University of Kentucky®
Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership
Become a more efficient leader that manages and tackles problems in the education system. This 100% online Ed.D. online program is for education professionals with a master's degree who seek a career as directors, assistant directors, school district leaders, administrative or academic deans, and other types of leadership roles in educationally-based organizations.
Students enjoy the flexibility of completing their studies online. Exams and defense are all completed remotely. Students will be required to participate in synchronous online program activities 5-6 times per semester.
At a Glance
Fall 2025
Credits and Tuition Cost (2023-2024)
Format
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Doctorate in Educational Leadership overview
What You'll Learn
Designed for the working educational professional who wants to gain expertise for a research-intensive career, this rigorous, online program can be completed in as little as four years. As a student in this program you will:
- Improve your leadership skills and develop strategies to create organizational change and organizational learning.
- Apply theoretical concepts and frameworks to educational problems and identify best practices for addressing those problems.
- Use action research to diagnose problems in educational settings, identify innovative solutions, and assess outcomes.
- Develop a professional network of faculty and program alumni who will help you navigate problems in your organization.
*This program requires some synchronous classes, usually on a Saturday or in the evening.
Course Examples
- EDL 700 Knowledge Base*
- EDL 701 Leadership in Educational Organizations I*
- EDL 702 Leadership for Organizational Learning*
- EDL 703 Leading Organizational Change
- EDL 571 Design Thinking in Education
- EDL 669 Leadership for Creative Problem Solving
- EDL 620 Introduction to Action Research
- EDL 621 Seminar in Educational Leadership: Leading Action Research and Inquiry II
How to Apply
Application Requirements
On the UK Graduate School application, please select Degree: Doctoral, Program: Educational Leadership
Standard graduate application requirements apply.
- Professional Resume: This should provide your name, contact information, postsecondary education (all degrees, years awarded, institution names, emphasis area), work experiences, professional certifications, professional memberships, publications, research experiences, and Honors/Awards.
- Personal Statement: Submit an up to 2-page personal statement addressing the following prompts. The paper should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font.
Why do you want to complete an Ed.D. in educational leadership studies?
Why have you chosen to apply to this particular program?
What are your interests related to current problems of practice that can be addressed through action research?
How does this program align with your career goal as a leader and practitioner scholar? - Academic Recommendation (Only email address required. Our system will ask them to upload their letter.): A recommendation from someone who has earned a doctoral degree and serves in an academic institution is preferred. This recommender should be able to speak to your ability to successfully navigate doctoral-level coursework and complete independent research.
- Professional Recommendation (Only email address required. Our system will ask them to upload their letter.): Recommender should be able to speak to your creativity, ability to navigate systems, and critical thinking skills.
- On-Demand Writing Assessment: Each applicant participates in an on-demand writing task as part of the application process. The assessment session is offered via Zoom on the following dates and times:
- December 5, 2024, 5:00 PM Eastern
- January 16, 2025, 5:00 PM Eastern
- February 13, 2025, 5:00 PM Eastern
- Prospective applicants must register in advance for the sessions here
Admissions Criteria
Standard graduate admission requirements apply.
- A graduate degree (M.A.) from an accredited college or university
- A GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Two recommendations (Only email address required. Our system will ask them to upload their letter.)
At least 1 (one) from an academic reference, preferably someone who has earned a doctoral degree and serves in an academic institution. The recommendation should speak to your ability to successfully navigate doctoral level coursework and complete independent action research study.
At least 1 (one) from a professional reference who can speak to your ability to lead, work as a team member, creativity, ability to navigate systems, and manage change within an organization. - Completed a graduate-level basic statistics course with a grade of B or higher.
- Completed a graduate-level basic statistics course with a grade of B or higher.
- Applicants are required to show they have passed a statistics course that covers basic descriptive statistics, correlation, normal distributions and hypothesis testing (including correlation and regression). To meet the requirement, you will be asked to provide documentation by August 15 of the semester you start classes. You can meet this requirement in one of three ways.
- Provide documentation of a previous course that covered the required content describe above. -OR-
- Complete EPE 558/EDP 558 before August 15th of the year of admission. -OR-
- Show proof of completion of the “Statistical Reasoning,” course offered through the Open Learning Initiative entitled: https://oli.cmu.edu/courses/statistical-reasoning-copy/. It’s self-paced and free for independent learners.
- Applicants are required to show they have passed a statistics course that covers basic descriptive statistics, correlation, normal distributions and hypothesis testing (including correlation and regression). To meet the requirement, you will be asked to provide documentation by August 15 of the semester you start classes. You can meet this requirement in one of three ways.
Deadlines
Fall 2025
Distance Learning
Licensure & Authorization
Where you live matters when completing distance education activities. If you will live outside of Kentucky while completing your program, please check the Distance Learning Authorization & Licensure page to confirm that the program can be offered in your state or country, and if relevant, that it meets professional licensure requirements in your state. Please note: Admission and enrollment in a fully-online program can NOT lead to the issuance of a J-1 or F-1 student visa.
AUTHORIZATION & LICENSURE INFO
Student Support
Once you become a student, you will have access to a wide variety of academic support services to maximize your success. These services are available completely online to meet the needs of our online students.
Why UK Online
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Grad tuition cap
