About The Program
Our innovative learning communities allow you to explore different areas of leadership in a cohort with others who share your commitment and passion. Based on practitioner-oriented knowledge and skills, the Leadership Ed.D. program engages you with authentic leadership and research experiences, as well as opportunities for reflection to develop your leadership style.
You'll be exposed to three analytic lenses - equity, accountability and learning theory - that enable you to consider perspectives of those from different backgrounds. We prepare you to apply theory and practice to address real-world problems. By preparing you to apply theory and research, you'll collaborate with your peers and a community partner by your third year to develop a tailored capstone project to advance their organization.
- Superintendent of schools
- Chief academic officer
- Chief learning officer
- Executive director of education
- Educational leadership director
- Organizational development director
- Student services administrator
- Educational technology director
- Strategic Initiatives administrator
- College or university president or vice president
- HR consultant
- Executive coach
Pick the best focus area and cohort to meet your career goals
- Organizational leadership (nonprofit, military, government, corporate)
- Higher education leadership
- K-12 leadership
- Combined (all three concentrations or across the leadership pipeline)
Learning Community & Cohorts
In the Ed.D Program, each entering group of students is called a Learning Community (LC), differentiated by graduation year (e.g., LC 28 is the group starting in the summer of 2025 and graduating in May of 2028). Within each LC we have multiple cohorts in the following areas:
- Organizational Leadership, Online
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- Higher Education Leadership, Online
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- K12 Leadership, Online
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- Meets for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
- Combined, Face-to-face
- Meets Face-to-face five Saturdays a semester and Online for 1.5 hours Wednesdays between 5 - 8 p.m. ET
In the supplemental questions area in the online application, students will rank order their preferences of cohort (1 = most preferred cohort; 4 = least preferred). Cohorts are determined after the admissions deadline, and we reserve the right to change initial cohort assignments to balance the needs of the students and the institution*. We take into account student preference, but a given cohort is not guaranteed. Each cohort completes the same Ed.D. courses with shifts in focus depending on the composition of students in a particular cohort. We are committed to reflective and responsive engagement with our learners.
*Be advised that a minimum number of students is required to administer a cohort.
At a Glance
Degree Earned
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Credits: 48
Application Semesters and Deadlines
Summer: January 15
Program Modality
Online and in-person*
A required two-day, on-site residency to start the program
*A minimum number of students is required to administer an in-person cohort.
Estimated Completion Time
Part-time (1-8 credits): average completion in 3 years
Testimonials
“From the first class, I realized that this program would work for people of any career. Professionally, that lesson not only has given me confidence to approach my superiors and confidently challenge policy, but also has created opportunities for me in my workplace.”
James Perkins, Ed.D. LC20
"My [capstone] chair was incredible — despite the chaos in the world, she made the experience rich through her guidance, support, humanity, empathy, and expertise, which had a significant impact on me."
Melissa Hill, Ed.D. LC21
"I appreciate that VCU places social justice and equity front and center throughout the program. We had courageous and necessary conversations, which was crucial to the experience."
Adrienne Quarles-Smith, Ed.D. LC22
"What I love about the VCU Ed.D. program is how it's enriched with opportunities beyond coursework. We’re encouraged to present at conferences, build our resumes, and enhance our CVs, which adds significant value.”
Tameka Burroughs, Ed.D. LC23
"What I really loved about the Ed.D. program was how it built on itself and prepared us to think about how we come into a room as leaders, how we unpack problems, and more.”
Jennifer Adams, Ed.D. LC22
Frequently Asked Questions
For each credit hour, the student should allocate three or more hours of work outside of the classroom (f2f or online) to have adequate time to read, write, and work collaboratively with peers and faculty. Thus, 6 credits requires approximately 18 hours per week of dedicated time outside of class per semester. This may vary by instructor, course, and semester. This is a reading and writing intensive program, with a focus on collaborative learning.
Online cohorts meet synchronously online for 1-1.5 hours on Wednesdays between 5 and 8 pm E.T. Additional time outside of class is dedicated to asynchronous work (e.g., discussion boards), reading, writing, and teaming (i.e., meeting with course project teams).
Face-to-face cohorts meet on the Monroe Park Campus five full-day Saturdays a semester and weekly on Thursday evenings starting between 4 and 6 pm and lasting 2-2.5 hours. Plan for all F2F sessions to be on campus, though some courses use a more hybrid format by including both F2F classes and online synchronous meetings/ work. Additional time outside of class is dedicated to some asynchronous work (e.g., discussion boards), reading, writing, and teaming (i.e., meeting with course project teams).
A sample of Ed.D. Capstone projects available in the VCU Scholars Compass is found under Resources below.
Use this link to calculate tuition expenses. Select "Doctoral - Off Campus" for the online program and select "Doctoral - Monroe Park Campus" the face-to-face program. Select "Part-Time" and the appropriate residency information. Ed.D. students take two classes per semester for nine semesters.
We encourage students to work with their employer to gain tuition support and, if financial support is not possible, to negotiate for allocated school work time. Each year we have students gain promotions, awards, and secure new jobs due to the application of EdD coursework and skills. In other words, work with your employer to see the EdD as professional development and give you time and or/money to support your development. They will benefit from your degree.
Please be advised that since the EdD in Leadership is a part-time program, we are unable to offer scholarships. Most students gain employer support, use savings, and/or use student loans. There are also tuition payment plans available. We encourage you to work with Student Financial Services to explore your options.
Attendance is required. We offer accommodations only in unique and warranted circumstances.
We strive to place students in the best-fit cohort from the outset. Occasionally, we have a student quickly realize they are not in the best fit. In such cases, we may allow a student to shift cohorts with clear rationale and sufficient cohort numbers for the switch. After the first semester of the program, switches are rarely approved barring extreme circumstances.
We require students to have a minimum of three years of leadership experience. The applicant should describe / make evident how they meet this threshold in their statement of intent and resume/CV. For example, leadership in practice may or may not reflect an applicant’s job title. If you are close to the three year minimum, make sure your materials clearly reflect that you meet the three year minimum requirement.