Earning a Doctorate of Education in Leadership (EdD: Leadership) online at Spalding University equips you with skills and knowledge that can be applied directly to your growing career. Learn how to address modern-day issues with cultural awareness and advanced leadership skills — all within a flexible, online format that allows you to maintain your current career.
Whether you’re aiming to become a leader in business, education, a nonprofit organization or policy making, our program will equip you to become an ethical and effective leader ready to implement positive change here in Kentucky.
Opportunities in Kentucky
According to the 2022 Statewide Occupational Employment & Wages Report by the Kentucky Center for Statistics, there is a favorable amount of jobs that you could apply your online EdD degree to. The estimated employment for different occupations in Kentucky is outlined below:
Management: 101,520
Business and Financial Operations: 79,310
Community and Social Service: 30,670
Educational Instruction: 92,660
Lightcast Labor Insights also projects job growth for several occupations between 2023 and 2033, including:
Master’s degree from an accredited college or university
3.0 GPA
Resume
2-3 Letters of recommendation
Critique of a journal article
Official transcripts from all schools
Interview
No GRE required
Program Features
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
Mission Statement
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.
Accreditations and Recognition
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
Online EdD: Leadership Curriculum Snapshot
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You’ll benefit from our program’s integrated and flexible format for instruction that promotes best practices in business, social services, the arts and higher education. Dynamic learning, cutting-edge research and collaborative study underscore our educational process. You’ll connect with students from a diverse, cross-sectional cohort of professionals at a university with an outstanding reputation for quality education and a legacy of service.
Advanced Leadership Concepts in Practice
EDD 902 Systems Theory and Leadership
This course focuses on the interdisciplinary study of systems and on the systemic thinking that 21st-century leaders must adopt to lead effectively in a diverse world and global economy. Students learn how the current emphasis on the interdependence of individuals, groups, structures and processes contrasts sharply with the 19th- and early 20th-century philosophy that individuals and organizations thrive as independent agents. Students also analyze a case study to identify and articulate the underlying leadership problem(s).
Global and Cultural Perspectives
EDD 904 Leading Innovative and Creative Change Across the Organization and Within the Community
This course examines effective, ethical, creative and transformative ways of implementing organizational and community change. Students learn how a leader can drive and shape an organization to embrace, foster and promote individual and collective innovation. Further, students explore skills and strategies to systematize operations and confirm digital access and appropriate infrastructure for an organization to thrive in a global marketplace. In addition, through written and other forms of assessment, students demonstrate accountability in the mindful use and application of transformative processes, just as students learn strategic planning, the importance of team building and the significance of creating partnerships. Students also analyze a case study to identify and articulate the underlying leadership problem(s).
Organizational Innovation and Change
EDD 905 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).
Research-Informed Decision-Making
EDD 908 Research Methodology and Problem-Solving
The purpose of this course is to educate doctoral-level students in the use of the scientific approach in research and to ensure informed decision-making grounded in empirical research. By critiquing research studies, students develop the knowledge, skills and aptitudes that characterize the disciplined researcher who conducts and applies qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed-method studies. This course challenges students to think systematically-yet-creatively about inquiry and about how inquiry aligns with an organization’s foundational design and performance-improvement principles. This course also promotes inquiry that informs ways in which leaders conceive, develop, implement and evaluate interventions (programs, products, systems and aids) to achieve organizational goals and objectives.
What Can I Do With a Doctorate of Education in Leadership?
Earning your EdD in Leadership affords you a wide variety of career options. Graduates from our program carry out our mission to serve others in a variety of industries, organizations and disciplines. Typical leadership roles in the education sector include principal, superintendent, chancellor, dean, provost, education consultant, thought leader, department leader or faculty member. Other sectors include:
Business Sector Leadership Roles
Nonprofit Sector Leadership Roles
Public Sector Leadership Roles
Why Spalding University?
Get your doctoral degree from a compassion-driven university
As the first university in the world to be certified as a Compassionate College by the Charter for Compassion, we empower our students to leave a positive impact as ethical leaders. Additionally, our Catholic heritage welcomes all and emphasizes cultural understanding and dignity for everyone.
Universally Relevant
Develop leadership skills that are applicable to your organization’s goals, whether in the private, public, government or nonprofit sector.
Mission-Driven
Learn at a university rooted in quality learning, diversity, ethical leadership and a socially conscious legacy of service.
Learn More About the Online EdD: Leadership Program
Earn your degree at a university that keeps cultural, societal, global and ethical issues at the forefront of education.
We created this program for aspiring leaders who want to advance their organizations to the next level. If you want to lead strategically and ethically, Spalding’s online EdD: Leadership program may be the right choice for you to advance your career and use your influential voice for good.
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.
What is an online EdD program?
An online doctor of education (EdD) program prepares students for leadership roles, and it focuses on both conducting and applying research (whereas PhD programs focus on conducting research). An EdD degree can be applied to multiple industries like business, education, nonprofit organizations, social work, public health and more.
According to the 2022 Statewide Occupational Employment & Wages Report by the Kentucky Center for Statistics, there is a favorable amount of jobs that you could apply your online EdD degree to. The estimated employment for different occupations in Kentucky is outlined below: Management: 101,520, Business and Financial Operations: 79,310, Community and Social Service: 30,670, Educational Instruction: 92,660.
Is Spalding University's online EdD: Leadership program only for educators?
Nope! This degree can be applied to the education industry and beyond. It is designed for students who want to pursue leadership roles in a variety of industries and disciplines including, but not limited to:
Advocacy groups
Arts and humanities
Faith-based organizations
Healthcare
Human services and resources
Learning design and technology
Media and communications
Mental health and social work
Philanthropy and fundraising
How long will it take for me to complete the online EdD: Leadership program?
The EdD: Leadership program is flexibly designed for working professionals and can be completed in two years. Courses are delivered one at a time. Each term is 8 weeks long, and students complete 10 courses in 10 terms.
How much does the online EdD: Leadership program cost?
Our online EdD: 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.
Is the online EdD: Leadership program accredited?
Spalding University and the EdD: Leadership program are regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Is the online EdD: Leadership faculty experienced?
You will learn from doctorally prepared instructors who are also practicing organizational leaders and bring real-world perspectives to the classroom. As trusted Spalding University faculty members, they are committed to your success.
Is a GRE required to apply to Spalding's Ed.D.?
There is no GRE/GMAT required. To apply, you must complete an interview with a member of the Ed.D. faculty and submit the following:
Transcripts with a minimum GPA of 3.0 GPA
Resume
2-3 Letters of recommendation
Critique of a journal article
Check out our blog
Business leader giving a presentation to his coworkers
Ed.D. programs teach leaders how to apply leadership theory and research to achieve meaningful growth in real-world settings. This terminal degree opens new career paths for experienced professionals who are interested in learning and developing innovative approaches to leadership.
Leaders of teams who work remotely have to learn new technologies, constantly evaluate how they communicate, and support their employees without compromising efficiency.
Darren Orcutt - EdD Enrollment Advisor
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.
