Ed.D. in Leadership
“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. ‘20
The Ed.D. in leadership 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 a collaborative group Capstone study the final year in the program.
The Department of Educational Leadership is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) which ascribes to six critical guiding principles for Ed.D. Programs.
Delivery methods
The Ed.D. is a three-year cohort-based program beginning each summer only. Applications submitted will be considered for the Summer 2021 cohort.
Students will have the opportunity to choose whether they want to take the Ed.D. program face-to-face or online.
Face-to-face: The face-to-face program is held on the Monroe Park Campus in vibrant downtown Richmond, Virginia. Classes will usually meet one evening every week and five Saturdays a semester.
Online: The online program is administered using BlackBoard Learning Management Software and requires attendance at two face-to-face Saturday classes in the summer.
Summer 2021 Orientation: Saturday, May 15
Summer 2021 Online Learning Communities in-person class sessions:
- Saturday, June 19
- Saturday, July 10
Learning communities
The Ed.D. program offers opportunities for students to participate in Learning Communities* in the following areas:
- General Leadership
- Higher Education Leadership
When applying to the Ed.D. program, students should designate their chosen Learning Community on the Ed.D. application checklist.
Online and in-person learning communities are determined by accepted student preference each spring semester after the admissions deadline. In the supplemental questions area in the online application, students note which learning community and classroom method (online or in-person) they prefer. Each learning community completes the same Ed.D. courses with slight differences in the cases and examples used in each of the courses per the learning community. We are committed to our program's reflective and responsive engagement with our learners in all classrooms.
Please note: Admission decisions will be completed by early April 2021 for the program to start in May 2021.
*Be advised that a minimum number of students is required to administer a Learning Community.
Curriculum requirements
The Ed.D. in leadership requires a minimum of 48 total graduate credit hours. Since this program is built on a cohort model, no external transfer credits are accepted. Please review our most current course table to review a draft program outline.
Resources
VCU BULLETIN INFO
PROGRAM BASICS
How to apply: Graduate application
Semester of entry: Summer
Application deadline: Feb. 1
Additional materials: Ed.D. application checklist [PDF]
Faculty listing: Educational Leadership
Faculty areas of interest: Research areasADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- General admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School
- Master’s degree
- Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
- Statement of intent
- Satisfactory GRE/MAT scores or writing sample
- Transcripts of all previous college work
- A personal interview (may be requested)
- Professional vitae/resume
FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFO
Ready To Get Started?

- Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D.
- Recruitment Specialist
- (804) 827-2479
- SOEinfo@vcu.edu
All prospective student inquiries please contact Dr. Lenhardt.

- Tomika Ferguson, Ph.D.
- Co-Coordinator
- (804) 828-1125
- tlferguson2@vcu.edu
Current students contact Dr. Ferguson/Dr. Bridges with Higher Education/K-12 General Leadership questions.

- Kimberly Bridges, Ed.L.D.
- Co-Coordinator
- (804) 828-2498
- bridgeskm@vcu.edu
Current students contact Dr. Ferguson/Dr. Bridges with Higher Education/K-12 General Leadership questions.