Build Your Thought Leadership
If you have a passion for studying what makes great leaders great and for sharing that knowledge with others, a doctorate in leadership from American College of Education (ACE) can help you explore original scholarship and become an influential voice within the field. You’ll have the opportunity to both expand your leadership capacity and investigate the challenges that leaders face in your industry, emerging as an expert ready to lead the way.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
ACE’s doctorate in leadership equips you with the skills and knowledge you need to lead at an advanced level. Our Ed.D. in Leadership program also gives you 14 different ways to tailor your study to your specific professional area. Here are just some of what you can learn from our career-relevant curriculum:
- Real-world problem-solving strategies for complex situations
- Spearheading innovative initiatives
- Evidence-based decision making
- Applying leadership principles in professional contexts
- Promoting best leadership practices
- Fostering innovation
- Conducting and evaluating research
Leadership Career Alignment
A doctorate in leadership is ideal for those who seek leadership roles that need determined, motivated and highly skilled experts to influence positive change. Within education, an Ed.D. in Leadership is great for those who want to advance to positions such as superintendent, college administrator, principal, or director of curriculum and instruction. Within corporate settings, this degree can support your pursuit of positions like chief learning officer, leadership development director or executive coach. Within healthcare, it could contribute to advancement to hospital administrator, director of clinical operations or healthcare program director roles. You could also leverage it within nonprofit work as an executive director, chief executive officer or program director.
Doctoral Degree in Leadership Admission
Along with American College of Education (ACE)’s general admission requirements, prospective doctoral students must have a minimum of a master’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
Doctoral Graduate Success Stories
See how ACE’s affordable online doctoral degrees have helped our students elevate their careers and find success.
*Source: Student Right to Know
Doctoral Degree in Leadership FAQs
What is a doctorate in leadership?
A doctorate in leadership is a high-level applied leadership degree doctorate that prepares you for executive, strategy and systems-level roles across a variety of industries and sectors.
What can you do with a doctorate in leadership?
An Ed.D. in Leadership is often associated with education but in reality, it’s for anyone who wants to lead complex organizations and drive change. It can help you pursue roles at the director, administrator and executive level across a multitude of sectors, from education to government, healthcare to nonprofit.
How long does it take to earn a doctorate in leadership online?
Typically, you can complete an online doctorate in leadership in anywhere between three to four years. A lot of it depends on how a school or program structures their dissertation process. The dissertation is often what can stall or delay a doctoral candidate from completing their degree. At ACE, the dissertation process is built into our doctoral program coursework, giving our doctoral candidates ongoing guidance from faculty as they develop and write their dissertation. As such, our doctorates can be completed in three years.*
What careers can I pursue with a doctorate in education?
A doctorate in education can help you advance a career across a wide range of fields. Our Ed.D. in Leadership graduates work in a wide variety of fields, from education to healthcare, law enforcement to business. They are principals, superintendents, executives, directors and leaders, spearheading positive change within their organizations and industries.
What skills will I gain in the doctoral leadership program?
You’ll gain the skills needed to lead complex organizations, such as how solve complex programs, spearhead initiatives, foster innovation, apply leadership principles to professional contexts and make evidence-based decisions. You will also gain skills related to advanced scholarship, such as how to evaluate research, conduct a study and analyze data.
What is the difference between an Ed.D. in Leadership and a Ph.D. in Leadership?
Both an Ed.D. in Leadership and a Ph.D. in Leadership are doctoral degrees but are designed for different career paths. In an Ed.D. program, the focus is on applying leadership in real-world settings. In a Ph.D. program, the focus is on creating new knowledge through research. For a more in-depth comparison of Ed.D. and Ph.D. degrees, read our guide.
*This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.