Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation

Description and Outcomes

The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation is for professionals who want to teach at the postsecondary level and/or become leaders in varying educational settings. You will develop skills to become change agents within your educational setting. You will learn how to become ethical, inclusive, and innovative leaders.

The program culminates in the successful completion of an applied research project and paper, developed over several terms. Each course builds on the previous, guiding you through specific research stages, including defining a researchable topic, selecting an appropriate methodology, completing the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, performing data analyses, and concluding your applied research project and paper to be submitted for final approval and program completion.

Program Length

The Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation consists of a minimum of 90 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a doctorate degree.

Program Outcomes

  1. Educational Systems: Analyze the context and conditions in which educational systems and teams operate.
  2. Ethical and Innovative Leadership: Evaluate the impact of policy and practices on educational settings from multiple, diverse perspectives. 
  3. Research and Technology: Improve learning, innovation and professional practice using research-based information and technology. 
  4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Empower agents of change to advocate for individuals and groups who are historically marginalized, oppressed, underrepresented, or underserved. 
  5. Curriculum and Instruction: Design responsive and sustaining curriculum and instruction. 

Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the Professional Competencies section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements. 

  • A transcript indicating completion of a master's degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a minimum of 30 transferable credits in a field of study must be submitted. These master’s courses will satisfy the master’s degree electives in the program requirements.
  • If you wish to reenter the program after being withdrawn, you must wait 6 months to reapply and obtain approval from the Office of the Dean.

Progression Requirements

  1. You may not use credit for prior learning to fulfill any 700- or 800-level course.
  2. ED780 Creativity, Innovation, and Intrapreneurship in Education and each 800-level course must be taken one course per term. 
  3. You must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, have no pending incompletes, have successfully completed all 700-level courses and CM801 Doctoral Writing and Research, and meet all other eligibility requirements outlined in the EdD Student Handbook prior to starting ED810 Applied Research Project I Academic Writing and Project Proposal.  Once you start the Applied Research Project course series, the College will verify your eligibility and progress each term and register you appropriately.
  4. You must successfully complete the required IRB training and obtain Purdue Global IRB approval for the implementation of your applied research project.
  5. During the applied research project course series, if you are unable to complete the course objectives within the standard course timeline or require revisions to your research paper before advancing to the next course, you will be registered in a corresponding non-credit extension course. 
    1. Extension courses provide you with one additional term to complete the objectives of the project course before advancing to the next course and stage of the research process or completion of the program. 
    2. If you are unable to complete the designated applied research project components by the end of the extension term, you will be withdrawn from the program.
    3. The University will not charge tuition for extension courses; however, you will be required to pay the normal resource fee and a doctoral course fee for each registered extension.
  6. Approval and signoff on your final applied research project paper is required to complete  ED840 Applied Research Project IV Project Dissemination. If your final paper is not approved, you will be enrolled in an extension course to continue working on the paper development.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting Purdue Global’s general graduation requirements, you must have completed the doctoral degree program no later than 5 years after completing the first class.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certification and licensure boards have state-specific educational requirements for programs that lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.