Leadership Ed.D. (Online)

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Proud CPED Consortium Member

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) is a national consortium of nearly 150 universities working to enhance and develop the Ed.D. degree with leading-edge data, resources, and practical applications graduates need to create meaningful change in the education field.

Career Competencies

With FDU’s Ed.D. in Leadership program, you will develop advanced leadership competencies and evidence-based strategies for addressing challenges in education and healthcare organizations.

Through online coursework and faculty mentorship, you’ll build expertise in:

Strategic leadership for diverse professional settings
Applying data analytics for informed decision-making
Developing globally minded solutions for systemic issues
Creating partnerships between employers and educators
Enrollment management and retention initiatives
Driving educational innovation and transformation
Fostering inclusive cultures in your institution or organization

The Ed.D. in Leadership is delivered fully online so you can study anywhere, anytime—with flexible scheduling to balance your professional and personal responsibilities. Courses are taught in 8-week sessions by expert practitioners, and you’ll complete a dissertation and 45 credits over 27–45 months. Each course is designed for working professionals seeking the qualifications and supportive community necessary to excel in higher education, P-12 schools, and health education settings.

Courses and Requirements

The Ed.D. in Leadership online program combines data analytics with social justice and sustainable development training to prepare students for diverse leadership roles. While navigating a curriculum founded on innovative academic solutions, students will become scholarly practitioners proficient in effective and current administrative practices, database management, statistical analysis, and more.

All students in the Ed.D. in Leadership program will take courses in three blocks of 15 credits each: Research, Leadership, and Track-Specific Content. The Research and Leadership blocks are common to all three tracks of the program.

Common Courses for all Ed.D. in Leadership Students

All Ed.D. in Leadership students will complete the same five (5) Common Research Required Sequence courses (15 credits) and the same five (5) Common Leadership Required Sequence courses (15 credits). The remaining five (5) program Content Sequence courses will be determined by the track in which the student is enrolled.

Common Research Required Sequence (15 credits)
Course Number	Title	Credits
EDUC 8663	Research Methods and Design (Prerequisite: 18-24 credits complete)	3
EDUC 8668	Dissertation Preparation (Prerequisites: EDUC 8662 or EDUC 8669, and EDUC 8663)	3
EDUC 8664	Dissertation Seminar (Prerequisites: EDUC 8688 and 42 credits complete)	3
EDUC 8662 or EDUC 8669	Introduction to Quantitative Inquiry or Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8667	Data Analytics in Educational Leadership	3

Common Leadership Required Sequence (15 credits)
Course Number	Title	Credits
EDUC 8650	Organization and Administration in Educational Organizations	3
EDUC 8653	Sustainable Organizational Development	3
EDUC 8655	Building an Inclusive Educational Culture	3
EDUC 8660	Field-Based Internship I	3
EDUC 8690	Data Analytics in Educational Leadership	3

*The remaining 15 credits in each respective program are content-specific courses.

Milestones

Milestone tasks of the Ed.D. in Leadership degree program include the dissertation pre-proposal, qualifying portfolio, dissertation proposal and defense, and dissertation final defense.

Milestone Task	Point of Progress
Dissertation Pre-Proposal	12-24 credits completed.
Qualifying Portfolio (QP)	18-24 credits complete by the end of the semester in which the QP is submitted, including all required courses other than EDUC 8664 and EDUC 8668.
Dissertation Proposal and Defense	EDUC 8668 Dissertation Preparation
Dissertation Final Defense	Data collection, analysis, and writing completed.

How to Get Started on Your Ed.D. in Leadership Degree

Ready to take the next step towards your degree? Apply now or use the form to request more information. You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

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Higher Education Content Sequence (15 credits)
Course Number	Title	Credits
Required
EDUC 8651	History of Higher Education	3
Electives
EDUC 8600	Advanced Studies in Higher Education	3
EDUC 8652	Database Management and Reporting in Education	3
EDUC 8654	Innovation and Technology in Higher Education	3
EDUC 8656	Enrollment Management	3
EDUC 8657	Community and Workforce Development	3
EDUC 8658	Educational Policy and Advocacy	3
EDUC 8659	Data Analytics and Visualizations in Higher Education	3
EDUC 8661	Program Assessment and Evaluation	3
*EDUC 8662	Introduction to Quantitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8666	Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in Education	3
*EDUC 8669	Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8670	Introduction to Critical Race Theory	3
EDUC 8673	Leading with Social and Emotional Learning in Mind	3
EDUC 8675	Developing Critically Conscious Educators	3
EDUC 8677	Coalition-Building and Communicating Strategies for Authentic Stakeholder Partnership	3
EDUC 8678	Culturally Responsive Curriculum Development	3
EDUC 8665	Dissertation Maintenance (as needed)	0

*Option if not taken as part of the required research sequence

P-12 Education Content Sequence (15 credits)
Course Number	Title	Credits
Required
EDUC 8671	History and Persistence of Inequality in P12 Education	3
Electives
EDUC 5728	School Administrator Field-Based Internship (Co-requisite with EDUC 6728)
EDUC 6728	School Administrator Field-Based Internship Seminar (Co-requisite with EDUC 5728. Can substitute for EDUC 8660)	3
EDUC 8652	Database Management and Reporting in Education	3
EDUC 8658	Educational Policy and Advocacy	3
EDUC 8661	Program Assessment and Evaluation	3
*EDUC 8662	Introduction to Quantitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8666	Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in P20 Education	3
*EDUC 8669	Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8670	Introduction to Critical Race Theory (Prerequisite: Either EDUC 8651 or 8666)	3
EDUC 8672	Introduction to Critical Disability Studies (Prerequisite: Either EDUC 8666 or 8671)	3
EDUC 8673	Leading with Social and Emotional Learning in Mind	3
EDUC 8674	Cultivating Awareness, Empathy, and Resilience for Organizational Leaders (Prerequisite: EDUC 8673)	3
EDUC 8675	Developing Critically Conscious Educators	3
EDUC 8676	Building and Sustaining Inclusive School Services	3
EDUC 8677	Coalition-Building and Communicating Strategies for Authentic Stakeholder Partnership	3
EDUC 8678	Culturally Responsive Curriculum Development	3
EDUC 8665	Dissertation Maintenance (as needed)	0

*Option if not taken as part of the required research sequence

Health Education Content Sequence (15 credits)
Course Number	Title	Credits
Required
MEDT 8008	Information Systems for Healthcare	3
MEDT 8010	Health Quality Assessment & Outcomes	3
EDUC 8652	Database Management and Reporting in Education	3
EDUC 8678	Culturally Responsive Curriculum Development	3
Electives
MEDT 8011	Leadership and Organizational Analysis	3
MEDT 8018	Health Promotion & Population Health	3
MEDT 8019	Finance, Economics & Entrepreneurship	3
MEDT 8020	Healthcare Delivery Systems & Public Policy	3
EDUC 8661	Program Assessment and Evaluation	3
*EDUC 8662	Introduction to Quantitative Inquiry	3
*EDUC 8669	Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry	3
EDUC 8670	Introduction to Critical Race Theory (Prerequisite: Either EDUC 8651 or 8666)	3
EDUC 8672	Introduction to Critical Disability Studies (Prerequisite: Either EDUC 8666 or 8671)	3
EDUC 8673	Leading with Social and Emotional Learning in Mind	3
EDUC 8674	Cultivating Awareness, Empathy, and Resilience for Organizational Leaders (Prerequisite: EDUC 8673)	3
EDUC 8675	Developing Critically Conscious Educators	3
EDUC 8677	Coalition-Building and Communicating Strategies for Authentic Stakeholder Partnership	3
EDUC 8665	Dissertation Maintenance (as needed)	0