Northeastern University's EdD

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by not4profit, Jul 31, 2009.

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  1. not4profit

    not4profit Active Member

    I was just accepted to this program. Is anybody going through the program right now? I will be taking the online courses (aside from the couple required residencies).

    Anyone have any thoughts?
     
  2. avaughn1027

    avaughn1027 New Member

    I am just getting ready to apply to the same program. How did that process go for you?
     
  3. Caulyne Barron

    Caulyne Barron New Member

    I'm actually waiting to hear back having just submitted everything.

    For the price it looks to be a fairly straightforward program from a known and established school.
     
  4. sshuang

    sshuang New Member



    Why does EdD become so popular?
    For those pursuing the degree, do most of you work at the school setting?
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    There are many versions of the EdD. In many situations, it is a Ph.D. by another name. But I think its popularity arises from working teachers who want to earn higher credentials in order to get promoted to positions like Principal and Superintendent. Those teachers may not be in a position to undertake an empirical research project as the basis for their dissertations, and many EdD programs permit them to do other, alternative projects. While such projects are not usually considered original contributions to the field (new knowledge), they nonetheless demonstrate the candidates' abilities to perform research commensurate with the doctoral rank. Hence, the EdD.

    (Again, this isn't always the case; many EdD programs have dissertation requirements identical to those found in typical Ph.D. programs.)
     
  6. Caulyne Barron

    Caulyne Barron New Member

    I'm an administrator at a small online college, so an EdD, being a practically-based terminal degree, rather than a research based degree (like a PhD in Education) makes the most sense for my career goals.


    Which specialty areas are those of you who applied to Northeastern looking at?
     
  7. sshuang

    sshuang New Member



    Hi CB,

    Being an administrator at a small online college, what can an EdD do for you that an EdM can not? I am an accounting manager at a medium-size public company. When I told my co-workers that I am thinking about getting a DBA, their first reaction was, "Why do you need a DBA when you already have CPA and MBA?"
     
  8. obecve

    obecve New Member

    I do not work in an education setting. I chose the Ed.D. because it met my needs for when courses were offered and because the professor I wanted to do my research with was in the program. Interestingly, the program was converted to a Ph.D a couple years after my graduation and no courses were changed. My Ed.D. has enhanced my opportunities.

    My Ed.D. was completed on a traditional bricks and mortar campus, but the course were offered evenings and weekends. Regarding dissertation, we had the same dissertation requirement as any doctorate on campus. Mine happened to be quantitative with multiple ANOVAS, a cluster analyis and a discriminant analysis (and 270 pages).

    As an employer with almost 1100 employees, I have encouraged a number of my employees to consider Ed.D.'s in organizational leadership. No, they don't "need" it, but it increases their skills, challenges their thinking, forces them to reach beyond themselves, increases their research and critical thinking skills and ultimately makes them more competitive for other government positions. As they become more competitive they also become more valuable because they exhibit their new skills in their jobs.
     
  9. sshuang

    sshuang New Member



    Hi Michael,

    Thanks for sharing your experience.
    However, I think a DBA was probably more suitable in your situation.
     
  10. SE Texas Prof

    SE Texas Prof Member

    Michael,

    Thank you for the very interesting tidbit regarding the EdD in Organizational Leadership. I do have a followup question and I hope the group can shed some light on this issue. Most MBA programs list the organizational leadership degree under their "hub" or degree offering. Where does the EdD in Organizational Leadership fall: under education or under the business? If you held an MBA/MS, can the EdD qualify you to teach graduate level business classes or do you transfer to the school of education at that point?





     
  11. obecve

    obecve New Member

    Actually, I still prefer the organizational leadership rather than DBA. I have been at this a very long time. My experience is that the organizational leadership folks tend to focus more on leading people and the DBA folks seem to focus on managing and the same old tired business practices. I need the original thinking of leaders not managers.
     
  12. obecve

    obecve New Member

    Organizational leadership tends more to be in psychology or education programs, not business programs.
     
  13. jayncali73

    jayncali73 New Member

    Interesting observation. In my review of programs I too have decided to forgo the DBA. I have narrowed it down my search to an Ed.D in Org Leadership from Argosy or Grand Canyon, Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Regent or (maybe) the Psy.D in Org Development from Alliant International University?

    I really enjoy what I am learning in my Leadership program at South University and in some ways wish to continue learning about leadership at the doctoral level. As an administrator of a large public agency it has given me lots of useful strategies to adopt and make my organization run better.
     
  14. Caulyne Barron

    Caulyne Barron New Member

    Well, first, I enjoy being a student, even though it is a challenge working full time and having a small child and contemplating a second. I did a two-year masters program in 14 months, and really enjoyed seeing how the projects related directly to my organization and allowed the opportunity to institute positive change while also earning a degree. I hope that the EdD is an extension of that.

    But, for me, it is critical to have a terminal degree to be taken seriously-- not so much within my organization, but outside it. I'd like to do more teaching online and ongound, and a doctoral degree advances the opportunities far beyond an MEd. And, in a perfect world, in a few years I would quit my day job, consult with other organizations that want to develop distance learning programs, and teach online. Being Dr. Barron at that point gives me more street cred. (And who knows, maybe I'll pursue another doctoral program in another area.)

    Yet, at the end of the day, and advanced degree shouldn't be done for whatever you deem the end-state reward. You have to do it because you are genuinely passionate about the subject.
     
  15. SE Texas Prof

    SE Texas Prof Member

    I've only asked this because I contacted Northcentral University regarding their DBA in Organizational Leadership. How is this different from the EdD in Organizational Leadership?





     
  16. Splas

    Splas New Member

    Thank you for posting this. I am looking at this program myself. I'm too busy right now, but I may start it in a year or two. It seems reasonable and the school has a great reputation. Please let us know as you progress through it.

    The reason I want to pursue it is I'm working at a community college and I would like to have a terminal doctorate degree.
     
  17. obecve

    obecve New Member

    I have not had any problem with my Ed.D. being taken seriously. I have managed to use in it national consulting situations, testified in front of the US Senate as an invited expert, received an appointment as clinical affiliate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, received an associate professor appointment at a state unviersity and served as department head, and been appointed as adjunct faculty to doctoral programs at 3 major state universities. It has in no way been perceived as a lesser degree.
     
  18. abnrgr275

    abnrgr275 Member

    jayncali73,

    I saw at the bottom of your post earlier in this thread that you are currently looking into Capella's DPA program. Have you ever checked out the DPA program offered at the University of La Verne? They aren't located too far from you and might be worth a look especially since they are NASPAA accredited. I looked into the DPA program at La Verne a few years ago when I was living out in Washington but ended up not applying for the program after finding out I was to be transferred to Indiana.

    Here's a couple links for information about their DPA program:

    http://laverne.edu/academics/business-management/public-administration/dpa/

    http://laverne.edu/academics/business-management/assets/dpa.pdf

    abnrgr275
     
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Dr. O'Brien:

    I am not surprised. Congratulations on both your degree and your subsequent achievements. If I may be so bold, please allow me to note that your example supports my continuing contention that it is much more important to select the right school and program, not one that is perceived better than another. (The endless debates regarding school ranking and/or the EdD-vs.-Ph.D. nonsense.) Yay for you!
     
  20. jayncali73

    jayncali73 New Member

    So what schools would you recommend avoiding?
     

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