Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Kansas

There are currently three schools in Kansas that offer Doctor of Education programs online. Baker University offers an online EdD in Instructional Design & Performance Technology (IDPT), while Kansas State University offers an online EdD in Curriculum and Instruction and an online EdD in Adult Learning and Leadership. In addition, Southwestern College offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership with a licensure track in Building or District Leadership and a non-licensure track in Teacher or Higher Education Leadership.

Baker University, Kansas State University, and Southwestern College are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Baker University’s School of Education and Southwestern College’s Department of Professional Studies are also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), while Kansas State University’s College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)*. To learn more about these schools’ online EdD programs, continue reading below.

Schools in Kansas with Online EdD Programs

Baker University in Baldwin City has an online EdD in Instructional Design and Performance Technology (IDPT), which prepares students to leverage innovative instructional design technologies to design, evaluate, and improve online training and learning programs and systems. This program, which requires a minimum of 59 credits to complete, provides students with knowledge and skills that are transferable to a wide variety of academic and professional environments, including primary, secondary, and higher education; corporate and non-profit contexts; military; health-care; and government. Students of this program take courses such as Instructional Design and Performance Improvement; Project Management; Instructional Models and Tools for Online Learning; Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting; Informal Learning Environments; Leadership, Motivation, and Change Management; and Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Performance Technology.

Students of Baker University’s program also take courses in Statistical Analysis and Methods of Inquiry and Research, which help support them in their dissertation work. Students devote their third year in the program to their dissertation, through which they examine a problem of practice that is relevant to their area of work. Additionally, all students must complete four credit hours of Directed Field Experience in the field of IDPT, through which students apply what they have learned in their courses to helping a real host organization or institution with its online learning, instructional design, and/or performance evaluation needs.

Located in Manhattan, Kansas State University offers two online EdD programs–a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Leadership. The online EdD in Curriculum and Instruction is comprised of 94 credit hours, divided across several curricular categories, including Prerequisites, Foundational Knowledge, Area of Emphasis, Research, Clinical Experience, and Dissertation Research. Examples of courses that students take in the program are American Education, Contemporary Issues in Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Theory, Social and Cultural Issues in Educational Technology, Educational Technology Change Management, Experimental Design in Educational Research, and Statistical Methods in Education. Students fulfill their Clinical Experience requirement through 12 credits worth of Internships in Curriculum and Instruction during their first and second years in the program.

Kansas State University’s online EdD in Adult Learning and Leadership is a 94 credit-hour program with a flexible curriculum that enables students to choose from a wide variety of electives to shape their program of study according to their goals in leadership, adult learning, community development, training, and/or workforce development. This program features online classes that span 8 to 14 weeks, and requires only two, one-week long campus residencies as part of two courses in the program. Students take classes such as Introduction to Adult Education, Characteristics of the Adult Learner, Social Foundations of Adult Education, Program Planning in Adult Education, Multicultural Curriculum Programming, Psychological Bases of Educational Thought and Practice, Organization and Administration of Adult Education, Experimental Design in Educational Research, and Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Research Methods. In addition to their electives (which students select in consultation with their faculty advisor), students are required to fulfill 6 credits of Internship in Adult Education, and complete 12 credits of Doctoral Research as part of their dissertation work.

Southwestern College has a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership that can be completed mostly online, with only two required campus visits. Offered by their Department of Professional Studies, the program focuses on developing students’ skills in five key areas: content and pedagogy, instruction and assessment, collaboration, leadership, and reflection and growth. Coursework explores the complexity of schools and school systems, current challenges in the field of education, and strategies for enhancing the student learning experience. Through development of their dissertation, students will conduct original research that contributes to the overall body of knowledge in the field, making a positive impact on both their current organizations and the future of education as a whole.

There are two different EdD tracks to choose from, each with two available concentration options. The licensure track offers licensed teachers the opportunity to earn an added endorsement in either Building Leadership or Teacher Leadership. Those who want to pursue their doctorate without additional licensure can opt for the non-licensure track in Teacher Leadership or Higher Education Leadership, depending on their professional goals. Courses in the program utilize a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Some classes also include field-based projects, giving students the opportunity to apply course lessons at their current school or place of employment. Students are required to visit campus twice during their studies for weeklong summer residencies, where they engage in hands-on learning activities and develop closer relationships working directly with classmates and program faculty.

Individuals who are interested in earning their EdD in a different specialization than the ones described above, such as Special Education, Organizational Leadership, or Education Policy Leadership, may want to consider pursuing an online program based out of state. Many colleges and universities around the country offer online EdD programs that accept students from Kansas. Some of these programs can be completed entirely online, while others require one or more on-campus residencies or other in-person instructional activities. To learn more about EdD specialization options and browse available programs, check out our Online EdD Program Specializations page.

Online EdD Programs in Kansas

The following section includes links to Southwestern College, Kansas State University, and Baker University’s online Doctor of Education programs. For more information about the EdD programs discussed on this page, such as current admission requirements and tuition costs, click below.

*The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP) is now recognized as the sole accrediting body for education preparation programs in the United States. NCATE accredited programs will become CAEP accredited when their accreditation is up for renewal.