Academic Catalog

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership - Digital and Online Education

Department: Education

Program Overview

Bradley University’s post-master's Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program in Educational Leadership is a fully online, distance education program. Students may select from two concentrations: Higher Education Administration or Digital and Online Education. 

Program Mission and Objectives
 
The program's mission is to prepare professionals with backgrounds in education and/or leadership for career advancement in education or education-related services. The Ed.D in Educational Leadership program is designed to engage students in interactive, research-based leadership development experiences within authentic contexts, emphasizing student learning, quality instruction, and organizational effectiveness in higher education. Five program objectives guide the design and delivery of each course in the program: 

  1. Provide foundational knowledge, skills, and theory related to educational governance, ethics and politics, technology, assessment, and decision-making.
  2. Focus student learning experiences on a concentrated area of study that provides specialized knowledge and skills.
  3. Immerse students in planning, conducting, and reporting original action research related to current trends and issues in education.
  4. Involve students in demonstrating application of knowledge, skills, and theory by completing an authentic capstone experience or project.
  5. Engage students in reflection and critical analysis of leadership theories, practices, and policies related to equity and opportunity in education.

Concentration Overview

Embedded within the 48-semester hour Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program, the Educational Technology concentration prepares students to meet the many needs of the digitally mediated, technology infused, and everchanging learning environments of today and the future. Concentration courses cover topics including instructional design, online and distributed teaching and learning, instructional and learning theory, and applied educational media. The concentration culminates with an educational technology portfolio development course that allows students to demonstrate practical application of educational technology. Students will be prepared to serve in technology-focused teaching and leadership positions or as instructional designers or developers in a variety of fields, including education, industry, the military, and the non-profit sector. 

Concentration Outcomes

Upon graduation, students enrolled in the Educational Technology concentration of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program are expected to obtain the following outcomes:

  1. Employ methods of inquiry for using technology and best practices to enhance learning and improve performance based on individual, unit, and institutional needs.
  2. Evaluate educational technologies and processes based on best practices for the delivery of contemporary content.
  3. Design effective learning and working environments and technologies for a variety of audiences and purposes.
  4. Influence the adoption of innovative practices for developing, implementing, and supporting learning and working environments undergirded or mediated entirely by technology.
  5. Adapt theoretical and practical applications of educational technologies and processes to circumvent or solve educational problems.

Admission Criteria


In addition to Bradley University Graduate Admission Requirements, admission into either concentration of the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Program 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

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 may not be accepted for the action research courses (EDU 703, EDU 704, EDU 705, EDU 706, EDU 707) or for the internship courses (EDU 722, EDU 723).