UConn’s Ed.D. – a doctorate in educational leadership – is geared toward the working professional who aspires to advance their ability to lead an educational organization. The program places a particular emphasis on equity-centered leadership and invites applicants from K-12 and higher education contexts. The program does not lead to state certification in administrative leadership positions.
For those interested in obtaining an 092 please see the Neag School's UCAPP program; for those interested in obtaining an 093, please see the ELP program website and/or the Ed.D.-ELP Bridge program pathway.
How is the Ed.D. different from a Ph.D.?
The Ed.D. is distinct from our department’s Leadership & Education Policy Ph.D. in several ways.
Our Ed.D.:
- is designed for practitioners and accommodates full-time professionals
- places an emphasis on a student’s problem of practice
- a capstone research project is completed instead of a dissertation
- is cohort-based
Our Ph.D.:
- is designed for students interested in becoming researchers or working in academic settings
- caters to full-time students who often can work on campus in graduate assistantships (depending on available funding)
- emphasizes courses in research methods (many advanced courses are required or recommended)
What’s my next step if I’m interested in an Ed.D.?
Consider one of two pathways that you may pursue:
The most common is the standalone, traditional Ed.D. program pathway, which is for students solely interested in the Ed.D. and not pursuing a state of Connecticut superintendent license (093).
For those interested in obtaining an 093 and an Ed.D., you may consider the ELP-Ed.D. Bridge program pathway. Eligible students must either have been a recent ELP graduate (2019 onward) or successfully complete the ELP first. In both cases ELP graduates still must apply to join the Ed.D. program. Contact Casey Cobb, Ed.D. coordinator, for more information.