Doctor of Education

Doctor of Education Program —
Educational Leadership

Develop your skills, advance professionally as an educator and prepare for leadership in today's education environment with the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership at SBU.

The doctor of education program at SBU is designed to prepare leaders on how to become school administrators and for other leadership roles in various nonprofit or church-affiliated organizations, the program will equip you through a variety of educational experiences, including:

Discussions of current research and leadership practice;
Self-reflection;
Innovative technology and classroom applications;
Simulations;
Field-based learning;
Professional seminars; and
Other experiences deemed current and beneficial to the further development of education leaders.

The doctorate program employs a cohort model, which provides numerous benefits, from community support and group feedback to peer mentoring, networking and collaborative insights. You also will receive ongoing guidance and support from your advisor, who is assigned to you in your first semester and will facilitate your individual Directed Research project.

Throughout the program, you will advance your knowledge on how to become a school administrator and a servant leader. The doctor of education degree helps you learn processes and gain knowledge to create a positive culture, increase organizational and student performance, and enable the development of a highly successful learning organization.

Want to Learn More?

To receive more information about the doctor of education program, including application information, please fill out our information request form.

Request info about the Ed.D. program

Sample Course Plan

30
credit
hours

Earn your doctorate degree quicker — SBU's Ed.D. program requires just 30 credit hours!

The SBU Advantage

Fit classes into your busy schedule through our convenient online and hybrid offerings that are scheduled with the time-constrained demands of the working educator in mind.

Receive one-on-one guidance from a faculty member who works with each doctoral student on their research and statistics work.

Benefit from personalized dissertation support. You are not on your own to complete your dissertation but will have the support of a dissertation committee.

Leveling options for Your Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

Traditionally, a student has needed to complete both a master’s degree in education and a specialist degree in educational administration before proceeding to a doctorate. With the “leveling” program at SBU, the specialist degree is not required, though specific courses must be completed — over a period of 1-2 years — before beginning doctoral work. The leveling track requires 13 hours fewer than the completed specialist degree, saving you a year’s worth of classes and nearly $4,000 in tuition.

If your highest degree is a Master of Science, you will need to complete all three steps to achieve an Ed.D. through leveling. If your highest degree is a Master of Science in Educational Administration, you will need to complete the last two steps to achieve an Ed.D. through leveling.

Step 1: M.S. Administration + Leveling Courses (1 year to complete, 22 credit hours) + Test for Principal Certification

Step 2: Specialist of Educational Administration: Leveling Courses (1 year to complete, 21 credit hours) + Test for Superintendent Certification

Step 3: Ed.D. courses (2 years to complete, 30 credit hours) + completion of directed research project

Full-Time Faculty

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership course Plans

track 1

Candidates holding the Educational Specialist Degree in School Administration/Superintendency or School Administration will complete the following courses for the Ed. D.:

first Semester

EAD 8023	Educational Advocacy	3
EAD 8033	Advanced Research and Ethics	3
Total hours		6

third semester

EAD 8053	Ethics in Personal & Professional Life	3
EAD 8013	Leadership in Learning	3
Total hours		6

FIFTH SEMESTER

EAD 8011	Education Symposium	1
	Written Comprehensive Exam	0
EAD 8073	Directed Research	3
Total hours		4

second Semester

BUS 6002	Non-Profit Financial Management	2
BUS 6012	Organizational Consulting Practice	2
EAD 8043	Advanced Statistics and Instrument Design	3
Total hours		7

fourth semester

EAD 8003	Leadership and the Law	3
EAD 8001	Symposium Planning and Development	1
Total hours		4

SIXTH SEMESTER

EAD 8073	Directed Research*	3+
Total hours		3+

*The dissertation process is a journey that typically requires several hours of dissertation credit to complete. Continuous enrollment in directed research is required until the dissertation is finished.

EAD 7003	School District Administration	3
EAD 7013	Personnel Administration	3
EAD 7023	Advanced School Finance	3
EAD 7033	School Planning and Maintenance	3

EAD 7043	Research and Statistics	3
EAD 7072	Internship in Superintendency	2
EAD 7123	The Superintendency	3
Total hours		20

EAD 6014	School Curriculum	4
EAD 6024	School Administration	4

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