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Online Ed.D. in Education Administration | OU Online

36+ MONTHS

18 COURSES

54 HOURS

$550/CH

Make informed decisions in complex settings

The OU Online Doctor of Education in Education Administration is a 100% online, 54-credit-hour program that takes 36 months to complete. Led by renowned educational leaders and scholars from OU’s Jeanine Rainbolt College of Education, the program emphasizes relationship-building in a cohort model through community groups, networking events, and collaborative projects. The program, accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), culminates with a problem of practice dissertation completed during coursework in the program's third year.

Choose from the following tracks:

PK-12 Educational Leadership

Learn cutting-edge research and leadership skills to help advance your career in PK-12 school district-level education, including assistant, associate, and superintendent positions and human resources administration.

Higher Education Leadership

Apply current scholarship and research skills to advance your career in colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations. You’ll be prepared for positions in student affairs, student support services, institutional research, and higher-level positions like dean or provost.

Admission Deadline

Rolling admissions (applications due 14 days before the intended start date).

Program Start Terms

Summer

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Benefits of the Education 
Administration Doctoral Degree

Meet Today’s Growing Demand

As today’s educational landscape grows increasingly complex, there is a growing need for quality leaders who can meet these new challenges. Become equipped with the advanced knowledge and skills others lack and become an educational change agent in your organization.

Strong Career Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of postsecondary administrators is projected to grow 4 percent by 2032. An estimated 15,300 job openings are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of these openings will result in the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or retire.

Flexible Format

Learn in a flexible, online program designed for working professionals. You’ll engage in discussion with professors and fellow students with opportunities to work together and collaborate.

80%

OU Online graduates find employment within six months after graduation*

60%+

OU Online graduates report earning an annual salary of $75,000 or more*

78%

OU Online students say the skills they gained in their program made them more competitive in their career field*

*Source: OU Online Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2023

row of several students with laptops in a lecture hall

Pursue Your 
Education 
Administration
Doctoral Degree

Take the next step in your career with a degree from the University of Oklahoma. Applications are reviewed year-round for fall, spring, and summer sessions. Choose your program, choose your start, and apply today.

Program Breakdown

OU Online’s Doctor of Education in Education Administration program is structured to prepare students for job advancement and leadership by cultivating a deeper understanding of challenges in today’s educational settings. Students will learn how to lead change in their careers and gain the tools necessary to make positive and lasting changes in the organizations and educational settings in which they interact.

The program hosts monthly coffee chats each Friday where students can network with faculty and industry leaders. After completing year two, students will have the option to attend an immersion experience on campus.

This program offers two tracks – PK-12 Educational Leadership or Higher Education Leadership. Students can begin their curriculum in summer or fall terms. Courses will contain both asynchronous and synchronous components. Synchronous sessions are optional and will be recorded for playback.

PK-12 Educational Leadership Track

  • Applied Quantitative
  • Theoretical Paradigms in Education
  • Visionary Leadership
  • Qualitative Inquiry for Practitioners
  • Program Evaluation
  • Instructional Leadership in Educational Administration
  • Dissertation Development & Advisory
  • Educational & Community Relations
  • Strategic & Financial Planning in Education
  • Special Education Law
  • Prospectus Development
  • Proseminar
  • Advanced Inquiry
  • Readings for Prospectus
  • Internship
  • Policy Planning and Development

Higher Education Leadership Track

  • Visionary Leadership
  • Strategic & Financial Planning in Education
  • Administration of Adult & Higher Ed
  • Proseminar
  • Applied Quantitative
  • Readings for Prospectus
  • Theoretical Paradigms in Education
  • Program Evaluation
  • Educational Technology Leadership
  • Educational & Community Relations
  • Special Education Law
  • Qualitative Inquiry for Practitioners
  • Critical Literature in Adult & Higher Ed
  • Diversity Issues in Higher Ed
  • Dissertation Development & Advisory
  • Prospectus Development
  • Advanced Inquiry

How to Apply

Admissions to the online Doctor of Education in Education Administration are selective. To be considered, you must have a conferred master’s degree from an accredited institution.

To apply, students must:

  • Complete the online application at https://gograd.ou.edu/apply/
  • Submit a current resume
  • Provide official college transcripts from all institutions for both undergraduate and graduate degrees
  • Submit a one-page problem of practice purpose statement that you are considering for your dissertation in the program (600-750 words). Include the following components in your statement: 
    • Background on the setting (e.g., school district, higher education institution, or non-profit organization)
    • Description of the problem of the practice
    • Importance of your problem of practice
  • It is understood that the dissertation topic/interests may change, so you are not locked into this proposal if you are accepted into the program.  
  • International students must demonstrate English proficiency.

*The summer and fall cohorts for this program are currently at capacity. 

The admissions committee operates under a rolling admissions process, and admissions may continue until two weeks before classes start. The program strives to respond to applicants within one week of submitting a completed application.

For more information about the admissions process, please complete the contact form below, and an admissions counselor will be in touch shortly.

If you would like to compare the estimated cost of your program with a typical financial aid package, use the cost calculator on our OU Online financial aid page. 

Graduate tuition waivers cannot be applied to OU Online programs. OU Online programs qualify for the OU Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver & Fee Exemption, and we encourage you to check your eligibility.  

Tuition waiver and fee exemption package application

If you have questions regarding financial aid for your online program, please get in touch with the Online Aid office by emailing onlineaid@ou.edu or calling 405-325-2929.

education administrator in a library

Same Academic
Excellence

Like every OU Online program, the Ed.D. in Education Administration is built on the foundation of world-class University of Oklahoma faculty mixed with professors of practice providing valuable instruction. By linking industry experts with our online programs, we offer the most advanced curriculum and prepare students for future career success.

An Investment in Your Future

Earning a Doctor of Education in Education Administration from OU Online gives you the advanced knowledge necessary to make informed and effective decisions in complex educational settings. You’ll learn to develop and implement strategic plans that drive positive change and innovation in educational organizations, gaining an expanded professional network as part of the global OU alumni community.

Tuition and fees for the program are $29,700 ($550 per credit hour). Books and additional materials are not included.


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Why OU Online?

We are a top-tier public institution offering high-quality, affordable, professional undergraduate and graduate programs committed to maintaining academic excellence online.

Our Online Programs

Every OU Online program is built on the foundation of world-class faculty mixed with professors of practice providing valuable instruction. By linking industry experts with our online programs, we offer the most advanced curriculum and prepare students for future career success.

Our OU Family

When you graduate from an OU Online program, you’ll join the network of 250,000 OU alumni and be forever part of the OU family. Become part of the tradition of excellence that OU has established in its 130-year history.

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