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.
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.”
