Ed.D. Programs in Maine

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in Maine

Maine presents leaders with a pretty easy choice for the doctoral program in education. You can either pick a public research university with practical on-campus concentrations and an active College of Education (UM) or a large private university that offers a convenient 100% online doctorate (UNE). You’ll find exact details on curricula & costs in our school listings.

Trying to soften the financial blow of a doctorate? Check out the links to each university’s Ed.D. funding opportunities. Aiming to become a Maine principal or superintendent? See our summary of DOE administrative endorsement requirements.

We’ve also put together a substantial career section, with all kinds of PK-20 job & salary resources. Feel free to use the annotated lists of ME educational leadership associations and their conferences & training programs to start planning your networking strategy.

Online Doctor of Education Programs in Maine

Online Ed.D. Providers in Maine

1. University of New England

What to Know About Maine Online Ed.D. Programs

UNE’s 51-credit Online Ed.D. in Transformative Leadership is probably best-suited to professionals in the midst of their careers who want to strengthen their leadership skills (it doesn’t lead to certification). It’s a 100% online, cohort-based program with no residency requirements whatsoever—even the dissertation is presented remotely. And it doesn’t need the GRE for admissions.

UNE is not CAEP-accredited, but it is a regionally accredited private university with a sizeable footprint in Maine. We especially like the fact that Ed.D. participants get to develop a Transformative Leadership Portfolio (TLP), conduct a site study of their organization, and start working on the dissertation immediately. The entire Ed.D. takes around three years to complete.

Note: Our overview of online doctoral programs in education has a full list of online Ed.D. degrees in every state.

Doctoral Education Funding in Maine

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

To save you time, we’ve highlighted every single source of institutional aid that we could find! If you’re thinking about loans, the Office of Financial Aid can assist with applications. Don’t forget to talk to your employer about the possibility of tuition reimbursement.

University of Maine

Doctoral students in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) can apply for research funding from the Linda N. Lancaster Fund. The Graduate School also has a comprehensive section on Funding, with info on assistantships, external awards, and some great internal Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships. Be sure to ask the program coordinator if Ed.D. students qualify for any of UM’s doctoral awards.

UM is a public university, so in-state residents pay significantly less in graduate tuition than non-residents. It also offers reduced tuition to Canadian residents. However, according to the NEBHE Graduate Catalog, the doctoral program does not qualify for the NEBHE discount.

University of New England

Per credit tuition for UNE’s program is pricey, so we recommend a visit to UNE’s Online Education Student Financial Services section. We didn’t see any internal Ed.D. scholarships or awards for UNE’s online program. However, the university does offer a monthly Tuition Payment Plan.

School Administration Certification Requirements in Maine

Administrator Endorsements

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is responsible for the certification of public school educators & administrators. Educational leaders in Maine typically add an administrator endorsement to their existing educator certificate.

There are multiple endorsement categories—the DOE provides a handy list of Administrator Requirements for each. We’ve also given you a brief rundown of requirements for aspiring building administrators and superintendents.

Wondering if you need a doctorate? The DOE maintains a database of Maine Approved Educator Preparation Programs where you can go to find answers.

• Many administrator preparation programs are below the doctoral level (e.g. UNE’s 30-credit CAGS in Advanced Educational Leadership for the building level administrator endorsement).
• But UM’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is an exception! It includes optional internships for district leadership certification in the curriculum coordinator or superintendent endorsement.

Building Level Administrator Endorsement (040)

To earn a Building Level Administrator Endorsement (040) in Maine, you must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree.
• Hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Have at least three years of satisfactory public or private teaching experience.
• Complete coursework in federal & Maine civil rights and education laws and special education law. See Building Level Administrator Requirements for details.
• Receive a passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment test OR complete work in certain key areas (e.g. school finance & budget). You can submit a portfolio as evidence. See Building Level Administrator Requirements for details.
• Complete one of the following:
  • A graduate level, state-approved building administrator internship program (minimum 15 weeks).
  • One school year as a certified assistant principal, assistant career & technical education administrator, out-of-state principal, or out-of-state career & technical education administrator.
  • A state-approved mentorship program for a building administrator (minimum one academic year).

Superintendent Endorsement (010)

To earn a Superintendent Endorsement (010) in Maine, you must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree.
• Hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Have at least three years of satisfactory public or private teaching experience.
• Have at least three years of satisfactory administrative experience.
• Complete coursework in federal & Maine civil rights and education laws and special education law. See Superintendent Requirements for details.
• Receive a passing score on the School Superintendent Assessment test OR complete work in certain key areas (e.g. school finance & budget). You can submit a portfolio as evidence. See Superintendent Requirements for details.
• Complete one of the following:
  • A graduate level, state-approved superintendent internship program (minimum 15 weeks).
  • One school year as a certified assistant superintendent or out-of-state superintendent.
  • A state-approved mentorship program for a superintendent (minimum one academic year).

Educational Leadership Jobs in Maine

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monitors employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators in every state. We’re very fond of the employment maps, which place Maine in context with its neighbors. Sources for these data points are pulled from the BLS’s State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Maine.

Like New Hampshire, Maine employs a respectable number of K-12 administrators, though it can’t compete with population numbers in Massachusetts. Portland and southern areas like Lewiston are obvious hotspots.

You can dig deeper into K-12 schools & district by visiting the DOE’s Data Warehouse. This contains reports on budgets, enrollment data, staff directories, and more. The Maine Assessment and Accountability Reporting System (MAARS) publishes assessment results.

The job market for postsecondary education administrators can be challenging—Maine simply doesn’t have enough universities and colleges to generate huge employment demand for this category. But UM is strong and Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby are well-respected.

• If you’re eyeing a job in the UM System, have a look at the UMS Data Book. This includes an entire section on Employees, with coverage of workforce profiles, employee headcounts, and turnover analyses.
• Private universities have their own reporting methods. Sites like Bowdoin’s Institutional Research, Analytics & Consulting and UNE’s Office of Institutional Research & Data Analytics contain data on student enrollment, student outcomes, faculty & staff, etc.

Educational Leadership Salaries

Annual mean wages for Maine K-12 administrators are usually in the same bracket as Vermont and New Hampshire, though Maine often has the lowest wages of the three. Portland and South Portland tend to pay the best.

• The DOE publishes statewide reports on Average Staff Salaries in its Data Warehouse. These are general summaries organized by category.
• The MSMA has more detailed Salary Data, which it often feeds to the Portland Press Herald.

Considering a job in higher education? Even in southern parts of Maine, mean wages for postsecondary education administrators are less than stellar—Massachusetts and New Hampshire almost always have better numbers.

The Chronicle of Higher Education will provide you with a broad overview of Faculty Salaries in Maine. For instance, Bowdoin and Bates treat their professors very well. In addition, the UM System publishes individual Salaries of Regular Employees in the UMS Data Book. These are listed by the person’s name.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Traditional job sites (e.g. SchoolSpring, Indeed, LinkedIn, HigherEdJobs, etc.) will advertise openings for Maine PK-20 administrators and educational leaders. But there are also state-specific job boards that may aid in your quest.

• ServingSchools allows Maine K-12 educators to Search for Jobs by location or job type (e.g. administrator).
• MSMA conducts Superintendent Searches and posts current Job Vacancies for district-level and building-level administrators (e.g. principals) and university positions (e.g. deans, directors, etc.).
• UMaine has a central Job Search for positions in all UM System universities.
• Maine’s Community Colleges provides Employment links to all of its member institutions.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Maine

Educational Leadership Associations

• Maine Administrators of Career and Technical Education (MACTE): MACTE represents the concerns of Maine’s network of 27 career and technical education (CTE) schools.
• Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC): MADSEC serves as the voice for special education administrators in public schools or private schools and directors of Child Development Services (CDS) sites.
• Maine Association of School Business Officials (MeASBO): MeASBO members include Maine business managers, finance directors, operations managers, HR specialists, and more. It offers voluntary certification and it’s a state affiliate of ASBO International.
• Maine Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA): MASFAA provides membership services & advocacy for ME financial aid professionals.
• Maine Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Maine ASCD): Maine ASCD tackles all aspects of effective learning, teaching and leading, including professional development, educational leadership, and capacity building. It’s a state affiliate of ASCD.
• Maine Education Association (MEA): MEA is the state’s teacher union. MEA also oversees a number of Higher Education Units for UM and community college staff, including AFUM, UMPSA, ACSUM, CCFA, and CCAA. It’s a state affiliate of the NEA.
• Maine Principals Association (MPA): MPA is a private non-profit organization with two distinct divisions: the Division of Professional Activities (building-level administrators) and the Division of Interscholastic Activities (member high schools). It’s a state affiliate of NAESP and NASSP.
• Maine School Management Association (MSMA): MSMA is a statewide, non-profit federation of local school boards and superintendents. It acts as an umbrella organization for the Maine School Superintendents Association (MSSA) and the Maine School Boards Association (MSBA).

Note: State and national educator organizations often have funds & scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Check the website and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in Maine

Educational Leadership Conferences

• MADSEC Directors’ Academy: This three-day leadership event for special education administrators typically occurs in June.
• MADSEC Fall Conference: MADSEC also hosts its annual special education conference over two days in late October/early November.
• MeASBO Events: MeASBO arranges local meetings and law seminars for Maine school business officials and takes part in the Tri-State ASBO Conference (see below).
• MPA Fall Conference: MPA’s flagship event for K-12 principals and educational leaders is held over two days in November.
• MSMA Fall Conference: This two-day conference in October attracts public education leaders, superintendents, and school board members. The program includes a large number of educational clinics.
• Tri-State ASBO Conference: This annual three-day event in May attracts school business officials from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Educational Leadership Training

• Maine DOE Professional Development & Training: This calendar lists all of the Department of Education’s offerings in one place. You can search by title or description.
• MPA Mentoring/Coaching Program: MPA’s two-year mentoring program is geared toward new principals, assistant principals, and CTE directors.
• MPA Professional Development Workshops: MPA also organizes one-day training programs, orientations, and statewide book clubs for K-12 administrators.