Lynn University

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

Lynn University, Ross College of Education enjoys a national reputation in practitioner focused educational leadership.  It was one of 22 research universities elected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2007 to participate in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Carnegie Foundation on the Education Doctorate. CPED is an ongoing effort to rethink and redesign the professional doctorate in education to better serve those who aspire to practice educational leadership.

The Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership consists of two years of taught classes and a capstone project in year three. Graduates from the program are well equipped scholarly-practitioners ready to meet the challenges of educational leadership in metropolitan education systems.

Program mission and goals

Lynn’s Educational Leadership Doctorate has a mission to transform the practice of educational leadership through a program that is informed and framed by Lynn University’s vision to be recognized as one of the most innovative, international, and individualized small universities in America. 

• To prepare leaders who can collaborate effectively across school, academic, and community boundaries to understand, design, and develop solutions to real problems in real schools;
• To establish and grow intra- and inter-institutional capacity for continuous, evidence-based improvement of schools;
• To advocate effectively for and drive efforts to achieve educational equity and excellence.

Program Design

Lynn’s Educational Leadership Doctorate is a cohort-based program (12-15 students) that is driven by inquiry into problems of practice. Doctoral learning will be supported through both face-to-face classes and online resources. Learning experiences will be guided by a signature pedagogy–systematic and intentional inquiry into problems of practice–that reveals and challenges assumptions.

Benefits

• Capstone experience instead of a dissertation- finish your degree in 3 years
• Flexible schedule: classes offered on weekends (Saturdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
• Increased salary and career opportunities
• Personalized advisement and support

Program of Study

Choose from 2 concentrations: Teacher Education or K-12 Leadership

• 3 Core Courses—9 credits
• 2 Specialization courses—6 credits (15 credits total)
• 3 Specialization field study courses—9 credits
• 4 Inquiry methods courses—12 credits
• 2 Problem-based research seminars—6 credits
• 3 Capstone experience courses—9 credits

The core focuses on 4 program themes:

• Leadership
• Accountability
• Equity and diversity (E & D)
• Learning and instruction (L & D)

Admission prerequisites

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution
• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Ideally, working in the field for a minimum of 3 years
• Currently working with educators, students or organizations, preferably in a leadership, administrative or lead teacher position

The uniqueness of this program and the fact that instructional delivery is cohort based means that credit hours from another institution cannot be transferred into the program.

Admission process

The admission application process consists of 2 phases.

• Official transcripts
• Letter of support from your current employer
• Writing sample:

1. General application and introduction letter.
2. Statement of professional goals (approximately 1,000 words) should identify your professional goals and contain an explanation of how this program will help you attain them.

• Upon receipt of all admissions documents the college faculty will schedule an interview and presentation in which you will be asked to address an identified problem or issue.

The Educational Leadership Admissions Committee will review your files to determine your ability to complete a rigorous doctoral program as evidenced by strong academic background, solid references, leadership potential and related professional experience.

The college acknowledges that you may have already identified your strengths and weaknesses. You should apply to the Ed.D. program with the knowledge that your application will be holistically assessed.