Northeastern's Doctor of Education program is designed for experienced professionals interested in deepening their understanding of education and learning contexts to become the next generation of leaders driving educational change.

2022-2023 Doctor of Education Program of the Year

The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate selected Northeastern's EdD program as the 2022-2023 Program of the Year, noting the “redesigned Dissertation in Practice Curriculum and the adoption of action research as its guiding methodology …” The committee praised “the program’s efforts to move beyond the typical five-chapter dissertation and engage scholarly practitioners in the acquisition of skills to realize meaningful change in their local contexts, emphasizing social justice.”

With experiential learning opportunities, supportive faculty practitioners, and the collaboration between a diverse group of fellow professionals and alumni you'll gain a practical education that translates into driving positive change in your everyday working environment.

Designed to be completed in three to four years of study—the program's dissertation in practice process will begin at the onset of your coursework as you identify your problem of practice, learn and hone your research skills, and develop and implement an action plan to positively impact your learning context—culminating in the dissemination of your action research findings.

While all EdD courses can be completed online (with optional hybrid courses in Seattle and Charlotte), annual in-person two-day residencies are held on campus. Residencies focus on networking and tools for career success and allow you to connect with faculty and fellow scholars to share knowledge and experience. You'll attend residencies* in your first and second years of the program at one of our campuses in Boston, Charlotte, or Seattle.

The Northeastern Doctor of Education degree is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and was selected as Program of the Year by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate Program for 2022-2023.

Note: Currently students in our EdD are not supported when pursuing licensure for Superintendent. We will certify what courses they took, but we also must make explicit that these courses are not for licensure.

The EdD Residency

As part of the requirement to complete your EdD degree program, you must attend at least two residences over the program. One occurs during your first year of study, and the second during your culminating year.

Residencies are conference-type experiences where you attend workshops and other sessions presented by faculty, staff, alumni and other students. Each session is designed to support the learning needs of EdD students, highlight emerging research, and provide strategic networking opportunities.

Residencies are held in Charlotte in the Fall; Seattle in the Winter; and Boston in the summer.

• Charlotte and Seattle residences are typically 1-day events held on Friday or Saturday.
• Boston residency is typically a 2-day event held on Friday and Saturday.

To view a list of typical events and activities at the EdD residency visit our dedicated website.

EdD Dissertations & Research

As you work towards completing the research to finish your doctoral dissertation, you will find the EdD program at CPS is ready to support you in two pivotal ways.

Support in the Curriculum

You will enter the EdD program with a problem of practice (PoP) and work to tweak and hone this PoP in each course throughout your studies. The dissertation's work is closely integrated with the coursework you will be engaged with so by the end of your first year you will already have drafts of many sections of your dissertation. Then, during your second thesis/dissertation year, you can focus on completing a final written version of the dissertation.

Support from the Dissertation Chair

In the second term of the program, you will be able to select a dissertation chair from available faculty. This selection process occurs much earlier in the CPS EdD program than in most doctoral programs – where students typically choose their chairs after finishing required courses while preparing to complete their dissertation. In the CPS EdD, you will have your dissertation chair's support from the 2nd term of the program until completion.

Sample Dissertations from EdD Students

• Higher Education-related dissertation: Seeing the unseen: an action research study of first-generation college student persistence at a mid-size private Institution in the Northeast.
• K-12-related dissertation: Cultural inclusivity in a predominately white district
• Workplace Learning-related dissertation: Competency development of university dining managers

Program objectives

• Choose from one of five concentrations to focus your studies and further customize your curriculum.
• Develop a broad understanding of scholarly approaches to education, education reform, and organizational development/leadership
• Learn methods for researching and analyzing critical practice-based issues
• Conduct a doctoral research study that investigates a compelling educational/organizational challenge

Unique Features

1. All coursework is online—providing flexibility for working professionals. Your residencies will be fulfilled in person*, at one of our campuses in Boston, Charlotte, or Seattle.
2. You'll begin dissertation in practice work at the onset of your program. You'll select a compelling educational/organizational challenge and will work with faculty to support your research throughout the program.
3. You'll learn alongside faculty practitioners—engaging with respected leaders who contribute to the field as authors, journal editors, school board members, bloggers, and podcasters.
4. In-person participation in the residency is also available for international students.