Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning – K12 Educational Leadership
Meet the demand for transformative educational leadership with an affordable Ed.D.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Learning – K-12 Educational Leadership program will teach you best practices for leadership behavior, technology implementation, research design and methodology, project management, and more. Explore critical legal and policy-based issues and investigate the main components of building or managing a successful educational organization. You will acquire creative problem-solving strategies for enhancing your surroundings. This degree is centered around three elements: collaborative and ethical leadership, transformational leadership, and reflective scholarship. Through practical, real-world applications, learners will gain adeptness with leading educators to create continuous and permanent change that impacts student learning and classroom practices.
Individuals seeking greater knowledge and skills in educational policies affecting K-12 classrooms, technology integration strategies, and techniques for positively influencing school culture would benefit most from the K-12 Educational Leadership Ed.D. This program is not designed as a teacher certification program, and different states and municipalities often have specific requirements concerning different degree programs. Depending on your goals for this program, please check with your local and state regulatory requirements for program acceptance.
Dissertation: This program requires students to complete a dissertation. The dissertation is the final step of a doctoral program and the culmination of a student’s doctoral studies. The dissertation is a written document that summarizes a completed research study that is grounded in theory and is methodologically sound. Students will select their own dissertation topic.
View the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning Handbook
For more information about the program, see the Academic Catalog.
Enjoy Flexibility– 20 online courses with program start dates every 2 weeks
Choose Where You Learn– Online courses
Affordable Monthly Payments
Focus on Your Passion– Choose your dissertation topic
Aspen also offers online Ed.S. programs for students who do not wish to complete a dissertation.
Why More Students Are Choosing Aspen
Ed.D. K-12 Educational Leadership Courses
Aspen’s Ed.D. curriculum features 20 courses designed to equip you with advanced leadership skills. Taught by experienced educators from diverse settings, you’ll have the opportunity to apply new knowledge through the integration of your dissertation.
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EDD830 - Leadership Theory
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RSH900 - Doctoral Writing and Inquiry into Research
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EDD832 - Human Potential and Motivation
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EDD815 - Psychology of Education
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EDD805 - Educational Leadership and Organizational Behavior
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EDD834 - Creating Strategic Change That Lasts
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RSH910 - Research Design and Methodology
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EDD836 - Project Management Techniques
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RSH912 - Introduction to the Dissertation
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EDD807 - Law, Policy, and Practice in Education
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EDD838 - Building Successful Organizations that Endure
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RSH914 - Techniques and Interpretation for Statistical Analysis
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EDD818 - Continuous Improvement in Education
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EDD811 - Technology in Education
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RSH916 - Problem-Based Research in Action
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EDD816 - Faculty Development
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EDD820 - Dissertation I: Dissertation Committee Selection and Research Proposal
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EDD821 - Dissertation II: Literature Review, Methodology, and IRB Process
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EDD822 - Dissertation III: Research and Results
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EDD823 - Dissertation IV: Conclusions, Oral Defense, and Publication
The emphasis of this course is on leadership with the focus on the application of leadership concepts and leadership skills. Through the examination of a wide array of different leadership theories, the student gains knowledge and skills for a plethora of theoretical paradigms and models, which can be used to influence others towards positive and lasting change. Working with teams and dealing with the politics and power within an organization are also examined in depth.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This research course examines the basic principles and techniques of doctoral scholarship, and offers an overview of the development of theory and research logic, explores the relationship between theoretical and empirical constructs, and provides a wide variety of specific research methodologies, including the scholarly publication process. Students study the principles of the scientific method and research design techniques common to both qualitative and quantitative research, including sampling methods and data collection techniques. Material includes examination of various research methods including electronic searches and retrieval methods. Students learn to critically read research papers and articles, and are introduced to the writing techniques necessary to produce expository and analytical papers to the standards of publishable work. This course is a prerequisite for all other doctorate courses.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course examines a meaningful and sophisticated understanding of motivation and emotion. Blending motivation and emotion with leadership builds a powerful sense of tolerance and meaning in many domains of life: home, school, workplace, clinical setting, athletic fields, healthcare, and interpersonal relationships. The course deeply explores individual emotion, mindset, and interventions. A leader can use this knowledge to motivate individuals and evaluate how emotion drives behavior to obtain the best performance out of their employees and relationships in all facets of life.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This is a course on modern educational psychology and its application in enhancing the quality of classroom teaching. Each module will focus on one or two major factors affecting the quality of learning and explain how a range of theories and up-to-date research can be applied in the classroom. Cognitive factors, including cognitive development, intelligence, learning styles and thinking skills are covered in detail, and additional influences, including motivational and emotional factors. The final three modules are concerned with professional issues and address the effective use of information learning technology, teacher stress and the conduct and application of educational research. This course is aimed at all training and qualified teachers. It is clear enough to be comprehensible to those new to psychology, teaching, or both—but at the same time, challenging, and up-to-date enough to be of interest to the experienced practitioner; particularly those undertaking higher degrees in education. Finally, we will demonstrate how education research is conducting. Education differs from comparable professions, such as medicine and psychology, in that although there is a thriving field of professional research, it takes place largely in isolation from professional practice. Perhaps most obviously, teachers may wish to use research to evaluate aspects of their own practice.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course provides a historical overview of educational leadership and organizational behavior, investigating the many useful theories that assist the educational leader and the fundamental processes inherent to effective school administration. Throughout the course, organizational theories are presented within the context of their usefulness in informing practice. Direct relationships and applications are made to the environment of school principals and superintendents. Theories and concepts are explored in the historical context as it is important to recognize the larger social, cultural, and economic forces that influence all organizations, particularly schools.
3 CreditsRequired Books
Creating strategic change that lasts is a fine art of every successful leader. Throughout this course, students examine what the best leaders do to create an atmosphere where employees in the organization can flourish. The focus is on learning essential behaviors that promote a high-energy culture.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course begins to ask the doctoral student to reflect on past courses, studies and articles that support and build upon personal areas of interest. The course is designed to challenge students to think about an area of interest and begin develop a comprehensive research topic aligned with their professional goals. Students expand on the research topic, identify appropriate theories, methodologies and consider research design. At the end of eight weeks, students will frame the beginning of a doctoral research dissertation.
3 CreditsRequired Books
Every career today requires both leadership and management. Traditionally, leadership is seen as charting the vision while management provides the execution. Modern day leaders understand that it is more complex than that. Precise and thoughtful management does more than simply execute a collective leadership vision. It creates continuity, organization, and the capacity to understand the systemic objectives ahead. This course helps to provide guidance in the all-important area of project management and the techniques that support those outcomes.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course provides the student with an overview of each part required in the completion of the dissertation writing process. It reflects each of the five chapters necessary when preparing the doctoral dissertation and includes the ethical and professional requirements to help make the author accountable and reflective in its presentation, validity, and significance to future researchers and readers. The student selects an existing, published dissertation in their discipline and examines it throughout the course as a model for how to effectively design and write a solid dissertation.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is designed to provide educators and others with a broad overview of the legal aspects of the organization, operation, and control of education in the United States. Topics covered include the limits of compulsory education; the relationship between public education and religious institutions and practices; the nature of a constitutional right to education; the adequacy and equity of school funding; the balance between federal control through statutes, like the Every Child Succeeds Act, and state control over curriculum; school governance; the rights and responsibilities of students; traditional and novel torts in the educational environment; and the rights and responsibilities of educators.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is about the steps that leaders take to create organizations that are fully undergirded in a way that leads to their ongoing sustenance and growth and continued innovation and improvement. This is an essential course in pursuit of highly effective organizations; it is imperative to create cultures of change and to attempt to create organizations that are self-sustaining and highly organized. This course addresses a number of pertinent topics regarding this change dynamic and offers the student an opportunity to give considerations to theory and instructional practices.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This research course emphasizes practicality and flexibility in its approach to augmenting organizational decision-making. In this course, a practical approach is adopted that prepares students to identify the correct method, calculate the statistics, and properly interpret the results to solve the question at hand. Application and interpretation of statistics is stressed as students see for themselves how statistics work.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course will introduce assessment methods for gauging necessary educational improvements and how these are implemented in a variety of areas across the educational spectrum. This course also provides a focus on technology as an implementation of educational improvement. Students will analyze the use of technology in education and formulate a paper on its implementations, benefits and concerns. This course will reflect on educational improvement from personal, historical, philosophical, legal, and job related perspectives. Texts and research based supplementary reading build the foundational information to strengthen students’ preparation for the dissertation process. Through research data gathering, students will have the opportunity to build a framework for learning and analyzing continuous improvement methods in education from a variety of perspectives.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course explores how technology can contribute to meaningful learning, achieving deep understanding of complex ideas that are relevant to the lives of students. Emphasis is on the effectiveness of learning supported, technology-based curricula with a focus on history, suggesting models and approaches for teacher professional development required to effectively implement technology in the classroom.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is designed to provide students with additional research tools used to solve everyday problems through a process of inquiry and developing solutions to significant problems in the workplace. This useful strategy can provide the leader a design for decision-making based on data and supportive research. This course satisfies the Proctored Exam requirement for this program.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is about organizing and initiating a thoughtful professional development program for new faculty. Faculty Development is for administrators, faculty, and other staff who are involved with the professional development of faculty in the school setting. In particular, it will be useful to individuals working with new faculty. Typical programs for new faculty are limited to orientations around the start of a school year and last from one day to one week. New faculty members should not be a “trial by fire” but rather an intentional developmental process. An academic year allows enough time for the new faculty to be presented with new ideas, practice what they are learning, share what they know and to get acquainted with the culture and systems of the new institution.
3 CreditsRequired Books
EDD 820 is designed to provide students the guidance to select a dissertation research topic, create a research plan and form their dissertation committee. After establishing the committee, students begin work on Chapter 1 of their dissertation. Chapter 1 serves as the guiding document as it overviews the scope, purpose, nature and intent of the dissertation. At the completion of this course, students are ready to defend their dissertation proposal.
3 CreditsRequired Books
EDD 821 is designed to guide students through two integral components of the dissertation process, the literature review and methodology. Under the direction of their dissertation committee, students frame their dissertation research study within the context of the relevant academic literature. Using this knowledge, students design the methodology of their dissertation research study, complete the required ethical training to conduct research, and submit their proposal to the Institutional Review Board. At the completion of this course, students will have finalized Chapters 2 and 3 and are prepared to conduct their dissertation research study.
3 CreditsRequired Books
EDD 822 focuses on the implementation of the dissertation research study and the analysis of the results. Students conduct their research study with an understanding of key ethical, practical, theoretical and methodological considerations. At the conclusion of the data collection, students analyze and interpret data in relation to the research questions and theoretical framework. Through this process, students complete Chapter 4 of their dissertation.
3 CreditsRequired Books
EDD 823 brings students to the completion of their dissertation journey. Students complete the final chapter of their dissertation, polish the completed work, and then organize and facilitate an oral defense of their work. Upon receiving final approval and grade, students are able to apply for publication as well as their commencement from Aspen University.
3 CreditsRequired Books
“With the encouragement and support of my husband and the professors at Aspen University, I gained the determination I needed to be successful beyond belief. My faculty mentor and the committee members for my dissertation defense were amazing and gave me the confidence to truly believe in myself.”
Amy G.
Ed.D. K-12 Educational Leadership, graduated January 2024Cost & Time to Completion
The Best Fit for Working Professionals
We understand the difficulties in pursuing your Ed.D. when you have a demanding work and family schedule. Aspen’s course format and frequent start dates are designed to help working professionals move through their degree efficiently.
Our Monthly Payment Plan Makes Us Different.
Paying for your Ed.D. shouldn’t be complicated. Our Monthly Payment Plan makes it easy for you to finance your program.
Tuition Rates
| $35,700 | Tuition |
| $4,250 | Fees |
| $3,000 |
Estimated
Textbook
Costs
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| $42,950 | |
Other Ways to Finance Your Ed.D.
Students who have served, or are currently serving in the United States Military and their legal spouses are eligible to receive a Military Affiliation Discount from Aspen University.
Aspen University is currently approved by the U.S. Department of Education to offer federal student aid for the Ed.D. program.
Aspen University maintains employee tuition discount partnerships with a large and growing number of organizations. Tell your enrollment advisor where you work and ask them to check for you prior to enrolling.
Aspen offers several payment plans for students to fund their education.
Yolanda G.
Ed.D. K-12 Educational Leadership, graduated December 2022Admission Requirements
Application – A completed application; Aspen does not charge an application fee
Resume – Current resume or curriculum vitae
Statement of Goals – A statement of your goals reflecting the academic, professional, and personal goals you would like to achieve through your work with Aspen University. The statement of goals should be between 300 – 500 words.
Master’s Degree –Official Transcript demonstrating a master’s degree from an institution that is accredited by a CHEA recognized accrediting body or an international equivalent; applicants must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA in their master’s program (see Catalog for more information)
Career Outlook
As the landscape of education evolves, the demand for advanced leadership in K-12 educational settings continues to grow. The role of professionals with an Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership degree is crucial in addressing the challenges faced by schools and districts today. With a focus on improving educational outcomes and institutional effectiveness, Ed.D. graduates are increasingly sought after to lead these initiatives.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for elementary, middle, and high school principals is expected to decline by 1% from 2023 to 2033. However, despite this decline, about 20,800 job openings for school principals are projected each year, largely due to retirements and career transitions. This trend indicates ongoing demand for qualified leaders to fill these vital roles.
Graduates with an Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership are equipped to take on key leadership positions within K-12 school systems, educational non-profits, government agencies, educational consulting firms, or higher education institutions focused on educator preparation. This program prepares you to implement effective change, influence educational policy, and drive innovation in education, making you a vital asset in shaping the future of K-12 education.
Average Annual Salary for K-12 School Principals
$103,460
Data pulled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Fall 2024. Salary can vary widely depending on geographical location and role.
Ed.D. K-12 Educational Leadership Frequently Asked Questions
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What is an Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership?
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Is this program offered fully online?
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Who is this program intended for?
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What are the core subjects covered in this program?
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Is a dissertation required for the Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership?
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Are there any residency requirements?
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Do I need to have a background in K-12 education to apply?
An Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership is a doctoral program designed for educators and administrators who aspire to lead and innovate in K-12 educational settings. The program emphasizes applying theory to practical challenges, enhancing teaching and learning, and leading educational reform.
Yes, the program is delivered entirely online, offering flexibility for working professionals. It incorporates both live (synchronous) and on-demand (asynchronous) learning, allowing students to balance their studies with their professional responsibilities.
The Ed.D. in K-12 Educational Leadership is designed for current and aspiring educational leaders, such as principals, superintendents, district leaders, instructional coaches, curriculum developers, and policymakers. It is for those committed to improving K-12 education and leading effective change within schools and districts.
Core subjects include courses in leadership, research methods, educational policy, organizational change, and issues relevant to K-12 education.
Yes, a dissertation is required. Students will conduct research on a practical issue in K-12 education, demonstrating their ability to apply theoretical and research-based solutions. The dissertation process begins after completing coursework. Students collaborate with a dissertation committee to develop a proposal, conduct research, and defend their findings. Click here to view the IRB Handbook.
Although the program is fully online, it includes two virtual residencies. These residencies are designed to enhance learning, provide networking opportunities, and prepare students for the dissertation process. Click here to view the Doctoral Residency Guide.
While a background in K-12 education is preferred, the program is open to those with experience in related fields, such as educational policy, curriculum development, or educational administration.