Executive Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education
Executive Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education
Leadership for a changing higher education landscape
The Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education develops agile leaders for an era of rapid change. The innovative curriculum emphasizes global and international perspectives, socially just leadership, data-informed strategy, and iterative design thinking to reimagine the future of higher education.
- Critically analyze contemporary issues in American and international higher education to guide data-informed decision making
- Lead change and innovation in higher education through the effective mobilization of physical, financial, technological, and human resources
- Develop a learner-centered, whole-person mindset that advances diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education
- Resolve complex challenges in higher education through the integration of design thinking and strategic planning
- Produce professional writing connected to scholarly and research literature that addresses current problems of practice in higher education
- For those pursuing a concentration in Catholic Higher education: Articulate and strategically animate and assess the characteristics of a vibrant Catholic college and university in the 21st century
Interested in speaking with a member of our team?
Schedule a time to learn more about the program.
Key Features
Cohort Model
Your cohort will bring together experienced leaders with different backgrounds – academic, ethnic, professional, and international – to form a diverse and dynamic learning community.
Global Focus
Leveraging the resources of the Lynch School's prestigious Center for International Higher Education, the program brings together cohorts of experienced administrators from across the US and around the world to study with BC’s internationally-recognized faculty.
Data-Informed Strategy
Our curriculum prepares you to make strategic decisions with data-informed insights to provide socially just leadership and design higher education institutions and systems that work better for everyone.
Online with Summer Residencies
The program pairs online learning with weeklong summer residencies in two of the world’s most dynamic cities, Boston and Dublin. Online courses are offered in a variety of formats during the academic year, and live online meetings are scheduled at times that allow you to grow in your current role while completing the program.
Summer Residencies
Chestnut Hill, MA
While on Boston College's beautiful Chestnut Hill campus, students will attend the Doctoral Proseminar and Law, Policy, and Politics of Higher Education in the (Inter)National Context. The dynamic city of Boston serves as a backdrop for cohort-building and networking activities. The first residency is the first full week in June each year. Tuition is inclusive of accommodations and most meals for all three summer residencies.
Dublin, Ireland
The cohort will travel to Ireland for this residency. Students gain a comparative perspective on critical higher education issues in the Managing Change in Higher Education course, meeting with university and corporate leaders, as well as policymakers and government officials. The second residency is the second full week in June each year.
Connors Retreat Center
Dover, MA
Students visit Boston College’s picturesque Connors Center located in Dover, MA. In this retreat setting, students complete the course Strategic Problem Solving through Design Thinking. Catholic Higher Education concentration students also participate in the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education. The third residency is in mid-July each year.
At a Glance
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Watch: Is the Executive ed.d in higher ed Right for You?
This experience will broaden your perspective and change the way you lead. Tailor the curriculum to match your professional goals and interests. Watch our video to learn more.
Meet Our Students
Xiaofeng Wan
Amherst College
Xiaofeng Wan
Amherst College
“The integration of global higher education in the program, the tight-knit cohort community, as well as the extraordinarily supportive, accessible, and world-class faculty members, stands out.”
Holly Cowman
Mary Immaculate College
Holly Cowman
Mary Immaculate College
“I was very attracted to the practice-based nature of this program, particularly the discussions about contemporary concerns, conflicts, and trade-offs that underpin its delivery.”
Keith Maczkiewicz, SJ
Fairfield University
Keith Maczkiewicz, SJ
Fairfield University
“The diverse cohort - geographically, but also institutionally, really stands out about the program.”
Colette Montgomery
Le Moyne College
Colette Montgomery
Le Moyne College
“I wanted a program that was a cohort model so that I could build a community inside the ‘virtual classroom’ that could transcend into our professional lives.”
Peggy Chang
Brown University
Peggy Chang
Brown University
“I chose this program primarily for the quality of the faculty and flexibility of the learning format (hybrid-online) and curriculum."
Allyson Brown
Spartanburg Methodist College
Allyson Brown
Spartanburg Methodist College
“The summer residencies were attractive to me because I wanted to have a sense of connectedness to the Boston College campus plus global experiences to learn about institutional structures beyond the U.S.”
Parth Sarwate
Ahmedabad University
Parth Sarwate
Ahmedabad University
"I was looking for a program that had a real in-person component (like the summer residencies) and a global or international outlook, given my desire to contribute to change in India and internationally.”
Luis Kauachi Legorreta
Conference of the Americas on International Education
Luis Kauachi Legorreta
Conference of the Americas on International Education
“I have been involved in every aspect of international higher education for almost 25 years. This Ed.D. program gives me the opportunity to be a part of BC’s, Lynch’s, and CIHE’s academic and research communities. It is ALL suddenly available at our reach in just one place!”
“In an era of increased disruption and rapid change, higher education needs a new kind of leadership. This program will help participants reimagine institutions, execute difficult decisions, discern whether traditional ways of conducting business are still relevant, and attend to issues of justice and purpose. ”
Curriculum
Students learn in an executive-style format that involves case studies and research-based discussions that develop the skills, mindsets, and knowledge needed to address complex issues facing higher education in the United States and around the world.
Requirements
- Courses: 14
- Credits: 48
- Length: 3 years
Ed.D. in Higher Education
Students select four elective courses with the guidance of their faculty advisor. Students take 6-credits (two courses) per semester on average. Electives may be taken in the fall, spring, or summer semester.
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8201 | Doctoral Proseminar for Ed.D. in Higher Education Students are introduced to the expectations for doctoral work. Topics include community norming, group processes and communication, evidence-informed praxis, and the fundamentals of translating research to practice and practice to research. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the first residency. |
3 |
| ELHE8202 | Law, Policy, and Politics of Higher Education in the (Inter)National Context This course focuses on policy, law, and contemporary higher education issues and trends in the U.S. and across the world. Students will examine substantive law and policy issues from multiple, comparative perspectives. We will focus on topics such as the right to education; discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and disability; free speech rights; searches and seizures, and due process. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the first residency. |
3 |
| ELHE8203 | Social Justice and the Foundations of Higher Education Students will explore how higher education functions in relation to societal needs and social stratification. Students discuss the organization and structure of higher education in the U.S. and internationally as they analyze central issues affecting higher education today. This course will meet online in the fall term. |
3 |
| ELHE8206 | Leading Teaching and Learning This course teaches students to apply learning theory, student development theory, and adult development theory to practical issues around teaching and learning in higher education. The course helps students to understand the contours of learning, teaching, and curriculum with a critical lens, including key trends and relevant issues in higher education institutions and systems around the world. This course will meet online in the fall term. |
3 |
Elective I and II Students will select two electives to take in the fall, spring, or summer semester after the first residency. Students choose from over 30 elective options to select courses that align with their professional goals in strategic management and leadership, international higher education, and socially-just leadership. Examples of electives include:
|
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8205 | Managing Change in Higher Education This course discusses models of governance, locus of control, leadership, and strategic environments for American and international institutions of higher education. It provides students with an understanding of strategic management and leadership, including goal definition, organizational and environmental analysis, and decision-making to effect positive change in their organization and society. Prominent higher education leaders will co-instruct sections of this course. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as abroad during the second summer residency. |
6 |
| ELHE8204 | Data Literacy This course introduces students to data management and evaluation and assessment. Students are introduced to federal, state, and institutional datasets to understand how higher education policymakers use data to inform decision-making. The course teaches students to consider the ethical and political implications of how data are produced and used to inform policy-making. Additionally, students will come to better understand how data practices within their own institution relate to broader administrative data systems. This course will meet online in the spring term. |
3 |
| ELHE8207 | Data Driven Decision Making This course introduces students to the fundamentals of designing a research study, analyzing data, reporting results, and making recommendations for practice. This includes developing familiarity with a variety of analytic methods and designs, selecting researchable problems, and outlining study designs. This course will meet online in the spring term. |
3 |
Elective III and IV Students will choose two electives to take in the fall, spring, or summer after the second residency. Students choose from over 30 elective options to select courses that align with their professional goals in strategic management and leadership, international higher education, and socially-just leadership. Examples of electives include:
|
3 |
The program culminates in a project-based executive dissertation where students develop data informed insights to address a complex problem of practice. Students support each other in teams as they complete individual projects aligned with their personal goals and interests. Preparation for the executive dissertation is integrated throughout the program so students are well-prepared for success in the final phase of the program.
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8208 | Strategic Problem Solving through Design Thinking Strategic design thinking drives innovation and can be a significant factor in a leader’s ability to solve problems. Students will learn principles and various phases of design-thinking as they practice creative problem-solving in the context of a partner institution. Topics include problem identification, needs assessment, and the role of technology. Content will include team projects, case studies, and guest lectures from experts in higher education and in design thinking. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the third summer residency. |
6 |
| ELHE8209 | Executive HE Dissertation Seminar I The goal of the seminar is to aid students in completing the first steps of their executive dissertation projects, beginning data collection, analyzing data, and starting a draft of their executive dissertation. |
3 |
| ELHE8210 | Executive HE Dissertation Seminar II Students are expected to work on their projects a minimum of 10 hours per week. |
3 |
Catholic Higher Education Concentration
As an extension of Boston College's scholarship in Catholic education, students also have the option to pursue a concentration in Catholic Higher Education – currently the only graduate program in the United States with this unique degree concentration.
The goal of this optional concentration is to engage students in articulating, animating and assessing the characteristics of a vibrant 21st-century Catholic college or university. Students will join in formative activities including opportunities for communal prayer and liturgy, meals and dialogue with relevant leaders, and ongoing professional development on current topics in Catholic Higher Education.
The optional concentration will consist of 3 courses (9 credits) taken as electives. Students will also attend the annual Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education during their final summer residency, providing an opportunity to network with a broad international Catholic administrator community.
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8201 | Doctoral Proseminar for Ed.D. in Higher Education Students are introduced to the expectations for doctoral work. Topics include community norming, group processes and communication, evidence-informed praxis, and the fundamentals of translating research to practice and practice to research. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the first residency. |
3 |
| ELHE8202 | Law, Policy, and Politics of Higher Education in the (Inter)National Context This course focuses on policy, law, and contemporary higher education issues and trends in the U.S. and across the world. Students will examine substantive law and policy issues from multiple, comparative perspectives. We will focus on topics such as the right to education; discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and disability; free speech rights; searches and seizures, and due process. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the first residency. |
3 |
| ELHE8203 | Social Justice and the Foundations of Higher Education Students will explore how higher education functions in relation to societal needs and social stratification. Students discuss the organization and structure of higher education in the U.S. and internationally as they analyze central issues affecting higher education today. This course will meet online in the fall term. |
3 |
| ELHE8206 | Leading Teaching and Learning This course teaches students to apply learning theory, student development theory, and adult development theory to practical issues around teaching and learning in higher education. The course helps students to understand the contours of learning, teaching, and curriculum with a critical lens, including key trends and relevant issues in higher education institutions and systems around the world. |
3 |
| ELHE7504 | Religion and Higher Education This course explores the historical, sociological and cultural dynamics between religion and higher education. After preliminary discussion of the nature of education and religion from a socio-political perspective, we examine the historical foundations of contemporary higher education with roots in Church sponsored enterprises. Topics include secularism, modernity, and challenges to the integration of faith and intellectual life. Additional topics include; religious pluralism; religion in secular higher education; legal issues surrounding religion and higher education; modernism, postmodernism, post-secularism and the tensions and opportunities that these cultural/intellectual movements pose for religion and higher learning in a modern, democratic, pluralistic society. This course will meet online in the spring term. |
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8205 | Managing Change in Higher Education This course discusses models of governance, locus of control, leadership, and strategic environments for American and international institutions of higher education. It provides students with an understanding of strategic management and leadership, including goal definition, organizational and environmental analysis, and decision-making to effect positive change in their organization and society. Prominent higher education leaders will co-instruct sections of this course. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as abroad during the second summer residency. |
6 |
Elective I Students will choose an elective with the help of their advisor. This course will be taken online during the summer term. |
3 | |
| ELHE8204 | Data Literacy This course introduces students to data management and evaluation and assessment. Students are introduced to federal, state, and institutional datasets to understand how higher education policymakers use data to inform decision-making. The course teaches students to consider the ethical and political implications of how data are produced and used to inform policy-making. Additionally, students will come to better understand how data practices within their own institution relate to broader administrative data systems. This course will meet online in the spring term. |
3 |
| ELHE8207 | Data Driven Decision Making This course introduces students to the fundamentals of designing a research study, analyzing data, reporting results, and making recommendations for practice. This includes developing familiarity with a variety of analytic methods and designs, selecting researchable problems, and outlining study designs. This course will meet online in the spring term. |
3 |
| ELHE7503 | Catholic Higher Education This course offers an historical, philosophical, cultural and organizational overview of Catholic higher education through a survey of current scholarship and related Church documents, and an examination of the role of Catholic higher education and its relationship with the Church, contemporary academic culture, and the broader society. This course will engage students in an analysis of contemporary issues facing Catholic higher education particularly, faith and reason, the Catholic intellectual tradition, Catholic social thought, governance & leadership models, student formation, and assessment of institutional mission, identity, and culture. This course will be taken online during the spring term. |
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE8208 | Strategic Problem Solving through Design Thinking Strategic design thinking drives innovation and can be a significant factor in a leader’s ability to solve problems. Students will learn principles and various phases of design-thinking as they practice creative problem-solving in the context of a partner institution. Topics include problem identification, needs assessment, and the role of technology. Content will include team projects, case studies, and guest lectures from experts in higher education and in design thinking. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the third summer residency. |
6 |
| ELHE7501 | Catholic Higher Education: Administration & Leadership This course explores contemporary issues, organizational and governance structures, and the distinct characteristics of successful mission-driven leadership at Catholic Colleges and Universities. Global perspectives with a focus on effective campus policy development, strategic planning, and assessment are included. Students will engage with current research, historical literature, Church documents, lectures and group exercises. A unique component to this course is participation in the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education (IACHE) - a four-day seminar for senior administrators and leaders in Catholic higher education from around the globe. This course will meet online during the summer term as well as on-campus during the third summer residency. |
3 |
| ELHE8209 | Executive HE Dissertation Seminar I The goal of the seminar is to aid students in completing the first steps of their executive dissertation projects, beginning data collection, analyzing data, and starting a draft of their executive dissertation. This course will meet online in the fall term. |
3 |
| ELHE8210 | Executive HE Dissertation Seminar II Students are expected to work on their projects a minimum of 10 hours per week. Students will be working in capstone groups, meeting periodically with their capstone advisor. |
3 |
Affiliated Faculty
Professor Ellen Hazelkorn
Emeritus Professor and Director, Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU), Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)
Dr. Ariane de Gayardon
Researcher, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente
Financial Aid
Education should level the playing field. We feel the same way about financial aid.
The Lynch School of Education and Human Development provides more than $8.4 million in financial aid to students each year. As a result, the quality of BC’s instruction, the benefit of our alumni network, and the impact a BC degree will have on your employment options is both affordable and invaluable.
Apply
PrintApplication & Deadlines
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Prerequisite Information: To be eligible for the EdD program, applicants must already hold a master's degree and have 7 years or more of professional experience in higher education or a higher education-adjacent field.
A non-refundable application fee of $75 is required. The fee is waived for select applicants.
Summer 2023:
- Deadline: December 1
This program does not offer rolling admission after the deadline.
Resume
To be uploaded to your online application.
In addition to your academic history and relevant volunteer and/or work experience, please include any licenses currently held, any social justice-related experience, any language skills other than English, and any research experience or publications.
Personal Statement
To be uploaded to your online application.
In lieu of a traditional personal statement, we ask for responses to each of the following questions. Please number the questions and limit your response to each question to 500-750 words.
- How does the Ed.D. program at Boston College align with your future professional goals?
- What are the issues, problems of practice, and intellectual growth areas you hope to explore during the Ed.D. program?
- What are the skills, experiences, and values you will bring to your cohort and the higher education community at Boston College
- (Optional) We are committed to our students' ability to thrive in the program. Is there anything else you would like to share with the program's faculty? We welcome learning about what supports would best meet your needs as you prepare for this next stage in your professional development.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required with at least one required from an academic source. Applicants may submit one additional recommendation of their choice. Academic letters are a better indicator of your qualifications for doctoral work as compared to professional letters. Ideally, academic letters should be as recent as possible, and from faculty who are in fields related to education.
Transcripts
Transcripts from all college/university study are required.
Applicants who have received degrees from institutions outside the United States should view the "International Students" section for additional credential evaluation requirements.
Please begin your online application before submitting your transcripts. Details on how to submit transcripts and international credential evaluations can be found within the application. In order to ensure your transcript reaches our office, it is important to review and follow the instructions.
Standardized Tests
The EdD program does not require the GRE for admission. You may submit GRE scores, but applicants are not required to do so.
For more information about the GRE exam, including test dates and testing sites, visit https://www.ets.org/gre.
Lynch School of Education and Human Development GRE Code: 3218
Please view the "International Students" section for information on English Proficiency test requirements.
Writing Sample
To be uploaded to your online application.
A writing sample from the applicant’s current or former position is required. The writing sample should showcase the applicant’s analytic thinking and writing skills. It can be any written product from your current or former job in which you were the primary author, such as an academic paper, a proposal, a report, an evaluation, etc. Applicants are welcome to preface the sample with a brief summary that explains the background of the paper to provide context for the Admissions Committee. There is no word limit for this submission.
International Students
Applicants who have completed a degree outside of the United States must have a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript(s) completed by an evaluation company approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Submission of falsified documents is grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University.
Applicants who are not native speakers of English and who have not received a degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction must also submit a TOEFL or IELTS test result that meets the minimum score requirement.
Please click the link below for full details on these requirements.
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