Be a Leader in Education: Consider Pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership

As a professional in an educational sphere, do you find satisfaction in molding the minds of students and improving the learning environment for future generations?

Have you been working in administration as a principal or an assistant principal but see yourself advancing your career as a superintendent?

Or do you see yourself working towards a career in higher education?

Either way, you find yourself wanting more responsibility and feeling the desire to make a bigger impact in the world of education as a whole. But where do you start?

Neumann University’s Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership program prepares you with the necessary skills to make a significant impact on students, schools, and your community.

Neumann’s Educational Leadership Program

Neumann’s Doctorate of Educational Leadership is a four-year program designed for educators in public, private, and religious-based schools who desire an advanced leadership position.

The year-round curriculum follows the foundational principles of the Catholic Franciscan Intellectual Tradition and provides options for students to also obtain certification in Pre K-12 Administrative I Certification and/or Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Certification while getting the doctorate degree.

Program outcomes for students who earn their Ed.D. include:

• Assuming leadership positions in schools and educational agencies
• Demonstrating instructional leadership to provide direction for student achievement
• Exhibiting organizational skills to design and implement plans of action in schools
• Assessing the needs and accomplishments of students, faculty, and staff
• Directing development of curriculum
• Conducting scholarly research to be published

Neumann’s Educational Leadership Coursework

Students are required to complete 60 credit hours for NU’s Educational Leadership program. Here are some examples of classes you can expect to take during your time in the program:

• Leadership in Education — learn the purposes, processes, planning procedures, policies used by school administration, and about personnel matter governed by the statutes under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

• Organizational Development and Change Theory — gain foundational knowledge of organization development and education planning and learn effective team building, community and media relations, and change management

• School Business Management — understand how to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate budgets for school systems

• School Code and School Board Policies — learn about legal standards for public and private education; analyze federal and state laws and regulations; understand the school administrator’s role in creating and implementing school policies

When these course requirements are satisfied, students are eligible for the Comprehensive Examination, which is made up of research questions pulled from the program. Upon passing the Examination, students are granted degree candidacy, which requires students to conduct a research study and develop a dissertation to be presented in front of a committee.

More details can be found in NU’s Educational Leadership catalog.

Career Outlook for Graduates of the Educational Leadership Program

According to Neumann’s program description, students who have earned their Ed.D. are able to assume leadership positions in schools and in a variety of educational agencies.

Here are a few of the most common positions Ed.D. graduates can pursue upon earning their doctorate degree:

• School Principal — Manage daily school activities, oversee faculty and staff, and provide a safe and productive educational environment
• Education Administrator — Direct and coordinate activities for faculty and staff, create school rules and policies, manage student admissions, financial aid, athletics, etc.
• Superintendent — Lead entire school district; supervise principals and administrators, make district-wide curriculum decisions, represent district at community events

If you’re eager to become a leader in your school district, Neumann’s Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership could be the academic option you need. We invite you to request more information to learn more about Neumann’s program!

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