Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Arizona

There are currently three schools in Arizona with Doctor of Education (EdD) programs students can pursue online: Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, and The University of Arizona. Through the programs offered at these schools, students can earn a doctorate in education focusing on areas such as Educational Leadership, Leadership and Innovation, Organizational Leadership, and Teaching and Leading. All of the online EdD programs listed below include minimal or no on-campus requirements.

Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, and The University of Arizona are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. To learn more about their online EdD offerings, see the section below.

Schools in Arizona with Online EdD Programs

Arizona State University (ASU) offers a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation online through its Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The three-year program is designed for education professionals looking to implement positive change and lead innovation in their organizations and the field of education at large. Working in Leader-Scholar Communities (LSCs), cohorts consisting of five to seven students and one faculty member, students complete a total of 60 post-masters credits (the EdD requires 90 credits in all, 60 credits of doctoral work plus 30 credits transferred from a master’s program). The curriculum is comprised of 13 courses, as well as credits for field study and dissertation research, and students can choose to focus their studies on one of three different contexts: PreK-12 Change Leadership; Higher Education Change Leadership; or Systems, Professional, and Reimagined Change (SPARC) Leadership. Examples of course topics include Systems Change and Leadership, Strategies for Inquiry, and Collaborative Approaches to Data-Informed Decision Making. ASU’s Leadership and Innovation EdD program is fully online, with no campus visit requirements. Students are admitted two times a year, during the spring and fall semesters.

Grand Canyon University (GCU) has two online EdD programs for students to choose from: a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, and a Doctor of Education in Teaching and Learning. Both programs are offered through GCU’s College of Doctoral Studies. Their Organizational Leadership program offers seven different emphases, with degree tracks in Special Education, Christian Ministry, K-12 Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, Organizational Development, Behavioral Health, and Health Care Administration. Each specialization requires the completion of 60 credits, and students can expect to finish the 20-course curriculum in roughly three years. Coursework varies by emphasis, combining study of theory and leadership practices with in-depth research and dissertation work. While the majority of instruction takes place online, students are required to attend two four-day residencies on the GCU campus. The first focuses on developing their abilities as academic researchers, offering students a chance to formulate their dissertation topic and get hands-on training with quantitative and qualitative analysis software. During the second residency, students hone their presentation skills, orally presenting papers written during the program and responding to questions from classmates, all while learning how to best review and provide feedback on others’ work.

The second online program at Grand Canyon University is an EdD in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis in Adult Learning. Intended for those who want to both teach adult learners and advance adult learning theory, this program is comprised of 60 credits, with a total of 20 courses. The curriculum covers topics such as History and Philosophy of Teaching and Learning, Worldview and Adult Learning, Cognitive Coaching, Transformational Learning, Approaches to Research Design and Data Analysis, and Coaching, Mentoring, and Collaboration. Online courses are delivered in an asynchronous (prerecorded) format, meaning students are not required to log in at specific times to participate in lectures or classroom discussions. As with GCU’s Organizational Leadership program, two four-day residencies are required throughout the three-year course of study.

The University of Arizona offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership (EDL) through its College of Education. This program is comprised of 63 credits that are spread across an Educational Leadership Core, a Research Methods course sequence, one EDL elective, a minor comprised of interdisciplinary courses that students select in consultation with their advisor, and dissertation credits. For their Education Leadership Core, students can choose courses that cover topics ranging from policy analysis for higher education, transformational change and leadership in educational settings, organizational and operational leadership, curriculum design and instructional leadership, and research and data-based decision-making in educational leadership. The Research Methods courses that students take train them in advanced qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. After taking the majority of their courses, students must take and pass a comprehensive examination that is evaluated by a faculty committee. Once they pass their comprehensive examination, students work with their dissertation advisor to develop a dissertation proposal, and focus on completing their final research project for presentation.

Online EdD Programs in Arizona

Below is a list of the schools in Arizona that offer Doctor of Education programs online. To learn more about any of the degrees described in the section above, click the corresponding link below to visit the program’s website.

Arizona State University

(Phoenix)

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

Department: Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
Programs:

• Online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation (Masters to Doctorate)

Grand Canyon University

(Phoenix)

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

Department: College of Doctoral Studies
Programs:

• Online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (with Emphases in Special Education, Christian Ministry, K-12 Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, Organizational Development, Behavioral Health, and Health Care Administration) (Masters to Doctorate)

• Online Doctor of Education in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning (Masters to Doctorate)

The University of Arizona

(Tucson)

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

Department: College of Education - Department of Educational Policy Studies & Practice
Programs:

• Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)