Leadership and Innovation (EdD)

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Program Description
Career Opportunities
Admissions

Program Description

The EdD in Leadership and Innovation is a rigorous online doctoral program that can be completed in as few as 24 months. The program combines the discipline of a top-tier university with an innovative approach to education and leadership. Rooted in a rigorous, cohort-style academic experience, this advanced degree program is designed for cross-sector leaders who are motivated to create change in education and organizational learning. Coursework culminates in a completed Problem of Practice, an innovation or improvement study embedded in the student’s professional organization, which drives the actionable and practice-focused nature of the degree. This program serves current leaders from across sectors who understand that by working and learning together, they can affect sustainable and scalable change in their organizations.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the EdD, Leadership and Innovation program emerge as versatile leaders prepared to tackle complex challenges across education, government, non-profits, healthcare, for-profit corporations, and philanthropy on a global scale. They assume key roles such as executive directors, chief officers, policy advisors, and academic deans, shaping policies, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration. Whether serving as superintendents in education, policymakers in government, healthcare administrators, or executives in corporations, they leverage their leadership and innovation expertise to enact meaningful change. Some transition to academia, while others embark on sectoral shifts, demonstrating a commitment to driving impactful initiatives and addressing societal challenges with vision and purpose.

Admissions

Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:

Résumé/CV
Statement of Purpose
Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts
Proficiency in English

See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.

See Admission Requirements for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

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Program Requirements
Case Study Project

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 42 credits beyond the master’s degree, comprised of the following:

Course List
Course	Title	Credits
Major Requirements
EDLED-GE 3016	How Do We Learn & Why Does It Matter?	1
EDLED-GE 3006	Introduction to Doctoral Studies	1
AMLT-GE 2053	Organizational Theory	3
EDLED-GE 3208	Management and Ethics of Data	3
EDLED-GE 3032	Leadership I	3
EDLED-GE 3321	Management of Resources	3
EDLED-GE 3001	Research Methods in Education Leadership and Policy Studies.	3
EDLED-GE 3004	Cross-Sector Policy Analysis	3
EDLED-GE 3219	Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership	2
or EDLED-GE 3215	Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership
EDLED-GE 3218	Quantitative Methods in Education Leadership II	3
or EDLED-GE 3217	Qualitative Research Methods II
EDLED-GE 3216	Organizational Change and Innovation	3
EDLED-GE 3195	Capstone I	2
EDLED-GE 3033	Leadership II	2
EDLED-GE 3096	Partnerships for Leveraging Impact	2
EDLED-GE 3196	Capstone II	2
EDLED-GE 3198	Master Speaker Series	2
EDLED-GE 3197	Capstone III	2
EDLED-GE 3199	Capstone IV	2
Total Credits		42

Case Study Project

Students complete four culminating elements as part of the case study project:

Leadership

Students are required to write an auto-ethnography in this course. The auto-ethnography is an examination of the student’s educational and leadership development, the milestones the student has achieved as a professional.

Research Methods

Students are required to conduct an analysis (SWOT) of their own organization (or if students are not in an organization at the time of the assignment, they will be placed with one). The analysis entails students assessing the organization for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in its culture and overall functioning.

Capstone I and II

Students are required to identify a problem of practice (POP) emerging from their SWOT assignment; shape a research question; develop a POP proposal; develop a bibliography; conduct a research project for the POP; and demonstrate the potential solution or impact of the POP on the organization.

Final Capstone Project

Students will present their final POP to their POP chair and committee.

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/Term		Credits
EDLED-GE 3016	How Do We Learn & Why Does It Matter?	1
EDLED-GE 3006	Introduction to Doctoral Studies	1
	Credits	2
2nd Semester/Term
AMLT-GE 2053	Organizational Theory	3
EDLED-GE 3208	Management and Ethics of Data	3
	Credits	6
3rd Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3032	Leadership I	3
EDLED-GE 3321	Management of Resources	3
	Credits	6
4th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3001	Research Methods in Education Leadership and Policy Studies.	3
EDLED-GE 3004	Cross-Sector Policy Analysis	3
	Credits	6
5th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3219 or EDLED-GE 3215	Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership or Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership	2
	Credits	2
6th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3216	Organizational Change and Innovation	3
EDLED-GE 3218 or EDLED-GE 3217	Quantitative Methods in Education Leadership II or Qualitative Research Methods II	3
EDLED-GE 3195	Capstone I	2
	Credits	8
7th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3033	Leadership II	2
EDLED-GE 3096	Partnerships for Leveraging Impact	2
EDLED-GE 3196	Capstone II	2
	Credits	6
8th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3197	Capstone III	2
EDLED-GE 3198	Master Speaker Series	2
	Credits	4
9th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3199	Capstone IV	2
	Credits	2
10th Semester/Term
EDLED-GE 3120	Capstone V	0
	Credits	0
	Total Credits	42

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

Apply relevant principles and concepts drawn from a range of theories in leadership, organizational management, cross-sector partnership, and policy to initiate innovation and improvement efforts within their sector.
Conduct action research and use quantitative and qualitative analysis to measure outcomes and performance of an organization or program.
Develop multiple solutions to a POP through the systematic application of theory, research and reason, and ultimately, describe readiness for their organizational change using appropriate models/tools and communicate the plan to organizational and community stakeholders.

Policies

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NYU Policies
Steinhardt Academic Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Steinhardt Academic Policies

Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.