Doctor of Education

The program framework for the Doctor of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change encapsulates our philosophy, rationale and desired purposes. It is expressed through the acronym LEADERS:
 
Leadership as craft and relationships
Educational theory, practice and learning
Attitudes and values in educational leadership
Diversity and global perspectives in education
Essential knowledge for effective educational leadership
Research and educational leadership
Strategic change in learning organizations

In your doctoral studies, you will engage with the specific knowledge, understanding, exploration and investigation described by the framework. You will also examine the attitudes, values and dispositions that can assist you in becoming an effective leader within educational organizations. The program framework promotes consideration of global perspectives about culture and diversity that are important to effectiveness and success in educational leadership.

Explore contemporary research, practice appropriate research methods and gain experience working as research team on educational research for a real learning organization. Question and debate the wisdom of varied educational leadership practices as well as emerging educational policies and practices. Consider methods for leading strategic change within learning organizations. The program framework will help you develop and organize your thoughts, values and convictions about the elements, craft, and practice of effective educational leadership.

On-Campus Cohort

The Doctor of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change is focused on preparing educational leaders for public and private organizations and academic settings. Since the fall of 2010, hundreds of students have graduated from the program and are serving in teaching and educational leadership positions throughout Tennessee and across the nation, in both the k-12 and higher education sectors.

Students in the on-campus program are experiencing tremendous success academically. Over 90 percent of the students who have started the program have graduated or are continuing to progress toward graduation. The on-campus cohorts participate in class sessions on the main Lipscomb University campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The program culminates with practical, collaborative research that is designed to address real questions in authentic settings for the purpose of informing educational practice. There are currently over 40 doctoral students enrolled in the online Ed.D. cohorts. 

Online Cohort

Lipscomb University offers online-hybrid delivery of the same rigorous and respected Doctor of Education program that is offered on-campus. All online Ed.D. courses are semester length and consist of a blend of asynchronous curriculum along with synchronous sessions that students attend remotely via Zoom. 

The online-hybrid delivery model includes "intensives" as follows:

1. A required on-campus three-day intensive (Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - Saturday, 4:00 p.m.) at the beginning of the program.  

2. A required 10-day international experience during the third semester of the program (scheduled in June) in conjunction with the Comparative and International Education course. Students who cannot travel due to exigent circumstances may seek a travel exemption from the program director and if approved take a non-travel section of the course.

3. A remote intensive attended via multiple Zoom sessions scheduled over a 2-day period (Friday, 8:00 a.m. - Saturday, 4:00 p.m.) at the beginning of the 5th semester of the program and the Applied Research Seminar course.

4. A required on-campus three-day intensive (Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - Saturday, 4:00 p.m.) at the beginning of the 6th semester of the program and the Quantitative Research course.

The dissertation research culminates with an oral defense that the students have the option of delivering either on-campus or remotely via Zoom.

Read the Online Cohort Frequently Asked Questions.

In an increasingly diverse educational landscape, we believe in the importance of examining educational leadership with a global perspective. That's why the program offers a 10-day international experience in Europe during which you will meet and interview educational leaders, policy makers and practitioners. You will study and consider educational policy reform initiatives at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels. 

You will be challenged to consider educational systems and institutions as they relate to their national, international and global context as well as their political, economic and cultural context. The trip highlights educational challenges and initiatives that are taking place around the globe and encourages you to consider how others are approaching the educational challenges that they face. Students who are unable to travel due to exigent circumstances may be approved to take a non-travel section of the Comparative and International Education course.

The Doctor of Education program culminates with practical, collaborative dissertation research that addresses real questions in authentic settings for the purpose of informing educational practice. Dissertation research involves collaboration between members of the research team, the research coordinator, Ed.D. faculty, the doctoral committee, the university IRB, and the client educational organization for which the research is being conducted. Lipscomb University has accepted research proposals from over 80 educational organizations that have been or are currently being served by students through their doctoral research. This represents critical engagement between the Doctor of Education program, its students and the education community.

The dissertation research teams are comprised of 2 to 3 students. During the program, students will be asked about their research interests by the Doctor Research Coordinator. That information will be used while recruiting and reviewing proposals from potential client organizations. Dissertation research culminates with an on-campus defense of the research results.