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.

 

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

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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

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.

Connor's Center

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

What is the format?


100% online program with 1-week summer residences

How long will it take?


This part-time program takes 3 years to complete. 

When can I start?


Students begin in May and come to BC for their first summer residency in June.  

Meet Our Students

Xiaofeng Wan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
Stanton E. F. Wortham, Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean, Lynch School of Education and Human Development

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

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. 

Faculty

Affiliated Faculty

Photo of Professor Ellen Hazelkorn, Emeritus Professor and Director, Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU), Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)

Professor Ellen Hazelkorn
Emeritus Professor and Director, Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU), Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)

Photo of Dr. Ariane de Gayardon, Researcher, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente

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

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To be eligible for the doctoral 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. 

 

Application & Deadlines

Apply Now

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.

  1. How does the Ed.D. program at Boston College align with your future professional goals?
  2. What are the issues, problems of practice, and intellectual growth areas you hope to explore during the Ed.D. program?
  3. What are the skills, experiences, and values you will bring to your cohort and the higher education community at Boston College
  4. (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.

Requirements for International Students

Higher Education Program Highlights 

Contact Us

  gsoe@bc.edu
  617-552-4214