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Online Doctor of Education in Leadership (EdD)
Next Application Deadline:
April 14, 2025
Complete the form below to access your program guide, which includes:
- Detailed course descriptions
- Admission requirements
- Advisor availability calendar
Fully Online & Flexible
100% online EdD with no residency and with no GRE required.
Amplify your influence to create sustainable change. Across all industries and roles, Spalding University’s online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (EdD) equips you to lead more strategically and ethically.
Gain a fresh perspective on how to be a transformative leader in our collaborative, interdisciplinary, and globally conscious program. Intensive courses are delivered one at a time, allowing you to earn your terminal degree while continuing to work full-time and graduate in under two years.
Through our accredited online EdD program, you will stand out as an exemplary practitioner of ethical organizational leadership, an extraordinary team builder, a systems thinker and a driver of change and innovation in a global economy.
Learn More About Our Online Two-Year EdD Program
- 2 years to complete
- 10 courses/10 terms (one course at a time)
- 3 intakes per year: fall, spring and summer
- $840 per credit hour
- 60 credit hours
Spalding University is a diverse community of learners dedicated to meeting the needs of the times in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth through quality undergraduate and graduate liberal and professional studies, grounded in spiritual values, with emphasis on service and the promotion of peace and justice.
- SACSCOC Accredited: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Charter For Compassion: World’s first certified university
- Nationally Ranked University: U.S. News & World Report
Ethical Leadership
This course promotes a global understanding of the philosophical and civic traditions of leadership as the ethical construct of diverse practices in myriad organizations, institutions and societies. Students gain greater awareness of the cultural contradictions that influence contemporary organizations, especially in U.S. society, and learn to identify Western views of morality as well as ethical business practices in a competitive and diverse world marketplace. This course also focuses on ethical, mindful and legal decision-making based on compliance, regulations and customs in a global marketplace. Students demonstrate their learning via written assessments, oral presentations and other appropriate means of evaluation. This course moves away from the traditional construct of leadership as the manifestation of a single role and instead explores the more substantive concept of leaders’ relationships to internal and external constituents, as well as to cultural mores and constraints. In this course, students also enroll in and complete the required research ethics online course and must pass the assessment related to the course. Students must pass the quiz to pass EDD 905. Students also analyze a case study to identify and articulate the underlying leadership problem(s).
Creating Cultural Awareness and Appreciating Cultural Differences in Diverse, Global Organizations and in Intercultural Communication
Leaders in diverse, global organizations must develop an increasingly sophisticated awareness and understanding of cultural differences, just as leaders must advance their own and others’ communication abilities to appreciate and negotiate intercultural variances among organizational constituents and in international exchanges. This course focuses on identifying and transcending the complexities inherent in conducting intercultural communication between diverse individuals, institutions, and nations. Students also analyze a case study in which they identify and articulate the underlying leadership problem(s).
Identifying and Analyzing Organizational Issues
Students analyze actual local and global issues and organizational problems to identify underlying leadership issues, as well as to develop research protocols and arguments focused on helping to resolve those issues. Students are challenged to think critically to construct cogent analyses based on their knowledge of leadership theories and systems theory, as well as on their understanding of place as process. By the conclusion of the course, students identify a preliminary capstone project topic that meets the capstone project requirements outlined in the Spalding University Ed. D.: Leadership Handbook and in the Spalding University Catalog.
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What Can I Do with a Doctor of Education in Leadership?
From the classroom to the boardroom, leadership skills are valuable in every industry. Online EdD graduates carry out our mission to serve others in a variety of roles, organizations and disciplines.
For leaders passionate about education, there are two main doctoral degrees to consider: a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Education (EdD). While both are significant academic achievements, they differ in emphasis, methodology and career outcomes.
The chart below outlines distinctions between each program.
| Spalding University EdD | PhD in Education | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Applied & practical | Research & theoretical |
| Duration | 2 years | 4-7 years |
| Research | Capstone project addresses practical problems, often applied in real-world settings | Traditional dissertations contribute original research to theoretical understanding |
| Research Format | Embedded in the focus of the last four classes | Individual research after coursework is completed |
| Research Length | 50-70 pages | Typically 100+ pages |
| Research Guide | Co-chairs | Chair |
| Career Focus | Interdisciplinary leadership roles in all fields including education, business or consulting | Academia, research or specialized fields within education |
Nationally Ranked University by U.S. News & World Report
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t find the answers to your questions here, contact your enrollment advisor and schedule a time to talk that’s convenient for you.
Yes, this program is 100% online and designed for dedicated working professionals. Plan to allocate 20-25 hours each week to stay on track with coursework and projects.
An EdD emphasizes applied research and practical educational leadership skills, making it more universally applicable in industries like business, education, nonprofit organizations, social work, public health and more.
A PhD focuses on theoretical research and making scholarly contributions in academia and specialized fields in education.
No, you will complete a capstone research study.
While both are extensive and rigorous, your capstone focuses on applying your research to practical challenges instead of purely theoretical research like a traditional dissertation.
Our online EdD in Organizational Leadership program costs $840 per credit hour, for a total program investment of $50,400 (plus applicable fees).
Financial aid is available to our online students.
The Doctoral Capstone Advantage
The capstone project at Spalding University is academically rigorous and directly beneficial to your professional goals. Unlike the broader scope of a traditional dissertation, the capstone project is structured into five key phases: literature review, methodologies, context/history/problem-to-be-solved, empirical findings, and analysis. This streamlined approach allows you to produce a potentially publishable piece of research more efficiently, with greater focus and precision.
Focused for Leaders
Supportive Mentorship
Interdisciplinary Workshop
Findings & Defense
5 Professional Development Opportunities to Gain Leadership Skills
Read this blog to learn about the importance of leadership development and five approaches to amplify your influence, regardless of your industry or role.
Which Terminal Degree is Best for Professionals?
It's important to define a terminal degree before examining your options. We’ll compare three common terminal degrees: the PhD in Leadership, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and the Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership.
Amy MacDougall - EdD Enrollment Advisor
EdD Enrollment Support
Complete the form and get instant access to your program guide. An enrollment advisor will also connect with you to learn more about your goals and share how Spalding can help you reach them.
Requirements Not Met
To proceed with either the BSN to MSN FNP or the BSN to DNP FNP, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree and hold your RN license.
If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us.
To proceed with the EdD in Educational Leadership and Organizational Leadership, you are required to have a master’s degree.
If you don’t meet this requirement but would still like further information, please contact us.