K-12 Educational Leadership (EdD)

Our curriculum includes a includes a mix of online and on-campus coursework that is challenging and rewarding for both skilled and novice educators. View the academic catalog for Loading...

We have evening, online, and hybrid classes—perfect to accommodate your work schedule. You can complete the doctoral program full or part time, enabling you to earn your degree on your own timetable.

If your career goal is to become a school superintendent or work in district central office, you can become eligible for the appropriate Pennsylvania professional certification as part of your doctoral program.

View the academic catalog for Loading... for the superintendent (letter of eligibility) certification.

Educational leaders are increasingly required to be curriculum and instruction experts as well as skilled business-minded professionals who can design cost-effective processes and make data-driven decisions to lead their schools and districts in innovative and results-oriented ways. 

Widener’s Center for Education, in partnership with the School of Business Administration, offers students a value-added business concentration within their doctorate in K-12 educational leadership. This concentration will prepare you for positions such as head of school, chief financial officer, or director of operation, in both private and public schools.

Earn your EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership with a focus on International and Independent Schools Leadership through our partnership with American Community Schools of Athens. You can finish your degree in as few as three years while working full-time.

In year one, you’ll travel to Athens for a 3-week summer residency. In year two, you’ll travel to the United States for a 3-week summer residency that includes educational experiences in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C.

During the school year, you’ll complete your coursework online.

Interested in bringing your children and family to your residency in Athens? A discounted summer camp program will enable them to experience one of the world’s most historic cities while you work toward your doctorate.

Each state/jurisdiction has requirements that candidates must meet in order to obtain licensure and/or certification to teach. It is the student’s responsibility to seek appropriate guidance before beginning any academic program. If you intend to seek certification outside of Pennsylvania, the University recommends that you contact the appropriate state licensing agency to obtain specific licensure/certification requirements per state and the most up-to-date information.
 
To view Widener’s licensure eligibility by state/jurisdiction, please visit the Center for Education: Program Licensure page.

• Complete the application form.
• Have an official transcript sent from all previous graduate and undergraduate programs.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from colleagues, supervisors, or college professors.
• Submit a personal statement addressing the following prompt: Please describe your experiences as an educational leader, what you hope to gain from advanced studies, and a brief description of your current dissertation research interests.

You will have an admissions interview with a faculty advisor. 

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.