Online Doctor of Education (EdD) Programs in Louisiana
At present, there are five schools in Louisiana that offer Doctor of Education programs online. Grambling State University has an online EdD in Developmental Education, while Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers an online EdD in Adult Learning and Development. Additionally, Southeastern Louisiana University offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership, The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) has an online EdD in Curriculum and Instruction, and Xavier University of Louisiana offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership.
Grambling State University, Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Southeastern Louisiana University, The University of Louisiana at Monroe, and Xavier University of Louisiana are all institutions that have received regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In addition, all of these universities have received accreditation from either the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)*. To learn more about the online EdD programs offered in Louisiana, continue reading below.
Schools in Louisiana with Online EdD Programs
Grambling State University offers an online EdD in Developmental Education through its Department of Educational Leadership. This program’s curriculum is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills in curriculum development, action research, and education systems design and improvement to succeed as leaders in higher education, business, human services, government, and other fields. Students in this program can choose from three concentration areas in Curriculum and Instructional Design, Higher Education Administration and Management, and Student Development and Personnel Services. All students, regardless of their concentration, take courses in Problems and Issues in Developmental Education, History and Philosophy of Higher Education, The Community College, Advanced Curriculum Development, Learning Support Centers in Higher Education, and Advanced Studies of Non Traditional and Developing Learners, which give them a strong understanding of the higher education landscape in America, its needs, and the issues and challenges it faces. Students also take several advanced research courses that prepare them for their dissertation work.
Depending on their selected concentration, students of the EdD in Developmental Education may take courses such as Instructional Systems Design; Curriculum Methods and Materials for Teaching/Learning and Study Skills; Institutional Planning, Research, and Decision-Making; Higher Education Organization, Administration, & Policy; Student Development: Problems and Issues; and Current Trends & Issues in Counseling Developmental Learners. Students’ culminating experience in the program is their dissertation, through which they investigate a problem of practice that is relevant to higher education leadership, curriculum development, instructional design, and/or developmental learning. All students are required to complete a comprehensive examination prior to progressing to their dissertation.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers an online EdD in Adult Learning and Development, which focuses on preparing educators and education leaders to optimize community college programs and other education systems that foster adult learning and development. Students of this program can choose from two concentration options: Community College Leadership and Adult Learning and Workforce Development. All students, regardless of their chosen concentration, take classes in The Discipline of Adult Learning and Development; Understanding Organizational Leadership and Change; The Theory and Practice of Adult Learning and Development; Diversity and Multicultural Perspectives in Adulthood; Instructional Design and Professional Development for Adult Learners; Grant Development and Project Management; and Seminar in Law, Policy, and Issues.
From there, students of the Community College Leadership concentration take courses such as Community College Organization and Administration; Financial and Human Resource Administration for Community Colleges; and Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum in Post-Secondary Education. Students of the Adult Learning and Workforce Development Concentration take classes such as Planning and Measuring Adult Learning Environments, Workforce Development in a Global Economy, and Seminar in Transformative Adult Learning Environments. All students of this program also take several research methodology courses and an Applied Principles of Adult Learning or Organizational Leadership course that is an applied experience/practicum that enables students to directly apply what they have learned in their classes in a real-world setting. Through their culminating experience, the doctoral dissertation, students examine a problem of practice in adult learning and development while receiving support and feedback from their dissertation chair and faculty committee.
Southeastern Louisiana University has an online EdD in Educational Leadership, which it offers through its Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations. This 100% online program follows a cohort model and is designed to give education leaders the theoretical frameworks, research skills, and strategic insights to lead school improvement and address complex educational problems in a wide variety of settings. The curriculum for this program is comprised of 60 course credits, divided between a Research Core, an Educational Leadership sequence, and 12 credit hours of Doctoral Dissertation.
For the Research Core, students take classes such as Introduction to Doctoral Program and Research Design, Mixed Methods Research in Educational Leadership, Writing for Research, Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership, and a Research Practicum. For the Educational Leadership sequence, students have the flexibility to choose from a menu of courses, including but not limited to classes such as Governance and Legal Aspects of Higher Education, Organizational Development for Learning Communities, Foundations of Curriculum Theory and Design, Community College Administration, Special Topics in Instructional Leadership, and Legal Issues in Special Education. For students’ culminating experience, they must complete a dissertation under the support and guidance of their faculty chair and a faculty committee. Students must successfully defend their dissertation before their committee in order to confer their degree.
The University of Louisiana Monroe’s School of Education offers a fully online Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction that includes no in-person residencies or other campus-based components. This accelerated program focuses on the theoretical foundations and practical skills needed to effectively address curricular and instructional issues in a variety of educational settings. Through rigorous coursework, students explore the many social, moral, and political factors that impact learning, conducting their own research in the field and graduating better prepared for top-level careers in Education Administration or Instructional Coordination. A total of 60 credit hours are needed to earn the degree, which includes a capstone dissertation requirement. Depending on their dedication, students can complete their doctoral coursework in as few as 24 months.
The curriculum for the EdD in Curriculum and Instruction is divided between core courses and concentration courses. The core section offers courses such as Educational Research and Inquiry, Applied Statistical Analyses, Instructional Design and Technology Integration, Quantitative Methods in Educational Research, Qualitative Methods in Educational Research, Education for Diversity in a Global Society, and Research in Effective Teaching and Learning. For their concentration courses, student take classes in Communication and Collaboration in Problem Solving; Curriculum Theory and Design; Law, Policy, Ethics; Evaluation, Theory, and Practice; Assessment for Program and Instructional Decision Making; Professional Development; and Decision Making for School Improvement. There are also 15 credit hours associated with dissertation research and development.
Xavier University of Louisiana offers an online EdD in Educational Leadership through its Division of Education and Counseling. This program consists of 60 course credits, which students typically complete over the course of three years. It is designed to prepare students for multidisciplinary leadership roles in urban education settings, and has a social justice and advocacy focus throughout its curriculum. Students take courses such as Advanced Visionary Leadership, Current Problems & Issues in Educational Leadership, Long Range Planning and Data Analysis, Leading a Professional Learning Community, Advanced Educational Law, School Business Management, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, The Urban School: Leading to Promote Learning in a Diverse Setting, and Current Issues in Special Education Leadership. Students also take advanced courses in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in preparation for their dissertation, which occupies the majority of their third year.
Students interested in pursuing their EdD in a specialization that is different from those described above, such as K-12 Administration, Organizational Leadership, and Instructional Technology, may want to consider enrolling in an online program based out of state. Many colleges and universities around the country offer EdD programs online that accept students from Louisiana. To learn more about the different specializations available nationwide, and to browse various programs, check out our Online EdD Program Specializations page.
Featured Online EdD Programs | ||
University of West Alabama
Online Ed.D. Rural Education with Concentrations in Higher Education Administration, Organizational Change and Leadership, and Teacher Leader
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Grand Canyon University
Online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with Emphases in K-12 Leadership, Higher Education Leadership, and Organizational Development
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Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation
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Online Doctor of Education (EdD) with Specializations in Leadership in Educational Administration (Superintendent Endorsement), and Leadership in Higher Education Administration
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Online EdD Programs in Louisiana
Below are links to the universities in Louisiana that offer an online EdD program. For more information about the EdD programs discussed on this page, including current admission requirements and tuition costs, please visit the websites below.
Grambling State University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)
The University of Louisiana Monroe
Xavier University of Louisiana
Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Masters to Doctorate)
*The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP) is now recognized as the sole accrediting body for education preparation programs in the United States. NCATE accredited programs will become CAEP accredited when their accreditation is up for renewal.