Online
Interdisciplinary Leadership EdD Degree (Doctorate)
Creighton's online Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Leadership (EdD) has developed emergent leaders for over a decade. The model culminates with a dissertation in practice, a unique opportunity for you to share your findings as a scholar and as a practitioner immediately. Our students continue to make a difference in their communities and across the globe every day.
Are you searching for a program that values your unique strengths and supports personal growth? Creighton’s EdD program helps you to examine and refine yourself as a leader. Our foundation is built on reflective practice, rigorous scholarship and unwavering support. Your dissertation is not destined for a dusty shelf but to be submission ready for a publication or conference in your professional area of interest. Creighton’s top-notch faculty has significant experience as scholars and practitioners across an impressive range of industries. They are ready to guide you at every step. You’ll be part of a diverse cohort of people from different professional backgrounds and regions of the world who will enrich your perspective with their unique experiences. Through this program, you’ll gain valuable skills to help communities and organizations become more authentic and effective and the proficiency to pursue a successful career in any industry where talent and passion are essential.
A network of successful peers and faculty
You will thrive in your cohort community with other leaders from diverse backgrounds and expertise worldwide. Our top-notch faculty have connections due to their journey as scholars and practitioners across a range of industries. Plus, our extensive alumni network offers even more opportunities for growth and development. In addition, you’ll have the chance to bond with your cohort members during our on-campus residency and attend optional on-campus learning opportunities each year.
Retired military officer Driko Parsons, EdD’23 says, “Within my cohort and other cohorts I’ve worked with, these folks are superstars. They’re phenomenal people. They’re at the top of their industries, providing sage advice, wisdom, and leadership. And here I am, learning from them.”
This diverse academic unit creates a rich learning community that shares perspectives and insight in a supportive learning environment. Together, we create an experience no other program can match.
Meet our program faculty
Step into a world where expertise meets passion, where the journey of knowledge intertwines with interdisciplinary backgrounds. Our faculty members are not just educators; they are mentors, guides and champions of academic excellence. As you embark on your academic journey, whether it's the inaugural steps of your first class or the pinnacle of your dissertation defense, our diverse faculty roster stands ready to inspire, challenge and support you. We invite you to dig deeper into the profiles of these distinguished individuals who will illuminate your path and shape your scholarly career.
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Leah Georges, PhD | Associate Professor and Program Director, Graduate School
“Our EdD program’s heartbeat is rooted in reflective practice, rigorous scholarship, and deep support from faculty and staff. Our program doesn’t seek to “change” you - you come to us already good and whole. Leaning into the Jesuit values, we ask our students to explore what makes them tick and, in turn, how that ‘you’ can be there for and with others - in the Jesuit tradition. Students explore their leadership philosophy, beliefs, and ideas and how those relate to the leadership they practice in their community or place of work.” Dr. Georges currently serves as the President of the Association of Leadership Educators - an organization dedicated to developing and expanding the field of leadership and helps keep Creighton on the cutting edge.
Program Details
The Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership is a 3-year, 51-credit program. The flexibility of online education allows you to focus on balancing school with work and life. In addition, you’ll network with your cohort during the 3-day on-campus residency. Our core curriculum focuses on leadership, ethics, social justice, organizational theory and policy issues. Plus, you choose various elective options, from toxic leadership to servant leadership, followership and more.
View the program curriculum via Creighton’s academic catalog.
Students in the EdD program will complete a dissertation in practice. This structure meets the needs of our practitioner-scholars. As an adult learner, you come to the classroom with rich experiences and meaningful stories. Your dissertation destination is not a dusty shelf but a submission-ready article for publication or a conference in your professional area of interest. The work you do at Creighton should make a difference right away – our approach to the dissertation in practice will help you do that. Our goal is to walk alongside you as you complete your degree and be intentional about getting you across the finish line.
Much of the dissertation experience occurs through coursework. While there is some work outside the usual curriculum, we walk with our students through the research process step by step, together, with the support of faculty and fellow cohort members.
What to Expect
Weekly
As we keep Cura Personalis (care of the whole person) front and center in our program, we try to allow our community as much flexibility as possible. We recognize that life balance is critical to the sustainability and prevention of burnout amongst our students and faculty and intentionally developed our program with the self-care of the whole student at the center of our program.
Currently, discussion board work is due on Sunday evening, allowing our working professional students to utilize their time best to read and prepare a high-quality post. Major course assignments such as papers, reflections, and other projects are due Wednesday evening. You will value this cadence, which gives you a predictable rhythm and flow.
Residency
For the on-campus residency, we strive to provide a comprehensive experience that includes student and faculty panels, class resources and opportunities to foster connection and build community. You’ll be on campus at the end of your first eight weeks of the program and will appreciate meeting the classmates you’ve already begun to bond with and understand. In addition, attendees will explore interdisciplinary leadership and dissertation research. Optional on-campus learning institutes allow students to meet one-on-one with faculty, receive writing support, and build camaraderie with peers. These learning institutes are not mandatory but provide valuable experiences many students appreciate. International students who require an I-20 visa will not be required to attend the residency on campus but will be required to attend virtually.
Outcomes
The Creighton EdD program’s interdisciplinary approach allows you to build relationships that last long after the program ends. With adaptable knowledge and skills gained from our rigorous, research-based program, you’ll be prepared to pursue a successful career in business, healthcare, criminal justice, education, government or any industry where talent and passion are essential.
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.”
degrees conferred in 2021-2022
states and the District of Columbia represented in the program
countries represented in the program
students enrolled in the program in 2021-2022
EdD Program Mission Statement
The interdisciplinary leadership program is a challenging, practitioner- and research-based doctoral degree for professionals looking to make a change in themselves, their communities and the world.
The Creighton online Education Doctorate (EdD) in Interdisciplinary Leadership is committed to developing ethical leaders through a values-based, practitioner-led learning approach. As a result, you are equipped with the transformative skills and leadership approach to positively impact the world.
- We believe leadership is practiced in both obvious and subtle ways by anyone willing to help (Lowney, 2003; Wheatley, 2006).
- We believe in preparing individuals to work for and with others by fostering a rich interdisciplinary learning environment.
- We believe in preparing individuals to embrace complexity by practicing self-reflection, an openness to diversity, and the integration of Ignatian values.
- We are diverse in the life experiences, ways of thinking, and knowledge base that faculty, staff, and students bring to the program.
- We are reflective scholar-practitioners focused on modeling the leadership our communities and workplaces need today and in the future.
- Alongside critical thinking and social science methodologies, we use innovative, leading edge education approaches such as the emerging approach of interdisciplinary leadership, adult learning theory, and dissertations in practice to prepare individuals to work across differences to address complex problems.
Admission Requirements
- Application
- Personal statement
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts from all graduate-level coursework
- Master’s degree or equivalent professional degree
- Writing Sample (EdD Writing Exercise)
- Personal Interview (per request of admissions committee)
- Additional requirements for international students
Due to residency requirements, international students may face difficulties in this program, but are welcome to apply. Please work directly with your enrollment specialist to discuss your situation and how Creighton can support you.
International applicants must meet English language proficiency requirements
Dates and Deadlines
The table below details the enrollment deadlines and starting dates of courses for the current academic year. If you have any questions about dates, deadlines, or application materials, please contact an admissions advisor for personalized assistance.
ONLINE
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START CLASSES IN |
APPLY BY |
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August |
July 1 |
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January |
November 15 |
“Creighton's EdD program equips you to lead in complex, ever-changing environments. True leadership isn't just about what you know—it’s about how effectively you learn, adapt, and apply new knowledge to influence meaningful change.”
— Ret. Brigadier General Mark Towne, EdD Alumnus
“I was a strong leader, but I didn't understand why things happened. By going through [the EdD program], I finally understood why things worked, why they didn't work, how to make them better, how to run change efforts more effectively, how to be a stronger mentor, a better coach, and ultimately a professor of leadership.”
— Carly Speranza, 2015 Alumnae
“To be in the military, you have a certain level of resiliency and perseverance to make it through. Equally, you have that sort of dedication and striving for perfection to be inside this program. I would rank it in the top five experiences in my life.”
— E. Driko Parsons, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired, 2023 Alumnus
Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition rates change in the fall of each year. View the tuition and fees for this program.
Financial Aid
To help make your graduate studies at Creighton University more affordable, we encourage you to file the FAFSA to apply for financial assistance.
Have questions? Email or call a friendly financial specialist at 402.280.2731.
