Education

Applicants for the Ed.D. program must meet the following flexible degree-specific admission requirements:

• Education level: Master’s degree or 5+ years of industry experience
• Graduate GPA: 3.0 (applicants with a lower GPA may be considered under specific circumstances) or 5+ years of industry experience
• GRE: No
• TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo: 79/6.5/115 (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language)
• Letters of recommendation: Two (One letter of recommendation is required from someone in your current industry)
• Other requirements: Writing or video responses to four prompts centering on leadership.

Program availability

• Semester intake: Summer
  • Not eligible for international students who require F-1 or J-1 visa status
• Deadlines: General application deadlines

Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.

College of Education, Health and Human Sciences contact: James Olive (jolive@uidaho.edu)

Graduate Admissions contact: graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu, 208-885-4001

At U of I, we offer competitive tuition for this high-quality, flexible doctoral program. The cost for the 54-credit online Ed.D. degree is $850 per credit hour.

To learn how you can fund your graduate degree, check out the Graduate Funding resources.

Visit Financial Aid to find detailed information about the cost of attendance.

University of Idaho’s online Ed.D. program is ideal for self-motivated professionals who want to expand their leadership opportunities.

You might be a great candidate if you:

• Want to advance your career or move into a leadership role in your organization
• Are interested in conducting relevant, actionable research
• Work well independently

Graduates of University of Idaho’s online Doctor of Education degree program are prepared to lead in a variety of professional settings. Many use the degree to advance within their current field, moving into high-level administrative or leadership roles. Others may move into areas like non-profit leadership, government, health care or consulting, applying their research and leadership skills to contexts where they can make an impact.

Curriculum and courses

The 100% online Ed.D. program takes three years to complete and includes 54 credit hours. Courses are delivered in twelve-week terms, two at a time. During weekly virtual meetings, you’ll connect with faculty and your cohort to discuss key concepts and learn how other students apply course learning outcomes to their professional industry.

From the beginning of the program, you’ll develop and lead original dissertation research focused on challenges in your own organizational setting. The dissertation process is fully embedded in the curriculum, allowing you to make steady progress and avoid delaying completion when you reach the end of the program.

Online coursework emphasizes organizational evaluation, case study methodology and improvement science, giving you the skills to create, measure and implement data-informed solutions that make a real impact. This applied approach ensures that your work throughout the program directly benefits your organization and supports your long-term leadership goals.

Student learning outcomes include:

• Leadership skills: Demonstrate collaborative leadership skills for effective administration, management and decision-making.
• Research proficiency: Independently apply scholarly research competencies to design, conduct, analyze, interpret and implement results.
• Policy analysis: Analyze policies for their impact on diverse stakeholders.
• Theory to practice integration: Apply theoretical knowledge and research findings to address real-world challenges and opportunities relevant to your profession.
• Ethical decision-making: Demonstrate ethical awareness and decision-making skills.
• Impactful communication: Articulate complex ideas, research findings and policy recommendations to diverse stakeholders.
• Fostering innovative learning: Develop and implement strategies to cultivate innovative learning cultures within your organization and diverse contexts, leveraging emerging technologies and creative instructional methods to adapt to evolving challenges in your field.

Trying to decide between earning an Ed.D. or Ph.D.? Review online Ed.D. degree requirements and explore the differences and potential career opportunities for both programs.

Problem of practice dissertation

As part of the online Ed.D. degree curriculum, you’ll complete a professional dissertation in practice experience tailored to your individual goals. You and your dissertation committee will collaboratively design the required project to align with your career path and long-term aspirations. Whether you’re advancing in your current role or exploring a new leadership direction, the experience is structured to provide meaningful, hands-on learning in your field of expertise.

During the dissertation in practice experience, you’ll apply what you’ve learned in real time by engaging in purposeful projects, collecting measurable outcomes and demonstrating leadership in action. This is your opportunity to directly impact your organization or community while building a body of work that supports your dissertation and your broader professional goals. The experience reinforces the program’s applied research focus and provides tangible evidence of your growth as a scholar-practitioner and leader.