Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in New Hampshire

At present, Rivier University and the University of New Hampshire are the only schools in New Hampshire that offer online EdD programs. Rivier’s online EdD in Leadership and Learning prepares students to lead organizational change and research-based improvements to educational settings. Meanwhile, the University of New Hampshire offers an online EdD that builds students’ doctoral-level research skills and professional competencies to step into school and district leadership roles, as well as positions in higher education administration. Rivier University and the University of New Hampshire are both accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). To learn more about these two online EdD programs, please read below.

Schools in New Hampshire with Online EdD Programs

Located in Nashua, Rivier University offers an online EdD in Leadership and Learning that seeks to empower students to take a research-intensive approach to improving educational programs, systems, and policies. Students of this program also learn about cutting-edge research regarding human growth, development, and learning, as well as the role that counseling, help, and support have in enacting positive change. A total of 51 course credits are required to earn the degree, and students take two seven-week courses per semester to complete the program in approximately three years.

While all classes in this program are administered online, there is one on-campus experience that is required each year that students are enrolled (for a total of three campus-based intensives overall). These campus experiences span the weekend (from Friday to Saturday) and are intended to provide students with key support systems as they work on their dissertation (with the first on-campus experience including a Doctoral Studies Orientation). During these experiences, students meet with their faculty mentors to discuss their research, meet their classmates, and also engage in learning activities that solidify their understanding and application of concepts learned in classes.

The curriculum for this program is composed of 32 credits of Core Courses, followed by 12 credits of Specialization Courses, which students can choose from the program’s elective offerings. They also complete 8 credits of dissertation research work, which they fulfill under the guidance of their dissertation chair and two other faculty members who comprise their committee. Examples of core courses include Advances in Mind, Brain, and Learning; Culturally Competent Leadership; Distinctions Among Vulnerable Populations; and Review of Research Into Leadership and Learning. Students begin work on their dissertation in their first year of enrollment, completing dissertation milestones under the guidance of their faculty advisors.

The University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Department of Education also offers an online Doctor of Education with tracks in School and District Leadership, and Higher Education. UNH’s EdD is designed to prepare students to adapt to contemporary challenges in the K-12 and higher education spaces, and to translate advanced research into actionable plans to improve learning outcomes for diverse students. This 52-credit program requires the completion of an eight-credit Research Core and a 12-credit Administrative Core. The Research Core includes an Introduction to Research Methods, and an Introduction to Statistics: Inquiry, Analysis, and Decision Making. The Administrative Core includes three classes on Policy, Politics, and Planning in Education; Human Resources in Education; and Educational Finance and Business Management.

After their core courses, students take classes according to their chosen track. The 12-credit School and District Leadership Track requires three courses in Educational Supervision and Evaluation, School Law, and Collective Bargaining in Public Education. The eight-credit Higher Education track features two courses on the Foundations for Leadership in Higher Education, and Policy and Governance in Higher Education. Depending on their track, students take between 12 and 16 credits of electives, and can explore areas such as classroom management, teaching social science, math instruction, cultivating literacy, social justice in education contexts and beyond, educational technologies, inclusive education, special education, and curriculum design. Students have the option of fulfilling an internship for elective credit as well, pending approval from their faculty advisor.

The culminating experience in the program is the dissertation, wherein students apply action research methods to studying a problem of practice they have identified in their professional work. Throughout their work on their dissertation, students receive guidance and evaluation of their work from their faculty advisor. The completion of the dissertation fulfills eight credits towards the doctoral degree. To support their dissertation work, students are required to attend two five-day residencies on UNH’s campus. During these residencies, students engage in professional development and dissertation-specific activities with their cohort.

Students interested in pursuing their EdD online in a specialization not available at Rivier University or the University of New Hampshire, such as Instructional Technology or Curriculum and Development, might want to research online EdD programs offered by out-of-state schools that accept applications from residents of New Hampshire. Many of these programs can be completed entirely online, while others include one or more on-campus residencies or other in-person elements (such as a comprehensive exam or dissertation defense). To learn more about specialization options for online EdD programs and to browse a comprehensive listing of programs, check out our Online EdD Program Specializations page.

Online EdD Programs in New Hampshire

For further information on Rivier University’s and the University of New Hampshire’s Online EdD programs, click on the link below to visit each program’s website.