College of Education and Human Development

Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Degree overview
The Educational Leadership program in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development has offered a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree since 1982. The program has largely served a population of practitioners in Maine who have sought to deepen their understanding of schools, districts, state and national policy, and leadership practice in PK-12 schools. In sync with recent national conversations around the restructuring of Ed.D. programs, the University of Maine was proud to relaunch a revised Ed.D starting in the summer of 2018, has started a second cohort in summer of 2020, and will start a third cohort in summer of 2022. The cohort starting in 2022 will meet through an online video platform (Zoom), allowing members to learn from their office or home. Additionally, there will be one in-person Saturday class in Orono each semester as part of the intensive learning process to allow for ongoing interpersonal connection between Ed.D. students.

Program Structure
The UMaine Ed.D. program is designed to support the training of scholarly practitioners who will use the program to address a problem of practice. The competitive program supports educators in PK-12 leadership positions through a four-year design, where students take two eight-week classes in the fall, two eight-week classes in the spring, and one intensive class in the summer. UMaine is proud to address the social, political, cultural, spatial, and organizational contexts of leaders throughout Northern New England by bridging the gap between theory and practice, as well as supporting leaders to make better informed decisions using their laboratories of practice.

Program delivery
The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program consists of 51 credit hours, with the option to add either a 6 credit superintendent internship or curriculum coordinator internship. The cohort-based program allows leaders to learn theory in a contextual manner and apply their knowledge through connected methodology courses. An overview of the program is as follows:

• Foundations of Education (12 credits)
• Instructional Leadership Core (6 credits)
• Research and Evaluation (12 credits)
• Dissertation Planning and Execution (15 credits)
• Electives (6 credits)
• Optional Internship (6 credits)

Tuition and fees
For current information about tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s office.

To apply
Applicants interested in the University of Maine Ed.D. program will need the following:

• A recommended minimum 3.0 GPA from undergraduate coursework
• A recommended minimum 3.5 GPA from master’s coursework (totaling no less than 30 credits)
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary coursework (master’s and above)
• A completed application, which includes:
  • An updated resume/CV detailing educational experiences
  • A one page (250 words or less) description of the leadership role of the applicant, which typically includes superintendents, principals/assistant principals, curriculum coordinators, or department chairs
    • Preference will be given to applicants who have formal leadership roles to ensure they can control how they address a problem of practice
  • A three page (750 words or less) description of the problem of practice the applicant hopes to address, which includes:
    • Identification of the problem of practice and its relevance to the applicant’s leadership, specifically as it relates to the everyday practice of the applicant
    • Discussion of the contributing factors that exacerbate the problem of practice, and what has been done in the past to address the problem
    • Analysis of how the applicant hopes to address the problem of practice as they develop as a scholarly practitioner, and how they envision themselves being able to bridge the theory-practice gap
  • Three signed letters of recommendation
    • One letter should come from a school official/direct supervisor who can a) attest to an applicant’s qualifications, b) speak to support that will be offered to the applicant to address her/his problem of practice throughout the coursework, and c) address why the applicant’s problem of practice is important to address in the school system in which the applicant is a leader
    • Two letters should come from professors who have firsthand knowledge of the applicant’s ability to function as a scholarly-practitioner and conduct a rigorous study to address a problem of practice

For information about when a new Ed.D. in Educational Leadership cohort will begin, please contact Program Coordinator Dr. Ian Mette.