Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Education Leadership and Learning

The University offers a Doctoral Degree (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Learning for professionals, currently holding a Master’s Degree, with an interest in learning, research, and leadership to advance their knowledge about human growth and development, and the policies and practices that enhance learning. This innovative program is designed for professionals in leadership roles in public and private schools, colleges and universities, social and behavioral health services, corporate development and training, and other community settings. The program provides students with a deep understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political influences and forces in society that effect organizations. The program seeks to prepare leaders who can anticipate the need for the development of effective policies, practices, and interventions based on current research knowledge and facilitate real change in a leadership role that promotes and enhances the creation of positive learning environments within organizations.

The doctoral program is designed to enable students to complete course work online in three years and to begin their dissertation proposal and research when they start the doctoral program. The program is structured to allow students to engage in doctoral study while maintaining their current employment, developing their career goals, meeting their personal aspirations, and expanding their professional network.

Learning Outcomes

• To extend the ongoing conversation about leadership and learning to many disciplines and fields of study, to identify what is common in our knowledge, experience and practices
• To engage with professionals to develop new theories, models, and constructs for learning to enlighten our practices and interventions in the social and behavioral health services
• To consider the cultural, economic, social, political, and economic influences on our homes, schools, business, and social and community services from a variety of perspectives, and disciplines in order to understand their impact on our institutions, organizations, and systems
• To examine what is actually happening in the lives of others in order to reform our approaches, practices, interventions, and services
• To research human growth and development, acts of teaching and learning, and the nature of support and help across a variety of disciplines and professions in order to take an informed approach to initiating policy reforms
• To prepare transformational leaders based on current research, the nature of change, and a vision for creative approaches and policies
• To extend Rivier University’s unique heritage and mission to a discussion of transformational leadership, learning, and research to improve the lives of others in need, especially the poor and the vulnerable.