School of Education
Ed.D. in Organizational Improvement for Educational Leaders
We know that educational and organizational leaders have challenging jobs that are constantly changing because organizations and the people in them are complex. In the Doctorate of Education in Organizational Improvement for Educational Leaders (Ed.D.) program, you will gain the skills you need to:
- Identify, address, and solve complex organizational problems
- Make important decisions that influence the core function of your organization such as teaching and learning or career development
- Gather and analyze data to effectively and quickly address emerging or ongoing systemic challenges
Program Coordinator: Dr. Lauren Bailes
Why an Ed.D.?
The Doctor of Education represents the highest level of scholarly attainment in the professional field of education. As intellectual and professional leaders, Ed.D. graduates are expected to inspire and lead by taking on complex problems and designing solutions across a broad range of K-12, higher education, and community and educational environments.
The Ed.D. in Organizational Improvement for Educational Leaders is designed to prepare dynamic educational leaders. Our students are practicing professionals, including–among others–early childhood educators, teachers, instructional leaders, assistant principals, principals, district officials, college-level educators and administrators, and community organizational leaders.
- Salary
- Career outcomes
- Learning/skills
- Testimonials
The Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs differ primarily in terms of research expectations. The difference in expectations is reflected in the kinds of research preparation students receive and the kinds of problems that the thesis should address.
The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students to launch a research career that focuses on studying important problems of the field of education. Thus, Ph.D. students are expected to identify and address a problem that has some fundamental or generalizable significance.
In contrast, the Ed.D. program is designed to prepare students to assume leadership roles in administration, curriculum, and teaching. Thus, Ed.D. students are expected to identify and address organizational problems. In addition, the Ph.D. program is a 4-5 year program designed for students to attend on a full-time basis, most often with support from an assistantship or fellowship. In contrast, the Ed.D. program is a 4.5-5 year program designed to be completed on a part-time basis with students maintaining their current employment.
| Comparison | Ph.D. Program | Ed.D. Program |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s degree required? | It is not required in most specializations. However, a previous master’s degree is required for the math education area. | A master’s degree is required to enter the Ed.D. program. |
| Preparation | Training to conduct research to solve problems using theory and prior research. | Training to use data to solve organizational problems. |
| Thesis | Dissertation, addresses problem of generalizable significance. | Dissertation in Practice: Addresses a problem of local, practical importance. |
| Time commitment | Full-time, 4-5 years. | Part-time, 4-5 years. |
| Funding available from UD School of Education | Tuition waivers and/or assistantship stipends are possible* | Not typically (due to funding possibilities) |
| Typical future employment | Faculty member at a graduate university, or researcher in private corporation, foundation, or center. | Leader in a school, district, or department of education, or faculty member at a 2- or 4-year college. |
* Funding practices are subject to change according to availability.
The core (33 credits) includes three content sections based on themes of organizational improvement paradigms, methods for driving improvement, and leading change. Other sections include the colloquium courses (1 credit each, taken six times for a total of six credits), nine credits of electives, and twelve credits of the Educational Leadership Portfolio: The Dissertation in Practice. The program requires 60 credits.
| Section | Section Credits | |
| Core Section 1: Understanding the Context of Improvement | 12 |
Total core credits: 33 |
| Core Section 2: Methods of improvement | 15 | |
| Core Section 3: Leading change | 6 | |
| Elective credits | 9 | |
| Colloquium credits | 6 | |
| Educational Leadership Portfolio: The Dissertation in Practice | 12 | |
| Total Program Credits: 60 | ||
Core Section 1: Understanding the Context of Improvement (12 credits) includes coursework that addresses continuous improvement paradigms, historical foundations of education, the contexts in which educational organizational improvement efforts take place, and working within local educational systems.
Core Section 2: Methods of improvement (12 credits) includes ways of using research for organizational improvement; selecting, collecting, and analyzing secondary data; collecting and analyzing survey data; program evaluation.
Core Section 3: Leading change (9 credits) addresses capacity building in areas such as community engagement; designing, delivering, and assessing adult learning; and working with adults for improvement (e.g., facilitating and supporting teams).
Electives (9 credits): specializations allow students to address their own learning goals and needs in areas such as policy, technology, curriculum and instruction, or leading for equity.
Colloquium (6 credits): Colloquium courses will address dispositional aspects of educational leadership and students will take them once per fall and spring term during the three years of their coursework.
Educational Leadership Portfolio: The Dissertation in Practice: (12 credits) A student’s time in the Ed.D. program culminates with the completion of a Dissertation in Practice (ELP: DIP) which consists of identifying and addressing an organizational challenge, implementing an organizational improvement strategy to address that challenge, and reflecting on the effectiveness of the selected strategy.
This program takes 4.5 to 5 years if you take 3-4 credits per term year round. The Ed.D. program has courses in fall and spring semesters, plus winter and summer sessions. The required summer classes alternate among Summer I (June through early July) and Summer II (July through early August), leaving a break in late summer.
Admissions Process & Requirements
Applications for all graduate programs at the University of Delaware are done online through the UD Graduate College. To apply to the Ed.D. program, complete the steps of the UD online graduate application process. For information about graduate tuition, visit the graduate tuition page for CEHD programs.
Applications are due February 28 for admission the following fall semester.
To apply to the Ed.D. in program, complete the steps of the UD online graduate application process. Some items specific to the Ed.D. program include:
- Three letters of recommendation including one from applicant’s supervisor: Letters of recommendation should be from people qualified to assess the applicant’s leadership skills and academic potential. These letters are submitted online and described here. We advise you to contact people to consider writing your recommendations well in advance of the deadline.
- Essay or personal statement: Applicants are required to answer specific questions to be addressed in the application essay.
- Explain why you want to be admitted to the Ed.D. program.
- The Ed.D. program requires that candidates be involved in planning and implementing a series of initiatives targeted at specific improvement needs that candidates identify and in which they may exercise leadership. Describe the contexts and responsibilities in your current position which would allow you to exercise leadership.
- Describe a problem in your area of interest that typifies the kind of issue that you would like to pursue as a leadership professional and why you think it is important to address.
- Supplemental materials are appropriate if they help establish your ability to analyze, reason, interpret and write clear and persuasive prose. A grant proposal, report, journal article, or other succinct writing may be included with the application.
- Current resume.
- All students whose primary language is not English must submit official copies of the TOEFL, IELTS, or iTEP Academic Plus test.; the minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL test is 100. The minimum acceptable score for the IELTS is 7.0. The minimum acceptable score for the iTEP Academic Plus is 4.5. International applicants who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an American university or who are from a country on the approved list may have this requirement waived. Please see the Grad Admissions test scores page, under the TOEFL/IELTS Test Scores section.
- GRE scores are not required for application.
Note: Please do not send any transcripts to the School of Education.
In addition to the University requirements above, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Applicants must hold a master’s degree in a relevant area (e.g., educational leadership; literacy, mathematics, or science education; higher education; human services; special education; technology in education) from an accredited university by the month in which they begin doctoral work.
- Applicants must demonstrate scholastic ability by having achieved a minimum graduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale in their undergraduate degree and 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in their master’s program.
- Applicants should be working in or toward a leadership role in their current position (e.g., administrator, coordinator, or teacher leader at a district/school, higher education, or education department in other organization). A current resume or Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) must be submitted as part of the application.
Admission to the Ed.D. in Organizational Improvement for Educational Leaders is competitive and selective. Admission decisions are made on a number of criteria including academic qualifications; leadership potential, experience and accomplishments; the applicant’s alignment with the program goals and objectives and the expertise of the program faculty; and program capacity. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Graduate credit earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request of the student. Such a request should be submitted first to the student’s advisor following the Transfer of Graduate Credit process. A maximum of 9 credits required for the degree will be accepted provided that such credits (1) were earned with a grade of no less than B, (2) are approved by the student’s adviser and the School of Education Director or Designee, (3) are in accord with the student’s program requirements, (4) are not older than five years, and (5) were completed at an accredited college or university. The credits, but not the grades or quality points, are transferable to University of Delaware graduate records. Graduate courses counted toward a degree received elsewhere may not be used. Credits earned at another institution while the student was classified as a continuing education student at that institution are not eligible to be transferred to one’s graduate degree at the University of Delaware. Credits from institutions outside of the United States are generally not transferable to the University of Delaware.
“The University of Delaware is a large institution, but as a graduate student here – as I have worked my way through my program, the school has become ‘smaller’ and more personal which has made my experience more meaningful and fulfilling.”
Sterling H. Seemans, Ed.D. in Educational Leadership alum; M.Ed. in School Leadership, 2012; BS in Health Sciences, 2008. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Rising Sun High School in North East, Maryland.
Logistics
Nearly all classes are hybrid and some combination of in-person and synchronous online. All EdD classes start weekdays at 5:00 pm or later, or on the weekend. On average students travel to campus twice per month.
Yes, this program requires a 12-credit Dissertation in Practice (DIP). This requires you to identify, study, and address an organizational problem and then to carry out an organizational improvement project. Many of the course activities can be integrated into the Dissertation in Practice and you will receive the support of your advisor and dissertation committee as you complete the project.
For information about graduate tuition, visit CEHD’s graduate tuition page.
Ed.D. students may be qualified for loans by applying through Student Financial Services and they meet registration requirements such as being enrolled in at least 6 credits in the same term. (Short sessions such as Fall A and Fall B, and Spring A and Spring B, are not considered the same term.)
Ed.D. students are usually part-time graduate students and normally do not qualify for assistantships. If an Ed.D. student is full time, however, the full-time Ed.D student is eligible to apply for the same assistantships and fellowships as full-time Ph.D. students.
Yes, admitted Ed.D. students are assigned to an academic advisor who is a full-time faculty member in the School of Education. This person helps you throughout your doctoral journey by meeting to schedule classes, providing resources as you identify your problem of practice, and supports the development and completion of your Dissertation in Practice.
Program Faculty
Additional FAQs
Yes, our students come from a host of backgrounds, including nursing, communication, and law. While a number of courses address education content, the program’s focus on organizational improvement is broadly applicable to a range of industries, interests, and domains.
This program is not designed to be full-time, which is typically a requirement for student visas.
We strongly recommend this program for people who are employed in education or human service organizations. This program works best when students can immediately apply their new learning to their current organizational context, like a school, district, or university. Without a connection to a home organization, it is difficult to complete the course and program requirements. For questions, please reach out to the program coordinator.
Not at this time.
Yes. In order to get a central office/superintendent’s license, you need to take 6 credit hours of 879 over two consecutive terms (such as spring and summer). These credits include your 240 hour internship. You will also need to take the appropriate Praxis exam and apply for university endorsement.
- All EdD classes start weekdays at 5:00 pm or later, or on the weekend
- All taught by PhDs (not adjuncts but research professors)
- All leadership faculty are former P12 and higher ed practitioners (teachers, administrators, and student services professionals)
- Different bio for faculty with previous practitioner experience
- All classes are some kind of hyflex delivery
- On average students travel to campus twice per month