New Curriculum

Scholarship that deepens your leadership. Structure that fits your life.

The redesigned 64-credit curriculum is built for leaders who want to strengthen their impact — focusing on the real challenges leaders face in a rapidly evolving, AI-influenced, and socially complex landscape.

With a focus on leadership for change, storytelling for influence, and systems-level problem-solving, this EdD equips you to lead through complexity and drive meaningful change across sectors.

You’ll engage with ideas that challenge you – and bring them directly into your leadership practice.

• A flexible learning model: real-time Zoom-based classes with your cohort, combined with self-paced online content you can access anytime
• Courses that help you connect theory, data, and reflection to real-world leadership — because the best leaders are also thoughtful scholar-practitioners
• Focus on systems-level thinking, leadership storytelling, and leading through complexity
• A dissertation pathway that begins in Term 1, supported by faculty mentorship and integrated writing development
• Curriculum designed for professionals leading through change, disruption, and the rise of AI

Learn in a format that’s built for working professionals — and deepen your capacity to lead with insight, strategy, and purpose.

Foundations Courses

ELC 697 Foundations of Doctoral Study (2)

ELC 744 Leadership Theories and Models (4)

ELC 724 Systemic Understanding and Leading Transformation of Social Systems (4)

ELC 725 Structural Inequality and Diversity (4)

ELC 726 Change Theories and Change Leadership Strategies (4)

ELC 722 Storytelling for Leaders: Emerging Technologies in Oral and Digital Communication (4)

Dissertation Writing and Research

Critical Reading & Academic Writing (4)

Cultures of Inquiry and Research Design (4)

Qualitative Research Methods (4) or

Quantitative Research Methods (4)

Students choose from Qualitative or Quantitative

Developing a Research Proposal (4)

Dissertation Writing Workshop (4)

Dissertation Residency (4) Total 8 credits

Students take 2 terms of dissertation credit, plus additional if needed.

Concentration (14 Credits)

Choose 12 credits of electives – or complete one of the optional Concentrations.

Students may also choose a concentration from the School of Leadership Studies

ELC xxx Concentration Course (4) Total 12 credits

Students take 3 courses in their selected Concentration.

ELC 729 Leadership for Change Practice (2)

Concentrations

Higher Education Leadership

Choose 3 of the following courses:

Higher Education Leadership, Governance, and Policy

Teaching, Learning, and Student Success in Higher Education

Higher Education Finance, Budget, Law, and Ethics

Learning Technology, Instructional Design, and Artificial Intelligence

Leadership, Strengths, and Student Success in Tribal Colleges, HBCUs, HISs, and International Schools

The Community College

K-12 and Teacher Education

Choose 3 of the following courses.

Curriculum Development for Teaching and Learning in a Global Society

Rethinking Schools and Organizations

Teaching New Teachers

Comparative International Education Systems

Learning and Development

Choose 3 of the following courses.

Leading the Learning Function

Facilitation and Dialog: Curating engaging learning processes and creating safe, vibrant learning spaces

Constructive Developmental Theory and Vertical Leadership Development

Human Learning and Motivation

Transformative Learning