Ed.D. Programs in Alabama

Online Ed.D. Programs in Alabama

We unearthed two online doctorates in education at Alabama schools: one public; one private. The following universities offer online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs in Alabama:

1. Samford University (CAEP-accredited)
2. University of West Alabama (CAEP-accredited)

Unlike generic Ed.D. programs in educational leadership, these distance learning Ed.D. programs are designed for specific candidates. For example:

• UWA’s Online Ed.D. in Rural Education is a 60-66 credit program created in conjunction with rural partner schools and superintendents. It comes in multiple concentrations and it’s streamlined into 8-week courses. We give it kudos for accepting postgraduate transfer credits, offering the same reasonable tuition for in-state and out-of-state residents, being open to MBA graduates and other community leaders, and taking part in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED).
• Samford University’s 36-credit Online Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership is only open to candidates with an Ed.S. (or the equivalent) and a minimum GPA of 3.75 on all graduate work. High admissions standards usually equate to strong curricula, and we’re pleased to see that this degree includes a field-based research component. Per credit tuition is reasonable and Samford offers a separate Ed.S. program for those who need to earn that qualification.

In addition, many of the Alabama Ed.D. programs in our listings are technically blended or hybrid doctorates. Examples of this phenomena include UA’s Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership for Nurse Educators or Higher Education Administration (Executive Cohort). If you can manage some time for a weekend commute to campus, you may find a program that suits your needs.

Note: Our overview of online doctoral programs in education has more info on accreditation and a directory of online Ed.D. degrees in all fifty states.

Doctoral Education Funding in Alabama

For this section, we’ve highlighted sources of institutional aid for Ed.D. programs (e.g. internal scholarships, payment plans, tuition breaks, etc.). UA is the clear winner here, with multiple sources of funding. Once you’ve looked at these links, chat to the Graduate School and/or the Office of Financial Aid. They’ll have info on external aid (e.g. federal loans).

Alabama State University

The Graduate School has info on Graduate Assistantships for full-time graduate students—check to see if doctoral students are eligible to apply.

Samford University

Samford has a general section on Graduate Financial Aid with advice on loans and a link to its interest-free payment plan. However, tuition scholarships are not available for the Ed.D.—the School of Education only awards these to students in master’s programs and specialist programs.

The University of Alabama

Start with the College of Education (COE)’s section on COE Graduate Scholarships—it has a complete list of awards. In particular, check out the:

• Merlin G. Duncan Memorial Endowed Scholarship for full-time graduate students majoring in administration and educational leadership or the administration of higher education.
• Daniel Evan Parker Endowed Scholarship for full-time graduate students who are pursuing doctoral degrees in educational leadership studies.

Then pay a visit to the Graduate School’s section on Paying for Graduate School, which contains details on scholarships & fellowships and ideas for external awards.

University of West Alabama

UWA Online has advice on Financial Aid and details about Scholarships & Partnerships, including military and veteran discounts for online programs.

Note: If a university name is missing from the list, we didn’t find specific examples of Ed.D. funding beyond private & federal loans and external aid.

Educational Leadership Jobs in Alabama

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators in every state. We particularly like the state employment maps.

• Overall, Alabama employs more K-12 administrators than Mississippi and fewer than Georgia. The southwest area has the densest population of elementary & secondary school educational leaders in the state.
• Unsurprisingly, the Birmingham metropolitan area has the highest number of postsecondary administrators in the state of Alabama (~800). But you’ll also find employment hotspots that are centered around particular institutions. For instance, the Auburn-Opelika metropolitan area, home to Auburn University, has a particularly high concentration of postsecondary administrators.

Preparing for a job interview?

• Aspiring K-12 administrators will find a gold mine of information in the ALSDE’s Data Center. This contains reports on enrollment, assessment, school budgets, and more. For instance, the LEA Unit Breakdown in the section on Foundation Reports has headcounts of teachers, principals, and staff in every Alabama public school.
• Higher education administrators should check out the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) and its Data Portal section. The Annual Report is always enlightening, but so too is the State Plan.

Educational Leadership Salaries

You’ll find annual mean wage data for all sorts of AL educational administrators in the BLS’s section on State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Alabama.

• Salaries for elementary & secondary school education administrators in Alabama aren’t strong. Like Mississippi, Alabama is in the fourth wage bracket, lagging far behind its neighbor Georgia. Annual Salary Schedules for public school teachers & staff appear in the ALSDE’s LEA Fiscal Accountability section. Schedules don’t include a category for K-12 administrators, but they will give you ballpark figures of Alabama educator salaries for Ed.S./sixth-year and doctoral degree holders.
• The news for postsecondary education administrators is better. Although it can’t compete with Georgia, Alabama beats out Florida and Mississippi on annual mean wages for college & university administrators. You can dig even deeper into the numbers with ACHE, which posts average faculty salaries for Alabama public colleges & universities in the IPEDS section of its Reports/Data site. Thanks to their size and reputation, UA, UAB, Auburn University, and UAH tend to be the top payers.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Traditional job sites will have postings for Alabama educational leaders (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, LinkedIn, etc.). But we also wanted to direct you toward some state-specific job boards:

• SSA advertises Job Postings for executive positions (e.g. superintendent, CSFO, etc.).
• CLAS maintains a Job Bank for Alabama public school administrators.
• The Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) posts Job Openings for teachers and administrators interested in AL independent schools.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Alabama

Educational Leadership Associations

• Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators (AAESA): AAESA is committed to serving as an advocate for children and enchancing the effectiveness in the supervision and administration of elementary and middle schools.
• Alabama Association of Middle School Principals (AAMSP): AAMSP represents public school leaders in the middle. Membership is open to principals and assistant principals of middle schools (middle level, junior high, and any combination of middle grades).
• Alabama Association for Prevention, Attendance and Support Services (AAPASS): AAPASS consists of CLAS members who are working in student services support areas in Alabama schools (e.g. counselors, assistant principals, etc.).
• Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB): AASB is the organization and representative agency of the members of the school boards of Alabama. It provides training, advocacy, and a variety of member services.
• Alabama Association of School Business Officials (AASBO): AASBO serves as an advocate for Alabama school business management officials. It runs various Certificate Programs, organizes professional development events, provides help with job searches, and more.
• Alabama Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA): AASPA was created to provide leadership in promoting effective human resource practices within education through professional development activities and a broad-based resource network. It’s an affiliate of the national AASPA.
• Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP): AASSP acts as a voice and resource for Alabama public school secondary administrators.
• Alabama Child Nutrition Directors (ACND): ACND supports members in their efforts to provide nutritious meals to students and school board personnel.
• Alabama Association of Career/Technical Administrators (ACTA): ACTA exists to promote and develop Career Technical Education through mutual encouragement and assistance of members in the administration and supervision of local programs.
• Alabama Education Association (AEA): AEA is the state’s teacher union and a state affiliate of the NEA. Members include teachers, education support professionals, administrators, professors, future teachers, and education retirees.
• School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA): SSA is the professional association for Alabama school system executives and their leadership teams.

Educational Leadership Professional Groups

• Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS): CLAS is an umbrella organization that serves ten affiliate organizations in Alabama’s public schools and school systems (e.g. AASSP, AAESA, SSA, etc.). It represents 3,500+ members and offers its own Certified Instructional Leader (CIL) credential. Alabama administrators who wish to pursue degrees or certification should investigate the section on Scholarships!

Note: National educator organizations also have funds and scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Browse through their websites and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in Alabama

Educational Leadership Conferences

• AASB Annual Convention and Delegate Assembly: AASB’s flagship event attracts nearly 500 school board members and education leaders from across the state. AASB also runs a Summer Conference that welcomes superintendents.
• Aspiring School Leaders Academy: Led by faculty and staff from the University of Alabama and Auburn University, this one-day conference usually occurs in January.
• CLAS & Affiliate Events: CLAS maintains a useful list of events for K-12 administrators in Alabama, including its own offerings (e.g. CLAS Law Conference) and events held by all of its affiliates.
• CLAS Annual Summer Convention: CLAS’s long-running event for Alabama administrators and educators (building-level and district-level) occurs over three days in June.
• SSA Conferences: SSA hosts a Summer Conference in June, a Fall Conference in October, and a Legislative Conference in February. When combined with the New Superintendent Orientation, this makes up SSA’s New Superintendent Professional Development pathway.

Educational Leadership Training

• AASBO Chief School Financial Officer (CSFO) Mentor Program: This program gives new CSFOs a positive start by providing assistance during the first five years of their employment.
• CLAS Leadership Institute: Each year, CLAS organizes a number of seminars/institutes in North, Central, and South Alabama locations. There is no charge for attendance if your system is a subscriber. In addition to institutes, CLAS offers PLU Activities, webinars, lunch & learn sessions, training events, and the like.