Lead Schools, Districts and Organizations
You have the experience and expertise that can guide the future of education. With a doctorate of education, you’ll have the academic credentials to channel your passion and knowledge into advanced leadership positions, making a difference in the lives of countless students by leading schools, districts and educational organizations.
We know how prohibitively expensive and time-consuming a terminal degree can be, which is why we’ve intentionally designed our online doctoral programs to be affordable and achievable in as little as three years.1 And we’re committed to helping you start and finish your doctorate with support every step of the way, so much so that we’ve built the dissertation right into your program through a guided sequence of coursework.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
An Ed.D. is often something districts and educational organizations look for when considering candidates for their highest, most important positions. By pursuing a doctorate in education, you become an expert within your educational specialization, having engaged in deep study and research of the literature within that area. However, you also gain other valuable skills outside of subject-area knowledge, such as:
- Conducting and evaluating research
- Identifying effective evidence-based strategies
- Analyzing data
- Designing studies
- Solving complex problems
- Fostering innovation
- Leadership
- Grit and resilience
Education Career Alignment
An Ed.D. is often preferred or required for roles at the highest levels of leadership for both pre-K-12 schools and districts as well as higher education institutions. With a doctorate in education, you can confidently pursue roles such as:
- Superintendent or assistant superintendent
- Chief academic officer
- Director of curriculum and instruction
- Director of special education
- College or university president
- Provost
- Education policy director
- Education foundation executive
Doctoral Degree in Education Admission
Along with American College of Education (ACE)’s general admission requirements, prospective doctoral students must have a minimum of a master’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
Doctoral Graduate Success Stories
See how ACE’s affordable online doctoral degrees have helped our students elevate their careers and find success.
*Source: Student Right to Know
Doctoral Degree in Education FAQs
What is a doctor of education (Ed.D.) degree?
A doctor of education, or Ed.D. degree, is a practitioner-focused degree designed for professionals who aspire to leadership roles in a variety of educational fields.
What can you do with a doctoral degree in education?
A doctorate in education can open doors to high-level leadership. You can pursue positions at director, administrative and executive levels. You can use your expertise to become a consultant, policymaker or analyst. You can also work within higher education as a lecturer, professor, dean, provost, or college or university president.
Is a doctorate in education worth it?
For those seeking advanced or senior-level leadership positions in education, pursuing an Ed.D. degree is worthwhile. Many of these positions seek or prefer their candidates to hold this type and level of degree.
How is an Ed.D. in different than a Ph.D. in education?
Ed.D.s are focused more on practical application while Ph.D.s are geared toward theory and original research. Ed.D.s are a great fit for those who want to lead others and implement change, while Ph.D.s are better for careers in research or academia. For a full comparison of these two types of doctorates, read our guide.
How long does it take to earn a doctoral degree in education online?
The length of an online doctoral degree can vary depending on the higher education institution and how long it takes to finish your dissertation. The dissertation is often what takes the longest and can extend the length of your program. That’s why we’ve intentionally designed our doctoral programs with a built-in guided dissertation to help many of our doctoral candidates finish in as little as three years.1
Does an Ed.D. in education require a dissertation?
Yes. ACE’s doctoral programs guide you through the dissertation chapter by chapter. If you don’t feel quite ready for a dissertation but want to engage in high-level scholarship, an education specialist degree is a great option.
1This is the estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, a satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion and meeting dissertation milestones as required.