Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Kentucky
The state of Kentucky is home to six schools that offer Doctor of Education (EdD) degrees online. Of the six institutions, four are public universities: Morehead State University, Murray State University, the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, while the other two are private schools: Spalding University in Louisville, and the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg. Through these universities, students can earn their EdD degree online with little or no in-person residency requirements. In addition, students can pursue a wide range of specializations options, including Higher Education Leadership, PreK-12 Leadership, Organizational Leadership, STEM Leadership, Agriculture Education, Counselor Education/Supervision, and more.
All six schools listed on this page are institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Certain programs or departments detailed below may also be accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)*.
Schools in Kentucky with Online EdD Programs
Morehead State University (MSU) offers a Doctor of Education online with five specialization options: Adult and Higher Education Leadership, Career & Technical Education Leadership, P-12 Administrative Leadership, Educational Technology Leadership, and Exceptional Child Leadership (Special Education). Offered by the school’s College of Education, the program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours total, with the curriculum in each track consisting of an 18-hour Program Core, 18 hours of Applied and Capstone Courses, 12 hours of specialization coursework, and 12 hours in an Alternative Area of Emphasis. The Program Core, which all students complete, includes courses in Principles of Leadership; Understanding and Conducting Research; Analysis and Synthesis: Problem Framing and Problem Solving; Action Research and Grant Writing; Educational Change: Change Theory, Futuring and Creative Planning, and Legal and Ethical Issues: The Exercise of Judgement in Education.
Along with courses in their chosen specialization, students must choose an additional emphasis area that aligns directly with their long-term professional goals. For example, the Adult and Higher Education Leadership track offers students the chance to further specialize in areas such as Community College, Teaching ESL, Legal and Policy Studies in Adult and Higher Education, or Global Adult and Higher Education. While the majority of MSU’s EdD program is delivered online, the degree does require some on-campus residencies, determined by the school on an annual basis.
Murray State University offers an online Doctor of Education in P-20 and Community Leadership through its College of Education and Human Services. The 60-credit program offers students the choice to specialize in pK-12 Leadership, Postsecondary Leadership, STEM Leadership, or Agriculture Education. All four concentrations include the same 42-credit core curriculum, comprised of courses in Advanced Educational Research, Foundations of P-20 Education, Development of P-20 Leaders, Individual Leadership Development, Organizational Leadership, Educational Entrepreneurism, and more. The remaining 18 credits consist of coursework in one’s specialization area, as well as related electives. The Postsecondary Leadership track, for instance, requires students to complete courses in Academic Program Management and Evaluation, Postsecondary Instructional Support Systems, and Organization and Operations in Postsecondary Education, along with nine hours of approved electives.
Murray State’s P-20 and Community Leadership EdD program is fully online, with no campus visit requirements. It also offers an EdS to EdD bridge option, which allows individuals who already possess an Educational Specialist degree to transfer up to 30 post-master’s credit hours toward completion of their doctorate.
Spalding University offers an online EdD in Leadership through its College of Education. This 60-credit program features a set curriculum with courses in leadership theory, systems theory and leadership, academic writing and research, ethical leadership, innovative leadership and creative change, identification and analysis of organizational challenges, and doctoral research methodologies and problem solving. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to analyze both historical and modern issues in educational leadership, education access, and organizational innovation. The culminating experience for this program is a Leadership Capstone, which is the equivalent of a doctoral dissertation.
The University of Kentucky in Lexington offers an online EdD program in Educational Leadership featuring 46 credits of completely online courses that incorporate a mix of asynchronous and synchronous instruction. The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership prepares students to step into advanced education leadership roles and to enact meaningful education systems improvements through their training in mixed methods action research, organizational change strategies, and leadership principles. Classes that students take include Leadership in Educational Organizations, Leadership for Organizational Learning, Design Thinking in Education, Introduction to Action Research, Research in Educational Leadership, and Leadership for Creative Problem Solving. While a substantial portion of the program’s course content is delivered asynchronously, students must engage in synchronous online activities 5-6 times per year. After completing their content courses, students progress to their dissertation work, assembling a committee of faculty mentors and presenting a research proposal on a problem of practice in their field. During their third and fourth years in the program, students focus primarily on their dissertation, culminating in a final defense.
The University of the Cumberlands offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership through its School of Education. This 60-credit program gives students a wide variety of specializations to tailor their program of study, with 14 content specialty areas in Business, Criminal Justice, Education, English, Health Professions, Health Science, History, Information Systems, Instructional Technology, Mathematics, Missions and Ministry, Nursing, Public Administration, and Student Personnel Services. To earn this degree, students complete a 21-credit Strategic Administration & Curriculum and Culture course sequence, a Professional Research course sequence also consisting of 21 hours, and 18 credits of content specialty courses. The Strategic Administration & Curriculum courses cover organizational decision-making, adult learning, program planning and assessment, leadership theories and practice, American higher education, change process, and historical contexts for leadership. The Professional Research sequence covers inferential statistics in decision-making, professional writing, proposal development, qualitative research methods, advanced research methods, and three dissertation-specific courses (including a seminar).
For their content specialty, students can take diverse interdepartmental courses on topics such as business sustainability, strategic decision-making, marketing, law enforcement, criminal justice, school program improvement, special education, diversity and multiculturalism, literacy, healthcare administration, behavioral change for health, healthcare technologies, coaching and fitness leadership, digital forensics, information technology, instructional technologies, instructional multimedia, game-based learning, Christian education leadership, public enterprise systems, human resource management, human development, and higher education enrollment management, just to name a few. The final graduation requirement for the EdD in Educational Leadership is a dissertation, which students begin working on in their first year of enrollment, as research and dissertation milestones are embedded into the Professional Research course sequence. Before embarking on their dissertation, students must take and pass a comprehensive examination that has been tailored to their individual course of study.
Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership through its College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. This 60-credit program is designed to be completed in three years, with cohorts starting each Spring. Students begin their studies by taking an orientation to the doctoral program, followed by courses in Leadership Theories and Ethics, Change Theory and Practice, Leading the Organization, Research Methods and Design for Educational Leaders, Individual and Group Issues in Leadership, Program Evaluation for Educational Leaders, and Measurement and Survey Methods for Educational Leaders. In addition, students take several research courses, including Qualitative Research in Education, Field Methods for Qualitative Research, Intermediate Statistics and Design, and a Seminar in Advanced Research Methods. All students are required to complete an Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Internship in addition to their work on their dissertation. For their electives, students can choose between courses in Strategic Leadership and/or Leading Innovation, Creativity, and Change, and may select other courses in consultation with their program advisor.
WKU’s online EdD program in Educational Leadership requires two weeklong summer residency experiences, where students connect with classmates, learn from faculty in person, and attend lectures from nationally recognized guest speakers.
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Spalding University
Online Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership
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Northern Kentucky University
Online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership with Optional Specializations in Director of Pupil Personnel Certification, Higher Education Administration, Principal Certification, and Superintendent Certification
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Marymount University
Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation
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University of Dayton
Online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership for Organizations
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Aurora University
Online Doctor of Education (EdD) with Specializations in Instructional Leadership (Coaching and Mentoring), Leadership in Educational Administration (Superintendent Endorsement), and Leadership in Higher Education Administration
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Maryville University
Online Doctor of Education - Higher Education Leadership
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Youngstown State University
Online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with Optional Concentrations in Health and Human Services, Higher Education Leadership & Administration, and Superintendent Licensure
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Online EdD Programs in Kentucky
The following is a list of all the schools in Kentucky that offer EdD programs online. To learn more about any of the degrees described above, click on the corresponding link below to visit the program’s website.
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Online Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)
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Online Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)
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Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)
*The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits master’s and doctoral programs in counseling and counseling education.