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Doctor of Education

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Bradley University’s post-master's Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program in Educational Leadership is offered as a fully online, distance education program. Students may select from three concentrations: Higher Education Administration and Leadership, Pre-K-12 Education Administration and Leadership, or Educational Technology. The program's mission is to prepare working professionals who have a broad and diverse background in education and/or leadership for a career or career advancement in pre-K-12 to higher education administration.

Program Goal and Objectives

The overall goal of the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership is to engage graduate students in interactive, research-based leadership development experiences within authentic educational contexts connected to student learning, quality instruction, and organizational effectiveness to prepare them for leadership positions in pre-K-12 and higher education settings. Five program objectives guide the teaching and learning within each course and throughout the program:

  1. Core Courses: To provide foundational knowledge, skills, and theory related to boards and educational governance, ethical and political foundations, technology, and trends in assessment and data-drive decision-making in pre-K-12 to higher education.
  2. Concetration Courses: To provide concentration-specific advanced knowledge, skills, and theory related to pre-K-12 higher education and educational technology leadership
  3. Scholarly Research Project: To immerse students in the process of planning, conducting, writing, and presenting a comprehensive empirical action research project related to current trends and issues in pre-K-12 to higher education.
  4. Internship or educational technology/media project: To immerse students in the application of knowledge, theory, and skills by serving in a leadership capacity within an authentic pre-K-12 to higher education setting under the supervision of a currently practicing education administrator.
  5. Social Justice: To engage students in self-reflection and critical examination of leadership practices and policies related to equity and opportunity in pre-K-12 to higher education.

    Overall Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Program Requirements

    To satisfy graduation requirements for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, students must successfully complete 16 courses at 3 s.h. each for a total of 48 s.h. Students can complete the program in as few as eight semesters by following a prescribed Plan of Study. The cohort-based Plan of Study varies based on students' term of entry (e.g., spring, summer or fall). A five-chapter Scholarly Research Project and a two-semester internship or educational technology/media project comprise the program's capstone experiences. The action research courses that support completion of the Scholarly Research Project begin in the first year; the internship/project takes place in the final two semesters of the program. Students are responsible for finding their own internship site and site supervisor.

    Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Program Transfer Credit Policy

    • Per Bradley University's Graduate Education Policy, students enrolling in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program may transfer in up to 9 semesters hours of doctoral-level graduate credit from an accredited program.
    • Students must make a request for transfer credit at the time they apply to the program.
    • For transfer credit to be considered, students must submit a copy of the syllabus for the course they wish to transfer in. The syllabus must be from the semester during which they completed the course. The syllabi will be uploaded to SLATE to be considered as part of the application materials.
    • The request for transfer credit will be reviewed by the appropriate Ed.D. program faculty member. Students will receive notification of approved transfer credit in their admission letter.
    • Transfer credit will not be accepted after the first day of a student's first term in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program.
    • Transfer credit will not be accepted for the action research courses (ENC 703, 704, 705, 706, 707) or for the internship courses (ENC 722, 723).

    Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Program

    Coursework Requirements

    All concentrations in the program require the following coursework:

    Scholarly Research Courses (15 hours)

    • ENC 703 Action Research 1: Introduction to Action Research - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 704 Action Research 2: Action Research Design and Ethics - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 705 Action Research 3: Data Collection in Action Research - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 706 Action Research 4: Data Analysis and Reporting in Action Research - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 707 Action Research 5: Scholarly Writing and Presentation in Action Research - (3 credit hours)

    Core Courses (12 hours)

    • ENC 708 Boards and Educational Governance - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 709 Ethical and Political Foundations of Educational Policy - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 710 Learning in an Era of Technology - (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 711 National Trends in Assessment, Data Analysis, and Accountability - (3 credit hours)

    Each concentration requires an additional 21 credit hours. See each concentration below to see the additional required coursework.

    Educational Technology (EdTech)

    Concentration Overview

    The Educational Leadership Ed.D program is a 48 semester hour program with 21 semester hours focused in coursework concentrating on educational technology. The program prepares students to meet the many needs of the digitally mediated, technology infused, and ever changing learning environments of today and into the future. Concentration courses cover topics including instructional design, online and distributed teaching and learning, instructional and learning theory, and applied educational media. Students will also complete 12 semester hours of core educational leadership courses and 15 semester hours of action research that culminates in an action research project. The Ed Tech concentration culminates with an educational technology portfolio development course that allows students to demonstrate practical application of educational technology having developed a digital portfolio large scale educational technology/media project. Students will be prepared to serve in such leadership positions, as teachers, administrators, or instructional designers or developers in a variety of fields, including education, industry, the military, or non-profit sector.

    Concentration Outcomes

    Graduates will be future ready, forward thinking and will model the following characteristics as demonstrative of meeting the learning goals of the Ed Tech concentration:

    1. Master creating, using and applying, assessing, and managing theoretical and practical applications of educational technologies and processes that solve and circumvent educational problems.
    2. Develop a growth mindset marked by a willingness to embrace reflective practice that informs the execution of effective implementation of educational technologies and processes based on best-practices for the delivery of contemporary content
    3. Develop and hone a heart for instruction marked by a willingness and ability to act as mediator of learning in the various roles of creator, user, evaluator, and manager of effective learning environments and technologies.
    4. Master the practice of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating learning environments undergirded and/or mediated entirely by technology within a supportive community of practice both pragmatically and theoretically.
    5. Develop and hone an intrepidness grounded in pragmatism and efficiency and demonstrated by a willingness to explore, evaluate, synthesize, and apply methods of inquiry to use technology and best practices to enhance learning and improve performance

    Concentration Admission Criteria

    In addition to Bradley University Graduate Admission Requirements, the EdTech concentration requires the following:

    • Minimum degree required: earned master’s degree
    • Master's level GPA of 3.00 or higher; no more than one final grade of C
    • Current and complete resume or CV
    • Written responses to interview prompts (typed)
    • Two letters of recommendation from professors or professional colleagues

    Program of Study

    Ed.D. students completing the program in the EdTech Concentration will experience the Core Courses (12 credit hours) and Scholarly Research Courses (15 credit hours) listed above. In addition they will complete the following 21 hours of coursework:

    Concentration Courses (21 hours)

    • ENC 741 Applied Educational Media- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 742 Instructional Design- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 743 Learning Theory and Instructional Strategies- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 744 Digital Learning: Online, Distance, and Distributed Instruction- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 745 Digitally Driven Educational Practice- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 748 Advanced Instructional Design- (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 749 Educational Technology Portfolio- (3 credit hours)

    Higher Education Administration and Leadership (HEAL)

    Concentration Overview

    This 48-semester hour program concentration will engage Ed.D. students in an authentic exploration of administrative inquiry, focused on the higher education organization through a range of leadership, academic and student life issues. This interactive, fully online program concentration incorporates quality instruction, practice-based learning and application, and scholarly action research methods to provide a pragmatic approach required of a higher education professional within today’s changing landscape.

    Concentration Outcomes

    Ed.D. students graduating from the HEAL Concentration will have the opportunity to investigate and obtain the following knowledge, understandings, and actions required to be successful in:

    1. The exploration of organizational governance associated by institutional type, purpose, audience, and core values.
    2. The ideation and creation of reimagined learning ecosystems in multiple aspects of academic and student life.
    3. The recognition of the unique barriers, responsibilities and purpose of the community college, as it compares and contrasts the broader academic environment.
    4. The recognition of political, social, and economic influences as it applies to the financing of higher education.
    5. The recognition of, and resolution toward ethical challenges and solutions facing all members of the campus community.

    Concentration Admission Criteria

    In addition to Bradley University Graduate Admission Requirements, the HEAL concentration requires the following:

    • Minimum degree required: earned master’s degree
    • Master’s level GPA of 3.00 or higher, no more than one final grade of C
    • Current and complete resume or CV
    • Four written responses to essay prompts
    • Two letters of recommendation from professors or professional colleagues

    Other Requirements

    Recommended: A background of 3-5 years of professional administrative experience within a higher education environment.

    Program of Study

    Ed.D. students completing the program in the HEAL Concentration will complete the Core Courses (12 credit hours) and Scholarly Research Courses (15 credit hours) listed above. In addition, they will complete the following 21 hours of coursework:

    Concentration Courses (15 hours)

    • ENC 717 Organization and Leadership in Higher Education (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 718 The Community College (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 719 Student and Academic Affairs (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 720 The Contemporary Learner (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 721 Financial Affairs in Higher Education (3 credit hours)

    Internship (6 hours)

    • ENC 722 Internship 1 (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 723 Internship 2 (3 credit hours)

    PreK-12 Education Administration and Leadership (PEAL)

    Concentration Overview

    This 48-semester hour program concentration will engage Ed.D. students in interactive, research-based leadership development experiences within authentic and practical educational administrative contexts connected to student learning, quality instruction, and organizational effectiveness to prepare them for district leadership positions in PreK-12 educational settings.

    Concentration Outcomes

    Ed.D. students graduating from the PEAL Concentration will have had the opportunity to investigate and obtain the following knowledge, understandings, and actions required to be successful in:

    1. the requirements, roles, and responsibilities of the district superintendent and other district-level leadership in the context of the local culture of the community in which they serve.
    2. the standards by which a superintendent ethically governs a school district through federal and state law, district policies, and administrative procedures.
    3. methods of making effective short-term and long-range decisions for the local school district and the actions processes required to transform those plans into action.
    4. standards of responsible district-level supervision, oversight, and management of divisions and departments within a school district (i.e. curriculum and instruction, special student populations, faculty and staff, finances, facilities and maintenance, athletics, etc.).
    5. sound management of a school district’s financial resources to realize the district’s educational goals in an ethical, practical, and efficient manner to promote growth and positive change.
    6. the building of successful employee relationships and the district-level decisions affecting the organization and deployment of human resources with a special emphasis on employees who fall under a collective bargaining agreement.
    7. coursework necessary for the application of the candidate for superintendent licensure within the State of Illinois as a first step towards superintendent licensure/certification in each student’s home state (any additional individual state requirements will be the responsibility of the student).

    Concentration Admission Criteria

    In addition to Bradley University Graduate Admission Requirements, the PEAL concentration requires the following:

    Requirements for admission (from 23 Illinois Administrative Code 33, 2022):

    • Have at least two years in a public school district or nonpublic school recognized in accordance with 23 Illinois Administrative Code 425 on one of the following endorsements to the professional educator license or, for out-of-state candidates, the requisite experience while holding a certification or license that is comparable to the respective Illinois credential:  General Administrative, Principal, Director of Special Education, or Chief School Business Official.
    • A minimum of three letters of recommendation which includes at least one recommendation from a direct educational administrator who has supervised the candidate in a school or district administration role.
    • Each applicant shall interview with no fewer than two of the program’s full-time faculty members and shall, at a minimum, discuss the contents of the applicant’s portfolio and complete a written response to a scenario presented by the interviewers.

    Other Requirements

    Ed.D. students enrolling in the PEAL Concentration must also:

    • provide an updated copy of their CV or resume.
    • a learning experience based on technology and online learning (adequate hardware, Google applications, Microsoft Office Suite, Canvas, etc.)

    Program of Study

    Ed.D. students completing the program in the PEAL Concentration will complete the Core Courses (12 credit hours) and Scholarly Research Courses (15 credit hours) listed above. In addition, they will complete the following 21 hours of coursework:

    PEAL Concentration Courses (15 hours)

    • ENC 731 The Superintendency and District-Level Administration (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 732 Legal and Ethical Issues of the Superintendency (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 733 Strategic Decision-Making and Supervision (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 734 Educational Finance (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 735 Personnel, Unions, and Collective Bargaining (3 credit hours)

    Internship (6 hours)

    • ENC 722 Internship 1 (3 credit hours)
    • ENC 723 Internship 2 (3 credit hours)

    Overall Graduation Requirements for Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership: 48 credit hours

    Total Required Concentration Hours: 21 credit hours

    This is the official catalog for the 2023-2024 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.