Valdosta State EdD in Leadership

I had not come across this one before. Granted, it isn't a PhD, but unlike most other EdD programs I've seen, this one doesn't seem to be very focused on the education sector. https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/education/ltwd/pos-edd-leadership.php

Assuming a student took one class at a time every 8 weeks, you'd finish in 10 semesters (a hair over 3 years) at a total cost of $16,500 in tuition ($300 per hr x 55 hrs) and $4420 in fees ($442 per semester for 10 semesters). Total cost of $20,920. not bad at all for a RA doctorate from a state university.

 

LSU also has a similar "non-education" EdD in Leadership available online via their Shreveport campus. Cost there is comparable to this.

 

I guess I don't understand the awards here. The professional doctorate ought to be consistent with preparing practitioners to be at the apex of their respective professions. Thus, the content should be consistent with the title, and the title should be consistent with the profession. It is not a generic blanket title like "Doctor of Philosophy" or "Doctor of Technology."

The title "Doctor of Education" should mean just that: someone who is atop the professional knowledge in the field of Education. Not leadership.

I hold a "non-PhD" title, the Doctor of Social Sciences. While I studied Human Resouce Development within it, and I did my research creating a grounded theory on the Chief Learning Officer, I also had to take a series of social science courses, and my thesis is situated within--and builds upon--sociological theory.

Similarly, a Doctor of Education should be well-versed in educational theory and practice. If it's a degree in Leadership, the title of the award should reflect that.

 

Four of the courses are specific to education. The rest of the courses are either focused on research training or general leadership, and we don't know whether the leadership assignments focus on educational leadership.

Correction: The description for one of the leadership courses does say that it's focused on educational and organizational issues. This very much looks like an educational leadership program.

 

American College of Education (ACE) Also offers an Ed.D. in Leadership that is not limited to the education field - it is applicable to all fields.
https://ace.edu/degree-programs/doctoral-degrees/doctoral-education/doctor-of-education-in-leadership/?utm_source=google(paid-search)&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=14957313542&utm_term=ace%20college&utm_kxconfid=v3pjtpd8f&utm_promo=&intent=directresponse&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g65rXx-PaGW9NOmobD_eTcyjHpH445X4HDDF8HSD0h11qVxg4GlWNhoCdrUQAvD_BwE

You can choose focus areas like Business Management, Executive Leadership, Non-Profit Leadership and a host of Educational field specialties.

 

I tend to agree with you. It would be confusing for me to try to explain to someone in the business world that that Ed.D was actually a business degree. Conversely, in the education sector, I'd be pretty disappointed to learn that my new school district manager had a Ed.D that had little or nothing to do with education. The MBA, for example, comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are heavy on economics and accounting, others not so much or not at all. Some are heavy on marketing and management, others you get just a sprinkle. But at least all course in the MBA are business oriented. You'd think the same would be true of a Doctor of Education, right? I might still consider such a degree despite the confusion if the price and curriculum were right, but I agree, it doesn't mKe sense.

 

I just went to the ACE catalog to view the full course list for rhe Ed.D Leadership degree. There are literally no courses in the program that have anything to do with education. The curriculum looks identical to a PhD or DBA depending on the selected specialization. Very odd.

 

You must have been looking at the core courses and missed the 18 Semester credits in your chosen discipline. ( a six course focus) it can be in Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, Instructional Leadership, Instructional Technology, Literacy, Second Language Instruction, Special Education, STEM Education. All of which are Education focuses. In addition they offer Public and Non-Profit Leadership, Health and Wellness, Executive Leadership, and Business Management.

The structure is 24 credits in Leadership (core classes), 22 credits is Research (shared across all focus areas) and 18 credits in your chosen focus area. In addition they have 5 elective classes if you want or need them that will help you with your dissertation, writing, and research.

https://catalog.ace.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=74&poid=7509&_gl=1*1oq2qzr*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzY3NTQ2NTMuQ2p3S0NBaUFoUDY3QmhBVkVpd0EyRV85ZzY1clh4LVBhR1c5Tk9tb2JEX2VUY3lqSHBINDQ1WDRIRERGOEhTRDBoMTFxVnhnNEdsV05ob0NkclVRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTQ4NzU3NzQzNC4xNzMyNTU2Mzgw*_ga*MTYyNTc5MTk5MS4xNzI0MzQ1MzE2*_ga_TLVMP7GLJR*MTczNjc1NDY1Mi4yOC4wLjE3MzY3NTQ2NTIuNjAuMC44NDA2MTgxNTA.

 

Good catch.

 

I thought the Louisiana State University at Shreveport's Ed. D. in Leadership is the only one with nothing to do with education.
URL: https://online.lsu.edu/online-degree-programs/doctorate/doctorate-education-leadership-studies/

 

I went back to the ACE website and catalog (https://ace.edu/degree-programs/doctoral-degrees/doctoral-education/doctor-of-education-in-leadership/). Business Management is an optional discipline/focus, as is Executive Leadership. If you chose either of those disciplines I still see no course related to education.

Everyone in the program takes these core courses (total of 24 credits):

• LEAD6001 - Introduction to Advanced Studies (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format) (Initial Course)
• LEAD6021 - Leadership Seminar (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)
• LEAD6011 - Leadership as a Reflective Practice (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)
• LEAD6113 - Ethical Leadership and Social Justice
• LEAD6123 - Management of Financial Resources
• LEAD6133 - Models of Leadership and Coaching
• LEAD6143 - Strategic Operations Planning and Innovation
• LEAD6163 - Management of Human Capital
• LEAD6173 - Global Perspectives
• LEAD6323 - Organizational Behavior and Culture

AND these research courses (total of 22 credits)

• RES6041 - Scholarly Writing and Research Strategies (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)
• RES6013 - Research Methods
• RES6003 - Applied Statistics
• RES6023 - Quantitative Research Designs
• RES6033 - Qualitative Research Designs
• RES6512 - Research Concept Paper
• RES6531 - Literature Review
• RES6521 - Research Methodology
• RES6541 - Finalizing the Dissertation Proposal
• RES6551 - Analyzing the Dissertation Research
• RES6561 - Interpreting the Dissertation Research
• RES6302 - Defending the Dissertation (Taken during last term)
• RES6500 - Dissertation Workspace

Then you'd choose your disciple/focus area for a total of 18 credits. Here are the courses for Business Management, then for Executive Leadership:

Business Management

• BUS6543 - Managing Risk: Evaluation and Implementation
• BUS6553 - Leadership and “Leveling the Playing Field”
• BUS6563 - Leadership Theory & Change
• BUS6573 - Strategic Operation Leadership
• BUS6583 - System Thinking for Business Optimization
• DIV6003 - Advancing DEI in Organizations
• or
  
  
• BUS6593 - Capstone in Business Management (GA Students)

Executive Leadership

• LEAD6503 - Grant Writing and Alternative Funding
• LEAD6513 - Legal Issues for Leaders
• LEAD6523 - Planning, Evaluation, and Accountability
• LEAD6533 - Team and Group Dynamics
• LEAD6543 - Policy and Governance
• DIV6003 - Advancing DEI in Organizations
• or
• LEAD6003 - Capstone in Leadership (GA Students)

Unless I am missing something there are no courses related to education in the curriculum if one chooses either Executive Leadership or Business Management as a focus. Those two options, to me, look more like a DBA or PhD, maybe a DM, even though it has the Ed.D moniker.

 

See my post from a moment ago. It shows the whole course load for the Ed.D in Leadership with either the Business Management or Executive Leadership focus. Certainly appears to me that like LSU, this Ed.D has nothing to do with education. It's very odd. It's like having a DBA that has nothing to do with business.

 

I agree the LSU-S's degree should be a Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) or a Ph.D. in Leadership.

 

I'm not so sure about that. We've heard lots of pushback from odd degree titles like the Doctorate of Strategic Leadership (DSL) and Doctor of Information Assurance (DIA), I think a Doctor of Leadership (DL?) might also be side-eyed, especially since the general public barely knows what an EdD is.

 

I totally agree. For people like me in the business sector, the Ed.D moniker is synonymous with education. These Ed.D programs would undoubtedly be more popular if they made them DSL, DTL, or a PhD.

 

I see - you were basically asking what would qualify this as an "EdD" if you can take all of the courses with a non-education focus. There are a lot of EdD's out there like that now. It's a valid question - but I think that a lot of colleges have just decided that an "EdD" is an "applied doctorate" (of many flavors) and the research-based component of the degree (which is significant) grounds your professional practice in enough academic / scholarly practice to warrant the "EdD" classification. But I think that's a question for the individual institutions granting the degree - "How do you justify the EdD title if there are no classes in Education?"

 

Right. Just seems odd because now the degree has to come with some type of explanation.