The prospect of earning a doctoral degree can seem intimidating. Because most programs require several years of full-time enrollment followed by an extensive writing project or dissertation, many prospective students decide against it.
St. Thomas University has created a fully online doctoral program in educational leadership to offer a means for professionals to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing their full-time jobs and personal commitments.
Program Overview
This program teaches consulting practices, principles of ethical leadership during crisis and change management, and theoretical and practical approaches for public policy. Graduates of the program have gained employment in executive and administrative roles across a variety of industries from nonprofit organizations and government agencies to corporate offices.
This degree focuses primarily on how to respond to the changing needs of a maturing organization and how to keep personnel performing successfully through change. Because the program investigates both best practices in leadership and management and innovative solutions to complex organizational issues, students become subject-matter experts, highly-qualified for administrative positions post-graduation.
Program Details
Unlike many doctoral programs which take up to six or more years, a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree from St. Thomas University can be completed in 36 months. Some students complete it even sooner as applicants with a second master’s degree can transfer up to six courses as part of their degree plan when the courses closely relate to those that they are replacing.
Students can apply in nearly any month of the year with program application dates offered every four to six weeks. Admission into the program requires a completed application, a master’s degree from an accredited institution, and official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work.
Coursework is rigorous. For example, in Theory and Practice of Leadership, students analyze motivation, sources of power, change processes and group dynamics in the workplace. In Cross-Cultural Relations students consider contemporary social issues and use effective leadership tools to solve them. Each course is designed to train students in effective and dynamic problem-solving strategies needed in education today.
An integrated dissertation is required to graduate. Students begin working on this writing project with faculty support in their first year. They can defend their work completely online.
Career Outlook
Graduates with an Ed.D. in educational leadership have found careers with industries across the globe. Some of the most common roles include those of administrators in state, federal and international agencies, corporate executives, public school supervisors and consultants, professors in higher education, and directors in the nonprofit sector.
Students enroll in this online doctoral program from various industries with different objectives and motivations. Because of the elastic approach of this program and the autonomy of the dissertation project, students find that the Ed.D. from STU effectively accommodates their career goals and leads them to success in their work environment.
Learn more about St. Thomas University’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership online program.
