Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration Online
Merge your passion for sports with advanced leadership expertise in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program. Delivered 100% online, this doctorate-level program equips you with the industry-specific preparation you need to stand out as a subject matter expert in an exciting field.
Apply by:
5/2/25
Program Overview
Gain insights into our online Doctorate in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration program
Prepare to advance into a leadership role in a specialized field with the online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration degree from STU Online. Designed to enhance your professional opportunities within sports-focused organizations, this industry-specific online Ed.D. offers you a wide-lens view into the niche world of sports administration.
In the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program, you will expand your understanding of governance structures within intercollegiate athletics, special event and facility management operations, and legal obligations from a sports administrator standpoint. Plus, you will gain top-level leadership styles that resonate with a wide array of audiences.
As a doctoral student, you will benefit from a dissertation that can be defended 100% online. Taught by respected faculty with extensive experience in their fields, this versatile online Ed.D. in sports administration also offers reasonable admission requirements that allow applicants with a second master's degree to transfer in up to 18 credit hours (6 courses). No education degree or teaching background is required.
In the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program, you will learn to:
- Elaborate on and finesse your knowledge of special topics in sports administration
- Respond to the changing needs of diverse organizations
- Participate in managing and leading private corporations, public organizations, educational institutions and systems, and nonprofit agencies
- Develop educational leadership skills and effective, team-oriented approaches for teaching and learning to maximize the performance achievements of all learners
- Demonstrate scholarly behaviors such as reflection and problem-solving with skills for designing, critiquing, and implementing research relevant to effective practice
- Elaborate on and finesse your knowledge of special topics in sports administration
- Respond to the changing needs of diverse organizations
- Participate in managing and leading private corporations, public organizations, educational institutions and systems, and nonprofit agencies
- Develop educational leadership skills and effective, team-oriented approaches for teaching and learning to maximize the performance achievements of all learners
- Demonstrate scholarly behaviors such as reflection and problem-solving with skills for designing, critiquing, and implementing research relevant to effective practice
Sports Administration Career Opportunities
- Manager for professional sports organizations, governing organizations, and sports manufacturers
- Collegiate-Level Trainer
- College Instructor
- College Faculty/Athletic Coach
- Coach Development Program Organizer
- Youth Professional Organization Manager
- Manager for professional sports organizations, governing organizations, and sports manufacturers
- Collegiate-Level Trainer
- College Instructor
- College Faculty/Athletic Coach
- Coach Development Program Organizer
- Youth Professional Organization Manager
Total Tuition
$50,000
Duration
As few as 40 months
Credit Hours
60
Tuition
Learn more about our affordable tuition
St. Thomas University prides itself on offering a quality private school education at public university prices. Our pay-by-the course tuition for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online degree program is affordable and priced with the working student in mind. Financial aid may also be available for students who qualify. The e-tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state online students. Each course has a technology fee as noted in the below table. The total tuition shown is inclusive of the fees.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Admin | $800 | $2,500 | $50,000 |
Tuition breakdown:
Total Tuition
$50,000
Per Credit Hour
$800
Calendar
Our application deadlines and course schedules
At St. Thomas University Online, we offer multiple start dates to accommodate busy schedules. Here you can find deadlines for your application, documents, and tuition payment for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program.
| Term | Start Date | App Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Class End Date | Term Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2 | 3/15/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/5/25 | 3/10/25 | 3/19/25 | 5/9/25 | 7 weeks |
| Summer 1 | 5/17/25 | 5/2/25 | 5/7/25 | 5/12/25 | 5/21/25 | 6/27/25 | 6 weeks |
| Summer 2 | 6/28/25 | 6/13/25 | 6/18/25 | 6/23/25 | 7/2/25 | 8/8/25 | 6 weeks |
| Fall 1 | 8/23/25 | 8/8/25 | 8/13/25 | 8/18/25 | 8/27/25 | 10/17/25 | 7 weeks |
| Fall 2 | 10/18/25 | 10/3/25 | 10/8/25 | 10/13/25 | 10/22/25 | 12/12/25 | 7 weeks |
Now enrolling:
Apply Date
5/2/25
Class Starts
5/17/25
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Admissions
Qualifications for our online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration program
The admission process is the first step toward earning your online degree. Familiarize yourself with the requirements for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program, along with information on required documentation.
Admission Requirements:
- Free Application
- 3.0 GPA or higher
- Master’s degree
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration Online Admission Requirements
The following are required for admission to the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program:
- Completed free application
- Master’s degree transcript (Unofficial transcripts are accepted)
- 3.0 GPA or higher
Official transcripts can be sent to St. Thomas University through Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse. Unofficial transcripts and other documents can be uploaded via your Admissions Portal or emailed to [email protected].
Courses
Read about our Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration Online classes
To complete the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Sports Administration online program, students must complete 24 credit hours of core courses, 15 credit hours of specialization courses, 9 credit hours of research courses, and 12 credit hours of dissertation courses for a total of 60 credit hours. All program requirements, including the successful defense of your dissertation, must be completed within seven years of first enrollment in the doctoral program.
Courses in this program are seven weeks long. Courses during the two summer terms, however, are six weeks long.
ELI 820: Issues in Ed Leadership
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines current and emerging issues and trends impacting education. Topics may include socially and culturally responsive teaching, teacher resiliency, trauma responsive classrooms, differentiation, student stress and mental health, grit, emerging technologies, flexible classrooms, and cultivating creativity. Topics will be dependent upon student interests and current national trends. Emphasis will be on developing, analyzing, and clarifying beliefs and practices as they relate to education.
Learning Outcomes
- Research and analyze current and emerging issues and trends in education to develop an innovative practice that addresses them.
- Reflect on personal beliefs and professional practice regarding select issues and trends.
ELI 801: Theory and Practice of Leadership
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, students will analyze the theory and practice of leadership and address motivation, sources of power, change processes and group dynamics. The characteristics and abilities associated with effective leadership will also be examined. Students will also explore the diversity of leadership theory and the impact of diversity on leadership.
Learning Outcomes
- Assess prevalent leadership theories and evaluate the importance of different leadership approaches.
- Evaluate the impact of various leadership styles in change management situations.
- Analyze the role of leadership in organizations with diverse environments.
- Address leadership-related questions by combining multiple peer-reviewed sources that follow scholarly guidelines.
ELI 802: Ethics and Accountability
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is an analysis of issues of ownership, control, ethics and accountability. It employs a stakeholder framework, emphasizing an educational institution’s social and ethical responsibilities to both external and internal stakeholder groups. The course further establishes how ethical or moral considerations are included in the public issues facing educational organizations and the decision-making process of leaders.
Learning Outcomes
- Assess the role of ethics and governance in education organizations.
- Articulate the importance of accountability in leadership when addressing organization governance in educational organizations.
- Improve the workplace for leaders and followers using critical analysis to describe the values and ethics of leaders and educational organizations.
- Demonstrate the mechanisms of governance within education organizations and understand the key roles and relationships among stakeholders.
ELI 804: Leadership for Crisis and Change
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Drawing on the five-phase model of the change process, this course uses real-world examples to examine the design, development, implementation and maintenance of educational innovations and improvements.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify areas of organizational crisis and develop skills for managing them.
- Understand and articulate the importance of management crisis and change in organizations.
- Define and evaluate the role of ethics in crisis management.
- Author scholarly papers following the APA format.
ELI 805: Strategic Leadership and Global Change
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will prepare students to restructure and create empowering environments in their organizations. A body of research will be reviewed to provide an empirical framework that can be used to draw conclusions about strategic management and leadership in organizations striving to provide an empowering environment in the 21st Century.
Learning Outcomes
- Review strategic leadership and change in both a domestic and international environment.
- Assess the complexity of global strategic management systems and address the needs of diverse stakeholders in domestic and international settings.
ELI 814: Cross-Cultural Relations
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course presents an analysis of major contemporary social problems with attention given to controversial issues common in the workplace. Included in this course is an emphasis on theory, structure, and the effective practice of diversity as they relate to directors, managers, employees, students and faculty of academic organizations who are involved in a diversified workforce.
Learning Outcomes
- Manage and communicate essential information and engage employees and clients in areas of mutual interest through cross cultural relations.
- Evaluate guidelines within organizations that promote, and hire based on gender, ethnicity, and religion.
- Assess the potential impact of social platforms and sites, social networking, content sharing and web presence on managing an organization invested in maintaining a diversified workforce.
- Analyze the effects of cross-cultural relations within professional organizations and develop best practices on how to navigate them.
- Demonstrate how to choose and implement the optimal "Cross Cultural or Diversity" program when managing a diverse workforce.
- Demonstrate knowledge of cross-cultural relations in verbal and written formats at an advanced college-level.
ELI 815: Public Policy Leadership
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines various approaches to developing and managing public policy. It is intended primarily for leaders who are department heads, policy developers, managers and executive officers in organizations, higher education, schools, school boards, governments and statutory agencies responsible for formulating or managing policies.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the policy making process and its role in the policy cycle.
- Review the methods for identifying, creating, and managing policy.
- Analyze key tools that policy makers use to engage the public and resolve public problems and issues.
- Develop research questions with a purpose statement and problem statement in a research project.
ELI 817: Managing Social Media in Organizations
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Social media for all organizations consist of a range of web-based applications that allow anyone to disseminate information to online communities. The focus of this course is for students to assess the role of a social media presence in creating an online social or extended community for an organization's current clients, employees and friends; promote an awareness of the organization among potential clients; expand the mission of the organization; and build an identity and brand image.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand key terms and issues in social media and how they relate to and support an organization's mission.
- Assess the viability of social media tools in relation to an organization's desired outcomes and goals.
- Create an effective social media plan that incorporates all desired social media platforms and supports the organization harmoniously.
- Pinpoint, explain, and implement social media resources available for professional interested in designing comprehensive guidelines for implementation of social media networking tools across platforms and institutions.
SPO 552: Governance and Intercollegiate Athletics
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to introduce students to the history, structure, rules and responsibilities of organizations that govern intercollegiate athletics. Current governance issues and trends are examined through a study of the literature, the insight of guest speakers, and actual case studies. Students are exposed to the complexities of the growing field of compliance.
SPO 544: Sports Marketing and Promotions
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the principles of sports marketing and the application of these principles to sports and sports related organizations. The primary focus of the course is on planning, with additional emphasis on promotions management. This course includes presentations by guest lecturers, instructor's lectures, and student's presentations and is conducted in discussion format.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and apply the key concepts of sports marketing to specific sports situations.
- Create a written marketing plan for a sports organization, event, or product.
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of marketing professionals in the sports industries.
- Present issues and ideas related to sports marketing.
SPO 546: Facilities and Event Management
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Included within this course are the elements which shape the planning and construction of sports facilities and the issues and problems involved in facility and event management, including marketing, production, personnel, and budget. Students may also participate in the management of events. This course also includes visits to local facilities.
Learning Outcomes
- Utilize the planning and design process as a system for identifying and solving problems.
- Describe the reasons why a good risk management program is an important part of the job of sports administrators.
- Use the process necessary to protect against claims of negligence.
- Develop a successful risk management program.
- Explain the legal duty and expected professional standard of conduct regarding sports and recreational management.
SPO 719: Legal Aspects of Sports Administration
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This required course provides the student with a background and understanding of the court and legal system in America and how law is used by, and applied to, athletes and athletics in America. Some of the major legal problems and issues confronting the sports administrator covered are: contracts, due process, defamation, actions against professional, college, secondary school and community programs; actions involving safety procedures; antitrust; collective bargaining and arbitration; and risk management. (This course is web enhanced)
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and differentiate the various court and legal systems.
- Utilize and apply contract law and trademark law to sports.
- Apply and examine legal principles of tort law and trademark law to sports.
- Identify and analyze tax and antitrust laws, practice equal protection principles, and operate within the principles of Title IX.
SPO 755: Special Topic in Sports Administration
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Special topics courses are offered focusing on areas of concern and change within the evolving business of sports
RES 819: Research Methods
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on applying the principles, practices, and strategies for conducting research in the social sciences, particularly dealing with the interface of the human dimension in the social and behavioral sciences.
Learning Outcomes
- Create an appropriate researchable problem for a dissertation.
- Assess academic literature to support researchable problems.
- Distinguish characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
- Employ research approaches to study an appropriate problem of practice.
- Conduct research following the guidelines of ethical, legal, and professional requirements.
RES 820: Quantitative Research
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines theory and practice in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of experimental, quasi-experimental and survey procedures for program research and evaluation. Development of basic skills required in the understanding, planning and executing of a research study will be covered.
Learning Outcomes
- Explore quantitative research and statistical concepts with emphasis on the writing process.
- Review and assess academic literature for the production of literature reviews.
- Study the use of theories in building research methodologies.
- Identify the components of a great introduction and purpose statement and how they function in research and research reporting.
- Assess research questions and hypothesis for correct use and applicability to the research proposed.
- Investigate and appraise a quantitative study that uses of the following designs: Survey Research, Correlational Research, Experimental Research, and Causal-Comparative Research.
RES 821: Qualitative Research
Duration: 6 or 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores the methods and procedures used in qualitative research. Topics include the philosophical basis for the method; the conceptualization of research questions; the selection of appropriate research designs; data collection; manual and computerized data analysis; and the drawing of inferences.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze qualitative research, its underlying assumptions, interpretive frameworks, and ethical considerations and evaluate the quality, rigor, and trustworthiness of it.
- Utilize qualitative research designs and data collection practices to student-identified research problems.
- Collect qualitative data and apply qualitative data analysis strategies to it.
DIS 900: Doctoral Research Proposal
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will develop a dissertation or action research plan in collaboration with their chair. This course and the accompanying content create the trajectory for the culminating research experiences within the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program. Additionally, students will develop an introduction to the problem, background, context, and abbreviated theoretical framework, purpose of the study, research objectives/hypotheses, significance of the study, investigator scope, definition of term, and an organizational timeline for completion of the dissertation/action research process.
Learning Outcomes
- Prepare for the doctoral dissertation by honing writing and critical thinking skills.
- Assess the preliminary steps for authoring a publishable research paper.
- Document ability to independently write the Proposed Title, Topic Statement, Background, Context, and Theoretical Framework, Problem Statement, Purpose of Study, Research Questions, and Nature of the Study.
- Develop a relationship with a dissertation chair.
DIS 901: Doctoral Research I
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will submit their IRB application and develop their literature review, including theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks. Additionally, students will develop their research methodology/design, including research purpose, objectives/hypotheses, data treatment, data collection, and data analysis.
DIS 902: Doctoral Research II
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will collect and analyze data associated with research in collaboration with the chair and compose the findings and results section of the dissertation/action research process.
DIS 903: Doctoral Research III
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will compose the resulting implications, recommendations, and study limitations. Additionally, the student will prepare a formal presentation for the chair and committee members in hopes of successfully defending their dissertation or implementing the results from their action research process.
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