Higher Education Ed.D. (2024)

FAQs

Is an EdD in higher education worth it? ›

There is a growing demand for educators at all levels.

An Ed. D. degree is a great way for you to advance your career as a teacher in higher education or increase your earning potential or leadership responsibilities as a teacher in other levels of education.

D. in Education is going to be more respected. That's usually the degree required for tenured and full-time faculty positions. You may also discover that a university likes to promote from within—elevating faculty members to administrative roles like dean, provost, and chair.

With its unique blend of research and practice, an Ed. D. requires diverse skills. Doctoral students should be prepared for a challenging curriculum, field requirements, and a dissertation.

An EdD and a PhD are both terminal degrees. In other words, they are the highest level of education you can achieve in your field of study. Both degrees take several years to complete, typically 3–4 years for an EdD and 5–7 for a PhD, depending on your area of interest and research.

A PhD in Education is decidedly more research-heavy. A majority of your study will include—but is not limited to—investigating theory and research methodologies. By contrast, EdD programs include the application of your research. Much of your time will be spent using your knowledge to solve professional challenges.

The EdD is a doctorate in education. All this degree means is that your doctorate is granted by a college of education. At many universities (and some professional schools) graduate psychology programs (usually in counseling developmental, or educational/learning psychology) are housed in the college of education.

Individuals with an EdD can become a professor at a college or university, but they typically also have several years of work experience. For instance, a superintendent of a school district may retire and become a professor of education at a university.

programs often take 1-2 years. Degree Requirements: Ed. D. students typically write and defend a dissertation.

Can you get an EdD without a Masters? ›

While most online EdD programs require a master's degree for admission, there are a few options available for students who only possess a bachelor's and want to jump directly into pursuing their doctorate.

Dissertations are typically very long, in-depth works. Many dissertations are between 100 and 200 pages in length or longer, and seek to comprehensively investigate a specific issue or problem in education.

Though the EdD and PhD are both terminal degrees, they differ when it comes to the details of each type of program. Before they're eligible to complete a traditional PhD program, students will need to contribute to their field.

As part of an EdD program, you can contribute to conversations about the challenges of a changing academic environment with fellow professionals. An EdD program also provides opportunities to learn how to incorporate research to create solutions while working with top minds in the field.

The next most frequently occurring type of research doctorate was the doctor of education (EdD), which accounted for 0.9% of the total in 2020. No other type of doctoral degree accounted for more than 0.3% of the new research doctorates in 2020. Sampling frame.

Students who pursue EdD studies gain knowledge in quantitative research, data collection, strategy development, and other critical skills to address the pressing challenges in education.

Individuals with an EdD can become a professor at a college or university, but they typically also have several years of work experience. For instance, a superintendent of a school district may retire and become a professor of education at a university.

Benefits of a Doctor of Education

For example, an EdD may help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to: Become a leader in your organization or institution. A number of education leadership positions require a master's degree, but jobs like provosts and deans often may require a Doctorate of Education or PhD.

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EDL) program prepares you to become a critically conscious leader with the skills to think strategically, understand and apply evidence-based research, develop strategies to create equity, and foster continuous organizational improvement.