Doctoral Programs
Leading. Finding solutions.
Be part of the conversation around solutions to unprecedented challenges in educational settings across the country and globe. Blend your past professional and academic experiences into a rewarding specialized doctoral program.
Through our doctoral programs, our students have access to our School of Education research, labs, cross-disciplinary collaboration, affiliate centers, and faculty and staff practitioner knowledge to develop relevant research to improve the field of study and wider local and global community. Here is a full list of our doctoral program options across three programs:
- Ed.D. in Leadership
- Ph.D. in Education
- Art Education concentration
- Counselor Education and Supervision concentration
- Curriculum, Culture and Change concentration
- Educational Leadership, Policy and Justice concentration
- Educational Psychology concentration
- Research, Assessment and Evaluation concentration
- Urban Services Leadership concentration
- Ph.D. in Special Education
The VCU Holmes Scholars Program is a selective program that provides accepted doctoral students from historically underrepresented groups with resources and professional development to best position them for tenure track faculty positions in high (R2) and very high (R1) research universities. Our cross-disciplinary scholars create a network that leverages the collective and individual strengths of each member to maximize their VCU School of Education program. Learn more about how we live our values through the Holmes program!
Our Three Doctoral Programs
Our is a great resource to review what research is currently being conducted at the school. This may help you identify a specific content area of interest, or a few, to help narrow your track options.
After identifying a few research areas of interest, review the key faculty who are researching in those areas and their research interests in our directory.
As you are debating tracks, contact soeinfo@vcu.edu to schedule a meeting with our recruitment specialist to talk through your research interests, past academic and professional experiences, and where you hope to go in your future career.
The Ed.D. in leadership engages leaders of learning organizations with practitioner-oriented knowledge and skills, authentic leadership and research experiences, and opportunities for reflection that will enable them to succeed in a variety of organizational leadership positions. Three analytic lenses (equity, accountability and learning theory) guide coursework and enable students from diverse backgrounds to consider learning through common perspectives. The Ed.D. is a 48-hour, 36-month program which centers on action-oriented andragogy and curriculum, includes the application of theory and research, and focuses on addressing practitioners’ problems of practice, culminating in the Capstone study the final year in the program.
The Ph.D. in education prepares individuals for leadership in a variety of educational arenas, including school administration, curriculum and instruction, research and evaluation, special education and disabilities, as well as private and public organizations and agencies. Students are provided opportunities to build on one’s life experiences and interests through the advanced study of important ideas and practices, through the conduct and application of research, and through interactions with Ph.D. students and professors from departments across the university.
Ready To Get Started?
- Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D.
- Director, Strat Recrt & Outrch
- (804) 827-2479
- SOEinfo@vcu.edu