Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Maine

Maine is home to two schools that offer Doctor of Education programs online. The University of Maine (UMaine) has both an online EdD in Educational Leadership and an online EdD in Higher Education, while the University of New England (UNE) offers an online EdD in Transformative Leadership. All three of these programs are cohort-based and use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous elements, while requiring no campus visits to graduate.

Both UMaine and UNE are regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). To learn more about their online EdD programs, continue reading below.

Schools in Maine with Online EdD Programs

The University of Maine offers an online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with a Focus on PK-12 Leadership. This program is 100% online, with synchronous courses that are held weekly over Zoom, and is designed for education professionals in the PK-12 space who want to expand their impact and step into more advanced leadership roles at the institutional, district, state, and national levels. The EdD in Educational Leadership consists of 51 credits that are divided across 15 credits of Foundations of Education courses, 9 credits of Instructional Leadership Core courses, 12 credits of Research and Evaluation courses, and 15 credits devoted to Dissertation Planning and Execution. Students can also complete an optional, 6-credit Internship to gain relevant superintendent or curriculum coordinator experience.

The courses in this program cover topics such as educational administration, foundations of scholarly inquiry, educational statistics, education policy development and analysis, sociology of education, organizational learning, supervisory frameworks in PK-12 education, responsible research in education, and the adult learner in PK-12 settings. These courses provide students with a foundation in primary and secondary school leadership principles and tactics, while also preparing them for their dissertation work. For their dissertation, students select and investigate a research question of professional significance to them, with support from their graduate advisor and faculty committee. Students are also required to present at an academic conference, such as the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO) Conference, and receive guidance from program faculty on submitting conference proposals and presenting their work.

The University of Maine also offers an online EdD in Higher Education that prepares students to lead colleges and universities through institutional challenges, technological innovations, and changes in education policy. This program requires 90 credits, 45-60 of which students can waive if they enter the program holding a master’s degree that included coursework relevant to higher education leadership (students must apply for review and approval of their master’s program curriculum to transfer course credits to the EdD program). Students work closely with their faculty advisors to create a program of study that fits their individual goals in higher education leadership. The curriculum for the EdD in Higher Education consists of a Professional Core of 18 credits, a Research Foundation course sequence of 12 credits, 18 credits of Professional Specialization coursework (students can choose interdisciplinary courses for this requirement, and/or transfer credits from their master’s program), and an Applied Internship of 6 credits. Students take courses that cover areas such as higher education policy and law, the history of higher education, statistical methods for education research, qualitative research for educators, and educational assessments. The final requirement for the program is a dissertation, through which students research a topic that is relevant to their current work and future career goals.

The University of New England has a fully online Doctor of Education in Transformative Leadership students can pursue through its College of Graduate and Professional Studies. The program is designed for professionals in any field, from education to the military, who want to grow as leaders and explore how to improve their current organization. Cohorts are admitted three times per year, in the spring, summer, and fall terms. A total of 51 credit hours are required to earn the degree, and students can expect to finish their coursework and dissertation in around three years. All degree requirements can be completed online, including the final dissertation defense. (There are no on-campus residencies or in-person class components). Instruction is delivered through a mix of prerecorded lectures and flexible synchronous sessions. Students utilize web/video conferencing and other online tools to collaborate and interact with colleagues and faculty, participating in instructor-led discussions, small group assignments, virtual seminars, and structured dissertation support.

Curriculum in the program covers a range of subjects related to organizational theory, community change, adult development, and research. In their first year of study, students take courses in Preparation for Transformative Leadership, Interpreting Empirical Data, Technology and Organizational Transformation, Qualitative Research Methods, Managing Change, and Policy Analysis. The second-year curriculum examines topics such as Enacting Transformative Leadership through Research, Using Theory to Guide Research, Conceptualizing Applied Research, Ethical Leadership, and Diagnosing Organizational Dynamics. There is also a Dissertation Seminar, where students develop the preliminary proposal for their capstone research project alongside their dissertation chair and committee. The third year of the program is dedicated entirely to dissertation research and writing. Students attend regular virtual meetings with their dissertation committee as well as peer reviewers to help with research development and keep them on track to deliver a finished product by the end of their final year.

For those interested in pursuing their EdD in a different specialization than the ones UNE and UMaine provide, such as Early Childhood Education, Educational Administration, or Curriculum and Instruction, many out-of-state schools offer online programs that accept students from Maine. Some are fully online, allowing students to complete their entire degree from a distance, while others require one or more visits to campus for residency sessions or other in-person instruction. To learn more about EdD specialization options and browse available programs, check out our Online EdD Program Specializations page.

Online EdD Programs in Maine

The following table includes links to The University of Maine’s and the University of New England’s online EdD programs. For further information about these programs, including current admission requirements, tuition costs, and course offerings, click below to visit each school’s website.