Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in New Jersey

There are five schools in New Jersey that currently offer Doctor of Education programs online. Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey City University, Rowan University, Saint Elizabeth University, and Saint Peter’s University all offer online EdD programs with online coursework and limited or no required campus visits. Through these schools, students can select from a variety of specializations, such as Higher Education, P-12 Leadership, Nurse Educator, and Community College Leadership.

All five universities are non-profit institutions that are regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). In addition, all five schools have earned accreditation from either the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), or the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC)*.

Schools in New Jersey with Online EdD Programs

Located in Teaneck, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers an Online EdD in Higher Education that provides students with the knowledge, methodologies, and skills to research and address systemic challenges in higher education, support school enrollment and retention, incorporate innovative education technologies, and forge strategic partnerships with community members, employers, educators, and other stakeholders. This entirely online program is comprised of 45 credits spread across 15 classes, including Organization and Administration in Higher Education, History of Higher Education, Database Management and Reporting in Higher Education, Innovation and Technology in Higher Education, Data Analytics and Visualization in Higher Education, Quantitative and Statistical Analysis, Building an Inclusive University Culture, and Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.

Students are also required to complete a Field-Based Internship through which they gain experience in applying the data analytics, program development and evaluation, and social justice leadership concepts they learn in their classes to a real higher education setting. For their culminating experience, students complete a dissertation through which they examine an issue in higher education and develop research insights that are applicable to the improvement of higher education practices and systems.

New Jersey City University, which is based in Jersey City, offers an online EdD in Community College Leadership that prepares students to step into director and administrative roles in community college settings. This 55-credit program features classes such as Community Colleges: Past, Present, and Future; Leadership Theory and Change Management; The Scholarly Practitioner; Promoting Equity: Teaching and Supporting Diverse Student Learners; Innovative Teaching Strategies and Practices; Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Innovation; Community College Finance; Curricular and Instructional Leadership; Critical Role of Partnerships in Community College Leadership; and Student Services Leadership. In addition, this program includes an experiential learning component through which students provide support to community college partners and thereby gain hands-on experience in coordinating and leading education programs at the community college level. Students can complete the vast majority of their coursework online, but must attend one annual, week-long campus residency during the summers of their enrollment in the program. During these residencies, which are referred to as summer institutes, students engage in learning and networking activities with instructors and their fellow students, and also discuss in-depth the nature of community college leadership across different contexts.

Students’ culminating experience in the program is a dissertation through which students evaluate the efficacy of a program, policy, or educational practice in the community college setting. Students’ dissertations enable them to investigate a challenge or an area of improvement within community college programs and systems of education, and are intended to help students advance their own and others’ understanding of how to be education leaders.

Rowan University in Glassboro offers an EdD in Educational Leadership through its College of Education that students can pursue online in one of three specialization tracks: Higher Education, P-12, or Nurse Educator. The cohort-based program is designed to help education professionals develop as leaders, with a particular focus on reflective decision making, collaboration, innovative change, and administrative ability. A total of 60 semester hours are required to complete the degree, including a 36-credit core curriculum, 12 credit hours of specialization track courses, and 12 hours related to dissertation research and development. Online students must attend three in-person residencies on the Glassboro campus throughout their studies. The first is a two-day orientation that takes place just before the start of the program. During the second residency, students sit for a written benchmark exam, and the third residency is dedicated to dissertation preparation.

Every student in Rowan University’s EdD in Educational Leadership program takes the same set of 12 core courses, studying topics such as Leadership Theory, Quantitative Analysis in Educational Research, Action Research in Educational Leadership, Changing Organizations, Diversity in Educational Leadership, Issues in Qualitative Analysis in Educational Research, Applied Ethics of Educational Leadership, Mixed Methods Research in Educational Leadership, The Policy Environment, and Advanced Leadership. From there, students in the Higher Education track can expect to take courses in Student Development and Adult Learning Theory, Current Issues in Higher Education, Higher Education Governance, and Nature and Function in Higher Education. The P-12 track includes courses in Instructional Leadership and the Curriculum, Issues in School Governance, Promoting Effective Learning, and Planning and Negotiating. Finally, students who choose the Nurse Educator track will take Student Development and Adult Learning Theory, Institutional Design and Curriculum Development in Nursing Education, Nursing Program Evaluation and Information Resources, and a Practicum in Nursing Education.

Saint Elizabeth University, located in Morristown, offers an EdD in Educational Leadership with a track in Higher Education that is available fully online. This 50-credit program prepares students to combine principles of servant leadership with advanced skills in education research, program development and evaluation, and fostering diversity and social justice to improve higher education environments. Students take courses such as Servant Leadership: Ethical and Moral Leadership; Policy Making & Leadership in Higher Education; Strategic Planning & Institutional Improvement; Contemporary Issues in Higher Education; Fundamentals of Research; Essential Competencies for Doctoral Studies; Dissertation Research and Scholarly Writing; Diverse Learners and At Risk Learners; Enrollment Management in Higher Education; Resource Allocation & Deployment; Data Analysis & Interpretation; and Legal Environment in Higher Education. For their culminating experience, students complete an Action Research Dissertation wherein they investigate a problem of practice in higher education and seek to arrive at key research insights that improve their own practice as education leaders, while also pushing the field of higher education forward.

Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City has an online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education. This 48-credit program features a curriculum that prepares professionals in higher education to step into leadership roles in areas such as organizational change, curriculum development, and social justice advocacy within education settings. Students take courses such as Historical Trends in Higher Education; Enrollment Management and Marketing; Student Development and Programming; Grants, Philanthropy, and Development; Curriculum Development and Instruction; Organizational Behavior and Leadership; Finance, Budgeting, and Resource Allocation in Higher Education; Ethical Foundations and Social Responsibility; and Accountability: Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Research. In addition, students must take statistics and research methodology courses that prepare them for their dissertation. Students’ dissertation enables them to explore an issue in higher education, and to find ways of advancing the field of college leadership through their research. Students take a Dissertation Seminar and also receive mentorship and guidance from a faculty committee that reviews their dissertation proposal, provides feedback, and attends their final dissertation defense.

Students interested in pursuing a different EdD specialization than the ones described above, such as specializations in Early Childhood Education, Educational Technology, or Organizational Leadership, may want to consider an online program offered by a school in another state. Many out-of-state schools offer online EdD programs that accept students from New Jersey. For more information about EdD specialization options, as well as a list of available online programs, check out our Online EdD Program Specializations page.

Online EdD Programs in New Jersey

Below are links to the online EdD programs that are available in New Jersey. To learn more about these degree programs, their respective specialization tracks, and key information about admissions, tuition costs, and course content, click below to the visit these universities’ websites.

*The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP) is now recognized as the sole accrediting body for education preparation programs in the United States. NCATE and TEAC accredited programs will become CAEP accredited when their accreditation is up for renewal.