Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
October 15, 2014 2025-02-25 12:45Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
Lead With Impact
Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
Become a visionary leader in any field with our online leadership doctorate.
Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
The EdD in Leadership Studies is meticulously designed to elevate the existing knowledge and skills of individuals who are interested in pursuing leadership positions in their career field by preparing them to navigate complex challenges across a multitude of leadership roles.
Our EdD program adopts an interdisciplinary approach, paving a path for today’s leaders to shine in career fields across education, nonprofit, business, medical, government, and the private and public sectors. Our program’s uniqueness lies in the blend of rigorous, cutting-edge coursework, practical experiences, and partnerships with industry professionals who bring real-world scenarios to the classroom.
Whether you aspire to bring about change in educational institutions, lead community organizations, or drive innovation in the corporate world, our program is structured to accommodate your professional goals.
Emphasis is placed on blending the principles and theory of leadership with practice so you’re armed with the skills you need to face real-world challenges.
The Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies at the University of Lynchburg is your stepping stone toward becoming an influential leader capable of fostering positive change and innovation in any professional field.
Why should Lynchburg’s online doctorate in leadership program be your top choice?
Designed to cultivate innovative leaders who make a difference in their communities.
At Lynchburg, our EdD program is designed to transcend the ordinary, enhancing leadership abilities across all types of communities.
- Designed for working professionals: Our program fits seamlessly into your busy life, offering online classes with scheduled meeting times.
- Cohort model: Learn and grow in a supportive and collaborative environment.
- Refined skill set: Refine your analytical, problem-solving, and research skills, all deeply rooted in empirical study.
- Practical application: Apply leadership theories, models, and techniques in your professional setting.
Unique Aspects of our Leadership Doctorate: Organizational Leadership Systems, Ethics, and Beyond
Program Philosophy
Mission
The doctoral program in Leadership Studies will expand the leadership capacity within communities by helping leaders better understand the dynamics and interactions of public, nonprofit, government, agency, and higher education organizations. Rather than training leaders who are isolated from other disciplines, this program will create an interdisciplinary program that respects and supports the broad diversity of programs within communities.
Goals
To engage students in a rigorous interdisciplinary process of exploration, inquiry, engagement, practice, and reflection to expand their leadership knowledge and skills
To prepare students to exhibit leadership that will enable schools, colleges, nonprofits, community agencies, or other organizations to meet identified goals and objectives
To develop visionary leaders who can work across boundaries and disciplines to positively impact the community.
Objectives
To provide students with interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to lead an organization in changing and adapting in an increasingly global environment
To enable students to examine community issues from an interdisciplinary, systemic perspective
To provide students with an opportunity to develop creative and innovative responses to local, state, national, and international issues
To allow students to demonstrate analytical, problem-solving, and research skills grounded in a sound empirical study
To implement and evaluate leadership practices based on various theories, models, and approaches to achieving organizational effectiveness
To examine the dynamics of communities with a focus on interrelationships of leadership, capital, vision, and culture
Focus
The doctoral program in leadership studies will be interdisciplinary. Rather than focusing specifically on educational leadership, the program will include coursework from across the academic disciplines of the University of Lynchburg.
Consistent with the challenges facing contemporary leaders, prospective students can anticipate that coursework will include emphases on legal and ethical issues, economic trends and considerations, public policy, governmental affairs, human resources, sustainability considerations, community health, organizational change strategies, quantitative and qualitative research methods and dissertation planning, effective communication, diversity and disability policy issues, community dynamics, and other critical considerations.
These emphases will be reflected in the 14 doctoral courses that are required within the program.
Curriculum and Resources
2024-25 Academic Year Information
Required courses (54 hours):
- LS 800 — Human Resource Management (3)
- LS 801 — Epidemiology of Community Public Health Issues (3)
- LS 802 — Quantitative Research (3)
- LS 803 — Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Leadership (3)
- LS 804 — Qualitative and Action Research (3)
- LS 805 — Community Dynamics (3)
- LS 806 — Public Policy (3)
- LS 807 — Government, Politics, and Leadership (3)
- LS 808 — Dissertation Seminar: Research and Readings in Leadership Studies (3)
- LS 809 — Organizational Leadership and Change (3)
- LS 811 — Organizational Communication (3)
- LS 813 — System Design and Tools for Sustainability (3)
- LS 815 — Leadership Models and Practice (3)
- LS 816 — Statistics II (3)
- LS 890 — Dissertation Research (6)
- LS 891 — Dissertation Capstone (6)
Total Hours Required: 54
Course Delivery
Flexible learning with personalized attention: Understanding the demands and challenges of modern professionals, we have crafted a learning environment that doesn’t just offer online classes with scheduled timings, but also incorporates a strong commitment to personalized attention.
Our dedication to individualized attention doesn’t just improve the educational experience but makes a significant difference in empowering learners to realize their full potential, fostering deeper understanding and helping bridge the gap between theory and practice. By seamlessly blending flexibility and personalization, we strive to provide a leadership doctorate program that truly stands apart.
Application Process for Our Virginia-based Doctorate in Leadership Program
The application process for the Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies degree at the University of Lynchburg is simple and clear.
- Application Deadline: July 31
- Classes start: Aug. 24
- Learning modality: Online
How to Apply
- An online application
- A current resume or curriculum vitae
- A 300-500 word essay focused on career goals and emphasizing prior leadership opportunities and experiences
- Successful completion of a prior master’s degree. A professional postgraduate degree will be considered, based on relevance to the leadership studies program.
- Official transcripts from your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, as well as any other relevant graduate coursework
- Successful completion of a graduate research course within the prior master’s degree (or taken subsequently)
- One letter of recommendation from an individual in a leadership position representing your current employer, which indicates support for your participation in the program and verifies your capacity for successful future leadership
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your academic performance and/or work experience
- Evidence of strong writing skills as reflected in scores on the GRE/GMAT writing sub-test and/or in selected samples of writing from previous graduate programs (e.g., major term paper, master’s thesis), published work, and/or examples of professional work products related to job responsibilities
- GRE/GMAT scores already on file at the University of Lynchburg are acceptable as are official copies of the scores submitted by applicants.
For admitted cohort students, a $300 program deposit is required and will be applied to the first semester’s tuition.
Admission Requirements
- A completed master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
- Official transcripts from your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, along with any other pertinent graduate coursework
- Successful completion of a graduate research course within the prior master’s degree (or taken subsequently)
- A minimum overall graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
School of Professional and Applied Sciences
Andrew Bruce, PhD
Autumn M. Dodge, PhD
Daniel Murphy, MJA
Eric Kyper, PhD
Frank R. Whitehouse Jr., MBA
Gerald Prante, PhD
Ghislaine Lewis, PhD
Holly Gould, PhD
Janell Stinnett ’91, ’10 MEd
Jeremy Langett, PhD
Jimmy Roux, PhD
John N. Angelis, PhD
Lee Schimmoeller, DBA
Lindsay Parks Pieper, PhD
Lucinda (Cindi) Spaulding, PhD
Mac Duis, EdD
Maria Nathan, PhD, SHRM
Michael G. Robinson, PhD
Michael Schnur, DBA
Owen C. Cardwell Jr., PhD
Paula Youra, PhD
Percy Abell ’87, ’00 MEd
Randall Dunn, EdD
Sara Bennett, PhD
Stefan Nicovich, PhD
Key features of our online EdD program:
Recognized for Excellence by CAEP
The University of Lynchburg meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through content and pedagogy, clinical partnerships and practice, candidate recruitment, progression and support, program impact, and quality assurance and continuous improvement.
“It's definitely opened some doors for me that otherwise would not have been easily accessed. The EdD really gives you a leg up."
Graduate Tuition
Below is an overview of the cost of the program:
Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies (EdD)
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Credit Hours Required: 54
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Estimated Cost of Completion: $40,284
