Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management (EdD)

In a world where new technologies, federal mandates, and global issues are rapidly changing the landscape of education, the need for educator-leaders – primed to transform the practice and invent the future of learning – is more critical than ever. Drexel’s fully online EdD in Educational Leadership and Management program fosters personal leadership growth, empowering you to move ahead professionally.

Ready to take the next step? Apply for the Spring 2026 term by the priority deadline, October 27, 2025, to receive priority application review. Regular deadline: January 12, 2026. Learn more.

What is a Doctorate in Education?

The Doctor of Education program is specifically designed to prepare innovative leaders, capable of guiding complex organizations through uncertain times. With its focus on evidence-based theory, action research, and collaborative discourse, you will challenge old ways of thinking, while learning to create new models of effective practice across a wide range of educational and business environments.

Learn how to complete your EdD dissertation online.

Mentoring and Coaching Program

Elevate your EdD journey with our EdD Mentoring and Coaching (MAC) program. In your first year, get matched with an experienced MAC alumnus who shares similar career interests. They offer invaluable guidance, helping you navigate coursework and adjust to doctoral life. Benefit from their insights, build networks, and gather career advice. Beyond the first year, forge lasting connections with your MAC for continuous support throughout your program.

For questions about the program and how to become a MAC or, if you are a new student wishing to be paired with a MAC, please contact edd@drexel.edu.

Online EdD Program Features

• The EdD program can be completed in three or five years on a part-time basis, allowing you to work full-time while earning your degree.
• There is no residency requirement—all courses and the dissertation process can be completed 100 percent online.
• Diverse concentration options are available, allowing you to tailor your degree to your area of interest.
• You will become part of a student cohort, providing ample opportunities to network and receive support from a cohesive community that learns and grows together.
• The program’s accredited curriculum incorporates the expert knowledge and skills you must have to become an effective 21st century leader in educational or business environments – from instructional technology integration and transformative leadership, to strategic decision-making, institutional finance, and program evaluation.
• First year students benefit from our Mentoring and Coaching Program (MAC). The program provides guidance and support to students as they navigate their coursework and opportunities to expand their networks and gather career advice. 

5 Reasons You Should Earn an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management

Hear from Program Director Deanna Hill, JD, PhD, as she shares how this program can help you lead change, advance your career, and make a lasting impact in the field of education.

Priority Application Deadline

Drexel University offers a priority deadline for the online EdD in Educational Leadership and Management. Applications submitted by the priority deadline will receive priority review by the committee, and accepted students will receive an earlier decision. The priority deadline for Spring 2026 is October 27, 2025.

Applications are still accepted up until the regular deadline for the term. The regular deadline for Spring 2026 is January 12, 2026.

Concentration Options

• Creativity and Innovation
  • Option A: Creativity and Innovation
    Provides an in-depth understanding of creativity, enhanced communication, and creative problem-solving; and explores how these may be applied to practical situations in the workplace.
  • Option B: Mind, Brain, Learning, and Innovation
    Looks at advancements in technology and research related to the human learning process and how this informs pedagogical practices across learning formats.
• Educational Administration (with Pennsylvania Principal Certification)
  Equips emerging school leaders with the tools to navigate the intricate landscape of educational leadership, including data-driven decision-making, identifying gaps in teaching and learning, and championing evidence-based practices with focus on improving learning outcomes for all students. The heart of the program lies in the internship component. As a student, you’ll assume leadership roles under the guidance of an experienced principal mentor. This hands-on experience bridges theory and practice, preparing you for the dynamic realities of school leadership.
  
• Educational Administration (with Pennsylvania Superintendent Letter of Eligibility)
  Equips visionary leaders with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to navigate the complexities of organizational management, transformational change, and adaptive leadership in K-12 education. Responsible for overseeing every aspect of a school district, superintendents lead instructional innovation, fiscal management, policy implementation, and community engagement while reporting directly to the Board of Education. This concentration provides real-world leadership training through dynamic coursework, expert faculty mentorship, and an intensive, year-long internship that immerses students in the day-to-day responsibilities of a superintendent. From crisis management and budget oversight to policy advocacy and stakeholder communication, students gain hands-on experience that prepares them to lead with confidence.
• Education Policy
  Engages with policies and policy issues that have an impact on education, those working in it, and those served by it. Includes a heavy emphasis on the roles of ethics and ethical decision-making in policy development.
• Higher Education Leadership
  • Option A: Administration, Leadership, & Assessment
    Examines the historical growth and advancement of colleges and universities in the U.S. with a look at the impact of variables such as the law, politics, and power structures.
  • Option B: Administration, Student Success, & Innovation
    Explores the connection between strategic enrollment management and institutional planning and sustainability with an examination of the student lifecycle from recruitment to the student experience to graduation.
• Human Resource Development
  Produces 21st century leaders with the competencies and capabilities to facilitate workplace learning, performance, and change in any organizational setting.
• Learning Technologies
  Teaches the skills needed to solve the technological learning challenges facing schools and businesses. Includes a focus on areas such as instructional design, performance support, virtual communities, learning in participatory culture, and e-learning leadership.
• Nursing Education
  Prepares registered nurses to assume faculty positions while providing a robust interdisciplinary education between Drexel's School of Education and the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Those who wish to pursue this concentration must have an RN license.
• Special Education Law and Process
  Equips educators, administrators, and advocates with essential legal knowledge and collaborative skills to support students with disabilities. Through an in-depth exploration of special education laws, court cases, and advocacy strategies, students gain practical expertise applicable in schools, family support services, and community-based work, empowering them to drive meaningful change by fostering legally sound, school-family-community partnerships that meet the diverse needs of all learners.
• Special Education Leadership
  Students are prepared to take on supervisory roles within the education system after gaining the unique leadership knowledge and skills needed to successfully direct programs within special education. Graduates are equipped with the advanced skills, knowledge, and competencies to head programs that meet the needs of students at risk for and with disabilities in a variety of environments.

The Drexel Difference

Learn more about what makes Drexel's EdD program unique and how our graduates have used the degree to further their careers.

Program Awards and Accolades

Drexel's EdD program received the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Program of the Year Award for 2019, a prestigious distinction that recognizes programs demonstrating excellence, innovation, and impact.

Alumni Spotlight

Learn about Dr. Brandon Wallace’s journey in educational leadership and how the EdD in Education Leadership and Management prepared him for success as a professor and a father.

Hear from Dr. Erik Pederson as he shares his story about his experience as a student in the EdD in Educational Leadership and Management program. Dr. Pederson talks about working with students from all types of industries and how the program has prepared him for success in his career and how he earned his Superintendent Letter of Eligibility through the program.

Archived Webinars

• Escaping the Trap of Memorization: Using Active Learning Strategies to Facilitate Knowledge Synthesis
• Online Open House: EdD in Educational Leadership and Management
• Student Experience: EdD in Educational Leadership and Management

How long does it take to earn a Doctorate of Education online?

Drexel operates on the quarter system, which means there are four terms in a calendar year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). The online EdD program requires 59.5 quarter credits. As working professionals, part-time students typically take three years to earn their degree as part of a cohort. There is also a one-course per term plan of study that can be completed in five years.

Drexel's online EdD is specifically designed for working professionals. The online coursework and no residency requirement means that you can learn on your own schedule.

What can you do with a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Management?

The EdD program is ideal for:

• K-12 leadership: superintendents, principals, administrators, teachers
• Higher education administrators
• Organizers of community programs
• Leaders in corporations that serve the educational community

Drexel’s EdD program graduates go on to become leaders and innovators in the areas of instruction, administration, learning, and strategy within many kinds of organizations, including public and private schools, postsecondary institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, and corporations.

Doctorate of Education Leadership (EdD) Salary Expectations

Median Salaries for EdD Related Occupations:

*2016 figures via Bureau of Labor Statistics

What is the difference between an EdD and a PhD in Education?

Once you have earned a master’s degree, you have two options for completing a doctoral degree – an EdD or a PhD in Education. Although they are both doctoral programs, they are distinctly different in substance and focus.

You might consider pursuing an EdD for these reasons:

• You aspire to work in a hands-on administrative leadership position in educational or corporate environments, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations
• You want to become a research-informed leader-practitioner, skilled in real-world problem solving, strategic decision making, and organizational transformation

If you are interested in a faculty position at a higher education institution, a PhD in education would be a great choice. It is far more research-intensive, with an emphasis on creating "new knowledge" in a specific area of study that enhances the profession. 

Additional Program Formats

• Hybrid Philadelphia

State restrictions may apply to some programs.