Program Overview and Description

student sitting across from an advisor

In this section, you’ll find a detailed description of the program structure, cohort model, course delivery formats, and degree plan. Designed for working professionals, the EdD program combines flexibility with rigor to help you translate theory into action and drive systemic transformation within your educational context.

The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership, Learning, and Educational Change is a part-time, cohort-based program for educational practitioners aspiring to leadership in PK-20+ educational organizations. This 55-credit hour program is designed to be completed in 3 years, including a core curriculum (25 credit hours), a specialized area of interest (18-28 credit hours), and dissertation-related coursework (12 credit hours) culminating in a dissertation-in-practice.
The program uses a cohort model, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Students complete coursework through hybrid modalities, including evening sessions and summer intersessions. Core courses are delivered in sequence during the first year to ground all students in leadership theory, policy, research, and critical perspectives.
At present, the Doctorate of Education (EdD) program is exclusively offered through in-person, on-campus evening classes in Springfield. Core courses will be offered in the evening during the week on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:00-8:30 p.m. during the fall and spring semester. The summer semester will likely offer more flexible options.
The following degree plan, last reviewed 11/19/2024, is based on the 2025-26 graduate catalog and can be found here: https://education.missouristate.edu/EdD/three-year.htm.