Western Education's EdD | Field of Educational Leadership

You’re a leader. You’re an influencer. You get things done. Now, take your leadership to the next level with our Doctor of Education in the Field of Educational Leadership.

The EdD allows you to create and use professional knowledge, which you can combine with academic knowledge, to solve complex problems that your team or organization face. Also, you will be equipped to lead significant change within your workplace.

The degree is offered in a cohort setting, which means you will study with the same group of students during the three years. This gives you the opportunity to develop a professional networking group where you can learn from and with each other.

Leadership focus

Real-world application

Study online

Finish in three years

What I like about my EdD program is the diversity of my cohort. I love engaging in rich and fulsome dialogue with my classmates from different professions and industries.

- Carlyn Tancioco, Graduate 2021

Beyond the program details

Admissions

See requirements and deadlines for updates on cohorts with space availability.

Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Intent, 3 letters of recommendation (from academic and/or professional supervisors, or equivalent), transcripts, a Writing Sample, and a current resume. Please review the links to additional information about the Statement of Intent and the Writing Sample before submitting an application to the EdD Program.

For admission to the EdD Program, typically applicants have 5 or more years of full-time work experience and a Master's degree*. Masters degrees in Educational Leadership or Educational Administration are preferred however other Masters degrees will be considered. Applicants should use their Statement of Intent and Resume to highlight how their education and leadership experience as an educator have led and prepared them to study Educational Leadership at the Doctoral level.

Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language. For more information go to requirements and deadlines

*Please note: If your Master’s Degree was your Program of Initial Teacher Education which certified you to teach in the K-12 system, it is considered equivalent to a Bachelor of Education, rather than a graduate degree. This type of Master’s is not eligible for admission to the EdD Program.

Required

A Master's degree in the fields of Educational Leadership, Educational Administration, or allied Degree. Master's degrees in other areas will be considered.
Minimum GPA of 3.5. Typically an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
Minimum three years of full-time work experience in an Educational Leadership role. OR,
Minimum five years of full-time work experience in a role allied with leadership such as a role in a community setting.
Formal or informal leadership experience in an educational setting, clearly demonstrated in your CV or Resume and Statement of Intent.
Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language. For more information go to the requirements and deadlines section of the apply page.

Tuition

Program information is subject to change. Full-time tuition amounts are set each year by Senate and then published on the Office of the Registrar's Fees Schedules web page. Full-time fees are paid per term (Fall, Winter, Summer) not by course.

For questions about fees, including how to pay fees and the methods of payment that are accepted, students should go to the Student Financial Services pages of the Office of the Registrar's web site or contact Student Financial Services (Office of the Registrar) at 519-661-2100.

Funding

The Faculty of Education recognizes the financial commitment required to pursue professional graduate studies.

Since the majority of our programs are fully online, we offer students flexible learning that allows them to fund their education by remaining in their current employment. Some employers offer subsidization or time release opportunities for the professional learning of their employees. As a result, internal funding is not available for these programs.

There are also many external funding opportunities for competitive candidates in our professional programs. Go to our current students fees and funding page for an additional list of over 30 external awards (see more information below). Also, visit online sites that contain numerous award opportunities.

Please note that students must apply for these awards individually. Read the qualifications carefully, and contact the award provider for more criteria and award information. Some application support is available from the Research Office for research-based awards only.

Many private financial institutions offer financing options (with particular rates and payment plans) to full-time students. Please contact a representative of your preferred financial institution for more information.

Provincial governments offer a variety of loan programs to help students finance their studies. Ontario residents may be eligible to apply for OSAP.

The Government of Canada's CanLearn website provides a listing of contact information for the offices of all government student financial assistance programs. Please visit CanLearn to find your province or territory listing. The Government of Canada implemented the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) to encourage higher education and training. The LLP allows you to withdraw up to $10,000 a year from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance training or education for you or your spouse or common-law partner. For further information on this plan, visit the government's lifelong learning plan website.

Technology

Fully online and hybrid professional programs provide students with synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities.

Online courses are available via the Sakai OWL platform. Access to a course in Sakai OWL is typically opened the first business day of each term. Please note that although your own access may be granted prior to the first business day, course content may not be posted until closer to the scheduled term start. Your Western University login and password is required to access the course (your Western email without the @uwo.ca and its accompanying password) are required to access to Sakai OWL can be found here: Sakai OWL.

For online courses, students are required to have access to the following:

High speed Internet access
Access to a computer that enables connection to outside websites (flexible firewall restrictions)
Multimedia playback capabilities (video/audio)
WebCam
Computer capable of running a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox; and/or Cisco MOVI client for PC or Mac
Audio headset and microphone for computer

Program information

Description

Western’s Doctorate of Education is a fully online, 3-year graduate program that enables you to further develop as an effective scholar-practitioner. In this program, candidates combine their professional leadership experience with academic knowledge to conceptualize innovative approaches to complex problems facing their team or organization.

The EdD in Educational Leadership is organized around the following foundational understandings in educational leadership whereby learning involves:

• a critical approach to the conceptualization of leadership, policy, and organizational improvement, where equity and social justice are foundational;
• a set of reflexive practices required for an educational leader;
• an intersectional analysis of equity and social justice;
• a demonstration of capacity and skills about interpreting and employing evidence;
• a commitment to ethics in leadership; and
• a relational understanding of leadership.

Applicants apply for 1 of 3 program cohorts for a September start date.

K-12 School Leadership Cohort

The K-12 School Leadership cohort focuses on theories of educational leadership and K-12 organizations in both research and practice. The program places specific emphasis on the Canadian context and draws from local, Canadian, and international literature.

Community Leadership Cohort

The Community Leadership Cohort focuses on interrogating and critically engaging with theories of leadership and organizations in both research and practice, as they relate to public, private, and non-governmental sectors.

Note: Applicants interested in the Community Leadership cohort are welcome to apply starting in October 2025 for the September 2026 start. Please contact edrecruit@uwo.ca for more information.

Higher Education Cohort

The Higher Education Cohort focuses on interrogating and critically engaging with theories of leadership and organizations in both research and practice, as they relate to leading and improving higher education institutions in global contexts.

Design

The EdD program is composed of 9 sequential, fully online courses and a final, Dissertation in Practice research project, which is the Organizational Improvement Plan. Course and program work take place year-round, normally allowing students to complete the program in three years. (Exceptions include parental leave, etc.) Students complete secondary research in this degree.

This program values the professional knowledge that students bring to this course-based program, and actively seeks to apply what students learn in coursework to their professional practice. As such, it is normal for applicants to be employed and to provide formal and/or informal leadership within their organization. Regular employment in a leadership capacity is a typical a condition of entry into the program.

To promote effective adult and online learning, and to enhance leadership in practice, the EdD program prioritizes teamwork, collaboration, and networking within and beyond the program. Students in this program may expect regular group activities, peer-to-peer learning, and synchronous (live remote) instructional sessions.

This program of study is a cohort model. Approximately 20 students will form each cohort. This cohort structure provides ongoing support within course work, enabling students to develop a professional community of practice. To ensure the integrity of the cohort model, continuous enrollment is required, and necessitates that students complete all the required courses within the timeframe stipulated.

Who

The EdD in Educational Leadership is well-suited for educational leaders whose primary career goal is advancing leadership effectiveness within K-12, higher education, or other organizations in which learning takes place.

This program attracts a range of formal and informal leaders, including educators and administrators in schools and higher education. Students are also leaders in non-profit agencies, police services, medical services, and other community organizations.

Please note that the EdD degree alone does not qualify you to teach in the K-12 school system in Canada or to become faculty at higher education organizations.

Objectives

The primary objective of the EdD in Educational Leadership Programs is to prepare thoughtful, reflective, and capable professional leaders who identify and solve complex problems in educational contexts. The program aspires to advance the habits of mind, hand, and heart in leaders in practice who strive to ensure excellence, equity, and social justice in education.

The program's concentration on educational leadership exposes students via their coursework to cutting edge research and emphasizes the application of theroy to practice. Students are encouraged to apply their research and theoretical knolwedge in their emergent roles as leadership and professionals within their own workplaces.

Timing

The EdD is designated as a full-time program. Full-time status requires that students complete four half-courses in one year. Students complete the equivalent of 11 half courses during the three-year program. This is a full time, three-year program of study, which requires significant demands on students’ time. It is common for students to spend 15-20 hours or more every week on their EdD studies, throughout the year. Applicants must be prepared to meet these demands should they be accepted into the EdD Program. Continuous enrollment is a requirement until all program requirements are met. Full-time students have access to all student services. See SGPS (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) for details.

Delivery

Cohort Model

This program of study is unique due to its cohort model for course progression. Approximately 20 students are admitted to each cohort. This cohort structure provides ongoing support throughout course work, enabling students to develop a professional community of practice. To ensure the integrity of the cohort model, continuous enrollment is required, and will necessitate that students complete all the required courses within the timeframe stipulated.

Student Engagement

Students engage in learning together through regular synchronous learning sessions over platforms such as zoom, through peer discussions, presentations, and collaborative peer review opportunities. Asynchronous learning involves individual reflective practices, assignment completion, and scholarly reading and writing.

Course Progession

Year 1 - Students complete one half course (0.5) in Fall term (12 weeks in length), one half Course (0.5) in Winter term (12 weeks) and 2 half courses (0.5) in the Summer term (eight weeks each, sequentially).

Year 2 - Students complete one 0.5 course in Fall (12 weeks in length), one 0.5 course in Winter (12 weeks) and one full course (1.0) in the Summer term (16 weeks).

Year 3 - Students write their Dissertation in Practice, in the form of an Organizational Improvement Plan during the 1.0 Fall/Winter course (24 weeks). The Dissertation in Practice is submitted and evaluated in the final summer term course (0.5). Continuous enrollment is required during all terms until completion.

Courses

EdD Educational Leadership Course Descriptions

Dissertation in Practice

The Dissertation in Practice is the final milestone in the EdD program. It is aligned with the program’s focus on contemporary and meaningful professional learning for students. By focusing on a Problem of Practice in the student’s workplace, the Dissertation in Practice draws from an evidence base of research, theory, and practice. The Dissertation in Practice is intended to be highly relevant to the work of leaders in schools, higher education, and other organizations.

In the EdD Educational Leadership, the Dissertation in Practice is a scholarly, applied Organizational Improvement Plan that examines organizational change in a particular context. This Dissertation in Practice provides students with the advanced knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions necessary for leading significant change within professional environments. In developing the Plan, students collaborate across many boundaries to identify and understand real Problems of Practice; design and develop solutions to those problems; and establish and grow institutional capacity.

Students who complete this Dissertation in Practice will:

Engage in significant learning, which goes beyond simply incorporating new information into previously existing schemata (e.g., challenges students’ beliefs and assumptions to such an extent that they commit to arguments not previously considered);
Share in learning that can make a productive and positive impact on practice (i.e., driven by an authentic Problem of Practice and used by practicing professionals) through various forms of systematic review; and
Manage a variety of forms of information and diverse venues of communication (e.g., publications and other forums for communication).

As a final milestone project, the Organizational Improvement Plan will offer the following:

Leadership effectiveness
Equity, ethics, and social justice
Complex systems
Use of extant data
Rigorous and systematic investigation of Problems of Practice
Understanding of how research is generated and applied
Organizational change through planning and measuring organizational improvement

To develop this Dissertation in Practice in the form of an Organizational Improvement Plan, students complete courses that focus on leadership and organizational change, organizational improvement, data synthesis, and critical analysis for organizational development. Throughout this study period, scholar practitioners begin to define their authentic Problems of Practice (i.e., a persistent, contextualized, and specific issue) embedded in their professional work or workplace. Within this Dissertation in Practice, each student must provide evidence of their ability to address a complex Problem of Practice by implementing systematic and scholarly approaches. Therefore, they conduct a thorough review of the literature and available data, which is then analyzed to inform problem-solving and decision-making. Since leadership for organizational improvement must influence multiple audiences and stakeholders, in-depth knowledge sharing plans are necessary for effective outcomes. Thus, findings and recommendations in this Dissertation in Practice, Organizational Improvement Plan related to organizational change are reported in a manner that elicits understanding and support from all stakeholders.

References

Skrla, L., Scheurich, J.J., Garcia, J., & Nolly, G. (2004). Equity audits: A practical leadership tool for developing equitable and excellent schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40, 133–161.

Program Distinctiveness

There are many reasons why Western Education’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is distinctive among doctoral programs in Canada. Here are our top reasons!

Practice-focused for the good of children, and society – At the highest level, our program focuses on promoting effective leadership that makes an indirect but positive change in education for the goal of achieving a more just and equitable society.
Work improvement and career advancement– Graduates will be qualified for a variety of formal and informal leadership roles in various public or private contexts. Most of our doctoral students work in settings related to their specializations as education leaders. For instance, our students find employment as leaders in school districts, curriculum development, teacher education, and other leadership positions.
Best in value– Current fees make this program among the least expensive fully online EdD programs in Canada, especially among Tier I Canadian universities.
Personalized learningopportunities – Enjoy highly-tailored learning, researching, and problematizing that focuses on a professional problem of practice currently affecting YOUR professional practice. See our areas of specialization.
Fully online coursework, yet highly collaborative program– Our online delivery offers highly engaging distance learning opportunities, including regular synchronous meetings. Collaboration and networking are key to the success of students in our program, and our cohort model guarantees plenty of opportunities for interaction with peers and other leaders in education. We use technology in thoughtful ways to improve student learning, while developing your technology skills as well! Learn more about being an online student.
Engaged faculty– Learn from a diverse range of faculty members with considerable research and practice experience in many leadership areas. Learn more.
Comprehensive student support– Expert resources are available to support students with their research, writing, and other learning needs, all at a distance.
High levels of student retention– Since 2013, our program has 90% student retention rate.
Opportunities through consortium membership with the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate,a knowledge forum on the EdD designed to increase rigorous as well as program applicability for working professionals in leadership. We are one of two Canadian members of CPED, and can guarantee a distinctive degree that is deeply influenced by evidence-based design principles.