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Education

Degree Type
  • Doctorate
Location
  • Online
Format
  • Online

Accepting applications

We are now accepting applications for the next Ed.D. Cohort (beginning January 2026).  The application window will close August 31, 2025.

Apply now

Overview

Our fully online, cohort-based doctoral program prepares educators to lead responsively and develop practices of collaborative inquiry, continuous improvement, and community partnership. Students are supported by dedicated, full-time faculty in implementing a dissertation in practice to investigate and address persistent problems of practice in their own educational systems.

Student in library
 The Ed.D. program was a CPED Program of the Year finalist.

Why Pursue a Doctorate in Education at Radford?

  1. Our Program Is Designed for Full-Time Working, Practitioners
  • Our program is fully online, providing convenience and flexibility for working professionals.
  • Our program offers 7-week courses–allowing students to focus on one course at a time and still complete two courses and a dissertation research credit every semester.
  • Students can complete the program in 3 years.
  • Students complete a dissertation in practice, which centers around a problem of practice within their local context.
  • We use a cohort-based model and synchronous, online courses to help students develop and sustain collaborative relationships with peers and faculty.
  • Our program utilizes that latest in collaborative online technologies to give you the benefits of a traditional face-to-face program with the convenience of online learning.
  • Our program meets Virginia Licensure Requirements for Superintendents.
  1. Students Receive Ongoing Dissertation Support
  • The dissertation in practice is divided into three manageable chunks aligned with the improvement science process.
  • Students take one credit of dissertation research coursework each semester designed to guide and support students through the dissertation process.
  1. Our Faculty Are Experienced Practitioners and Active Scholars
  • Our program is supported by both current and retired division-level and state-level educational leaders and by scholars who are active in the fields of improvement science, practitioner inquiry, and social justice.
  • Our program faculty are active in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate

Careers and Internships

Alumni of our program work as principals, assistant superintendents, superintendents, district-level administrative positions, educational organization leaders, and higher education institutions. Students have the opportunity to enroll in up to 9 credit hours of internship with another PK-12 or higher education practitioner in the program as part of their coursework.

Opportunities for Education students at Radford

They will also have the opportunity to attend an optional, in-person retreat annually on Radford's campus. At this retreat, they can learn and share with the broader community of Ed.D. students, alumni, and faculty. Students and alumni come back to reconnect each year.

Admissions Requirements

Students must have a master's degree, in any field, from an accredited program to be considered for admission to the Ed.D. program.

Our next cohort will begin Jan. 12, 2026. We will begin accepting applications for the Jan. 2026 cohort in June, 2025.

Application Materials

  • Unofficial transcript from each college or university awarding a degree or post-baccalaureate credits
  • three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential as a doctoral student
    • one must be from current or most recent employer
    • one must be from professor or instructor familiar with the applicant's academic work
  • resume,
  • writing sample (no more than 1500 words) addressing the following:
    •  the applicant's purpose for pursuing a doctoral degree,
    • an issue or problem in the applicant's school or district that they believe can be addressed by applied research skills and scholarly inquiry,
    • scholars and educational leaders who have influenced the applicant's thinking and practice,
    • the applicant's understanding of how doctoral education can help them lead educational change and bring necessary knowledge to bear on the needs of schools and communities
  • admission interview

GRE/GMAT: Not required

Prerequisites

Applicants lacking leadership experience and an Educational Leadership master's or building-level endorsement must complete up to 19 credit hours of prerequisites for full Ed.D. program admission. They will be conditionally admitted initially.

DEADLINE: November 1 (spring term only)

Contact the Program Coordinator

Sarah Capello
scapello@radford.edu

Related Programs

  • 100 students and alumni across four cohorts

  • 93% student retention rate

  • 94% of alumni completed the program within 3 years

We are leading the charge in transforming education

Our program is part of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, which is an international network of over 135 graduate schools of education leading the charge to transform the Education Doctorate. CPED members are committed to rethinking advanced educational preparation through improved EdD program designs that offer academic rigor, practical impact, applied research, and value

student in Teaching Resource Center

"As I encounter improvement opportunities, I now feel that I am equipped to take a systematic approach that will assist me in identifying and implementing sustainable change ideas that will have an immediate impact on my school. Our professors’ different backgrounds provided us with a multitude of experiences and perspectives that help us grow as educational leaders. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this group of diverse, outstanding professionals."

Charles Byrd, Ed.D. ’22 Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Galax City Public Schools

Ready to Study at Radford?

We want to get to know you better and we are excited that you are ready to take your next step and learn more about us. We are here to help you and look forward to working with you during your college search process.