Learning, leadership and innovation

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.

View the online Ed.D. in learning, leadership and innovation student handbook

Explore program courses in the University Catalog 

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, for an estimated total of $45,900 in tuition.

As a Top 10 Best Value Public University Nationwide, we provide a competitive, high-quality doctoral education that delivers strong career outcomes, making your investment in an Ed.D. degree worthwhile.

University of Idaho offers a range of financial aid options. Visit Financial Aid to find detailed information about the cost of attendance. Still have questions about financing your degree? Contact our team to get personalized guidance. 

Ed.D. Program contact:
EdD@uidaho.edu
208-885-1290

Ed.D. Program Director contact:
James Olive
via Zoom, by appointment
jolive@uidaho.edu
208-885-1288

Ed.D. Associate Director of Operations contact:
Heather Maib
via Zoom, by appointment
hmaib@uidaho.edu
208-885-6886

For questions related to admissions, application materials, transcripts or enrollment steps, contact Graduate Admissions: 

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

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.

• Ph.D.: A Ph.D. is a research degree designed to produce scholars who generate original theory and contribute to academic literature. A Ph.D. student’s primary audience is other researchers and those within academia.
• Ed.D.: A professional practice degree designed to produce practitioner-scholar-leaders who can identify problems in their organizations and communities, apply rigorous research methods to understand them, and implement evidence-based solutions. An Ed.D. student doesn’t produce a theory-building study; they produce research that addresses a real problem of practice in their professional context.
• Want to learn more? Read What can you do with an Ed.D degree?

• 100% online; no campus residency required beyond the immersion (see below).
• Cohort model with a summer start. Courses run in 12-week sessions year-round.
• Designed for working professionals — most students complete the program while employed full-time. 

• Three-year cohort model, 54 credit hours total.
• All degree requirements, including the Dissertation in Practice, must be completed within five years of initial enrollment. 

• Cohorts range from 20 to 30 students. 

• The culminating experience of the Ed.D. in Learning, leadership & innovation. It is not a traditional five-chapter dissertation.
• Applied, problem-focused scholarly work conducted in a professional context. A Dissertation in Practice:
  • Addresses a real, bounded problem of practice
  • Uses rigorous qualitative, quantitative or mixed research methods
  • Is structured as a three-chapter document, developed and scaffolded throughout the program
  • Produces findings and recommendations intended for practitioners 

• $850 per credit hour; 54 credit hours total ($5,100/term)
• A one-time $350 Immersion Fee is charged separately
• University of Idaho employee educational benefits do not apply to this program 

• No. The program uses a cohort model with a carefully sequenced curriculum; the study plan cannot be modified to accommodate transfer credits.
• All students must complete the full 54-credit course of study to be eligible for the Ed.D. degree. 

• One required on-campus immersion, held in June of Year 2 (Summer term)
• The immersion serves two purposes: it deepens cohort connection and community, and it brings students together for hands-on workshops and intensive coursework that complement the online curriculum.
• Completion of the immersion is a graduation requirement.
• Students who cannot attend due to personal or professional circumstances must attend the next scheduled immersion session.
• A $350 Immersion Fee is billed separately from tuition. 

• The program operates on a summer start, with new cohorts admitted each summer.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; prospective students are encouraged to apply early, as cohort size is limited. 

• Experienced educators, administrators and organizational leaders who are committed to driving meaningful change within their organizations and communities.
• The program is designed for working professionals and is structured to be completed while employed full-time. 

• The curriculum spans three core areas: Learning, Leadership & Innovation (27 credits), Research Methods (12 credits), and the Dissertation in Practice (15 credits).
• Course topics include relational leadership, organizational change and innovation, ethical policy, community-grounded leadership, conflict management, improvement science, qualitative and quantitative research methods and more.

• Your major professor is the faculty member who chairs your Dissertation in Practice committee and serves as your primary dissertation mentor.
• Major professors are assigned during the first year of the program to ensure timely support and alignment with your area of focus. 

• Your DiP committee includes a minimum of three members: your major professor and two additional members.
• All committee members must hold a terminal degree and be affiliated with University of Idaho as graduate faculty.
• Students may also nominate an external expert in their field to serve as a committee member, subject to approval. 

• Improvement science is a systematic, data-driven methodology focused on understanding and enhancing practices and outcomes through iterative processes.
• The Ed.D. uses improvement science as the foundation for the Dissertation in Practice because it equips scholar-practitioners to identify real problems, test change ideas through Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, and implement sustainable, evidence-based improvements in their organizations. 

• Active participation is expected in all scheduled class sessions.
• Students are expected to attend the weekly online sessions from a quiet, professional environment (e.g., at a desk or table).