Teaching and mentoring people puts you in a position to lead educational or community organizations. Your degree program is designed for master’s prepared professionals from every career path. Highly individualized, with mentoring and dissertation support built-in from the start, USF’s Ed.D. program is literally designed for you.
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at the University of St. Francis brings together practitioner-scholars to support doctoral candidates in learning and scholarship. The program is a combination of research, experiential learning, and shared knowledge about the key skills needed to lead, inspire, and educate.
Online and personal
Experienced faculty provide personalized guidance throughout the program, which offers the following two concentrations:
- Leadership, Learning, and Stewardship
- Superintendent Endorsement
Leadership, Learning, and Stewardship (60 credit hours) offers meaningful skills and perspectives on educational, social, political, and organizational leadership. It is designed for those pursuing higher level educational, corporate, health care and other leadership positions in public organizations, private sector companies, and service-oriented organizations.
Instruction in this concentration may be offered in blended, hybrid, and online modalities enhanced through virtual support.
Superintendent Endorsement (60 credit hours) is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for administrative endorsement on the Professional Educator’s License. It is designed for educators who hold a General Administrative or Principal endorsement on their Professional Educator License and want to pursue district-level leadership.
Instruction for this concentration is delivered face-to-face and online.
Candidates may be eligible for a focused program to earn the Superintendent endorsement only.
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. College of Education programs are further approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (isbe.net).
Post-graduate students will be considered for admission to the university after completing the program application and additional admission requirements noted. All admission requirements are subject to final approval by the dean of the college.
- Official transcript documenting the appropriate undergraduate and graduate degrees from a regionally accredited institution
- Verification of a graduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Letter of Application
- Letter of Recommendation
Superintendent applicants, submit one from current superintendent. Leadership, Learning & Stewardship applicants, submit one from current supervisor. - Resume
- Evidence of ISBE General Administrative or Principal endorsement or equivalent from another state Superintendent concentration only.
- Interview
Applicants may request that transfer credit from an accredited doctoral program approved by the Illinois State Board of Education be accepted.
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