UConn’s Doctoral Degrees in Educational Leadership

The Neag School’s Department of Educational Leadership offers both Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees.

The Ph.D. in Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy offers four concentrations and is designed for students interested in becoming researchers or working in academic settings.

The Ed.D. degree is designed for practitioners and accommodates full-time professionals. It is cohort-based, places an emphasis on a student’s problem of practice, and requires a capstone research project instead of a dissertation.

Ph.D. Application Fee Waiver

The Neag School's Ph.D. application fee waiver request form for Fall 2025 admission is now CLOSED. All 100 waivers were handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis by November 20.

The Neag School is waiving the $75 application fee for 100 Ph.D. Program applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis. To be eligible for the fee waiver, applicants must:

Complete their application to a Neag School Ph.D. program in the Graduate School's application portal.
Fill out this form requesting a fee waiver.

The deadline to fill out the fee waiver request form is Monday, November 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The Adult Learning Concentration Plan of Study includes 18 credits of core coursework, 9 or more credits in area of concentration, 9 or more credits in research design and methods, 15 credits of Doctoral Dissertation preparation credits, completion of a general examination, approval of the research proposal, and successful dissertation defense.

LLEP Core Courses (15 credits)

EDLR 5201 — Influences on Adult Learning (Fall Year 1)
EDLR 5204 — Organizational Learning (Spring Year 1)
EDLR 6313 — Educational Policy and Politics (Fall Year 2)
EDLR 6467 — Social Justice Leadership, Equity, and Change (Spring Year 2)
EDLR 6050 — Proposal Development I (after passing general examination)

Adult Learning Concentration Courses (9 credits minimum)

Tract One courses focus on the Individual Learner. Examples of courses in this tract include:

COMM 5101 Motivation
EDLR 5202 Workplace Learning
HDFS 5215 Models and Concepts of Lifespan Human Development
PSYC 5251 Neural Foundations of Learning and Memory
PSYC 5567 Cognition

Tract Two courses focus on Designing Learning Environments. Examples of courses in this tract include:

EPSY 5220 Introduction to Educational Technology
EPSY 5520 Instructional Design
EPSY 5530 Theories of Learning, Cognition, and Instruction
PP 5319 Program Development and Evaluation
COMM 5650 Communication Technology and Society

Research Courses (9 credits minimum)

EPSY 6601 Methods and Techniques of Educational Research
EDCI 6000 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research (Fall or Spring)
EDLR 6052 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research II (Spring)
EDCI 6005 — Advanced Methods of Qualitative Research
EPSY 5605 — Quantitative Methods in Research I (Fall and Spring)
EPSY 5607 — Quantitative Methods in Research II (Spring)
Other research courses as needed

Graduate School Required Doctoral Dissertation Research credits (15 credits minimum)

GRAD 6950 — Doctoral Dissertation Research

LLEP Core Courses (15 credits)

EDLR 5201 — Influences on Adult Learning
EDLR 5204 — Organizational Learning
EDLR 6313 — Educational Policy and Politics
EDLR 6467 — Social Justice Leadership, Equity, and Change
EDLR 6050 — Proposal/Prospectus Development I

Higher Education Racial Justice and Decolonization Concentration Courses (12 credits minimum)

EDLR 6468: Critical Race Theory in Higher Education, or its equivalent
EDLR 6469: Decolonizing International and Comparative Higher Education, or its equivalent
EDLR 6471: The Faculty Career, or its equivalent
EDLR 5119: Legal Issues and Decision Making in Higher Education and Student Affairs, or its equivalent or higher in the higher education program
EDLR 5114. Access to Higher Education or its equivalent or higher in the HESA program, or its equivalent or higher in the HESA program
EDLR 5126: Inclusion and Equity in Higher Education and Student Affairs, or its equivalent or higher in the higher education program

Research Courses (9 credits minimum; can be used to meet Graduate School 6-credit minimum Related Area requirement)

EDCI 6000 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
EDLR 6052 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research II
EDCI 6005 — Advanced Methods of Qualitative Research
EPSY 5605 — Quantitative Methods in Research I
EPSY 5607 — Quantitative Methods in Research II
Other research courses as approved by advisor/ program coordinator, such as EPSY 5610, EPSY 5613, EPSY 5621

Graduate School Required Doctoral Dissertation Research credits (15 credits minimum)

GRAD 6950 — Doctoral Dissertation Research

In addition to the above-mentioned courses, the higher education faculty will continue to develop courses for this concentration, for example, Critical Race Theory in Education, International Higher Education and Decolonization, Anti-Blackness Racism in Higher Education, Antiracist Pedagogy, to name a few.

The program requires 12 credits in the LEP concentration, 15 credits in the LLEP core, 9 credits in research, and 15 credits of dissertation work. In addition, students are encouraged to take electives in consultation with their advisor. Students also must satisfy General Examination requirements after at least 75% of coursework has been completed. Finally, students must successfully defend a dissertation proposal and final dissertation to obtain their degree.

LLEP Core Courses (15 credits)

EDLR 5201 — Influences on Adult Learning
EDLR 5204 — Organizational Learning
EDLR 6313 — Educational Policy and Politics
EDLR 6467 — Social Justice Leadership, Equity, and Change
EDLR 6050 — Proposal/Prospectus Development

Leadership and Education Policy Concentration Courses (12 credits minimum)

EDLR 6314 — Legal Issues in Organizational Management
EDLR 6464 — Seminar: Leadership and School Organizations
EDLR 6322 — Economics of Education and School Finance
EDLR 6323 — History of K-12 Education Reforms

Research Courses (9 credits minimum, with at least 3 credits in either quantitative or qualitative)

Can be used to meet Graduate School 6-credit minimum Related Area requirement

EDCI 6000 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
EDLR 6052 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research II
EDCI 6005 — Advanced Methods of Qualitative Research
EPSY 5605 — Quantitative Methods in Research I
EPSY 5607 — Quantitative Methods in Research II
Other research courses as appropriate, such as EPSY 5610, EPSY 5613, EPSY 5621

Graduate School Required Doctoral Dissertation Research (15 credits minimum)

GRAD 6950 — Doctoral Dissertation Research

LLEP Core Courses (15 credits)

EDLR 6313 — Educational Policy and Politics
EDLR 5204 — Organizational Learning
EDLR 5201 — Influences on Adult Learning
EDLR 6467 — Social Justice Leadership, Equity, and Change
EDLR 6050 — Proposal/Prospectus Development I

Sport Management Concentration Courses (9 credits minimum)

EDLR 6300 — Organizational Theory in Sport
EDLR 6310 — Organizational Behavior in Sport
EDLR 6315 — Current Research in Sport Management

Research Courses (12 credits minimum)

(Can be used to meet Graduate School 6-credit minimum Related Area requirement)

EPSY 5605 — Quantitative Methods in Research I
EPSY 5607 — Quantitative Methods in Research II
EPSY 5613 — Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research
EPSY 6601 — Methods and Techniques of Educational Research
EPSY 5601 — Principles & Methods in Educational Research
EPSY 5610 — Applied Regression Analysis for the Education Sciences
EPSY 5613 — Multivariate Analysis in Education
EPSY 5621 — Construction of Evaluative Instruments
EDCI 5824 — Educational Ethnography
EDCI 6000 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
EDCI 6005 — Advanced Methods of Qualitative Research
EDCI 6052 — Advanced Qualitative Methods
Other research courses as needed

Cognate Area(s) (9 credits)

Courses to be taken from outside the Dept. of Educational Leadership

Courses may be taken, with the consent of the major advisor and the student’s advisory committee from management, marketing, sociology, psychology, anthropology, educational leadership, management and finance, among others

Graduate School Required Doctoral Dissertation Research credits (15 credits minimum)

GRAD 6950 — Doctoral Dissertation Research

The Neag Ed.D. is a part-time, 43-credit program divided into three distinct phases:

Year One is designed to develop students’ competencies as critical consumers of educational research and students’ skills to conduct practitioner-inquiry. Students will learn about the education policy system and leadership frameworks in the field of education.
Year Two is designed to strengthen students’ understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods. Coursework will also advance students’ knowledge of social justice, legal issues, and workplace learning in education. Students will conduct a pilot study related to their problem of practice.
Years Three and Four are designed to support students in their capstone research projects.

Fall and Spring classes are held on Tuesday evenings between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Currently, each course is a mix of in-person (Storrs campus) and online modalities.

For a full list of Ed.D. courses, please visit the Ed.D. program website.

Program Cost and Financial Aid

UConn’s Office of the Bursar maintains up-to-date costs for graduate students. The Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees in the Department of Educational Leadership are considered Programs with Tuition and Mandatory Fees. Please visit the Bursar Office’s website for details.

The total Cost of Attendance (COA) includes direct educational costs (i.e., tuition, fees, housing, and food) and indirect costs. Indirect costs include books, course materials, supplies and equipment, transportation, miscellaneous personal expenses, loan fees, and professional licensure or certification, if applicable. For additional information about the Cost of Attendance at UConn, please visit https://financialaid.uconn.edu/cost/.

The University of Connecticut offers a variety of financial aid options, in addition to state and federal assistance. Visit the Neag School’s doctoral programs overview page for more financial aid information.

Ph.D. applications are due by December 1 for admission the following Fall. Applicants who submit by December 1 will be considered for funding opportunities (graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships). Applications are welcome after December 1 but may not be eligible for funding.

Consideration for Ph.D. admission requires the following:

1. Complete the online application to the Graduate School. In the Intended Program section of the application, select:

Level of Study: PhD/Doctoral
Academic Areas: Education
Program: Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy PhD
Concentration: choose either Adult Learning; Leadership & Education Policy; Higher Education, Racial Justice and Decolonization; or Sport Management.
Campus: Storrs
Entry Term: Fall 2025

2. Upload the following materials electronically into the online application. The Admissions Committee cannot make a decision about your application until all materials are submitted:

Transcripts of all collegiate work completed to date, graduate and undergraduate
Submit a 2-3 page (double-spaced, 12-point font) written personal statement. In your statement address your:
- Reasons for pursuing the degree
- Background, experiences, and/or qualifications for the program and concentration to which you are applying
- Research interests
- Professional goals, and how the Ph.D. degree relates to those goals
Submit a professional or academic writing sample (no more than 10 pages). If applicable, include a brief explanation of how this work relates to your research interests. The writing sample should demonstrate your scholarly thinking, academic or research writing skills, and ability to synthesize information. Examples of appropriate writing samples include, but are not limited to, undergraduate or graduate thesis, research paper, or literature review. If your original writing sample exceeds 10 pages, please submit an excerpt
Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae
Complete the Residence Affidavit within the online Graduate School application.
Names and email addresses for 3 individuals who can submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. Recommendations should explicitly address your readiness to perform in a doctoral level program. Recommenders may address such attributes as your analytical thinking skills, writing skills, research or inquiry skills, creativity, initiative, collegiality, time management skills, etc.
GRE scores are not required for the Department of Educational Leadership Ph.D. If they are submitted, they will not be reviewed as part of a student’s application.

Application finalists may be asked to participate in an interview with program faculty. The interview may be conducted in-person, phone, or video conference.

Ed.D. applications for the Traditional Program Pathway are only accepted every other odd year (2025, 2027, etc.) by February 1 for admission the following Fall. The application deadline for the next Ed.D. cohort is Feb. 1, 2025.

Ed.D. applications for the ELP-Ed.D. Bridge Program Pathway are only accepted every other even year (2024, 2026, etc.) by March 1 for admission the following Fall. The application deadline for the next ELP-Ed.D. Bridge cohort is March 1, 2026.

The Admissions Committee will review only completed applications and support materials received by the deadline.

Consideration for Ed.D. admission requires the following:

1. Complete the online application to the Graduate School [link]. In the Intended Program section of the application, select:

Level of Study: PhD/Doctoral
Academic Areas: Education
Program: Educational Leadership EdD
Cohort: General or Bridge Program
Campus: Storrs
Entry Term: Fall 2025

2. Upload the following materials electronically into the online application. The Admissions Committee cannot make a decision about your application until all materials are submitted:

Official transcripts of all collegiate work (including UConn)
Complete the Residence Affidavit section within the online Graduate School application.
(3) Letters of Recommendation
TOEFL Scores (if an international student)
Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae
A personal statement. It should:
- Describe your interest in pursuing an Ed.D.; and
- Identify a significant problem of practice faced in your work setting, including an analysis of why this is a problem and how it relates to the improvement of student learning and life outcomes (1,500 word maximum).
Writing Prompt. Read the article listed below for your area of interest and respond to the following three questions. Please do not exceed a single-spaced page for each question.
- For students with interests in K-12 leadership and change:
  DeMatthews, D., Izquierdo, E., & Knight, D. S. (2017). Righting past wrongs: A superintendent’s social justice leadership for dual language education along the U.S.-Mexico border. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25, 1. https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/epaa/article/view/2436
  1. What is your main takeaway from this article?
  2. Describe how the study findings either apply or don’t apply to your professional context.
  3. What questions would you ask the authors if you were critiquing their study (and why)?
- For students with interests in issues for higher education:
  Estela Mara Bensimon (2018) Reclaiming Racial Justice in Equity, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 50:3-4, 95-98, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2018.1509623
  1. What is your main takeaway from this article?
  2. Describe how the author’s arguments either apply or don’t apply to your professional context.
  3. What questions would you ask the author if you were critiquing their analysis (and why)?

Ed.D. finalists will be asked to participate in an interview with program faculty. Notification will take place following review of applications in March.

Ph.D. Application Fee Waiver

The Neag School's Ph.D. application fee waiver request form for Fall 2025 admission is now CLOSED. All 100 waivers were handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis by November 20.

The Neag School is waiving the $75 application fee for 100 Ph.D. Program applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis. To be eligible for the fee waiver, applicants must:

Complete their application to a Neag School Ph.D. program in the Graduate School's application portal.
Fill out this form requesting a fee waiver.

The deadline to fill out the fee waiver request form is Monday, November 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Neag School of Education

UConn’s Doctoral Degrees in Educational Leadership

Two Degree Options in Educational Leadership

Ph.D. Application Fee Waiver

Degrees and Concentrations

Plan of Study

Ph.D. in Adult Learning — Sample Plan of Study

Ph.D. in Higher Education, Racial Justice, and Decolonization — Sample Plan of Study

Ph.D. in Leadership and Education Policy — Sample Plan of Study

Ph.D. in Sport Management — Sample Plan of Study

Ed.D. — Sample Plan of Study

Program Cost and Financial Aid

How to Apply

Ph.D. Degree

Ed.D. Degree

Ph.D. Application Fee Waiver

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