The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate: Transform your leadership skills with a CPED Ed.D. program

For professionals seeking to earn a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree, one distinction stands out: the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED).

CPED helps institutions rethink the structure and purpose of the Ed.D. degree, with an interdisciplinary approach and an emphasis on equity, inquiry and real-world application. Understanding what it means to attend a CPED-affiliated university can offer insight into both the quality of the program and the kind of impact it’s designed to make. But what exactly is CPED and why should it matter to you as a prospective doctoral student?

Let’s explore what it means to be a CPED Ed.D. program, how it transforms your leadership capabilities and why University of Idaho’s online Doctor of Education degree program is a standout example.

What is CPED?

Composed of more than 150 institutions across the U.S. and Canada, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) is working to redesign the Doctor of Education as the degree program of choice for professionals who lead across health care, public service, non-profit organizations, education, the military and more. CPED challenges the traditional model of doctoral education by promoting a framework of Ed.D. programs that are grounded in real-world practice.

While a Ph.D. program often prepares students for research-intensive academic careers, CPED takes a different approach. Its focus is developing scholarly practitioners — leaders who use research, data, inquiry and improvement science to solve pressing problems within their organizations and drive real change.

What makes a CPED institution stand out?

Joining the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate is a rigorous, mission-aligned process that signals a university’s commitment to transforming doctoral education for its students and current professionals. CPED membership also demonstrates an institution's willingness to reimagine its Ed.D. program through collaboration and shared standards of excellence.

To be eligible for CPED, a university must be an accredited non-profit institution with an existing or soon-to-launch Ed.D. program within its college or school of education. The application process includes formal letters of institutional support, detailed program documentation and an interview with CPED leadership and board member representatives.

Even after acceptance, the commitment continues. CPED member institutions, such as University of Idaho, actively participate in consortium activities and continuously evolve their programs in alignment with CPED’s core principles. For students, this membership showcases a university’s dedication to quality, relevance and real-world impact, clearly signaling that their Ed.D. program is part of a national movement focused on practitioner success.

Why choose a CPED Ed.D. program?

When exploring doctoral programs, it can be difficult to tell what truly sets one apart. CPED offers a clear signal of quality and purpose. Brooke Blevins, dean of University of Idaho’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences (EHHS), says, “Using the CPED framework increases the rigor of Ed.D. programs and ultimately produces meaningful change within organizations and society.”

The CPED distinction provides three major valuable advantages to students:

1. Guided by core principles

At the center of every CPED Ed.D. program is a shared set of guiding principles that shape how students learn and lead. According to the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate framework, the Doctor of Education degree program:

• Is framed around questions of equity, ethics and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice.
• Prepares leaders who can construct and apply knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities.
• Provides opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate collaboration and communication skills to work with diverse communities and to build partnerships.
• Provides field-based opportunities to analyze problems of practice and use multiple frames to develop meaningful solutions.
• Is grounded in and develops a professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research knowledge, which links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry.
• Emphasizes the generation, transformation and use of professional knowledge and practice.

2. Designed for working professionals

CPED Ed.D. programs are built with your career, family and personal goals in mind. They offer the kind of flexibility that makes it possible to advance your education without putting your life on hold. University of Idaho’s Ed.D. program is fully online and structured in course blocks, so you can focus on one class at a time while continuing to lead in your organization.

Every assignment is designed to connect theory to practice, helping you apply what you learn in your current role. If you’re already making organizational decisions or managing teams, you can create real change in real time.

Explore the benefits of earning your Ed.D. degree online.

3. Driven by collaboration

As a student in a CPED Ed.D. program, you won’t learn in isolation. Your cohort of classmates might include non-profit leaders, military service members, corporate managers, educators and other professionals from a wide range of industries.

This collaborative structure is intentional. Learning alongside peers from different fields expands your perspective, deepens your leadership skills and fosters a network of changemakers who challenge and support each other every step of the way.

CPED in action: U of I’s online Ed.D.

University of Idaho is a proud member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate and a clear example of how the consortium’s values can shape a transformative Ed.D. experience. Our online Doctor of Education degree program takes three years to complete and offers a flexible, student-centered structure that allows you to continue leading in your organization while advancing your education.

At University of Idaho, the CPED framework is embedded in every aspect of the online Ed.D. program — from applicable coursework to a collaborative cohort and improvement science.

Learn more about U of I’s Ed.D. degree program from EHHS Dean, Brooke Blevins.

Problem of practice-focused

From the beginning of U of I’s Ed.D. program, you’ll focus on an existing challenge within your workplace. This problem of practice isn’t a case study or hypothetical exercise — it’s a practical experience that guides your coursework, collaborative projects and Dissertation in Practice.

You won’t have to step away from your day-to-day work to engage in abstract theory. Instead, the program helps you integrate research and leadership strategies directly into the issues you’re already working to solve. Through reflection and improvement science, you’ll elevate your understanding of your organization’s systems and design change for your own workplace.

Applying improvement science

Using improvement science gives you a practical framework for understanding complex organizational challenges, testing solutions and turning data into impactful decisions. Dean Blevins defines improvement science as, ”A systematic approach to solving complex problems in real-world settings. When you use improvement science, you: identify a specific problem of practice within an organization; test small changes that you hope will address the problem through rapid cycles; collect data during the change cycles to learn and continuously adapt; and implement the successful changes on a larger scale.”

This approach reinforces several of CPED’s core principles, especially inquiry as practice and equity-focused leadership. From your first class, you’ll apply this method to problems in your own organization, designing interventions, analyzing outcomes and refining strategies. And by including improvement science into your coursework, U of I ensures you graduate with new knowledge and the tools and habits to lead ongoing improvement in any setting.

Embedded Dissertation in Practice (DiP)

One of the most distinctive features of University of Idaho’s Ed.D. degree program is its approach to the dissertation. Rather than waiting until the final year to begin your DiP, you’ll work on it throughout the entire program. This structure allows you to stay deeply engaged in your academic learning and professional growth, as your dissertation is directly related to your current role. And by the end of the program, you’ll earn your Ed.D. degree and make a measurable contribution to your field.

Interdisciplinary and collaborative learning

True to CPED values, U of I’s Doctor of Education degree program brings together professionals from a wide range of fields — including health care, the military, corporate leadership and education. When you learn alongside peers with different backgrounds, perspectives and challenges, you expand your critical thinking skills and uncover new ways to solve problems.

Each course is designed to foster this kind of cross-sector collaboration. You’ll engage in dialogue that goes beyond your context, building relationships and knowledge that translate across industries. Along the way, you’ll grow as a scholarly practitioner who integrates research, reflection and action to lead with clarity and purpose in any professional environment.

Earn your Ed.D. at U of I, a CPED institution

As a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, University of Idaho delivers a doctoral experience rooted in inquiry and equity. Our fully online Doctor of Education degree program reflects CPED’s highest values, preparing you to create real change in your organization through collaboration, improvement science and an embedded dissertation.

Whether you’re working in health care, the military, education or another sector, you’ll transform your knowledge into applicable leadership skills that impact the systems you lead.

Request more information or start your application today!