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Strengthen Your Leadership and Transform Professional Practice.
In ACU’s online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program, you’ll build the skills to lead strategically, strengthen communication and collaboration, and create lasting change in your school or district. This flexible doctorate lets you keep working while you learn with a cohort of educators committed to equity and ethics.
Lock In Your Tuition, Unlock Your Future.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire undergraduate degree.
About the Program
In ACU’s online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program, you’ll join a community of educators preparing for administrative roles in schools and districts. This online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership helps you strengthen your understanding of leadership theories, concepts and strategies so you can lead more effectively in educational settings. With a valuable curriculum from a reputable, Christ-centered institution, this degree helps you advance your career in educational leadership.
Program Structure
All the Details on Your Degree
Throughout the coursework, you will expand your understanding of how to showcase strategic leadership and innovative problem-solving approaches within K-12 institutions. In the core curriculum courses, you will learn classic and contemporary educational leadership theories while simultaneously weaving other important aspects of leading a K-12 institution including learning instruction and innovation, effective communication as an educational leader, and managing human capital. Diving into the other topics, including the cultural, political and social issues influencing educational leadership, you can expect to design, implement, maintain, and evaluate change initiatives that can be seamlessly integrated into your curriculum or school environment.
Required Hours
60 hours total, reduced to 45 hours by granting 15 hours of Advanced Standing to students with a Principal or Superintendent Certification
3-year completion timeframe
Cost: $767/Hour with $200 resource fee per term
Example Coursework
Effective Communication as an Education Leader
Instruction and Innovation
Schools as Organizations
Organizational Assessment and Evaluation
Upcoming Start Dates
June 30, 2026
August 25, 2026
Common Job Titles
District Administrator
Assistant Principal
Principal
Deputy Superintendent
Superintendent
Curriculum
Embedded Dissertation
Our innovative program features an embedded dissertation model that seamlessly integrates coursework with dissertation milestones. Each course includes a “dissertation journey task,” ensuring you make tangible progress on your dissertation alongside coursework. Beginning your work with a chair early in your second semester, you’ll navigate milestones culminating in a comprehensive Concept Proposal as a prerequisite for LEAD 765. Our program is designed to connect every aspect of your curriculum with intentionality, providing a streamlined path to doctoral achievement. Unlock your potential and advance your career with a program tailored for success with a short three-year completion time.
Concentrations
Choose the path that fits your goals and prepares you to lead meaningful change in your school district. With two focused concentrations, ACU’s online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership helps you strengthen your expertise, grow as a leader and advance your career.
Principalship
If you want to lead at the campus level, the Principalship concentration helps you build the skills to improve student learning, use data to address learning challenges and create effective learning environments for diverse student populations. You’ll also learn to apply research-based practices that strengthen school leadership and support better outcomes for students and teachers.
School Superintendent
If you want to lead at the district level, the School Superintendent concentration prepares you to navigate school finance, funding and educational facilities while deepening your understanding of state education policy and politics. You’ll strengthen your ability to serve as a district instructional leader and expand your knowledge of education theories and practices that shape effective district leadership.
Member Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate
The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) includes over 130 colleges and schools of education, which have committed resources to work together to undertake a critical examination of the doctorate in education (EdD) through dialog, experimentation, critical feedback and evaluation.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Darlene Breaux, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Dr. Darlene Breaux earned her B.A. in psychology from Texas Southern University, an M.S. in educational leadership from the University of Houston–Clear Lake where she graduated with high honors, and completed her doctorate in organizational leadership from Abilene Christian University in 2020 where she also received a university certification in mediation.
Her research centered on Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Dyslexia Training for Addressing the Social-Emotional Needs of Children with Dyslexia. Dr. Breaux received the Dissertation of the Year award from the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration. She is known for her passion for educational policy and advocacy and has had the opportunity to influence the legislative agenda at the state and federal levels, earning her the honor of being named HAABSE, TABSE, and NABSE School Board Member of the Year. Texas School Business magazine named Breaux as a Thought Leader and Innovator in Education. Her published work “What Do You Do When Silence is No Longer Golden” was touted as an “Essential Read” by Psychology Today magazine. Dr. Breaux was recognized as one of Houston’s Top 30 Influential Women and received the 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph R. Biden.
Dr. Breaux serves on the board of directors for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards (GCAASB), Houston reVision, and is the board president for Alief Independent School District and has earned the distinction of Master Trustee.
Spotlight
The College of Learning and Development’s Signature Pedagogy
Discover how ACU’s College of Learning and Development prepares leaders with heart, hand and mind through its Signature Pedagogy a powerful teaching framework that shapes purposeful thinkers who act with compassion and lead with confidence. Read more about how this approach builds meaningful leadership and real-world impact.
ACU and ESC Region 11 Partner to Empower Future Educators in Greater Fort Worth
ACU is thrilled to partner with Education Service Center Region 11 to launch fully online degree programs and professional development pathways for educators and aspiring teachers in the Greater Fort Worth area. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your career to the next level, this partnership is all about empowering you with the tools and opportunities to thrive in education.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Darlene Breaux
From working as a teacher to becoming the director of the Research and Evaluation Institute at the Department of Education for Harris County, Dr. Darlene Breaux has done it all – and now she is the program director for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Leaning into her next vocational calling, Dr. Breaux is excited to see where God will lead her and her students in the coming years.
What is the Difference: Ed.D in Organizational Leadership and Educational Leadership
The demand for Ed.D. programs is surging. Whether you’re interested in becoming a master high school teacher, assistant principal, headmaster, or superintendent, an Ed.D. can give you the skills and strategies to become qualified to apply and be considered for such positions despite your previous background or degree. However, like every student, each Ed.D. degree is different.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate of school leaders is predicted to increase by 11.3% within the next few years. With thousands of open positions projected every year across Texas, the need for well-trained and educated school leaders is great with opportunities existing in various types of settings including public and private K-12 institutions, colleges, and universities.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts showing earned bachelor’s and master’s from a regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, probationary status may be granted.
- Submit a current resume.
- Personal Essay: A statement of Interest in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program describing your potential research questions and your professional career objectives.
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Writing Sample: Completion of a 400-500 word writing sample that:
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- Clearly communicates your beliefs about educational leadership,
- Your philosophy of education,
- Why you hold these beliefs, and
- How you translate these beliefs into practice.
Ensure your response addresses all four components and include your name at the top of your writing samples and in the name of your submitted documents.
If your writing sample does not fully comply with the provided directions and expectations, it may be returned for revision, which could delay the acceptance process.
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- Students who choose the superintendent concentration must already possess the superintendent or the equivalent courses.
Graduation Requirements: Students must earn a 3.0 GPA or higher to meet graduation requirements, including successfully completing all required courses and dissertation hours.
Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of ACU.
Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).