EdD in Education
The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Change and Leadership program is designed for current and emerging leaders who are looking to drive systemic change in organizational settings.
Learn more about the online EdD in Education program for current and emerging education leaders from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.
Through a blend of live, online classes and real-world experiences, this EdD in Education program offers an intensive curriculum that focuses on problem solving, leadership, disposition and reflection. Working in both formal and informal settings, students learn by forming strategies that facilitate innovative learning and by building systems that produce stronger, more successful organizations.
*Bachelor's degree, 3.0 GPA or higher, leadership experience, a Statement of Purpose that indicating professional career goals and completion of a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for candidates whose academic work has been in a country other than the US, UK, Australia or English-speaking Canada.
Course Curriculum
Explore the course curriculum
Participants will establish a professional foundation as well as their philosophy and approach as educators.
This module focuses on design and advancement of learning and motivation outcomes through the examination and application of current research.
Participants will learn the fundamentals of physical, motor, mental, social and emotional development, spanning the prenatal period through late adulthood.
Participants will learn and develop strategies to empower individuals and marginalized groups by intervening to achieve equitable outcomes in education and communities.
This module covers various research designs and basic statistical methods for professionals, addressing questions and challenges in research.
Participants will learn how to design and develop effective instruction for a variety of content areas and audiences.
Participants will learn the different ways in which learning, motivation and performance can be assessed, including formative and summative, qualitative and quantitative methods.
Participants will study current research and practical methods for selecting and evaluating media and their role in modern learning environments.
Participants complete directed research and produce a literature review that presents solutions to a professionally relevant problem of practice.
This module will help students develop the critical analysis and academic literacy skills to identify, research and present educational leadership issues in various contexts.
Participants will learn practical strategies and creative thinking methods to produce innovative results through hands-on experiments, practice and review.
Participants will examine leadership principles, concepts and theories that will allow them to reflect on their own leadership styles and apply what they learn to real-life situations and organizational challenges.
Participants will tackle issues of diversity, including access and equity, as it relates to culture, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and ability. Participants will also learn how to identify and utilize diversity as an asset in the professional setting.
This module will help leaders understand, analyze and cope with the challenges and demands of accountability.
Participants will learn to analyze organizational learning and motivation, and make evidence-based recommendations for interventions to promote positive development in organizational contexts.
This module focuses on providing participants with foundational knowledge about the nature of research and preparing participants to conduct “inquiry,” which is the systematic collection and analysis of data for answering research questions and solving identified problems of practice.
This module examines how organizational change and reform take place. Participants will learn about different organizational systems and structures.
As the second in a series of three research methods courses, this module’s main objective is to help participants build skills they will need to conduct research for their dissertations. This module will prepare participants to develop data collection protocols and instruments as well as to learn how to gather data for their dissertations.
Participants will apply their written and verbal skills to real-life leadership situations.
This module focuses on budget planning, research and assessing fiscal viability of a project.
This module will prepare students to analyze and present qualitative and quantitative data. It will also address ethical issues in reporting as well as validity/credibility and trustworthiness of the findings/results.
Participants will learn how to build organizational capacity by fostering personnel growth, and promoting transparency, learning and inclusion in the workplace.
Participants will reflect and assess their abilities as a leader in a final report and portfolio that includes program coursework.
Participants will finalize and defend their dissertation in practice, reflective report and portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
Bachelor’s degree. Successful applicants typically have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
For master’s degree programs such as the Masters in Teaching and Masters in TESOL, professional work experience in your field of interest is not required. USC Rossier’s PhD in Education program requires applicants to have at least three to five years of full-time professional work and leadership experience.
Request more information on the application process here.
The online master’s degree programs maintain the same selective admissions standards as the school’s on-campus programs. Applications must include the following:
- Online application
- Application fee
- Official transcripts
- Personal essays
- Letters of recommendation
- Current resume or CV
A word processor is required when taking the course as you will need to download materials and submit assignments.
The course is compatible with most electronic devices. While the recommended device is a laptop or desktop, the course can be accessed via a browser on most smartphones and tablets.
Enrollment
USC Rossier's programs feature a blend of live, face-to-face online class sessions, self-paced coursework, and hands-on field-based teaching experiences. The programs are composed of live, online classes which allow students to network with classmates around the world in an intimate, collaborative environment. The course also includes hands-on field work which students complete in their own communities or classrooms.
Check with your district and state licensure requirements as the certificate may satisfy these requirements.
Each program follows an academically rigorous curriculum designed and delivered by USC Rossier faculty members.
Request more information on tuition and payment process here.
Request more information on program costs here.
For more information on financial aid, departmental grants and long-term financing options, contact USC's Financial Aid Office.
