The distinction is really blurry. In many schools, the EdD is just, in practice, the PhD under a different name. Personally, I don't think there's a diferrence in the dissertation defense either. Defending a disseratation, any doctoral dissertation, is difficult, period, and one is not necessarily easier than the other.
This gets answered a lot. A lot. (Hit: search) No difference in most cases. In some, the Ed.D. will allow a project that doesn't make an original contribution to theory. But most Ed.D. programs are identical to Ph.D. programs. The exact degree designation doesn't matter in almost all cases. Some universities--some old, traditional ones--think less of job candidates with the Ed.D. But for the most case, no difference.
Theoretically, the EdD is supposed to have an applied dissertation and the PhD is supposed to have a more traditional theoretical dissertation. As our friend Tony Pina points out, however, there is often little difference in fact between EdD dissertations and PhD dissertations. Some universities, like Walden www.waldenu.edu and Northcentral University www.ncu.edu , offer both degrees and do maintain the original distinction.
When I was inquiring about a PhD or EdD, this is how it was explained to me. A PhD is a research-based degree, and as such, will require course work in research strategies and methods. An EdD is a professional degree, and is more focused on the practical applications of materials. A PhD would be more applicable to someone who will stay and teach full time at a university, whereas an EdD would fit someone working in the field. Granted, as I was told, I could still get an EdD and teach at a university, or earn a PhD and work in the field -Matt
Everything said here is correct: If you were to get a doctorate at one university that offers the PhD in education and then get another doctorate at one that offers the EdD as its highest degree, you would likely find no difference at all between the work required for the two degrees. If a program offers both a PhD and an EdD, the differences will be minimal (usually the PhD requires an extra course or two in research or stats) A few institutions will have the EdD candidate do a more applied project in leiu of a traditional research dissertation. The major study done on 1,900 PhD vs. EdD dissertations found little differnce between the two. Many top programs (e.g. Harvard, Columbia Teachers College) do not offer a PhD for certain educational disciplines--you can only get an EdD. Many people think that the EdD is a "lower" degree than the PhD; however there is no data upon which to make this determination. There are thousands of full-time college/university faculty with EdDs. I had nearly completed a PhD in educational technology when a job offer necessitated a move to another state. The university that had the program that I was looking for offered only the EdD, so I completed that program. There was no appreciable difference in what I had to do to get either degree. By the time that I had finished, I had taken quantitative and qualitative research methods and three stats courses. The fact that I have an EdD, rather than a PhD, has certainly not hurt my career. For my last two positions, I was selected over several candidates who had PhD degrees. As I have stated in other posts, the name of the degree is less of a factor than your professional experience and expertise.
National Accreditation EdD What is your opinion on the recent rise in NA schools offering the Ed.D ? Will this degree be recognized by regionally accredited schools for employment as faculty?
It will really depend on the individual school and whether the department or discipline requires a doctorate as an entry-level faculty requirement. By and large, the holder of a non-RA doctorate will have the greatest degree of difficulty obtaining a position as a full-time tenure-track faculty at a non-virtual university. Unless the person has a degree/speciality in an area of high demand by the institution with few competitive candidates, then the chances for NA acceptance at RA universities is extremely slim. A few years ago, the questions had to do with acceptance of RA doctorates from virtual universities in academia (and, I suppose that this still is a major question for many). This is what I see currently for someone with a doctorate from Capella, Walden, Northcentral, etc.: Lowest Acceptance Full-time tenure-track faculty positions (e.g. assistant professor) at brick & mortar RA universities Better Acceptance Full-time tenure-track faculty positions at virtual RA universities (hired w/doctorate) Full-time tenure-track faculty positions at B&M universities (hired w/masters degree and completed doctorate later) Adjunct Faculty at university (hired w/doctorate) Administrative positions at community college (hired w/doctorate) Administrative positions at universities (hired w/doctorate) Highest Acceptance Adjunct Faculty at community college (hired w/doctorate) Administrative positions at community colleges (hired w/masters degree and completed doctorate later) Administrative positions at universities (hired w/masters degree and completed doctorate later) This shows that the greatest overall utility are for professionals already in their careers who wish to advance (such as experinced faculty or administrators), rather than for the entry-level professional, such as a brand new professor. At my institution, two administrators are working on their doctorates (one at Capella and another at Northcentral) and I expect them to be served fully by their degrees. I believe that it will take some time before NA doctorates reach the level of acceptance of RA virtual doctorates. It will probably happen, but I do not think that it will be very soon.
I can see the utility of a nationally accredited doctorate degree in the realm of practitioners in business or government, excluding education. Nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees are already accepted by a large number of organizations, so the doctorate should be readily acceptable to such organizations. As to its utility in academic environments I defer to the more learned members of this forum.
Folks I gotta jump in. I'm currently enrolled in the CAGS at NCU, if everything goes well I may consider transferring to a DBA in public admin. However, I've been in contact with Liberty's Ed.D program in Educational Leadership. While my focus is mainly in criminal justice and public administration, should I consider the Ed.D at Liberty instead of the DBA at NCU, would this open new opportunities or limit them? I live in Hawaii but I might be able to hop on a MAC flight to VA. In other words, in relation to this conversation, would one need a specialized doctorate like a Ed.D or Ph.D?
Anthony, I think you just answered my question in another posting I had earlier. Would a doctorate from NCU, Capella, TUI, etc. be sufficient to work in academia but in a non-teaching position (ex: program coordinator, admissions coordinator, administrator, etc.).
Definitely. I know administrators at colleges and universities with degrees from Capella, Walden, Northcentral and Union Institute & University.
It really depends on what you wish to do. If you are interested in teaching business at a college or working in industry, then the DBA might be your better choice. If you want to go into an administrative position at a school, college or university, then the ed leadership degree may give you an edge.
First of all I apologize for not properly addressing you earlier Doctor Pina Thanks for your analysis and insight. I know I'm going to pursue a doctorate its just which type of degree and where. Right now NCU's CAGS is working out pretty good. Thanks again.
