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Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Georgia

Updated: December 4, 2025

There are 10 schools based in Georgia that offer Doctor of Education programs online. Augusta University, Brenau University, Clark Atlanta University, Columbus State University, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of Georgia, University of North Georgia, University of West Georgia, and Valdosta State University all have EdD degree options students can pursue through online study, making very few or no visits to campus. A total of 17 online EdD programs are available from these institutions, in specializations ranging from Elementary, Middle Grades, and Higher Education Leadership or Administration, to Special Education, K-12 Online Learning, Educational Leadership, and Organizational Leadership.

All ten institutions listed on this page are regionally accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Certain programs or departments detailed below are also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Schools in Georgia with Online EdD Programs

Augusta University’s College of Education and Human Development has an online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Innovation with a concentration in Educational Leadership. This program combines primarily asynchronous instruction with optional synchronous sessions to optimize flexibility while allowing students to interact in real-time with course instructors and classmates. Coursework is fully online, but students are required to attend a two-day Research Residency that supports their dissertation work. The curriculum for the EdD in Educational Innovation consists of 49-54 credits, and emphasizes the application of scholarly research to real-world problem solving in academic and organizational contexts, including K-12, higher education, and nonprofits. Students take core courses on topics such as Curriculum Theory, Advanced Principles of Pedagogy and Learning Theory, Leadership and Interpersonal Dynamics, and Educational Change. They also complete courses that prepare them for their dissertation research, such as Advanced Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis in Education, EdD Dissertation Proposal Preparation, and Advanced Practice in Applied Quantitative Research. The Educational Leadership concentration includes courses in Economics of Public Education, Philanthropic Development for Leading Innovation, and Leading Innovations in Teaching and Learning. For their culminating experience, students complete a Dissertation in Practice under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

Located in Gainesville, Brenau University offers a Doctorate in Education online through its Daniel College of Education with available concentrations in Leadership in Higher Education, Elementary Education, or Middle Grades Education. Each track consists of 54 credit units and can be completed in as little as three years, with students working in cohorts of 12 to 15. The program is designed for full-time professionals, featuring flexible online coursework and only two weekend residencies on campus. All students take a core curriculum comprised of courses in areas such as Leadership in Education, Academic Program Assessment and Evaluation, Educational Issues and Policy, Future Trends in Education, Legal Issues and Ethics, and Curriculum Design, Theory, and Evaluation. The remaining credit hours are made up of concentration courses in students’ area of focus, as well as coursework and independent research associated with one’s capstone dissertation.

Clark Atlanta University offers a Doctorate of Higher Education in Leadership with courses in urban school administration, systemic and strategic education reform, student and staff personnel management, policy analysis for school and community leadership, education equity, systematic education evaluation, and urban school administration and reform. Students also take courses in advanced qualitative and quantitative research before embarking on their doctoral dissertation, and they are required to complete an advanced practicum wherein they apply what they have learned to a relevant education setting. This 60-credit online program features accelerated seven-week course modules, and it follows a cohort model with students beginning in the fall and taking 12 course credits per term for an approximate degree completion time of two years.

Featured Online EdD Programs
Purdue Global Online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation	Visit Site
Grand Canyon University Online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with Emphases in K-12 Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, and Organizational Development	Visit Site
Auburn University at Montgomery Online Doctorate in Education in Instructional Systems and Learning Sciences with Concentrations in Instructional Technology, Early Childhood, and Instructional Leadership	Visit Site
University of West Alabama Online Ed.D. Rural Education with Concentrations in Higher Education Administration, Organizational Change and Leadership, and Teacher Leader	Visit Site
Marymount University Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation	Visit Site
Spalding University Online Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership	Visit Site

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Columbus State University’s College of Education and Health Professions has a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Leadership with a degree track in Higher Education Administration students can pursue entirely online. Offered by the Department of Counseling, Foundations, and Leadership, the cohort-based program is intended for educators, administrators, district personnel, and other education professionals looking to gain expertise in the organizational structure and management of postsecondary school settings. A total of 63 credit hours are required, spread out over four years of study. Along with courses in qualitative and quantitative research and statistical methods, curriculum in the Higher Education Administration track covers topics such as academic affairs, finance, personnel administration, facility management, student services, educational evaluation, and the policy and politics of higher education. CSU’s EdD program utilizes a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online instruction, and this particular degree track does not include any on-campus requirements.

Georgia Southern University offers a 100% online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with two separate strands: P-12 Administration and Higher Education Administration. The P-12 Administration strand requires that students hold an EdS degree in Educational Leadership or a qualifying related field, certification in Education Leadership Tier II, and a Level 6 teaching certification. For the Higher Education Administration strand, students must have earned a master’s degree in any field. However, if they have earned a master’s degree in higher education or a qualifying related field, they may be able to waive up to 30 graduate credits in higher education leadership coursework and enter what is deemed Stage II, which is post-master’s coursework specifically dedicated to their EdD.

If students do not have a master’s in higher education leadership, they will need to complete a full sequence of master’s-level courses on educational statistics, research, and planning; grant development and administration; higher education assessment and evaluation; higher education globalization; higher education law, finance, and governance; and the community college, all as part of Stage I of their EdD degree. For Stage II of the program, students of both concentrations take courses that cover transformative educational leadership, emerging pedagogical approaches, educational leadership methods in the 21st century, and several research seminars that provide them with a preview of the dissertation process before they delve into their own specific dissertation research question that is pertinent to their practice context, and which seeks to address an education problem or challenge.

Kennesaw State University (KSU) offers four separate online EdD programs through its Bagwell College of Education. The first is a 45-credit online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (P-12), which requires students to have earned an EdS and obtained Georgia PL-6 or L-6 certification (or an equivalent certification out-of-state) to be admitted. This program features three concentration options: Leadership in Urban Schools, Leading Independent and Charter Schools, and Coaching for Performance. Students take core courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, conceptual frameworks for study design, academic discourse for educational leaders, ethical and legal issues in educational leadership, politics and power for educational leaders, strategic planning, and curriculum development and assessment in education. Depending on their concentration, students take courses in areas such as urban school leadership dynamics, financial management of charter schools, and data-informed coaching; they must also complete a practicum in a setting that is relevant to their concentration. Students round out their program with electives that explore topics in comparative education, school reform, education economics, marketing and public relations in education, and serving diverse learners. The final graduation requirement for the program is a dissertation, which students complete with support from a faculty advisor and committee.

The second online EdD program at KSU is a Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology (ITEC), which has two tracks: a Certification Track (Technology Coach) and an Advanced Track (Technology Leadership). The Certification Track is for education professionals who wish to apply for the George Professional Standards Commission’s S-7 certification in Instructional Technology, and includes courses on data analysis for school improvement, professional learning, technology innovation in educational settings, technology implementation in the classroom, and issues and trends in instructional technology. The Advanced Track is for education professionals who either already hold Instructional Technology certification and who wish to broaden their leadership capabilities, or who do not wish to apply for S-7 certification. This track includes courses in data systems management for schools and school districts, leadership and strategic planning with instructional technology, and supporting technology infrastructure in educational settings. This program consists of 66 course credits, divided across core courses, track-specific courses, advanced courses in instructional technology, and dissertation and research courses. However, students who hold an EdS (Education Specialist) degree may have some of their elective credits waived.

KSU also has an online Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education (SMGE), with concentrations in Secondary Education and Middle Grades Education. This 66-credit program requires applicants to hold a Georgia teaching certificate or equivalent out-of-state credential, as well as a specialist degree in an education-related field. The program itself consists of core courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, followed by a seminar on trends in SMGE and a project-based seminar wherein students conduct professionally relevant research that serves as a bridge to their EdD. Students must also take a technology course, choosing from classes in digital media and pedagogy in language arts, digital tools for student engagement, blended learning, personalized learning through technology, and technology in math pedagogy. Additionally, they complete concentration-specific courses that provide theoretical and practical training in language arts and writing, mathematics, social studies, and science instruction. Elective courses cover topics such as multicultural and global education, emerging research on adolescence, and critical issues in student learning. Using their content coursework to guide their research, students complete a dissertation for their final graduation requirement, investigating a question that connects to their desired impact in SMGE.

KSU’s fourth online EdD program is a Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership, which only admits students who hold a renewable Georgia teaching certificate and have earned an EdS degree. This program has a Certification Track for educators seeking Teacher Leadership certification through Georgia’s Professional Standards Commission, and an Advanced Track for individuals who have a Teacher Leadership certification. The Certification Track includes courses on policy and theory analysis, data-informed curriculum assessment, professional development leadership, and community relations for post-master’s teacher leaders. This track also requires completion of a professional seminar in school leadership, and courses in qualitative and quantitative research, conceptual research frameworks, and conducting literature reviews. Students of the Certification Track complete a dissertation that focuses on an education issue in Georgia schools that they want to investigate and address. The Advanced Track includes courses in facilitating school improvement through mentorship and coaching, and assessing curriculum and instruction to lead educational change. They also take the same dissertation-focused courses as their peers in the Certification Track, leading to a dissertation that allows them to tackle an education-related challenge in their work context.

The University of Georgia in Athens has an online Doctor of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT), which is available through its Mary Frances Early College of Education. This 51-credit program has areas of emphasis in Instructional Design and Development, and Instructional Technology in P-12 Education, and is designed for educators who want to learn how to improve educational and organizational outcomes through technology integration. Core courses in the program cover areas such as advanced instructional design, theory and research for effective learning, and advanced research methods for instructional design. Students of the Instructional Design and Development emphasis take courses on advanced analysis of performance systems, evaluation methods for learning technologies, and learning experience design. Meanwhile, students of the Instructional Technology in P-12 Education emphasis take classes on technology integration planning, games and learning, and professional development through technology. To complete the program, students must also fulfill a practicum in a setting that is relevant to their professional interests, and complete a dissertation investigating a research question in LDT.

The University of North Georgia, located in Oakwood, offers a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership and Practice online through its College of Education. The program is comprised of 60 credit hours and can be completed within three years, with cohorts beginning each fall semester. Curriculum is divided into three sections: a 30-credit-hour research and higher education core, 15 credit hours dedicated to the leadership concentration, and 15 credit hours of dissertation research. Students take a wide range of courses related to advanced practice in higher education, focusing on both specific education services and broad preparation in areas such as policy, research, finance, and administration. Example course topics include Organizational Psychology in Higher Education Administration; Finance, Business, and Facilities Management; Leadership and Administration in Student Affairs; High Impact Teaching; Trends and Issues in Higher Education Research and Policy; Using Technology to Support Engaged Student Learning; and Effective Course Design, Implementation, and Assessment. UNG’s EdD in Higher Education Leadership and Practice is fully online with an optional on-campus orientation.

A total of three online EdD programs are available from the University of West Georgia (UWG) in Carrollton. The first two, offered by UWG’s College of Education, are a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration and a Doctor of Education in School Improvement with nine possible Areas of Concentration (School Counseling, Educational Leadership, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, K-12 Online Learning, Instructional Technology, Reading, Media Specialist, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)). Additionally, the school offers a Doctor of Education in Nursing Education through their Tanner Health System School of Nursing. All three programs include a total of 60 credits and are designed to be completed in three years. Courses in each degree track are delivered entirely online in an asynchronous format; however, students are required to attend a two-day on-campus orientation before the start of their first semester. It is also recommended that students travel to campus to defend their dissertation.

Finally, Valdosta State University (VSU) has two online EdD options available through their James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services. Students can pursue an online Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a P-12 Disciplinary Concentration, which is comprised of four curricular components: Disciplinary Studies, Educational Inquiry, Major Courses (this curricular component also includes courses that qualify students for GaPSC Certification), and Dissertation credits. This program is fully online, with no campus visit requirements. VSU also offers a Doctor of Education in Leadership with cognates in Organizational Leadership, Curriculum Leadership, Technology Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, and Special Education Leadership, which requires a one-day campus session during the second year to help students with their dissertation planning. Both programs entail a total of 55 credit hours and can be completed in around 30 months.

Online EdD Programs in Georgia

The following is a list of every school in Georgia that offers a Doctor of Education program online. To learn more about any of the degrees described on this page, click the corresponding link below to visit the program’s website.