Education degree seeking students now have another option to pursue at Missouri State University.  

The university will offer the Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Education Change beginning in fall 2025. This is the first doctoral degree offered by the College of Education. 

 “This degree is for individuals who want to assume leadership in not just schools, but also in universities and education-related nonprofits,” said Dr. Nicole West, the program’s director and an associate professor. “This degree is less about any particular educational institutional type, as it is about impacting and transforming education.” 

 “It is in direct alignment with the university’s public affairs mission to create culturally competent, ethical leaders who are community engaged. Developing this program is living out our mission in a tangible way.” 

Degree details 

The EdD is a part-time, seated and cohort-based program for education professionals. This 55-credit hour degree is designed to be completed in three years and will culminate in a dissertation-in-practice. It includes: 

• A core curriculum of 25 credit hours 

• A specialized area of interest of 18-28 credit hours 

• Dissertation-related coursework of 12 credit hours  

“This curriculum was built with adult learners and working professionals in mind,” West said. “It can be tailored to each student’s specific interests and aspirations.”   

Applications for the first cohort of 15 will open Sept. 5.  

Carnegie Project  

With the program’s launch, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate invited Missouri State to join its network of more than 135 institutional members that are redesigning professional practice preparation in education for the improvement of PK-20 education.   

CPED institution members are a network that stimulates each institution’s work and provides space for sharing, learning and providing feedback in a national dialogue.   

“The EdD is really its own degree. It’s a professional degree focused on enhancing educational systems and practices,” West said. “The Carnegie Project brings together institutions with similarly focused EdD programs and leverages their expertise to improve programs nationwide.”   

New members are chosen through a rigorous application process and evaluated by a membership committee comprising leaders of current CPED members.