Ed.D. Programs in Maryland

Online Ed.D. Programs in Maryland

Online doctorates in education in Maryland are available at public and private universities; public schools will have more affordable tuition rates for in-state residents. The following universities offer online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs in Maryland:

1. Bowie State University (CAEP-accredited)
2. Frostburg State University (CAEP-accredited)
3. Johns Hopkins University (CAEP-accredited)
4. Morgan State University (CAEP-accredited)
5. Salisbury University (CAEP-accredited)

Public Maryland Universities

Frostburg State University’s 100% Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with practicums is the most flexible public option. Specializations are available in PK 12 Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, Adult & Professional Learning Facilitation, and Leadership in Health Professions Education. Anyone interested in the PK 12 specialization should already hold—or be eligible to hold—certification as an Administrator. The Ed.D. does not meet MSDE standards for Administrator I endorsement, but you can ask about the possibility of adding FSU’s Post Master’s Certificate in Educational Leadership. FSU is a CPED member.

PreK-12 educators in Maryland will also want to investigate Bowie State University’s Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. This has a high level of entry—3.5 GPA on any previous graduate work and at least 3 years of recent successful administrative experience in a pre-collegiate school setting. However, it’s also packed with intriguing elements, including electives, a dissertation, and two externships. The externships consist of a team-based investigation of educational problems & practices and a year-long research project with a portfolio.

Working at the community college level? Morgan State University’s specialist Online Ed.D. in Community College Leadership is aimed at applicants who aspire to senior level leadership roles and professorships within a community college setting. It’s a cohort-based program that’s been running for many years. It’s available in a convenient 7-semester, 3-year plan of study. The curriculum includes team-based work, a dissertation, and an internship or practicum at a community college. And it’s affordable.

Literacy specialists in Maryland who need a flexible schedule may wish to consider Salisbury University’s cohort-based Online Ed.D. in Literacy Studies. Salisbury is a member of the CPED initiative, so the Ed.D. dissertation will be focused on a meaningful problem of practice. A doctoral internship is also available as an elective. Applicants should have a master’s degree in literacy, education, or a closely related field with a minimum GPA of 3.5; preference is given to candidates with at least 3 years of relevant work experience.

Private Maryland Universities

Looking for the prestige factor? Johns Hopkins University is an active member of the CPED initiative and a school with a superb reputation for education. The School of Education is often ranked as one of the top 20 in the USA. The Online Ed.D. is available in a variety of unique areas of interest, including Urban Leadership. These offerings tend to attract students from around the globe. This program also features a unique Doctoral Dossier comprised of faculty-mentored research projects. See the academic catalog for more details on the Dossier process.

Note: If these options don’t appeal, our overview of online Ed.D. programs contains a listing of online doctorates in every state, plus our rankings of the top Doctor of Education programs.

Doctoral Education Funding in Maryland

This section contains details on institutional aid for Ed.D. students at Maryland universities, including links to scholarships and fellowships. You’ll probably need to supplement these sources with external aid (e.g. federal & private loans). The Graduate School and/or the Office of Financial Aid can help you asses your options.

Bowie State University

BSU has a section on Graduate Fellowships & Scholarships, but nothing that directly applies to education students. However, the university does offer a payment plan. University System of Maryland employees (current and retired) and their spouses & dependent children should also take a look at the page on Tuition Remission.

Frostburg State University

FSU has a section on Financial Aid for Graduate Students, with details on Scholarship Programs. Foundation scholarships are listed in the Academic Works scholarship portal; ask which ones are open to graduate students. Graduate Assistantships are only open to master’s students.

Johns Hopkins University

The School of Education offers a need-based Ed.D. Initiative Scholarship for up to three years of study. You’ll find more funding options in the list of School of Education (SOE) Grants & Scholarships—you will need to fill out an application for the Endowed Scholarship program. International students can apply for the Tan and Chen Global Education Scholarship. JHU also offers a monthly payment plan.

Morgan State University

The School of Graduate Studies has a comprehensive section on Graduate Funding, with details on fellowships, assistantships, and the FAFSA. You can also look into MSU’s monthly payment plans.

Salisbury University

The Office of Graduate Studies has sections on Graduate Assistantships and Financing Graduate School. Just be aware that the Good Neighbors Graduate Scholarship discount does not apply to online courses. Ed.D. students are eligible for couple of Salisbury University Scholarships: the modest Diane D. Allen Scholarship and the Audrey C. Christopher Endowment for Education. You may also want to investigate options for Graduate Research Grants.

Towson University

Graduate & teaching assistantships are available for doctoral students—TU recommends you contact the Ed.D. Program Director for more info. The Office of Graduate Studies has a list of Graduate Fellowships & Scholarships, such as the Terminal Degree Fellowship program. We didn’t see any general doctorate of education scholarships in the Towson University Foundation Scholarships database, but you may find awards that relate to your area of particular interest. TU also has a payment plan.

University of Maryland College Park

Check the section on Financial Aid & Fellowships for professional graduate programs. The Ed.D. is offered by the EdTerps Learning Academy through the College of Education, which means that you may be eligible for funds such as the General College of Education (COE) Scholarship and the Maryland Senatorial Scholarship and support from your school system.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

The Department of Education has a useful section on Financial Aid and Scholarships—UMES doctoral students can apply for a number of scholarships, including the Graduate Studies Grant Award. The School of Graduate Studies also has advice on Financial Assistance, with details on the Connective Graduate Studies Endowment Scholarship (students in Educational Leadership programs can apply), and USM Tuition Remission. And there’s a payment plan.

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 Maryland

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks employment & salary data for K-12 education administrators and postsecondary education administrators across the USA. Maryland employs a respectable number of administrators, especially for a small state. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan areas are predictable job hotspots for both categories.

• You can dig deeper into these numbers by visiting the MSDE’s Division of Assessment, Accountability, and Information Technology, which publishes Maryland Public Schools Report Cards.
• State data for Maryland postsecondary education administrators aren’t always available. So you may wish to consult the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)’s Annual Data Book, which encompasses all of Maryland’s public postsecondary institutions. Check out the section on Full-Time & Part-Time Staff to view actual employment numbers (The University of Maryland Global Campus and UMCP are the clear winners.)

Educational Leadership Salaries

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

• Salaries for Maryland K-12 education administrators are particularly strong—the state is often in the top wage bracket, along with its neighbor, Delaware. You can compare BLS wage data with annual Professional Salary Schedules published by the MSDE.
• You’ll frequently see Maryland among the top paying states for postsecondary education administrators in the country, along with New Jersey and Delaware. The MHEC’s Annual Data Book doesn’t publish salaries for staff at Maryland public colleges & universities, but it does list average salaries of full-time faculty. Large UM institutions are usually the highest payers (e.g. UMCP and UMB). The Baltimore Sun Media also keeps track of university wages in the Public Salaries Archive.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Large job sites will have postings for educational administrative positions in Maryland (e.g. HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, LinkedIn, TopSchoolJobs, etc.). But we also wanted to highlight a few state resources.

• ASBO MD&DC posts current Job Opportunities for business officials, as well as links to HR departments in Maryland counties.
• MABE advertises current Maryland Superintendent Vacancies.
• Each Maryland county (e.g. Harford County Public Schools) will have job postings under its Careers or Human Resources section. The MSDE has links to all Local Education Agencies (i.e. counties).
• USM provides links to USM Institutions’ Offices of Human Resources (i.e. job openings in many of Maryland’s public universities).

Educational Leadership Organizations in Maryland

Educational Leadership Associations

• Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE): MABE is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to serving and supporting boards of education in Maryland. All 24 Maryland boards of education are members of MABE.
• Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE): MACTE is a voluntary state association composed of higher education institutions and related organizations involved in educator preparation programs.
• Maryland Association of School Business Officials (MD ASBO): MD ASBO is a professional organization which provides programs and services to Maryland school business officials.
• Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals (MAESP): MAESP is a professional association that offers service, support, and advocacy for Maryland’s elementary school leaders. It has ~900 members and it’s a state affiliate of NAESP.
• Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP): MASSP is a state affiliate of NASSP. Membership is open to middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators—building, district, and state.
• Maryland College Personnel Association (MCPA): MCPA is a state division of the ACPA. It serves and represents student personnel professionals at colleges and universities across the state of Maryland.
• Maryland State Education Association (MSEA): MSEA is the state’s teacher union and a state affiliate of the NEA. It has ~74,000 members, including teachers, administrators, higher education faculty, certificated specialists, and more.
• Public School Superintendent’s Association of Maryland (PSSAM): PSSAM membership is made up of the 24 school superintendents representing each of the local agencies in the State of Maryland.​

Educational Leadership Professional Groups

• Council of Educational Administrative and Supervisory Organizations of Maryland (CEASOM): CEASOM is an umbrella organization comprised of many members involved in the areas of educational administration and supervision, teacher preparation, facilities management and support, and professional development.

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

Educational Leadership Events in Maryland

Educational Leadership Conferences

• Common Ground Maryland: This popular professional development event in May is the brainchild of CEASOM, in collaboration with professional organizations in Maryland and the MSDE. It attracts ~1,200 educational leaders.
• MABE Annual Conference: MABE’s flagship event in October attracts around 150 school board members and other educational leaders from across the state.
• MAESP Annual Conference: This three-day conference for elementary school administrators and school leaders usually occurs in March.
• MASSP Spring Conference: MASSP organizes a three-day event for middle & secondary school administrators in late March.
• MD ASBO Annual Fall Conference: This boutique one-day conference for school business officials typically focuses on a relevant theme. It’s held in November.
• MD ASBO Annual Spring Conference: This four-day event for Maryland school business officials usually takes place in May.

Educational Leadership Training

• MD ASBO Professional Development: Maryland school business officials and staff can investigate ASBO’s workshops, foundation courses, certification program, webinars, and more.
• MABE Professional Development: MABE’s programs are designed for new & veteran board members, but programs like the Legal Services Seminars have wider applications.
• MSDE Office of Leadership Development: This Maryland Department of Education Office runs the Leading for School Improvement Institute, Promising Principals’ Academy, and Leadership Presentations.