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Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Funnel Your Ideas and Passions for Learning by Diving into New Research to Make a Difference in Education on a Societal and Academic Level.

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD-EL) from Florida Southern prepares teachers and administrators to grow both intellectually and professionally for professional advancement in the field of education.

This degree will increase your knowledge and build your skills to become exceptional leaders in primary education to grade 12 administration, school districts, policy development, or public, private or college/university teaching.  Students engage in research and collaborative projects, providing a rigorous academic program geared toward enriching leadership, management, and motivational abilities.  Outstanding and passionate faculty bring a wealth of research and practical experience to courses, preparing you to navigate today’s most complex and challenging issues in education.

Upcoming Term Start Dates

5/13/2024

Top Reasons

P-12 Focus

With a requirement of students possessing a Master of Education or full professional teaching certificate, this program focuses on the P-12 sector and learner.

Outstanding Faculty

Composed of credentialed professors and scholars whose research and practitioner experience delve straight into today’s most complex and important issues in education.  These faculty members are attentive, available, and committed to your academic success.

Nationally Recognized

Florida Southern College ranked as the No. 1 Regional College in the state of Florida by the prestigious college guidebook U.S. News & World Report.

Engaged Learning

You will experience unparalleled robust, active, and hands-on faculty-led collaborative projects that provide a rigorous academic program geared toward enriching your leadership, management, and motivational abilities.

Accredited

Florida Southern College is accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges

Meet Our Mocs

Lana Tatom
Dr. Amy Weingarth
Lacey Jurnigan
Elizabeth Russum
Beth Livesay
Karen Peck
Monifia Neal

Small Classes

Coursework is made up of twelve classes of 4 credits each. Classes are offered face-to-face and online. There are seven face-to-face classes and five online classes. Most classes are made up of cohort members of less than 15 class members. When ready to move to dissertation credits, all students are required to complete a concept paper. Coursework prepares students with a strong academic foundation for writing this concept paper. The concept paper is rigorous paper students are required to complete to show competency in skills needed to being dissertation work. A School of Education committee does a blind review of each student’s concept paper looking for what theories contribute to a student’s area of interest. They are also looking for valid methodologies that are used and what applications of theory and research that can assist tin working with problems in a certain area identified by the student. Finally, the last step in the concept paper is to help in identifying a good fit between the student’s research topic and a chair for the doctoral student.

Cohort Groups

Students move with an established cohort group during the 12 hours of doctoral coursework. Each assignment has been vetted by professional scholar-practitioners to deliver the knowledge, content, and credible evidence-based learning required for successful alignment. Being linked to members in a cohort group serve to build collaboration among student to student and serve as a support group for one another in their specialized fields.

The Passion to Get Ahead

Dr. Howard Hepburn '20, Instructional Superintendent, School District of Palm Beach County, explains why Florida Southern was the right school for him to advance his passion for education and professional goals.

Caitlin Byrne, Ph.D.

Featured Faculty

Caitlin Byrne

FSC’s doctoral program in educational leadership offers a degree to change lives together by linking cohorts of students, providing a curriculum staffed by globally qualified doctoral professors, and creating opportunities to learn from and with field-expert professors. Geared to maximize students’ personal and professional potential through a wide range of experiences, students will examine evolving educational issues to facilitate positive change in their organizations and communities. This degree is designed to help you manage organizational effectiveness in many educational settings for a life-changing and rewarding career.

Program Details

Admission Requirements

  • An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as verified by an official transcript from the conferring institution
  • An earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as verified by an official transcript from the conferring institution
  • Earned grade point average of 3.0 in accredited master’s degree program*
  • Applicants to Florida Southern College's Doctor of Education program are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application materials. In no more than 500 words, students should address the following in their personal statement:
    1. How will the pursuit of a doctoral degree help you in achieving your personal and professional goals?
    2. Why are you pursuing a doctoral degree at Florida Southern College?
    3. Describe any related research experience, professional presentations, or major projects you have completed
  • Recommendation Form or Letter of Reference
  • Current Résumé
  • Valid Florida Professional Teaching Certificate or an earned Master of Education
  • Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken within last five years**
  • Personal Interview

* If you do not have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA from your graduate degree, please submit official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score.

** If you have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA from your graduate degree, then you meet the requirements for a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) exemption.

Additional International Requirements

  • Official Translated Transcripts With Course By Course Evaluation**
  • Bank Letter Verifying Funds of Sponsor***
  • Sponsor's Guarantee Form
  • Valid Passport
  • Official TOEFL/IELTS Score****

** SpanTran (discount available), Academic Evaluation Services, Inc., Josef Silny, or World Education Services or another similar approved transcript evaluation agency.

*** A bank letter is a written statement on bank letterhead and signed by a bank official.

**** Must have completed an English language training program or at least one year at an English speaking institution to waive the TOEFL/IELTS testing requirement.

Course Delivery

Hybrid

A combination of online and in-class courses are offered to meet the needs of your busy schedule. By enrolling in our EdD full-time, you will complete all of your coursework in two years, plus a dissertation.

Curriculum

EDU 7010Educational Leadership and Theory
EDU 7020Curriculum, Learning and Instruction
EDU 7040Organizational Theory and Behavior
EDU 7050Educational Politics, Policy and Current Issues
EDU 7060K-12 Law and Governance
EDU 7070Curriculum Analysis
EDU 7080Finance and Resource Allocation
EDU 7090Quantitative Analysis
EDU 7093Advanced Quantitative Research
EDU 7120Qualitative Methods of Inquiry
EDU 7123Advanced Applications of Qualitative Research
EDU 7130Policy Analysis, Implementation and Evaluation
EDU 7138Dissertation Seminar A (2-credit hour course)
EDU 7139Dissertation Seminar B (1-credit hour course)
EDU 7140Dissertation (9 hours)

*Courses 7010-7130 are four credit hours each.

Program Costs

2023-2024

Base Required FeesCost
Tuition Per Credit Hour$535
Technology fee per semester is based on credit hours enrolled$25 to $100

$250 Non-Refundable Enrollment Deposit (Upon acceptance and applied toward your first semester tuition balance)

Related Materials

FSC Adult, Graduate, and Doctoral Education Programs thumbnail
FSC Graduate and Doctoral Programs thumbnail
EdD - Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership thumbnail

What is the program delivery?

Our program uses a cohort model wherein students move through the program with the same group of students throughout the two years of coursework. Courses are delivered via a hybrid model where a typical semester is comprised of one face-to-face class typically meeting every other Saturday (8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.) and one online class each semester. Student’s first summer term is the only term that students enroll simultaneously in two in-person courses. This allows the opportunity to make meaningful connections with other students in your cohort. One class meets on alternate Saturdays (8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.) and the other meets on alternate Mondays and Wednesdays (5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.).

What are the hours of the Saturday classes?

Classes are scheduled every other Saturday in the Fall and Spring from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. In the Summer, classes are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM over seven Saturdays for during the 12-week C term.

Is financial aid available?

Students seeking financial aid should complete the FAFSA to determine eligibility. 

What is the cost of textbooks?

Textbook costs vary each semester, by course, and by professor.

How many classes is considered full time?

At the doctoral level, you are considered full time when you are enrolled in 8 credit hours.

In-Person

Education Information Session

Adult & Grad Admissions

Education Information Session

Apr 27 10:00 AM

An on-campus information session for prospective students interested in adult undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs within the School of Education at Florida Southern College. This event is designed to present an overview of our education programs and to provide an opportunity to connect at Florida Southern with faculty.

Location: France Admissions Center

Program Contact

Laura Hutson Laura Hutson

Admission Counselor and Advisor

 863.680.4914

 863.225.8405

Melanie Fowler Melanie Fowler, Ed.D.

Doctor of Education Program Coordinator

Curry Building - 206

 863.680.4135

Lori Rakes Lori Rakes, Ph.D.

Dean of Education

Associate Professor of Education

Curry Building - 113

 863.680.4179

 863.680.4102