Ed.D. Programs in New Hampshire

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in New Hampshire

New Hampshire doctoral programs in education in our school listings share some common DNA. For one, they are primarily low residency and/or hybrid programs that are designed for working professionals. For another, they all come from schools who offer similar per credit Ed.D. tuition rates—follow the cost links in the listings to view the total price.

But there are key differences. Ed.D. funding options vary. Only Plymouth State and SNHU have chosen to take part in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED). And…

• New England College’s Ed.D. in PreK-12 Leadership may be able to help with superintendent certification—see our section on Administration Certification.
• Because it’s a public university, Plymouth State has different Ed.D. tuition rates for residents & non-residents.
• Rivier’s curriculum includes a Personal Learning Portfolio and some unusual and thought-provoking core courses.
• SNHU’s practical, cohort-based doctorate in education does not have an open enrollment policy.

Once you’ve landed on a program that best suits your goals, glance at our career section. Here you’ll find a discussion of NH administrative job & wage data, links to local job boards and K-20 salary databases, and an annotated list of important educational leadership associations. We’ve also included a section on conferences & training programs so you can plan your networking calendar!

Doctoral Education Funding in New Hampshire

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

For this section, we’ve dug up links to institutional aid (e.g. internal graduate scholarships). The Office of Financial Aid can help you with applications for graduate loans and outside scholarships. Unfortunately, New Hampshire universities don’t have a lot of funding for the doctorate in education. Your choices at the university may be limited to payment plans.

New England College

NEC has a section devoted to Graduate Student Financial Services, with info on financial aid procedures, loans, assistantships, and the monthly payment plan. As far as we can determine, there are no scholarships for doctoral students. However, you may wish to attend NEC’s Doctorate of Education Campus Information Session, where you’ll be able to ask specific questions about funding options.

Plymouth State University

The Ed.D. program page has a section on Financial Information, with details about tuition & fees, financial aid, and awards. PSU offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships to admitted graduate students, but the ones we saw in the database were primarily for business students. Graduate Assistant positions are available on a limited basis—these may not be relevant if you’re already working.

Rivier University

The Office of Student Financial Services has advice for Graduate and Doctorate Students. There are a few endowed scholarships for graduate students. Payment plans are also available.

Southern New Hampshire University

SNHU has a list of Grants & Scholarships that includes funds for graduate students. We didn’t see any that specifically applied to the Ed.D., though it never hurts to ask about general awards.

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

School Administration Certification Requirements in New Hampshire

Types of Administrator Certification

The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE) and its Bureau of Credentialing handles certification for public school educators and administrators. Administrators can apply for a variety of endorsements, including:

• Superintendent (Admin Rule 506.01)
• Assistant Superintendent (Admin Rule 506.02)
• Business Administrator (Admin Rule 506.03)
• Principal (Admin Rule 506.04)
• Curriculum Administrator (Admin Rule 506.05)
• District Administrator (Admin Rule 506.06)
• Special Education Administrator (Admin Rule 506.07)
• Associate Principal (Admin Rule 506.08)
• Career and Technical Education Director (Admin Rule 507.01)

Certification standards (i.e. requirements) for all educational personnel are listed in Chapter Ed 500 of the Administrative Rules. We’ve also provided a brief rundown of principal and superintendent certification requirements below.

Wondering which degree to earn? NHDOE’s section on Professional Educator Preparation Program Approval has lists of state-approved programs organized by institute and endorsement.

• Most New Hampshire universities have stuck to Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGSs) for administrator certification.
• But talk to the Ed.D. program coordinator about your options. For instance, New England College states on its program website that courses in the Ed.D. can count toward superintendent certification.

Note: NHDOE’s Certification section contains separate instructions for educators who hold out-of-state certificates or licenses.

Principal Instructional Leader

To receive certification as a New Hampshire Principal Instructional Leader (Admin Rule 506.04), you must:

• Complete one of the following:
  • A state-approved master’s program in educational leadership or a related area. You will need to received the institution’s recommendation for certification.
  • A master’s program in education and demonstrated that:
    • you have achieved competencies, skills, and knowledge listed in Admin Rule 506.04
    • OR you have experience in comparable educational leadership positions in education or other professions as specified 505.03.
• Have at least 5 years of experience as an educator.

Superintendent

To receive certification as a New Hampshire Superintendent (Admin Rule 506.01), you must:

• Complete a state-approved collegiate program in educational administration at the post-master’s certificate of advanced graduate study (CAGS), educational specialist, or doctoral level.
• Have at least 3 years of experience as an education administrator in a K-12 setting.
• Have acquired the competencies, skills, and knowledge itemized in Admin Rule 506.01 through experience in comparable leadership positions in education OR other professions if qualifying under 505.03: Alternative 3: Demonstrated Competencies and Equivalent Experiences.

Educational Leadership Jobs in New Hampshire

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps a close eye on employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators. We especially like the job maps on these pages, since they place New Hampshire in context with its neighbors. You’ll find the data used for these maps in BLS’s section on State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for New Hampshire.

As you might expect from a small state, New Hampshire doesn’t employ many K-12 administrators—it’s usually in a similar employment bracket to Maine. Thanks to the size of Manchester and Nashua, school leadership jobs are naturally more common in those cities. If you’d like to know more about specific geographic areas, the NHDOE publishes all kinds of Data Reports (e.g. enrollment). You can also use iPlatform to view School & District Report Cards and iExplore to compare schools.

The employment market for New Hampshire postsecondary education administrators is equally modest—the state can’t compete with all the university openings in Massachusetts. Having said that, the West Central-Southwest NH nonmetropolitan area often registers a high concentration of jobs. The presence of Dartmouth, Antioch, and Franklin Pierce in the area could have something to do with this statistic!

Preparing for a job interview at a specific institution? The government’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard contain useful summaries of NH colleges & universities. For a broader regional viewpoint, you may also wish to consult Reports & Analysis issued by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE).

Educational Leadership Salaries

Mean wages for New Hampshire K-12 administrators are low, but not extraordinarily so. The state is typically on par with Maine and Vermont for compensation. You can view exact K-12 numbers in the NHDOE’s section on Staffing and Salary Reports. Administration Salaries—annual salaries of superintendents, assistant superintendents, and business administrators in public school districts—are listed by name. NHASP members can also access its Principal Salary Survey.

Overall, mean wages for New Hampshire postsecondary education administrators are remarkably healthy. The state is often in the same wage bracket as Massachusetts, handily trouncing Maine.

• The University System of New Hampshire publishes its own Salary Books, with the name and job title of each employee.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education lists NH Faculty Salaries for private & public colleges and universities. Dartmouth and UNH institutions are—predictably—the most generous employers.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Standard employment sites (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, etc.) will contain job postings for New Hampshire educational leaders & PreK-20 administrators. State-specific job boards are also worth a look.

• NEA-NH has a database of NH School Jobs. You can search by location or job type.
• NHASP has a section on Jobs, with postings for current administrative vacancies in New Hampshire schools.
• NHASBO posts jobs for New Hampshire school business officials in two places: its Career Center and NH Open Positions.
• NHSBA conducts Superintendent Searches. It lists other regional administrative openings on the same page.
• The USNH Jobs Website is a database of job postings at all UNH campuses. You can search for faculty or staff positions.
• The Community College System of New Hampshire lists Employment Opportunities in all NH community colleges. You can filter by location.
• NEBHE’s Joblink contains postings for higher education positions throughout New England.

Educational Leadership Organizations in New Hampshire

Educational Leadership Associations

• New Hampshire Association of School Business Officials (NHASBO): NHASBO is a professional association that consists of 160+ New Hampshire school business management professionals and affiliates. It offers a Business Administrator Certificate Program and it’s a state affiliate of ASBO International.
• New Hampshire Association of School Principals (NHASP): NHASP is a member-driven organization that represents New Hampshire elementary, middle, and high school administrators. It’s a state affiliate of NASSP and NAESP.
• New Hampshire Association of Special Education Administrators (NHASEA): Any public or private special education administrator, assistant administrator, or non-teaching coordinator is eligible for NHASEA membership.
• New Hampshire Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NHASFAA): NHASFAA membership is open to professionals engaged in the administration of student financial aid at New Hampshire institutions of higher education and organizations that provide financial assistance programs, services, and/or support to postsecondary students.
• New Hampshire Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NHASCD): NHASCD supports teachers, specialists, school and district administrators, college and university faculty members, independent educational consultants, retired educators, and staff from the NHDOE. It’s a state affiliate of ASCD.
• New Hampshire Chapter – National Education Association (NEA-NH): NEA-NH is the state’s largest public sector union—its 17,000 members consist of public school educators in all stages of their careers.
• New Hampshire Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Council (NHCTO): NHCTO represents educational CTOs, technology leaders, and policymakers throughout the state. It’s a state chapter of COSN and a partner of the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education (NHSTE).
• New Hampshire School Administrators Association (NHSAA): NHSAA members include New Hampshire superintendents, assistant superintendents, school business officials, special education directors, curriculum coordinators, and other system administrators. It’s a state affiliate of AASA.
• New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA): NHSBA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to assisting local school boards.

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 New Hampshire

Educational Leadership Conferences

• Bradley Kidder Law Conference: This one-day event in October is co-sponsored by NHSBA, NHCOSA, and NHSAA. During the day, New Hampshire’s top school attorneys highlight new developments in school law.
• Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference: Sponsored by NHSAA and NHSTE, this three-day conference in late November/early December is a forum for sharing successful technology practices among educators.
• Innovations in Learning Conference: This two-day event conference in September is co-hosted by the NHSAA and NHDOE. It provides in-depth updates on the current status of curriculum development in New Hampshire schools, as well as info on outstanding assessment practices.
• NHASEA Annual Summer Conference: NHASEA’s three-day conference for special education leaders—and anyone interested in the field—usually takes place in late July.
• NHASFAA Annual Conference: This two-day conference for New Hampshire financial aid professionals occurs in late October.
• NHASP Conferences: NHASP typically hosts its three-day Annual Conference for K-12 principals & administrators in June and its Law Conference in March.
• NHCTO Annual Conference: The New Hampshire CTO Council organizes a one-day conference for technology leaders each year in May.
• NHSAA Conferences: NHSAA hosts—and co-sponsors—a large number of events for New Hampshire K-12 administrators, including its Personnel Leadership Conference, Innovations in Learning Conference, and Excellence in Equity Conference.
• Tri-State ASBO Conference: This annual three-day conference for school business officials from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont takes place in May. It covers best practices in the areas of finance, personnel, facilities and more.

Educational Leadership Training

• NHASBO Workshops & Meetings: NHASBO’s programs for New Hampshire school business officials include regular business meetings and workshops on relevant topics (e.g. Benefits Administration).
• NHASEA Training & Events: NHASEA organizes a number of workshops, training sessions, and professional development programs for New Hampshire special education administrators.
• NHASP Professional Development & Networking: NHASP’s PD offerings are designed for current & aspiring New Hampshire school administrators. They include a Leadership Academy, New Administrators Workshop, Assistant Principals Workshop, K-8 Network Meetings, and more.
• NHSAA Professional Development: Building-level and district-level administrators can take advantage of NHSAA’s workshops, one-day training programs, legislative reviews, and more.
• NHSBA Workshops: Some of NHSBA’s workshops have direct relevance to K-12 administrators, including the Budget Workshop and Instructional Policies Workshop for Administrators.