Quick Facts
- No matter what accredited Ed.D. you choose, you will always have to complete a research-based doctoral project. However, in a “no dissertation” scenario, your final project will focus on applied theory, action-based research, and deliverables (e.g. change management plan).
- Thanks to recommendations from the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model has been surging in popularity in recent years. You’ll be expected to address a complex Problem of Practice (PoP) for an organization or stakeholder group in education.
- Capstone projects can be just as rigorous as dissertations, as long as they are properly structured. In 2023, a study on Best Practices for Ed.D. Comprehensive Exams and Capstone Projects found that online Ed.D. students preferred their capstones to be actionable and immediately applicable to their practice.
Examples of Online Ed.D. Programs Without a Dissertation
Schools that advertise “No Dissertation” Ed.D. programs typically require a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) or capstone project. These are the online & on-campus doctorates that we’ve included in our directory—there are 90+ programs available! Examples include:
- University of Missouri-St. Louis’s Online Ed.D. in Educational Practice. UMSL employs an 8-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model, which is completed through group work.
- University of Southern California’s Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. This program involves a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that focuses on issues impeding K-12 students’ access to learning opportunities.
- University of Southern Mississippi’s Online Ed.D. in Educational Administration. This degree includes a 12-credit capstone research project, which runs the length of the program. Students are expected to focus on a problem of practice in their workplace.
- Nebraska Methodist College’s Online Ed.D. in Education and Leadership in Healthcare. This “No Dissertation” degree contains an 8-credit capstone split into four courses over a six-term program.
- National University’s Online Ed.D. in Organizational Innovation, which requires a culminating project, worth 9 quarter credits. This is a written work based on research students do in their workplace.
Note: Avoid like the plague any Ed.D. program that has no DiP or capstone requirement! They almost certainly will a) not be accredited; and b) not be recognized by employers.
What is a Traditional Ed.D. Dissertation?
A traditional Ed.D. dissertation is a five-chapter paper, roughly the length of a short book. It shows that you can conduct original research into the field of education. The dissertation process starts as soon as you begin your online Ed.D. or on-campus doctorate and it can be broken down into six steps:
- Choose a Research Topic: Near the beginning of the Ed.D. program, you’ll be expected to identify a topic that will require substantial research. This topic should revolve around a unique issue in education (e.g. Helping Intellectually Gifted Middle School Students, Bridging the Gap Between Training and Educating in Adult Learning, etc.).
- Craft a Proposal: You’ll use the knowledge you’ve gained from didactic coursework and Ed.D. research classes to write the opening chapters of your dissertation, including an introduction that defines your chosen problem, a literature review, and a proposed methodology for finding the answer.
- Defend the Proposal: Before proceeding, you will need to present your dissertation proposal to a committee. The committee will want to see that your research is significant and relevant works are included in the literature review. In online Ed.D. programs, this defense can usually be done virtually.
- Research the Topic: After making any necessary tweaks to the proposal, and getting it approved, you can begin researching your topic.
- Write the Remainder of the Dissertation: Once you have completed your research, you’ll write up the final chapters—one chapter will detail your findings; the other should contain an analysis of what your findings mean and how they might apply to professional situations.
- Defend Your Dissertation: At the end of the Ed.D. degree, you must present your dissertation to the committee (usually in an oral presentation). After you have incorporated any notes from the committee, you can finalize your draft and graduate.
Note: Several universities publish full Ed.D. dissertations online, among them George Fox and the University of San Francisco.
Practice-Focused Alternatives: The “No Dissertation” Model of the DiP or Capstone Project
Unlike Ph.D. programs, Ed.D. programs are focused on professional practice—on-campus and online Ed.D. graduates are expected to apply their research in order to solve or improve real-world problems. To that end, many universities in our no dissertation Ed.D. directory have been moving away from a traditional dissertation to more innovative models.
In general, all alternatives to a traditional Ed.D. dissertation involve a Problem of Practice (PoP) in the workplace. When you tackle a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) or capstone project, you’ll be using your research to create practical & workable solutions (e.g. recommending better practices or creating different approaches to current practice).
As we mentioned, you’ll sometimes see these kinds of education doctorates labeled as “No Dissertation” degrees. But keep in mind that the final project will be just as challenging as a traditional dissertation! Be prepared for a lot of on-the-ground research and writing.
Ed.D. Dissertation in Practice (DiP)
In the 2000s, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) wanted to make the Ed.D. more relevant for school practitioners and education leaders. So it devised a new Framework for Ed.D. Program Design, with a) a new definition of the Ed.D.; b) a list of guiding principles for program development; and c) a set of building blocks for the degree.
One of these building blocks is the Dissertation in Practice (DiP). During a DiP, you’ll be expected to:
- Tackle a complex Problem of Practice (PoP) facing an organization or stakeholder group in education.
- Create an innovative, research-based project that can help guide other educators and be used in the field.
- Integrate concepts of practice, leadership, and equity into your project.
DiPs are geared toward working professionals who want to make substantive changes in education. Experienced practitioners act as DiP advisors; collaboration is encouraged; and applied research & theory is the name of the game.
Examples of this practical approach include ASU’s focus on “action research” within the workplace; Pitt’s use of “improvement science” to address equity and justice; and Harvard’s concern with “strategy in action.”
Note: CPED posts examples of award-winning Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice in its Resource Center and UW Tacoma maintains a database of Dissertations in Practice.
Ed.D. Capstone Project
While you’re examining universities, you may also come across Ed.D. programs that contain a culminating project, scholarly delivery, applied inquiry project, or a capstone project. The choice of language is determined by graduate faculty and the university. But all of them hold the equivalent weight of a traditional dissertation or DiP.
To get a sense of how an on-campus or online Ed.D. capstone project is structured, examine the Ed.D. program page carefully.
- Some schools like to put an emphasis on group work.
- Others are interested in seeing innovative final projects/deliverables.
- Many follow the DiP model.
An education doctorate with a capstone project is probably the closest you’re going to get to a “No Dissertation Ed.D.” You’ll often be in involved in more collaboration and hands-on deliverables. But you’re always going to have to produce rigorous, research-focused results.
Note: Governors State University has developed its own database of Ed.D. Capstone Projects. You can also ask the Ed.D. program coordinator for a list of recent examples.
How an Ed.D. Capstone Project Works
Let’s say you’ve decided on pursuing an accredited, on-campus or online Ed.D. without a dissertation. How can you be sure that the final research project is going to be as tough as the traditional model? Here is a general summary of the steps involved in completing a strong Ed.D. capstone project:
- Choose a Capstone Topic: The beginning of your Ed.D. will typically be front-loaded with foundational coursework, as well as classes on how to conduct research. It’s here that you’ll start to explore what a good capstone topic might be and learn about relevant research tools.
- Meet with an Advisor: You’ll work with an advisor to firm up the real-world problem you want to address and determine how to approach it. Part of this process will involve figuring out what an appropriate deliverable would be (e.g. change management plan, new curriculum, portfolio of educational materials, etc.).
- Draft a Proposal: About halfway through the program, you may be expected to draft a report that contains a problem statement, an outline of your process for finding solutions, and a description of deliverables.
- Defend the Proposal: Before any actual research takes place, the committee needs to sign off on your proposal.
- Research the Topic: Even without a standard Ed.D. dissertation, there’s no getting around conducting research. The key difference is how that research is gathered and applied. You may end up combining traditional research with action research and/or evaluation research (e.g. collecting and analyzing real-time data from your workplace).
- Defend Your Findings: You have one more defense—this time of your research findings and accompanying recommendations. This is separate from the project deliverable.
- Produce a Deliverable: The deliverable/final project is something that an organization can actually use to improve educational access or outcomes.
Ed.D. Traditional Dissertation vs. DiP/Capstone Project
As long as they contain a DiP or capstone, accredited on-campus & online Ed.D. programs without a dissertation carry the same weight as doctoral programs with traditional dissertations. There’s absolutely no difference in quality. The CPED consortium includes numerous prominent universities, and U.S. News & World Report highly ranks several schools with Ed.D. capstone components. So you have a choice.
Traditional 5-Chapter Ed.D. Dissertation
You may wish to consider Ed.D. programs with a traditional dissertation if you want to dig deep into original research. This research may not be immediately applicable to your workplace, but it will help advance educators’ understanding of an issue. It contributes new knowledge to the field. Some dissertation writers like to investigate cultural topics (e.g. Latinx learning experiences); others are interested in the effect of education in particular settings (e.g. U.S. prison system).
Ed.D. Capstone Project or DiP: The “No Dissertation” Model
If you would like to tackle a specific problem in your workplace, then we recommend you consider in-person or online Ed.D. programs with a DiP or capstone project. These doctorates are focused on applied theory & research—you will be expected to test & implement changes over the course of your degree (e.g. new education methods, curriculum changes, leadership interventions, etc.). Ed.D. programs without a dissertation may also contain more group work and interpersonal opportunities.
Note: If you don’t have the capacity for a large research project at this time, you could consider pursuing an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree. This leaves the door open for you to complete an Ed.D. completion program or All But Dissertation (ABD) program later down the track.
All Online No-Dissertation EdD Programs
51 Schools Found
Arizona
Arizona State University
Teacher's College
Tempe, Arizona
Not only is ASU an Experienced CPED member, but it also won the prize for CPED Program of the Year in 2018. The 3-year, cohort-based Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation is available in two formats - 100% online or hybrid - and it focuses on real-world learning. All students are placed in small Leader Scholar Communities (LSCs) that meet regularly with a faculty mentor. Your final product will be an "Action Research Dissertation" that's the culmination of a series of research projects conducted over the course of the program. You can use your LSC for support throughout the dissertation experience, which will take up almost all of your third year.
University of Arizona
Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice
Tucson, Arizona
The culminating project for UA's online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). During the DiP, you'll be addressing an area of concern or problem of practice in the context of your professional work. For example, you might engage in research around college readiness, building capacity, turning around failing schools, social justice, or educational policy. The entire Ed.D. can be completed in 3 years; most of your final year will be devoted to the DiP.
California
National University
Sanford College of Education
La Jolla, California
CAEP accredited
If you opt for National's online, cohort-based Ed.D., you'll begin working on your Culminating Project at the start of the program. In the first year, you'll be expected to explore a real-world problem of practice within your workplace and present your scope of study to the Chair. In the second year, you'll come up with a proposal for an action research project and pass it by the doctoral committee. And in the third year, you'll gather data, analyze results, and report your findings. The whole 9-course experience aims to train you to look at challenges through the lens of both a researcher and leader/practitioner. The entire degree can be completed in 3 years, but you have up to 7 years to get your project done.
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
Los Angeles, California
CAEP accredited
USC has gone down the route of the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) for its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Format options for the DiP vary by concentration, but all doctoral students are required to get stuck into a problem of practice that impedes access to equitable educational opportunities and outcomes. The DiP process involves a literature review, data analysis, and reporting results & findings. You'll be able to work on the DiP in your second and third years, in collaboration with Ed.D. faculty and other classmates in your concentration.
Colorado
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
School of Education and Human Development
Denver, Colorado
CU Denver's hybrid Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Equity contains a lot of thoughtful elements. It's available in multiple concentrations; it's cohort-based; it comes in a 3- or 5-year plan; and it contains a collaborative Dissertation in Practice (DiP). You'll spend 15 credit hours working on your DiP, including time spent in doctoral seminars and design workshop experiences in the second fall semester. Throughout the process, you'll have the support of Ed.D. students in your cohort.
Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity, Designing for Professional Learning
Offered Online
Doctorate in Education - Leadership for Educational Equity - Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education
Offered Online
Doctorate in Education - Leadership for Educational Equity - Latin Learners and Community
Offered Online
Connecticut
Sacred Heart University
Isabelle Farrington College Of Education
Fairfield, Connecticut
CAEP accredited
SHU's practical online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership has been heavily shaped by the university's membership in CPED. In fact, one of SHU's key goals is to equip doctoral students to lead schools & school districts from a "whole child" perspective. To that end, your Dissertation in Practice (DiP) at SHU should address a complex problem of practice that relates to social, emotional & academic leadership (SEAL). This work will take place during the third & fourth year of your degree.
Delaware
Wilmington University
College of Education
New Castle, Delaware
CAEP accredited
The final deliverable for your Ed.D. at Wilmington will depend on your choice of degree. Educational Leadership students produce a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). Organizational Leadership students focus on an applied research dissertation/capstone project. And Higher Education Leadership students tackle an applied inquiry project. But you'll always be investigating a real-world problem of practice in your school, university, district, or workplace. Better yet, Ed.D. students are usually at liberty to select the topic & format of the final project, provided they have approval from the dissertation advisor and program chair.
Doctor of Education in Organizational, Learning, Leadership and Innovation - Strategic Leadership
Offered Online
Doctor of Education in Organizational, Learning, Leadership and Innovation - Talent Development
Offered Online
Doctor of Education in Organizational, Learning, Leadership and Innovation - Workplace Learning
Offered Online
District of Columbia
American University
School of Education
Washington, District of Columbia
CAEP accredited
Thanks to CPED membership, AU's online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy contains a practitioner-focused Dissertation in Practice (DiP). With fellow students in your cohort, you'll develop a proposal for problem of practice project that's focused on a real-world challenge. In the case of AU, this may involve issues such as personal leadership, systemic change, social justice, antiracism, and policy. Most of the heavy DiP work will take place in the last two semesters of this 3-year, eight semester program.
Florida
Nova Southeastern University
Fischler College of Education
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
CAEP accredited
With NSU's Ed.D. programs, you can choose to follow an applied dissertation model or opt for the "Strategic Research Project" (SRP). The SRP consists of two 6-credit courses in your final year of study, after you've completed all other required credits. In the first course, you'll identify a problem of practice in your workplace or partner organization. You'll conduct a literature review, analyze evidence, and come up with potential actions/interventions. In the second course, you'll incorporate feedback into your intervention plan, devise an evaluation strategy, and produce a final narrative & deliverable.
University of Florida
College of Education
Gainesville, Florida
CAEP accredited
UF has been a CPED member since 2007, and it's been refining its Online Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction ever since. In this cohort-based, 4-year doctorate, you'll tackle an 18-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that functions as a capstone experience. This means you'll be asked to design & implement studies that are focused on solving context-based problems of practice (e.g. research-based improvements in your local district, school, or classroom). All online students in this doctorate must attend summer on-campus experiences and visit UF for qualifying exams and their dissertation defense.
University of Miami
School of Education
Coral Gables, Florida
UM's online Ed.D. in Applied Learning Sciences is short (2.5 years) and practical. Instead of a traditional dissertation, students in this doctoral program work on a "Cumulative Project." Just like other capstone models, you'll be expected to concentrate on a local problem or issue in learning and collaborate with a UM partner organization or your employer. But you can choose whether you wish to work with other students on a topic. And you can complete your project in a number of languages, including Spanish and Mandarin. At the end of the experience, you'll be expected to produce a series of useful artifacts - these can be in a written, digital, or multimedia format (e.g. film).
Georgia
Georgia Southern University
College of Education
Statesboro, Georgia
CAEP accredited
As a CPED member, GSU has made a commitment to pragmatic learning. That means the dissertation in the cohort-based Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is more flexible than traditional dissertation models. For example, you can choose to focus on program evaluation, policy formation, organizational problem analysis, or even systems analysis. Check with the program coordinator to learn if similar Dissertation in Practice (DiP) opportunities are available for the Ed.D. in Curriculum Studies.
Illinois
Governors State University
College of Education
University Park, Illinois
CAEP accredited
Governors State has a couple of Ed.D. programs on offer, but it's the online Ed.D. in Interdisciplinary Leadership that uses a capstone model. In consultation with a faculty chair, you'll be allowed to choose a "topic of inquiry" for an applied research project in your concentration area. First you'll work on conducting a site assessment, preparing a prospectus, assembling a literature review, and crafting a proposal. Once your topic has been accepted, you'll participate in two capstone internships that include opportunities to lead activities which impact schools, organizations, and/or districts. As usual, you must defend your project and its findings in a final capstone defense.
National Louis University
National College of Education/School of Business and Management
Chicago, Illinois
CAEP accredited
Although most of NLU's education doctorates contain a dissertation element, the hybrid Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership includes a practical capstone. NLU provides an admirable amount of structure for this process in its 3-year program. You'll begin work on the capstone in the first year of study and take a series of courses that will help you achieve specific benchmarks (e.g. institutional study, literature review, study design, conclusions & recommendations, etc.). The curriculum also includes a series of doctoral colloquiums/seminars where you can discuss your progress and present stages of your work. The capstone culminates with an oral defense.
Iowa
Allen College
School of Health Sciences
Waterloo, Iowa
Allen's Ed.D. in Health Professions Education champions the capstone model. That means you'll be addressing a problem of practice that's focused on the intersection of education and healthcare. Work on the capstone is spread over four courses; the first course kicks off in the fall semester of your final two years. You'll be working under the supervision of graduate faculty in a dissertation committee, including an expert in your chosen research topic.
Kansas
University of Saint Mary
Education Department
Leavenworth, Kansas
CAEP accredited
USM has gone for a combo structure. As a student in the Ed.D. in Leadership - with a concentration in Higher Education or Curriculum & Instruction - you'll be asked to tackle a doctoral dissertation AND a capstone project. The dissertation is an extended written work backed by hands-on research in documentary source materials and fieldwork experiences. The capstone takes the place of a comprehensive exam. For this project, you'll provide representative artifacts for each Ed.D. course and a reflection on your pieces.
Massachusetts
Bay Path University
School of Education
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Bay Path's online Ed.D. culminates in an action-focused Dissertation in Practice (DiP). Depending on your previous educational experience, you can choose the standard 54-credit program or the 30-credit "All But Dissertation" (ABD) model. During the DIP, you'll use behavioral science knowledge and advanced research skills to address real organizational problems. You'll also discover how the outcomes of action research can lead to new planning or leadership objectives. DiP collaboration is encouraged through Leader-Scholar Communities.
Boston College
Lynch School of Education
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
CAEP accredited
One look at BC's offerings will be enough to tell you that the university is an Experienced CPED member. Both doctoral programs are cohort-based, practice-oriented, and streamlined for professionals into a 3-year structure. But their final projects are a little different. The Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education culminates in a group-based capstone that integrates content across the curriculum. BC often partners with outside institutions to come up with capstone assignments. In contrast, the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership ends with a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that deals with action research and a relevant problem of practice in your workplace.
Boston University
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Boston, Massachusetts
BU's part-time, cohort-based Ed.D. ends with a collaborative 12-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP). Working in a small team of 3-4 students, you'll tackle a common problem of practice in your school or district. For example, you might end up addressing challenges like improvement strategies, crisis management, effective technology integration, and/or professional learning. Nevertheless, your DiP will be grounded in data gathered in your own community. BU will help to match you with Ed.D. teammates in similar socioeconomic communities. You'll also have the support of a Field Director and Ed.D. professors.
Northeastern University
College of Professional Studies
Boston, Massachusetts
Northeastern is an Experienced CPED member, which means it's a champion of the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model. In this online Ed.D., you'll be expected to choose a final research project that digs into a compelling educational or organizational challenge (e.g. Affirmative Action and Diversity in College Admissions). Over the course of 12 quarter hours, you'll go through the process of proposal, action step, evaluation & data analysis, writing up field reports & results, dissemination, and defense. Faculty advisors are assigned to students at the start of the program, so you'll have guidance throughout the DiP process.
Regis College
School of Arts and Sciences
Weston, Massachusetts
Regis has been a CPED member since 2014, so it's well-versed in the benefits of a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). As a student in the 3-year education doctorate, you'll use the DiP to explore a critical issue in higher education leadership. This process includes problem identification, a comprehensive literature review, methods & data collection, and reporting your conclusions. Each student is provided with a primary advisor and a DiP committee. Examples of previous DiP projects at Regis include: "Developing Partnerships: Strengthening Parent Engagement in a Title I School," "Induction Programs: Meeting the Needs of Mentors and Mentees," and "An Investigation of the Relationships Among Life Experiences and Resilience With First-Year College Students."
Michigan
Andrews University
Department of Leadership
Berrien Springs, Michigan
CAEP accredited
Andrews's online Doctor of Leadership is designed for mid-career leaders, so it makes sense that this program includes a work-related change project instead of a traditional dissertation. During the 20+ credit research process, you'll be immersed in competency development, data collection & analysis, theoretical learning, and reflective experiences. At the end of your doctorate, you must produce a written doctoral project, a professional portfolio, and a research-based article that's suitable for publication.
Cornerstone University
Adult & Graduate Studies
Grand Rapids, Michigan
CAEP accredited
Organizational leaders who are looking for a Christian-based online Ed.D. should take a look at Cornerstone. In lieu of a dissertation, Cornerstone has opted for an Organizational Leadership and Development Project. This consists of a proposal course and a year of capstone work. In consultation with a mentor, you'll be challenged to address a practical, real-world problem in your workplace or a relevant setting. Examples of previous capstones include: "Assessing Patient Experience and Hospital Culture Within a Healthcare System," "The Use of Hoshin Kanri and Relational Coordination to Predict Strategic Planning Success," and "The Mediating Role of Inclusion Within Authentic Leadership to Predict Employee Engagement."
Minnesota
Capella University
School of Education
Minneapolis, Minnesota
EdD in Adult Education
Offered Online
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Graduate School of Education
Winona, Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota offers their Doctor of Education in Leadership in a fully online executive track with no dissertation requirement. The program is designed for established professionals, meaning students have many years of experience (10+ years required) and don't plan to pursue teaching positions upon graduation. This program appeals more to business leaders interested in advancing their careers through a terminal degree they can complete remotely outside work.
The College of Saint Scholastica
School of Education
Duluth, Minnesota
CSS's cohort-based Ed.D. culminates in a Dissertation in Practice/Capstone project. You'll identify a relevant problem of practice in the first two years of your degree and spend the third & fourth years getting stuck into research, data collection and analysis, and the write-up. You'll have the support of faculty and scholarly learning communities (SLC) during this process - SLC seminars are designed to help Ed.D. students discuss their work-in-progress.
Walden University
Riley College of Education & Leadership
Minneapolis, Minnesota
CAEP accredited
Walden's online Ed.D. is available in a wide range of specializations, but all of them follow a similar format. In addition to Ed.D. coursework, you'll complete a "Doctoral Capstone". This process begins with doctoral support courses, followed by the crafting of a prospectus/proposal and work on the capstone. This project should be context-based within your chosen organizational setting and linked to social change (e.g. improvement of day-to-day educational practice). You must take 5 capstone credits per term for a minimum of 4 continuous terms in order to graduate.
Online Doctor of Education - Early Childhood Education
Offered Online
Online Doctor of Education - Educational Administration and Leadership (for Administrators)
Offered Online
Online Doctor of Education - Educational Administration and Leadership (non-licensure)
Offered Online
Online Doctor of Education - Educational Technology
Offered Online
Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi
Department of Educational Research and Administration
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
CAEP accredited
As a student in USM's online Ed.D. in Educational Administration, you'll have the opportunity to participate in an administrative practicum experience and work on a field-based capstone in educational leadership. The capstone is a 12-credit, four-chapter project that can be completed over the course of the last four semesters. At the end of each semester, you'll be expected to produce various deliverables in order to proceed. But you'll have the help of a capstone instructor and/or program coordinator throughout the experience.
Missouri
A. T. Still University of Health Sciences
College of Graduate Health Studies
Kirksville, Missouri
ATSU takes a practical approach to the Ed.D. in Health Professions. Instead of a traditional Ed.D. dissertation, you'll get to tackle a Doctoral Research Project (DRP). Upon completion, you'll have a professional manuscript that you can submit to a peer-reviewed journal. The DRP process consists of five 5-hour courses that cover the entire journey, from the proposal & literature review to research design, data analysis, and publication. These five courses follow after core coursework and take 1 1/4 years to complete. Better yet, you'll be paired with a faculty member who acts as both a DRP supervisor and mentor.
Nebraska
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Healthcare Management Department
Omaha, Nebraska
To suit the needs of busy healthcare professionals, NMC's doctorate contains a capstone practice project instead of a traditional dissertation. You can complete this project on a part-time or full-time schedule. In the full-time, 2-year scenario, the 4-course capstone experience is woven into the last four terms, starting in the summer term of your first year. During this time, you'll identify a problem of interest, come up with a proposal for a clinical project, plan for program implementation, and translate & disseminate your findings. The part-time doctorate takes 3 years. All Ed.D. students at NMC are assigned a faculty mentor during the capstone process.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Educational Administration
Lincoln, Nebraska
CAEP accredited
All of UNL's hybrid & online Ed.D. programs have been shaped by CPED principles - the university was a founding CPED member. So you can look forward to working on a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that addresses an authentic problem of practice. The topic of your DiP is chosen by mutual agreement between you and the supervisory chair, but examples of previous UNL DiPs include: "Incentives to Impact the Longevity of Urban Special Education Paraprofessionals," "Building a Positive School Climate: What Principals Have Done to Effect Change," and "Leveraging a Teacher Mentorship Program in a Complex System."
New York
Fordham University
Department of Educational Leadership
Bronx, New York
CAEP accredited
Fordham's 3-year Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy is focused on real-world training. Thanks to the university's Experienced CPED membership, this doctorate is packed with teamwork, practicums (for the campus-version), and a solutions-oriented Dissertation in Practice (DiP). During the third year of your program, you'll be addressing a problem of practice in your workplace using improvement science and applied research. Whether you choose the on-campus or online version, Fordham wants you to emerge as an equity-minded problem solver.
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
Buffalo, New York
CAEP accredited
UB is a CPED member with a hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Administration that's designed for PreK-12 administrators at the school or district level. This 3-year, cohort-based program includes a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that can be completed individually or in collaboration with a small team of students. During the DiP process, you'll tackle a qualifying paper, research proposal, and a capstone project. Most of the work takes place during the last three semesters of the program.
Ohio
Franklin University
School of Education
Columbus, Ohio
CAEP accredited
Franklin's online Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership contains a 10-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP). You can use this opportunity to find solutions to a real-world problem of practice, build your competencies as a leader, and impact change within an organization. The entire doctorate is 3 years, with one year devoted to DiP work. In addition to tackling research, fieldwork, data collection, and the write-up, you'll be asked to defend your design, methods, and findings in a final oral exam.
Kent State University at Kent
School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration
Kent, Ohio
CAEP accredited
Take one look at the curriculum for Kent State's online Ed.D. in Interprofessional Leadership and you'll understand why the university has been a CPED member since 2010. This cohort-based doctorate is packed with field-based opportunities and a 18-credit capstone project that is integrated into several semesters. Just like a Dissertation in Practice, the capstone employs action research or improvement science to make a positive impact in organizations. You'll come out of the experience with a scholarly, comprehensive paper or final project and a professional portfolio.
University of Dayton
School of Education and Health Sciences
Dayton, Ohio
CAEP accredited
UD is a long-time CPED member - a fact that's reflected in the format of its online Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations. This 3-year doctorate contains a 9-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that provides each candidate with the opportunity to pursue a topic of personal significance and professional interest. You'll begin work on the DiP from day one of the program and have support of faculty & fellow students throughout the process. The final deliverable will be an original, action research study that mixes empirical research with direct applications of new knowledge.
Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Department of Administrative and Policy Studies
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pitt is an Experienced CPED member with a rigorous approach to its hybrid Ed.D. program. As a student in this 3-year, cohort-based doctorate, you'll be challenged to choose one of eight relevant concentrations, take part in an on-the-ground Laboratory of Practice, and tackle a final "Scholarly Practice Project." This capstone should address a problem of practice that's directly related to your academic & professional fields. In your final year, you'll create a document that reports on the improvement science process and produce a portfolio of scholarly practice that provides evidence of your learning & competencies.
EdD in Special Education
Offered Online
EdD in Special Education - Applied Behavioral Analysis
Offered Online
South Carolina
University of South Carolina-Columbia
College of Education
Columbia, South Carolina
CAEP accredited
USC offers a range of 100% online Ed.D. programs in Educational Practice and Innovation that follow CPED precepts. All of its doctorates contain coursework in action research and 12 credits of a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). Throughout the program, you'll have the chance to dig into a strategic problem of practice in your field (e.g. STEM, learning technologies, etc.). For example, in a Curriculum Studies DiP, you might wish to explore P-20+ educational challenges that relate to social justice, equity, and diverse communities.
Online Doctor of Education in Educational Practice and Innovation - Education Systems Improvement
Offered Online
Tennessee
East Tennessee State University
College of Education
Johnson City, Tennessee
CAEP accredited
Almost all of ETSU's online & on-campus Ed.D. programs have a dissertation. The one exception is the online Ed.D. in Global Sport Leadership. This innovative, cohort-based doctorate includes a 12-credit capstone project as the culminating experience. You'll be challenged to complete a comprehensive literature review, create opinion pieces, and present a research-based initiative in global sport leadership. You'll assemble all of this work together in a digital portfolio that showcases your leadership learning and growth.
Lipscomb University
College of Education
Nashville, Tennessee
CAEP accredited
Lipscomb has developed an innovative, team-based approach to its applied dissertation/capstone. Upon acceptance to the online or on-campus Ed.D., Lipscomb will ask you about your research interests. Your responses will be used to solicit relevant proposals from potential client educational organizations. Once proposals have been accepted, you'll be placed in a dissertation research team of 2-3 students and asked to come up with solutions to the client's problem. It's a superb, real-world approach to applied research. In fact, Lipscomb has accepted proposals from 80+ educational organizations that have been - or are currently being - served by Ed.D. students.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations
Nashville, Tennessee
CAEP accredited
Vanderbilt's 3-year, cohort-based Ed.D. programs are highly structured. Education doctorates always culminate in a capstone project during the final year. This capstone is divided into two major parts. In the first part, you'll work by yourself or in a small team to investigate a problem of practice for a partner organization and design an intervention or solutions-based process. In the second part, you'll incorporate feedback from the organization into your research and come up with a final narrative & deliverable (e.g. detailed plan & evaluation strategy). Partner organizations can range from public school districts & universities to higher education commissions.
Texas
Tarleton State University
Department of Educational Leadership & Technology
Stephenville, Texas
Tarleton is a CPED member, so it adheres to the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model for its hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. This 3-year, cohort-based doctorate comes in two leadership concentrations (EC-12 and Higher Education) and contains 9-12 credits of DiP work. During this process, you'll sink your teeth into an in-depth study that has an impact on a complex of practice. You'll be expected to defend both your dissertation proposal and your final results.
Texas A & M University-College Station
Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development
College Station, Texas
TAMU is an Experienced CPED member with a novel approach to the final research project - all Ed.D. students work on a "Record of Study" (ROS). The ROS involves design & development, data collection, analysis & synthesis, and a presentation of results. In the case of the online Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, the ROS might be a pilot curriculum development project or a project that's designed to measure the impact of a professional development experience. In the case of the on-campus Ed.D. in Educational Administration, the ROS will address an aspect of school leadership, management, or instruction (e.g. district analysis/redesign; journal-ready articles; or research following traditional dissertation guidelines). To improve support during ROS completion, online Ed.D. students are clustered into thematic groups.
Texas Tech University
College of Education
Lubbock, Texas
CAEP accredited
Two Ed.D. programs at TTU are listed under its Experienced CPED member entry - the online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and the online Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration. They both include on-campus & collaborative elements; they're both cohort-based and organized on a 3-year schedule; and they both use the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) as their model for the final project. So you can expect to devote your third year to tackling a problem of practice in a relevant setting (e.g. school district, university, etc.). In the case of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, the DiP is the final step in a series of research studies conducted over the course of the program.
West Texas A & M University
College of Education and Social Science
Canyon, Texas
CAEP accredited
WTAMU has ditched the traditional dissertation and gone for a more practical "Scholarly Delivery" model for its 3-year doctorate. As an Ed.D. student, you'll be asked to produce two publication-ready papers that address a problem of practice in your field. Most academic journals prefer articles that are 35 pages or less, but you'll still be expected to conduct significant qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods research in your quest. In fact, a good portion of your second and third years will be devoted to the scholarly delivery process.
Virginia
College of William and Mary
Department of Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership
Williamsburg, Virginia
CAEP accredited
We have WM's Experienced CPED membership to thank for its "Practitioner Dissertation" model - the hybrid/online Executive Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership puts a heavy emphasis on actionable results. In consultation with Ed.D. faculty, you'll design a proposal that addresses a specific issue in your professional realm and focuses on improving understanding, experience, and outcomes. Once your topic is approved, you'll spend your final fall & spring semesters on the Dissertation in Practice (DiP).
Liberty University
School of Education
Lynchburg, Virginia
CAEP accredited
It's worth stating up-front that Liberty's online Ed.D. programs are taught from a biblical worldview. If this suits your needs, you'll have plenty of doctoral titles to choose from - and all of them will contain a capstone. This 15-credit project is split into four courses that cover areas like development, implementation, and defense. Once you've entered the capstone phase of your degree, you'll be required to maintain continuous enrollment (fall/spring/summer) until your degree is finished. But you will be paired with a faculty mentor who can assist with every aspect of the process.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership
Offered Online
Online Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction
Offered Online
University of Virginia
Curry School of Education
Charlottesville, Virginia
CAEP accredited
Looking for doctoral programs with established capstone models? Look no further than UVA's Ed.D. All specialties follow a similar framework for the final project - you'll be able to choose a field-based topic that involves independent research in a problem of practice (e.g. ensuring the ongoing development of school leaders). Along the way, you'll be asked to defend your proposal, conduct research & gather data, write-up your project, and take part in an oral defense. Most capstone work takes place during the last two years of the program.
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Education
Richmond, Virginia
CAEP accredited
VCU is a CPED member. That means all of its cohort-based Ed.D. programs - whether they're online or face-to-face - culminate in a collaborative, group-based capstone during the third and final year. During this year, you'll take a series of courses that will allow you to develop a client-based project, study data analysis methods, conduct research, develop interim reports, implement your interventions, present your findings to a committee, and provide an executive summary to your client. You'll have the ear of the capstone director and your client throughout the process.
Washington
Gonzaga University
School of Education
Spokane, Washington
Gonzaga's online/hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for PreK-12 leaders contains a capstone project that's similar to a Dissertation in Practice. You'll select a problem of professional practice in your chosen area of interest, engage in research & inquiry, conduct a literature review, analyze & leverage data, and come up with potential solutions. Throughout the process, you'll have the support of a doctoral advisor and your Ed.D. cohort. At the end of the program, you'll defend your results in a doctoral conference & oral exam.
Wyoming
University of Wyoming
College of Education
Laramie, Wyoming
CAEP accredited
UW is a proud CPED member, so it uses the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model for all of its Ed.D. programs. That means you'll be permitted to tackle an applied project that addresses practical leadership concerns (e.g. evaluating curricula, design & implementing professional development programs, developing applications, etc.). You can work by yourself or in a small team of students. And you can present your findings in a wide range of formats, including a standard dissertation, educational documentary, journal manuscript, program evaluation report, case study, and more.
All On-Campus No-Dissertation EdD Programs
24 Schools Found
California
California State University-San Bernardino
College of Education
San Bernardino, California
CSUSB's Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is stamped with the imprint of CPED membership. This 3-year, cohort-based doctorate includes PK-20 leadership courses, field-based practicums, and a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that focuses on problems of practice & leadership issues that impact the regional service region. You'll begin planning for the DiP at the beginning of the program and use most of your third year to concentrate on completing it.
La Sierra University
Department of Administration and Leadership
Riverside, California
All Ed.D. programs at LSU have a similar framework - for your final project, you'll be allowed to complete a traditional dissertation or a capstone thesis. If you choose the capstone, you'll address a real-world education problem through an action research project, program development project, or product outcome project. This process culminates in a capstone thesis with 4 parts: an outline of the problem, a literature review, the project intervention & methodology, and your findings, reflections & conclusions. You might end up with a deliverable like a clinical research paper, school-based intervention, or policy document.
Connecticut
University of Connecticut
Department of Educational Leadership
Storrs, Connecticut
CAEP accredited
UConn is a recent addition to CPED, so it's working hard to ensure that the capstone project in its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership tallies with CPED principles. During the first two years, you'll be encouraged to select a problem of practice that tackles an area of leadership, teaching, or school reform and conduct a pilot study of the issue. In the third and fourth year, you'll concentrate on research & findings. We should also mention that UConn's doctorate is cohort-based. That means you'll have the support of a team of 8-15 like-minded students throughout the entire experience.
Delaware
Delaware State University
Department of Education
Dover, Delaware
CAEP accredited
DSU's Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is focused on practical competence. No matter which concentration you choose (K-12 or Higher Education), you'll be expected to complete a capstone in your third year. This can take the form of a case study analysis, project study, or dissertation. After successfully defending your capstone, you'll be required to submit a professional portfolio that includes a record of field experiences, course assignments, and CAEP-approved assessments. In addition, it's worth noting that the K-12 concentration also includes an internship.
University of Delaware
College of Education
Newark, Delaware
CAEP accredited
The culminating capstone project for UD'S Ed.D. is called the "Education Leadership Portfolio" (ELP). This 12-credit project is split into three stages. After developing & refining your problem statement, conducting research & improvement strategies, and reflecting on your leadership efforts, you'll write a final reflection paper and defend your ELP before a committee. By the end of your doctorate, you will have produced a Problem Statement, a Final Reflection Essay, and a number of useful Artifacts (e.g. needs assessments, literature syntheses, white papers, web tools, curriculum designs, policy briefs, etc.).
Florida
Barry University
School of Education
Miami, Florida
Barry is a CPED member, so all of its Ed.D. programs - both on-campus and online - contain some version of a capstone project/Dissertation in Practice (DiP). Capstone courses at Barry are typically split into two 6-credit seminars that are focused on field-based action learning opportunities and meaningful solutions to a problem of practice. At the end of this process, you'll have a real-world deliverable. For example, a capstone project in educational leadership could include an improvement plan, implementation project, and/or program evaluation.
Florida State University
College of Education
Tallahassee, Florida
CAEP accredited
FSU is a CPED member, so all of its online Ed.D. programs contain some form of Dissertation in Practice (DiP). In the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy, you'll be asked to focus on a problem of practice in leadership at a specific study site. In the cohort-based Ed.D. in Learning Design & Performance Technology, your applied dissertation should address real-world issues in the field of instructional systems and learning technologies (ISLT). Regardless of the concentration, you can expect to spend the majority of your final year working on your DiP.
Lynn University
College of Education
Boca Raton, Florida
Lynn is an Experienced CPED member with a long-running Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for scholar practitioners. This 3-year, on-campus program is packed with interesting leadership courses and a 9-credit capstone that's split into three parts. Part 1 involves defining & developing a problem of inquiry. Part 2 is devoted to the gathering of evidence & research work. Part 3 deals with the outcomes, including the write-up and oral presentation. You'll emerge with a written dissertation of practice, executive report, and a professional portfolio.
University of North Florida
Department of Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management
Jacksonville, Florida
CAEP accredited
UNF's Ed.D. in Educational Leadership bears all the hallmarks of CPED membership. This interdisciplinary, cohort-based doctorate contains a final capstone project/applied dissertation instead of a traditional dissertation. You'll be required to identify a relevant problem of practice and use multiple frameworks to develop meaningful solutions. In recent years, UNF has also done away with the comprehensive exam and replaced it with a professional portfolio requirement.
Georgia
Augusta University
College of Education
Augusta, Georgia
CAEP accredited
Augusta is a CPED member, so it uses the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model for its cohort-based Ed.D. In this "no dissertation" scenario, you'll be challenged to address a problem of practice for a client, collaborate with a research team, and concentrate on real-world solutions (e.g. educational products). In the last semester of the second year, you'll begin preparing for the DiP by focusing on the research proposal. During the third year, you'll be expected to implement, report, and defend your research. Pick the concentration that best suits your goals!
Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa
College of Education
Honolulu, Hawaii
UHM has been a CPED member since 2010 and its Ed.D. in Professional Practice won a CPED Program of the Year award in 2018. So we feel confident in saying that this cohort-based, on-campus doctorate is built on firm ground! In addition to completing a group consultancy project that benefits your community, you'll also be working on a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that addresses a specific problem of practice. Most students used a practitioner-based, action research approach to address the issue. The entire Ed.D. takes around 38 months to complete; the DiP process begins in the second half of the second year.
Illinois
DePaul University
College of Education
Chicago, Illinois
DePaul's Ed.D. in Curriculum Studies gives students the option to choose a dissertation or an applied capstone project for the final assessment. Even if you select the capstone, you'll still be expected to conduct an independent inquiry that's supported by appropriate research & literature, study design & methods, data collection & analysis, and relevant theoretical frameworks. But the final end product can vary widely (e.g. program evaluation, treatise, analysis of organizational practice, policy paper, professional plan, final report, inquiry into a problem of practice, cost-benefit analysis, etc.).
Illinois State University
College of Education
Normal, Illinois
CAEP accredited
ISU's hybrid Ed.D. in Education Administration and Foundations: P-12 Administration comes with the benefits of CPED membership and four options for the final 15-credit project. You can choose a traditional research model or opt for dissertation in program evaluation, policy formation, or organizational problem analysis. To graduate, you'll need to pass a comprehensive exam and successfully defend your dissertation. As a side note, ISU's Ed.D. in Special Education and Ed.D. in Teaching & Learning use a traditional, 5-chapter dissertation model.
University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Education
Chicago, Illinois
UIC's cohort-based Ed.D. in Urban Education Leadership won the University Council for Education Administration Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation Program Award - a sign that the College of Education takes doctoral training seriously. In lieu of a traditional dissertation, Ed.D. students at UIC work on a capstone project. You'll be challenged to produce a case study of processes & outcomes of organizational change that can be used to improve student learning. Most students use their own schools, but you're welcome to focus on district-level issues.
Iowa
Drake University
School of Education
Des Moines, Iowa
All of Drake's Ed.D. programs offer a choice! For your final 9-credit deliverable, you'll be able to select a traditional dissertation OR a capstone project. If you opt for the capstone, you'll able to design and complete a project that focuses on problem of practice within your own professional community. You can finish a Drake doctorate in as little as three years. The last year or more will be completely devoted to your dissertation or capstone.
University of Iowa
College of Education
Iowa City, Iowa
UIowa joined CPED in 2019. So you'll discover plenty of practical elements in its hybrid & cohort-based Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership Studies for PK-20 leaders. One of them is the final capstone research project. In collaboration with students in your cohort, you'll be asked to address a problem in your workplace using applied research. You can expect to spend 16 semester hours on this process: 7 hours for the capstone and 9 hours for preparatory coursework in quantitative research, program evaluation, and action research in educational settings.
Kentucky
Morehead State University
College of Education
Morehead, Kentucky
CAEP accredited
Morehead's on-campus Ed.D. is geared toward P-16 educational leaders in Kentucky who want a practical degree. To that end, this doctorate contains at least 18 credit hours that are devoted to a final capstone project. In addition to working on standard capstone elements (e.g. proposal, development, defense, etc.), you'll be able to take a "Directed Doctoral Study" course that addresses a professional problem through field experience/practicum and participate in a doctoral seminar each summer. A Chair will serve as your advisor for the qualifying exam, capstone proposal, and project. Capstones can take the form of a book of improvement strategies, a report on practices, a new graduate-level course, an instructional tool or model, and more.
Northern Kentucky University
Department of Counseling, Social Work and Leadership
Highland Heights, Kentucky
CAEP accredited
NKU's hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Leadership comes to you from a university with Experienced CPED membership and a reputation for team-building. Students in this 3-year, cohort-based doctorate are called "Learning Associates" and given plenty of opportunities to collaborate with fellow PK-20 educational leaders on projects. For example, during the action research Dissertation in Practice (DiP), you'll meet regularly with a Leader Scholar Community (LSC) of students & faculty mentors to discuss your progress. The DiP includes several assessment feedback loops before culminating in a dissertation defense.
Spalding University
School of Education
Louisville, Kentucky
CAEP accredited
Spalding's 2.5-year Ed.D. in Leadership follows the capstone model. In addition to ten hybrid courses, you'll be expected to tackle a project that addresses a real-world leadership issue and complements Spalding's mission to "meet the needs of the times." The capstone process kicks off in the spring semester of your second year with research & data analysis, and continues throughout the fall of your third year with reviews, results, and your defense. For a deliverable, you'll be required to write an article for a peer-reviewed journal that's based on your capstone topic.
University of Louisville
School of Education
Louisville, Kentucky
CAEP accredited
UL was one of the first members of CPED. And it's part of the University Council for Educational Administration. So you can see why its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development would focus on producing PK-12 leaders who can make a measurable difference. To that end, this 3-year, cohort-based doctorate contains a 12-credit capstone project. This consists of a group project designed to integrate theories and tools learned throughout the program. However, you must pass an Ed.D. comprehensive exam before you're allowed to tackle it.
Maryland
University of Maryland-College Park
College of Education
College Park, Maryland
UM is a founding member of CPED, so it makes sense that its hybrid Ed.D. in School System Leadership is a practice-based doctoral program that's approved by the Maryland State Department of Education for Superintendent II certification. If you opt for this 3-year, cohort-based program, you'll be able to take part in an apprenticeship, develop a professional portfolio that follows NELP standards, and work on a culminating capstone project. Your capstone topic should focus on improving - or even eliminating - a problem of practice within a school system.
Michigan
Michigan State University
Department of Education Administration
East Lansing, Michigan
CAEP accredited
MSU is an Experienced CPED member, so it has been refining its hybrid Ed.D. in K-12 Administration for a number of years. If you enroll in this 3-year, cohort-based doctorate, you'll start defining a capstone proposal in your second year. All capstone projects at MSU are team-based, which means you have built-in support from fellow Ed.D. students. During your third year, you'll also have the guidance of a clinical coach and a separate faculty member. At the end of the final spring semester, you'll present & defend your findings to a panel of faculty & stakeholders. In addition, you'll be expected to submit a portfolio of performance assessments aligned to MI Central Office Administrator Standards.
Mississippi
University of Mississippi
School of Education
University, Mississippi
CAEP accredited
A host of Ed.D. programs in Ole Miss have been influenced by its Experienced CPED membership. Whether they're on-campus, hybrid, or online, all of these 3-year doctorates contain a Dissertation in Practice (DiP) instead of a traditional dissertation. During the DiP, you'll be required to identify & structure an applied research problem, assess existing research, develop an action plan, collect data, implement & assess your solutions, report your results, and submit recommendations. Most of this work will take place in your third and final year, finishing with a dissertation defense.
Missouri
Maryville University
School of Education
Saint Louis, Missouri
CAEP accredited
If you opt for National's online, cohort-based Ed.D., you'll begin working on your culminating project at the start of the program. In the first year, you'll be expected to explore a real-world problem of practice within your workplace and present your scope of study to the Chair. In the second year, you'll come up with a proposal for an action research project and pass it by the doctoral committee. And in the third year, you'll gather data, analyze results, and report your findings. The whole 9-course experience aims to train you to look at challenges through the lens of both a researcher and leader/practitioner. The entire degree can be completed in 3 years, but you have up to 7 years to get your project done.
Saint Louis University-Main Campus
School of Education
Saint Louis, Missouri
CAEP accredited
If you like collaboration, then SLU's 3-year "no dissertation" Ed.D. may be right up your alley. The curriculum includes a doctoral project that's designed to address a problem of practice. In the case of the Catholic concentration, this would be a challenge in Catholic educational leadership. During your third year, you'll work with a small team of students on this project. At the end of the experience, each member of the team prepares an individual report. It's worth noting that SLU's program also includes fieldwork. For example, the Catholic education concentration has a practicum involving school-site leadership activities.
University of Missouri-St Louis
College of Education
Saint Louis, Missouri
CAEP accredited
UMSL has been a CPED member since 2011 - a fact that shows in the composition of its Ed.D. in Educational Practice. This practitioner-focused doctorate is based on learning communities that are formed around a theme (e.g. STEM Education). Once you're admitted to a community, you'll have the support of like-minded Ed.D. students and a faculty team of mentors throughout the 3-3.5 year program. The culminating activities for the Ed.D. are field-based Laboratories of Practice and an 8-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP). In the DiP, you'll work with your learning community to address a high leverage problem of practice through individual & group initiatives.
New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University
School of Education
Manchester, New Hampshire
CAEP accredited
SNHU has been a CPED member since 2017. So it's a given that the 3-year, cohort-based Ed.D. in Educational Leadership contains a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). At SNHU, the DiP is designed to span the final year of the doctorate and it includes elements like organization analyses and a literature review. You'll be able to choose a topic that is based on your interests as a scholar-practitioner and you'll emerge with a number of DiP deliverables, including a practitioner product, journal article, and reflective components.
New Jersey
Rutgers University
Graduate School of Education
Camden, New Jersey
CAEP accredited
Rutgers has been a CPED member since its inception in 2007, so you can rest assured that its Ed.D. in Education - with 5 useful concentrations - is focused on real-world learning. This cohort-based program takes 3-4 years to complete, with the last year & summer reserved for a 24-credit capstone. For the final project, you can choose a traditional dissertation format, a semi-traditional format (4 chapters + a relevant product), or a research-based portfolio of products (e.g. curriculum design, journal article, policy brief, video documentary, etc.). In addition, you'll have the support of a dissertation group throughout the process.
New York
CUNY Hunter College
School of Education
New York, New York
CAEP accredited
CUNY Hunter is a CPED member, so it's no surprise that its Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership contains a "Problem of Practice Dissertation." In this scenario, you'll be expected to address a relevant challenge in educational practice, investigate the problem empirically, identify action implications for your findings, and present these implications to relevant audiences and stakeholders. Most of the dissertation work takes place in the third year of the program; you'll need to pass a comprehensive assessment before moving into this phase.
New York University
Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
New York, New York
CAEP accredited
Steinhardt has a reputation for intensive, practice-based learning, so it's no surprise that certain Ed.D. programs include a culminating project instead of a dissertation. In the Ed.D. in Educational Theatre, this might take the form of a dramatic work, arts-based project, action research project, internship, and/or applied theatre residency. In the Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration, it's a final research portfolio, which includes a project report, appendices, and one or more dissemination documents (e.g. journal article, book chapter, policy brief, curriculum design, etc.). All Ed.D. projects include faculty mentorship and require a final presentation & defense before a committee.
Russell Sage College
Esteves School of Education
Troy, New York
Sage has come up with an innovative Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model for its cohort-based Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Unlike other programs, your problem of practice will selected by a partnership of educational organizations, your Executive Coach, and the Director of Research. Once the problem is established, you'll be placed in a team of students that matches your interests. You'll work with them to develop a plan, conduct research in specific areas, and defend your findings. The process culminates with a Research Colloquium that's attended by school district & state policy leaders. Past topics have included: "Obstacles to black men as public school superintendents in New York State," "The role of the superintendent in a rural professional learning community," and "The systemic use of data to inform improvement in student achievement: A qualitative study of six school districts."
North Carolina
East Carolina University
Department of Educational Leadership
Greenville, North Carolina
CAEP accredited
ECU is an Experienced CPED member, so it uses a Problem of Practice/Dissertation in Practice (DiP) framework for its 3-year Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Whichever concentration you choose - K12 Administration or Higher Education Administration - you'll be challenged to engage in an action research project that is focused on an issue in your current work setting. As a complement, ECU's curriculum also includes two internships: a leadership practicum and a research practicum. This program is aimed at mid-careerists with at least 3 years of successful leadership experience.
Gardner-Webb University
School of Education
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
CAEP accredited
Instead of a dissertation, Gardner-Webb's Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership features a unique "Consultancy/Practicum Project" that's integrated into every semester of coursework. So you'll have the opportunity to apply theory & best practices to real-world challenges in leadership. As part of the experience, you'll be expected to conduct on-site fieldwork in collaboration with a partner organization and develop a consultancy project that you can present to a committee. You'll have the assistance of an intern supervisor/faculty coach and a site supervisor from the partner organization throughout the process.
Western Carolina University
Human Services Department
Cullowhee, North Carolina
CAEP accredited
WCU is an Experienced CPED member with a hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Leadership that serves as its flagship doctoral program. This 3-year, cohort-based doctorate is designed for mid-career educators who presently serve in a leadership capacity. Instead of a traditional dissertation, you'll work on a "Disquisition Independent Study," which is the equivalent of a Dissertation in Practice (DiP). The independent study process starts in the second summer and continues throughout the fall & spring terms of your second & third years. You'll also have the opportunity to participate in fieldwork and internships.
Wingate University
School of Education
Wingate, North Carolina
Wingate favors the capstone model for its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Ed.D. in Higher Education Executive Leadership. After you've completed core coursework and passed a comprehensive exam, you'll be allowed to sink your teeth into a problem-focused action research project on a topic of interest to you & your institution. You'll tackle 9 credit hours in preparation coursework (e.g. research methods) and 12 credit hours for the capstone itself. Most of this work will take place in the last year of your studies.
Ohio
Miami University-Oxford
College of Education
Oxford, Ohio
CAEP accredited
Miami U is an Experienced CPED member, so it makes sense that its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for P-12 professionals is practice-based and results-driven. With the support of fellow students in your cohort, you'll be challenged to tackle a 16-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that focuses the lens of social justice on a problem of practice. This project should also lead to a design for action that yields substantive impacts on the practice of educational leadership. The DiP might take the form of action research, an in-depth case study, or a policy analysis & white paper.
Ohio State University-Main Campus
School of Education
Columbus, Ohio
CAEP accredited
At Ohio State, you'll discover an Ed.D. in Educational Studies, Educational Administration with an innovative approach to practice & problem solving in context. Backed by CPED membership, this 3-year, cohort-based doctorate contains fieldwork, team activities, and a standard Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that can be completed in your final year. During the DiP process, you'll work in an "affinity" group of students and come up with a final product for use in professional practice (e.g. professional development plan, policy brief, handbook, journal article, new school website, etc.).
Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Department of Secondary Education
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
CAEP accredited
Kutztown signed on for CPED membership in 2017, so its hybrid Ed.D. in Transformational Teaching and Learning is packed with real-world elements. This 3-year, cohort-based doctorate contains an action research Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that challenges Ed.D. students to focus on the generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice. Examples of previous DiPs include "Proactive Prosocial Strategies Employed by First-Grade Teachers," "How We Got Here: Testimonios of Secondary Latina Educators," and "The Potential Impact of Online Learning on Economically Disadvantaged Students."
South Carolina
Clemson University
College of Education
Clemson, South Carolina
CAEP accredited
Clemson's online Ed.D. in Education Systems Improvement Science has been shaped by CPED principles. That means a good portion of the doctorate is devoted to field-embedded research and an action-oriented Dissertation in Practice (DiP). For the DiP, you'll be challenged to tackle complex & systemic challenges that relate to race, rurality, and poverty and come up with systems-level solutions that use improvement science. Although coursework is primarily online, you'll be expected to visit the campus for the defense of your proposal & completed dissertation.
Texas
Texas Christian University
College of Education
Fort Worth, Texas
At TCU, you have a choice. In the Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, you can decide whether to pursue a traditional dissertation or a 12-credit capstone project. Work on the capstone will begin after you've finished core coursework and passed a comprehensive exam. You'll then be enrolled in a preparatory course that will help you craft & defend a capstone proposal. Once that proposal is approved, you can work on addressing a professional problem of practice. The experience will culminate in a final oral exam.
Utah
Brigham Young University-Provo
McKay School of Education
Provo, Utah
CAEP accredited
BYU is an Experienced CPED member, which means that its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Foundations is steeped in applied learning. This 3-year doctorate for mid-careerists contains a 12-credit Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that focuses on addressing current educational issues through active research. As part of the DiP process, you'll also be challenged to prepare an article that's ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Although problems of practice are explored in the first year, the majority of DiP work will take place in your third year of study.
University of Utah
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
Salt Lake City, Utah
CAEP accredited
U of U has chosen a capstone model for its Ed.D. in K12 Leadership and Policy. During the third and fourth years of your doctorate, you'll be expected to work on a field-based project that focuses on a problem of practice or policy issue. Your deliverables will include a policy report or inquiry brief, a program or policy evaluation with a literature review, an implementation project, and a school or organizational improvement plan that's grounded in real data. Once you've written up your results in a document that meets academic standards and the needs of field organizations, you'll present your findings in an oral defense.
Vermont
University of Vermont
College of Education and Social Services
Burlington, Vermont
CAEP accredited
a traditional, 5-chapter dissertation or an "Article Dissertation." In the second scenario, you'll be challenged to produce one or more articles suitable for publication in scholarly journal and a series of contextual documents (e.g. literature review, research design, bibliography, appendices, etc.). However, no matter which format you choose, you'll still be required to complete 17 credits of dissertation research throughout the course of your study.
Washington
Seattle University
College of Education
Seattle, Washington
Seattle U is an Experienced CPED member with a unique Ed.D. in Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership. This 3-year, hybrid doctorate forgoes the standard individual dissertation model for a group-based Thematic Dissertation in Leadership Practice (TDiLP). In the TDiLP, you'll work alongside a team of students & faculty supervisors in a thematic group and engage in an action-based research project with a community partner. All TDiLPs are focused on client-oriented solutions and conducted, written, and defended in a collaborative manner.
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
College of Education
Tacoma, Washington
UWT has been a CPED member since 2017, and it has worked hard to ensure that its Ed.D. in Educational Leadership has a practical bent. This 3-year, cohort-based doctorate contains field practicums and a comprehensive Dissertation in Practice (DiP). In collaboration with fellow Ed.D. students, you'll work on investigating a critical problem of practice using applied research. Most DiP work takes place in your third year; group discussions are built into the process. Examples of previous DiPs include: "Online Learning with an Open-Door Program," "Student Voice in Social Emotional Learning," and "Asian American Teachers in Predominantly White Education Systems."
Washington State University
College of Education
Pullman, Washington
WSU is an Experienced CPED member, so you can be sure that its Ed.D. for K-20 leaders has gone through a substantive development process. The part-time doctorate usually takes 4-5 years. During the last half of your program, you'll be working on Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that address a contemporary problem of practice through a leadership lens. You can choose from a range of statewide research projects that reflect the needs of Washington school district leaders or you can opt for an individualized topic. The final DiP format might turn out to be a written dissertation, a piloted curriculum, a documentary, and/or other relevant products.