements to professional practice through scholarly inquiry.
Graduates are prepared for leadership positions in higher education institutions, school districts, schools, healthcare organizations, nonprofit agencies, government, and other educational settings. The Ed.D. is a professional practice doctorate and is not intended to prepare graduates for tenure-track faculty positions at research-intensive universities.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the College of Graduate Studies admission requirements, applicants must submit the following:
A master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
A minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00.
A current résumé or curriculum vitae.
Problem of Practice Statement (200 to 250 words): Using APA format, describe a meaningful problem of practice you are interested in investigating during your doctoral studies. Discuss contributing factors and one or two potential strategies for improvement while supporting your discussion with scholarly sources.
A graduate-level scholarly writing sample demonstrating academic writing ability and appropriate use of scholarly sources (for example, a graduate course paper, thesis, or scholarly publication).
An interview with the doctoral admissions committee conducted via videoconferencing.
Applicants seeking Tennessee instructional leader licensure must submit additional materials as outlined under the Master of Arts in Education Educational Leadership program.
Additional program policies, expectations, and graduation requirements are provided in the Doctor of Education Program Handbook, which is incorporated herein by reference and available on the program website.
