A Learning Community Exclusively for Educational Leaders

Become a scholar-practitioner who drives progress and elevates your workplace culture by facilitating conditions to create effective, adaptive and innovative environments. ACU’s online Doctor of Education programs in Organizational Leadership or Educational Leadership equip you to serve others by providing opportunities to excel in strategic leadership, human organization and collaboration to make a difference in your school and community.
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Become a scholar-practitioner who drives progress and elevates your workplace culture by facilitating conditions to create effective, adaptive and innovative environments. ACU’s online Doctor of Education programs in Organizational Leadership or Educational Leadership equip you to serve others by providing opportunities to excel in strategic leadership, human organization and collaboration to make a difference in your school and community.

Main Content

ACU knows every student’s journey is unique and we believe everyone can be successful, given the right tools and support. Whether you are hoping to advance in your current field or change to an entirely new one, furthering your education is the first step towards that change. Supported by a faculty of Christian scholars, we prepare undergraduate and graduate students for service and leadership in both their personal and professional lives.

One of America’s Best Colleges

Named one of America’s Top Online Colleges for the fourth year in a row by Newsweek and Statista Inc., ACU continues to set the standard for online education. With a commitment to delivering academic excellence in a flexible online format, ACU Online empowers you to achieve your goals without compromising your lifestyle. Experience a world-class education designed to help you succeed—anytime, anywhere.

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Program Description

You will strengthen and expand your skills through research-based courses via ACU’s online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership. Our program offers comprehensive courses related to essential topics such as, effective communication, learning instruction and innovation, data management and policy in K-12 education. Delving into critical themes related to the cultural, political and social issues influencing educational leadership today, you will design and implement initiatives that can be seamlessly integrated into your curriculum or school environment without pausing your current job or family obligations.

Program Format

Consisting of a total of 60 credit hours, the online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is divided into three key parts. Foundational courses enhance K-12 leadership skills (18 credit hours), a concentration that translates these skills to a particular field to better understand how to empower school staff (15 credit hours), and research courses that uncover new perspectives to best prepare students to lead in an area of specialization (24 credit hours, including 12 focused on dissertation completion).

Concentrations for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership include:

  • Principal Leadership – Designed to help students learn how to manage data, classrooms and students to create effective learning environments.
  • School Superintendent – Designed to help students better understand school finances, politics and state procedures for executive school leadership.

Our innovative program also features an embedded dissertation model that seamlessly integrates a series of dissertation milestones alongside the coursework.

Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership

Program Description

Connect transactional and transformational leadership styles through ACU’s online Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program to make a difference in your school and community. Strengthen and expand your skills through a research-based focus on important issues, while understanding how communication, connection and diversity uplift and inform your organization’s culture and strategy. Tackle the latest challenges while pursuing the next level of your professional journey.

ACU’s program is organized around five core competencies: personal development, positive leadership development, collaboration and communication, organizational assessment and organizational culture. Upon completing the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program, you will know how to lead with purpose, while fostering growth in your vocation.

Recognized as one of the best online Ed.D. programs in the country by Fortune, ACU’s online Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership builds scholar-practitioners into tomorrow’s leaders.

Program Format

Consisting of 60 credit hours, the online Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership is divided into three key parts. Foundational courses enhance your unique leadership skills (24 credit hours), a concentration translates these skills to your particular field to empower your staff (15 credit hours), and research courses prepare you to lead in your area of specialization (21 credit hours, including 12 focused on dissertation completion).

Concentrations include:

  • Conflict Management – Focuses on the dynamics of interpersonal conflicts and effective negotiation and mediation skills.
  • Healthcare Administration –Emphasizes a dual focus on leadership principles and the intricacies of healthcare administration.
  • Higher Education – Builds students into a well-rounded individual with an understanding of the higher education landscape.
  • Learning with Emerging Technologies – Designed to help students understand all things related to technology-enhanced learning environments.
  • Nonprofit Leadership – Develops skills for aspiring nonprofit leaders to manage volunteers and organizations.
  • Positive Leadership – Designed to help students examine the outcomes, processes and attributes that take your organization beyond existing to thriving and excelling.

Program Cost

ACU offers a 10% tuition discount for current educators in partner districts who are seeking to earn their doctoral degree and enhance their professional careers.

Regular PricePartner Discount
Full Program		Partner Discount
with Advanced Standing
Credit Hours606045
Cost Per Credit Hour$767$690$690
Resource Fee$200$200$200
Dissertation Fees$3,600$3,600$3,600
Total Cost$53,620$49,018$37,664

Partners that enroll 20+ students in a term will receive a discount of up to 20% off tuition.

Advanced Standing Available:

Additionally, students who have completed a Principal or Superintendent Certification may be eligible to reduce the cost of their degree by qualifying for “Advanced Standing” to automatically gain up to 15 credit hours toward their Ed.D. – a savings of $11,350.
Other financial aid may apply. Please speak with an admissions advisor to learn more.*
*Total tuition may vary depending on a number of factors, including the number of dissertation hours required to complete the dissertation or other course fees.

WHY GET AN ONLINE DEGREE FROM ACU?

For the fifth year in a row, ACU is the highest-ranking university in Texas in the U.S. News & World Report “Programs to Look For” benchmarks focused on student success – placing in five of eight categories this year. Combine this educational excellence with the flexibility of an online format and it’s easy to understand why earning your degree from ACU Online makes sense. Whether you’re married and juggling work and kids, or a single professional meeting the demands of a growing career, ACU Online can fit into your busy life.