• Program Overview

    Ed.D. in Educational Leadership in PreK-12 (51 Credits)

    Our mission is to develop dynamic, transformative, and socially responsible leaders who engage others, value diversity, operate with professional integrity, and believe in the value of enabling and empowering all stakeholders for the creation of high-performing schools and school districts.

    • A highly personalized approach: Small cohorts keeps the student/teacher ratio low and the level of support high. You will develop career-long professional relationships with your peers, faculty, and advisors.
    • Apprenticeship experience: A doctoral apprenticeship offers students the chance to build their professional network, expand career options, and hone their leadership skills.

     

    Doctoral Admission Requirements 

    Endicott College doctoral student
  • Curriculum

    Curriculum Requirements - Total Credits Required: 51

    The Foundation Courses provide the framework for what we mean by scholar practitioner. Each of  the Foundation Courses is grounded in the assumption that research in service of improved practice will facilitate deliberate change.


    These courses address such issues as: how bias and our histories  inform how we understand the world; how we can ethically identify and describe practice-embedded  educational research; how conducting a literature review and integrating, from both practice and  research, allows us to be transparent and critical about the ways we pursue and generate knowledge;  how we can align research questions and approaches; and what it looks like to gather and work with  research data in the context of practice.

    Foundation Courses

    • EDL 702 - History of Public Education (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 708 - Change Leadership in Education (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 710 - Sociology of Education (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 730 - Current Issues in Educational Policy (Cr: 3)

    Method Courses

    • EDL 715 - Introduction to Qualitative Research (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 716 - Literature Review I (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 752A - Action Research (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 735 - Introduction to Quantitative Research (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 736 - Literature Review II (Cr: 3)

    Leadership Courses

    Students Choose two from the following:

    • EDL 738 - Ethical Leadership in Education (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 720 - Transformational Leadership in Contemporary Education (Cr: 3)

    K-12 Leadership Electives

    Electives - 9 credits

    Students must choose three of the following courses:

    • EDL 705 - Principles of School Finance (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 706 - Family-School Engagement (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 711 - Prior Learning Assessment Seminar (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 712 - Organizational Consulting: A Fieldwork Approach (Cr: 3)

    Misc Courses

    • EXM 700 - Research Defense Proposal (Cr: 0)

    Experiential Courses

    • EDL 772A/772B - Doctoral Apprenticeship I & II (Cr: 6)

    Dissertation Courses

    • EDL 755A - Dissertation Study Part I (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 755B - Dissertation Study Part II (Cr: 3)
    • EDL 755C - Dissertation Study Part III (Cr: 3)

    Learning Outcomes

    Upon completion of this program, students will: 

    • Locate, analyze and synthesize existing research to address problems in the field.
    • Apply key concepts, theories, and frameworks from education and related fields of inquiry to critically examine leadership issues and decisions in educational settings.
    • Utilize social scientific research processes (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) to develop and evaluate research
    • Communicate clearly with a scholarly audience via written research, oral presentations, and in dialog with each other.
    • Conduct original scholarship that contributes significantly to the field.

    View academic catalog and learning outcomes
"From the beginning of the program to the end, the strength of my cohort and supporting faculty ensured my success. The faculty who served my cohort were focused, empathetic, and held us to high expectations. They modeled the principles of adult education and gave us first-hand insight."
Charmie Curry Ed.D. '17
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Wellesley Public Schools

Accreditations

Endicott College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.