Interdisciplinary Leadership EdD Degree (Doctor of Education)

A network of successful peers and faculty

You will thrive in your cohort community of a dozen or more leaders from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Students in our online EdD program come from all over the world. And we invite you to a residency on our Omaha campus twice during the program. Through the flexibility of online learning and the activation of the in-person component, you’ll grow into a close network developing solid relationships with students and faculty.

Current student and retired military veteran Driko Parsons says, "Within my cohort and other cohorts that I've had the opportunity to work with, these folks are superstars. They're phenomenal people. They're at the top of their industries, providing sage advice, wisdom and leadership across the board. And here I am, learning from them."

You’ll find this diverse academic unit comprised of different backgrounds and industries creates a rich learning community that shares perspectives and insight in a supportive learning environment. From faculty to technical support, you will have what you need to be successful. Together, we create an experience no other program can match.

Meet our program faculty.

Program Details

The Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership program is 60 credit hours. Online flexibility means you can focus on your education on your schedule to balance your education with your work and life. Creighton’s online experience includes minimal residency requirements. You’ll complete a selection of electives, research and dissertation courses, plus the Core Curriculum. Courses include Leadership Styles and Reflective Practice, Leadership and Applied Ethics, Social Justice and Leadership, Organizational Theory and Behavior, Administrative and Policy Issues and more.

View the program curriculum via Creighton’s academic catalog.

Students in the EdD program will also complete a dissertation in practice. They will select a real-world problem related to their field, collect and analyze data, summarize findings and draw conclusions. Students will also articulate a potential solution to the real-world problem they identified, with the expectation that they improve upon the challenge they identified. This culminates in a final dissertation in practice paper and oral defense.

What to Expect

Weekly

As we keep Cura Personalis of our students and faculty front and center in our program, we try to allow our community as much flexibility on the weekend as possible. We recognize family engagements and self-care are critical to the sustainability and prevention of burnout amongst our students and faculty. We acknowledged it and took the opportunity to meet our community where they are.

Initial discussion board posts are due on Sunday evening, allowing our working professional students to best utilize their time to read and prepare a high-quality initial post. Major course assignments such as papers, reflections, and other projects are due Wednesday evening. You come to value this cadence as it gets you into a predictable rhythm and flow.

Residency

For the first residency, we try to cover everything from introductions, student panels, faculty panels, and class resources that help you be successful, better understand the program and feel a part of the Creighton Community.

You’ll also come to campus halfway through your program. Past students say they built solid relationships during the first residency and like the opportunity to come back to campus to rekindle the cohort. The main goal of the second residency is getting students prepared for their dissertation. There will also be a service-learning component around a problem-based leadership practice.

Outcomes

The Creighton EdD program’s interdisciplinary cohort approach allows you to build relationships that last long after the program ends. As a result, you’ll receive a robust interdisciplinary education, expand your professional network with a thriving alumni community and boost your career advancement.

Nick Argento, EdD’20, says, “I'm forever grateful to the faculty and to my other classmates for the ideas that they exchanged. For the criticism. For the intention. For the care. I haven't seen that in other programs. And one of the best academic decisions I’ve ever made in my life was to enroll in this program.”

Learn more in our blog post “How a Doctorate in Leadership Can Help You Make a Difference in Any Industry.”