Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Be the leader who makes a difference

St. Scholastica's Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) program is designed to support current and aspiring leaders in recognizing inequities in their professional settings and create a plan of action to address them. Inclusive environments stimulate the best development of innovative thinking to solve today's complex social problems. And, we have designed our program around this idea.

Grounded in social justice, the program strives to incorporate high-impact practices that get at the heart of effective change, leadership development and innovative organizational strategies. We welcome and invite students from different professional experiences, social organizations and diverse backgrounds to join us in this intentionally intersectional program.

Starting with the first course, students will work with others who care about creating change, equity and social justice, and have a commitment to improving the lives of individuals, innovating within organizations and transforming communities.

The program is grounded in, and informed by, the School of Education's conceptual framework centered around 'Leaders and Learners' and is aligned with the College's Benedictine values. Innovation, critical reflection and continuous improvement are embedded in the program.

Problem of practice (dissertation in practice) starts early with faculty support

From the onset, students will identify a problem of practice in their professional setting that becomes the foundation for the final capstone project.

Students will be in a supportive learning community with dedicated faculty to begin working through the capstone project and ensures that students are working on problems that matter to them and their communities. This support will ensure you finish the program and earn your degree on time.

Individualized internship experience

To assist doctoral students in meeting their professional and personal goals, the program has designed an internship course that allows students to create a flexible individualized experience where they can apply the effective strategies learned in the program.

Sample internships:

• Serve as a teaching assistant in a college course to improve your skills at a new level
• Work closely with a respected leader who can serve as a mentor
• Support the efforts of a grant writing office as you learn new skills for fundraising
• Intern at a social service agency to learn more about effective strategies for improving the lives of clients

International experience option

We believe international experiences provide unique and compelling opportunities for aspiring leaders. These experiences allow for growth, learning and enhance an individual's knowledge, skills and understanding of different cultures. The international experiences will be designed with graduate students in mind and will also be offered in collaboration with other college education abroad trips.

Cohort model and program advisor

Online learning isn't independent learning at St. Scholastica. You will become part of a special learning community that will ensure your success. With our cohort model you'll move through the program with the same group of colleagues. You will also have support from the very beginning of the program from a dedicated advisor and faculty.

Excellent online education

We are not new to online learning and we know how to do it well. St. Scholastica's education programs have a long history of offering programs in innovative ways that engage students and support their learning. Our philosophy is that "online learning should not mean you are alone."

The same faculty that developed our nationally-recognized Master of Education program designed the new online Ed.D. program.

National recognition. Individual attention.

St. Scholastica's education programs are nationally accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). The 2019 U.S. News & World Report ranked our online M.Ed. program among the top in the nation and highest of all ranked programs in Minnesota.

Dedicated staff and faculty are committed to supporting Ed.D. students from start to finish, providing individual attention to support student success.