200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses
Advance Your Career with a Program Designed for Working Professionals Worldwide
Earn your Doctor of Education in Transformative Learning in the Global Community (EdD) at Webster University and prepare to make a difference through scholarship and service. Our program is online and global, creating an ideal opportunity for full-time professionals, international students and others looking to advance into educational leadership roles.
We Engage in Dynamic Intellectual Discourse on Contemporary Social Movements
Our program is designed with contemporary social movements in mind. Doctoral students engage in intellectual discourse throughout the program with a vision and passion. Doctoral students may choose between a dissertation and a doctoral digital portfolio for completing dissertation requirements, which is course-based and innovative for completing year-three requirements.
Choose Webster for a Doctor of Education Degree
Get One-On-One Apprenticeship Experience with a Faculty Mentor
Work together with faculty to co-author an article or conference proposal, design a new course or engage in service learning in the local community. Peer support and writing consultant groups offer additional opportunities for mentorship and networking.
Earn Your Degree Online
Webster sets the standard for global education. Our EdD degree is offered completely online (asynchronous).
Get Involved and Build Your Experience
We help create opportunities for our EdD students to join professional associations, present at national and international conventions and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Our research methods courses also offer hands-on experience in using data management and analytical software.
Save on Tuition Costs
We offer scholarships, tuition payment plans and other financial assistance. Many school districts offer tuition reimbursement for the program and salary boosts for full-time teachers who earn a doctoral degree (check with your district). EdS holders will also be waived 15 credit hours (equivalent to one year of coursework) in the EdD program.
Program Distinctions
Grow into a Scholar-Practitioner Through Professional Networking
We scaffold learning opportunities for our EdD students by encouraging them to join professional associations, present at national and international conventions, and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
The EdD program at Webster University is grounded in leadership, practice, theory and research; social consciousness, criticality and advocacy are central to our approach. The program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The EdD Program is an institutional member of the Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate (CPED), in recognition of our rigor and expertise in curriculum and program design.
Get One-On-One Apprenticeship Experience With a Faculty Mentor
Work together with faculty to co-author an article or conference proposal, design a new course or engage in service learning in the local community.
Our faculty members bring transdisciplinary expertise in global education and social justice to equip students with the knowledge and skills to conduct research in line with their professional and academic pursuits. These mentorship opportunities with professors offer unique ways to get involved and work together to make a difference in educational settings.
Experience Peer Mentorship Support With a Recent Graduate or Doctoral Candidate
Meet one-on-one or in small groups with a recent graduate or doctoral candidate for academic resources and career advice. Our program prepares doctoral candidates for career advancements via peer mentorship and other professional activities.
Career Advancements for EdD Graduates
Besides academic careers, our program graduates pursue professional opportunities in higher education, and K-12 leadership and administration. Our program graduates pursue careers primarily in four different categories:
- Category 1: Higher education faculty
- Category 2: Higher education administrative leaders
- Category 3: K-12 educators and leaders
- Category 4: Nonprofit organization leaders
Many of them have obtained promotions after earning their EdD degree. Success stories like the ones below attest to the quality of the program, as well as the excellent leadership qualities of our graduates.
Higher Education Faculty
Kerri Fair, EdD
Lecturer
Washington University in St. Louis
Kerri Fair, EdD, has K-12 leadership and higher education teaching experience. She presented at the American Educational Research Association Convention and conducted a transformative dissertation project on teacher burnout during her final year. Upon graduation, Fair went through rigorous academic interviews and was selected to be a full-time lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis.
“Working to submit a proposal to AERA for presentation, working to co-write an article, all of these things that I had been prompted in the program to try to do because it would support me later when I got to this point.”
Read More: Doctoral Candidate Accepts Faculty Job Offer at Washington University
Higher Education Faculty
Karen Hall, EdD
Assistant Professor; Director of Graduate Education Programs; Masters Degree Lead,
Educational Leadership
School of Education, St Louis University
Higher Education Administrative Leaders
Jessica Hanses
Doctoral Candidate
Registrar
Eden Seminary
Higher Education Administrative Leaders
John Link, EdD
Dean of Integrated Learning and Career Readiness
Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont
John Link, EdD, has substantial experience in higher education administration and was a featured presenter at the MidWest Association of Colleges and Employers Virtual Conference in 2020. In 2021, Link received the Gorlok Greats Award. Upon graduation, Link was selected to be an Associate Dean, and then was promoted to Dean at Bennington College in Vermont.
Read About Dr. Link as a Featured Presenter at Association of Colleges and Employers.
K-12 Educators and Leaders
Chavon Curry, EdD
Principal
St. Louis Public Schools
Chavon Curry, EdD, was selected to speak at the School of Education’s Commencement Ceremony in 2023. Her speech on “Triumph over Trauma” was full of life as it powerfully delivered the challenges of trauma-informed leadership in urban schools. Upon graduation, Curry was promoted to Interim Principal within St. Louis Public Schools.
K-12 Educators and Leaders
Lanetra Thomas, EdD
Assistant Superintendent
Hazelwood Schools
Nonprofit Organization Leaders
Trezette Dixon, EdD
Senior Director
The Fellows Experience at Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Trezette Dixon, EdD, had substantial administrative leadership experience in higher
education. Upon graduation, she was selected to be a Senior Director at a nonprofit
organization.
“My journey through Webster University's Doctor of Education program prepared me to
achieve my academic and professional goals while preparing me extensively for my current
role.”
Dixon took a few moments to share some of her insights and experiences with the program and the knowledge and career opportunities it afforded her.
Q: How did the EdD program prepare you for your academic and professional goals?
A: The EdD program gave me a deep understanding of the sociopolitical, socioeconomic and sociocultural contexts that shape our community. This social consciousness aspect of the program is directly relevant to the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative’s (SLBDI) mission of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the St. Louis metropolitan region's economic growth agenda through the leadership academy I will be overseeing.
The EdD program also nurtured my critical thinking and analytical capacity, enabling me to challenge the status quo and propose innovative solutions for advancing knowledge and specialty areas. This is essential as I undertake the ambitious campaign to inspire and mobilize future leaders toward the movement for equity and inclusion.
The program's emphasis on advocacy has equipped me with the skills to become a voice for the people I represent. Advocacy will be a crucial component of my role as I work to strengthen the regional workforce and support diverse-led businesses in scaling and prospering.
Finally, the value placed on cross-cultural research with global contextual relevancy in the EdD program directly aligns with the goals of the SLBDI to increase the St. Louis metro area's global competitiveness.
I am excited to leverage my academic and professional preparation to drive inclusive economic growth and create positive change in the St. Louis metro area and beyond.
Q: How did your peers and mentors support you in your doctoral journey?
A: My peers, cohort members and mentors in the doctoral program were essential in my successful completion of the coursework, dissertation writing and ultimately achieving the accomplishment of Doctor of Education I was able to thrive throughout the process because of the continuous encouragement, accountability, and uplifting provided by all I was blessed to have on this journey. Through their unwavering support, I was able to strengthen the intellectual stamina necessary for this journey.
Q: Any tips that you would like to share with our current doctoral students and prospective applicants?
A: I would encourage current doctoral students to connect with an accountability partner early in your academic journey. Partnering with a cohort member that shared a dissertation chair with me was my lifeline and helped me make it to the academic finish line. With additional encouragement from the cohort, our bond and commonality assisted me in facing the challenges in the process and celebrating the triumphs, creating a necessary balance. For our prospective applicants, I would like to assure them that the director, faculty and mentors meet you where you are and assist you in achieving what sometimes can feel unattainable. They provide a nurturing academic environment, full of opportunities for you to develop as an academic researcher and scholar and attain your goals and dreams.
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Find out more about the overall curriculum, electives and learning outcomes for a Doctor of Education degree at Webster.
You Can Complete a Doctoral Digital Portfolio Instead of a Dissertation
Our program offers a choice between a doctoral digital portfolio and a dissertation. The doctoral digital portfolio is course based and innovative, and transforms a traditional dissertation into a digitalized portfolio for a broader readership and impact.
Choose from One of Two Routes
Dissertation Route
A doctoral dissertation (can be a dissertation in practice) refers to the culminative
scholarly report focused on addressing a research or practice problem.
Why Dissertation?
- One-on-one with dissertation chair and committee.
- Recognized academic genre.
- Rigorous academic writing vetted via prospectus and oral defense.
Doctoral Digital Portfolio Route
A doctoral digital portfolio refers to a meaningful compilation of digital media that is designed, produced, and published by a doctoral candidate. It is accompanied by a scholarly or practitioner focused research report.
Why Doctoral Digital Portfolio?*
- Course based with professor guidance.
- Innovative with digital media possibilities.
- Broader readership and impact in the field.
- Digitally accessible for job interviews and research dissemination.
*In 2024–2025, 76% of students who selected the digital portfolio completed the program within three years, compared to 50% of those who pursued the dissertation track.
Program Spotlight on Doctor of Education (EdD)
Transcript
[Subtle Electronic music plays]
[Webster Hall building blurred with a blue tint and the title over it]
Text on screen: Doctor of Education (EdD) in large corn yellow print with “Transformative Learning in the Global Community” below it in a white smaller font. Webster’s logo is below the title.
[Dr. Chavon Curry, EdD, Principal, St. Louis Public Schools sits in a Webster Hall conference room with large, light-filled windows behind her.]
Curry: Webster's EdD program absolutely allowed me to have so many immersive experiences. Currently, as a school leader, I'm able to really use my doctoral research with trauma informed leadership and implement it every single day in our school systems. So it's embedded into the way that I lead my school, with the way that my counselor and social worker are going to classrooms and teach lessons.
So it's really like my research in real time that I've been able to implement it in my school, and it drives all my decisions.
[Kaci Lueking, EdD Student sits in a Webster Hall conference room with large, light-filled windows behind her.]
Lueking: One of the best features of the program for me has been just the really collaborative and supportive community that you get whenever you are a member of the EdD community here. Many of my professors up to this point are also recent alumni of the program. So they're not just teaching material, they’ve lived this journey. They are really there to support me every step of the way. I've never felt alone. I feel like I have a supportive cheer section every step of the way.
Curry: I definitely feel that my experience at Webster has helped me thrive in my career, from going from an
Assistant Principal to an Interim Principal to a permanent Principal. I've been able to thrive professionally, and I think that anyone who comes through the program will also be able to thrive, as well.
Corn Yellow text comes up on a medium blue screen: Apply Now!
Apply Now words fade out as the Webster logo appears over the medium blue background with the website, webster.edu/EdD.
The logo and call to action fade as the Webster Hall video appears on screen and then blurs with the blue gradient to show YouTube’s end card options. Viewers can subscribe to the channel or view another video from Webster University.
What Can You Do with a Doctorate Degree in Education?
The EdD program will create opportunities for you to advance in your academic and professional career. Many of our students aspire to become educator scholars or educator leaders in their local communities. Others seek administrative and various leadership roles in education, nonprofit and government sectors.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual pay for Postsecondary Teachers/Professors was $83,980 per year in 2024. Postsecondary Education Administrators earned a median pay of $103,960 per year, and Elementary, Middle and High School Principals* a median salary of $104,070 during the same time period.
Other popular career paths for our graduates include:
- Diversity Officer or Director for Educational Institutions
- Researcher or Administrator for Nonprofit Organizations
- Administrator for Government Agencies
*The EdD program does not lead to principal certification. Many EdD students already have the certification before joining the program.
Get Started on Your Doctor of Education (EdD) Program
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Contact the Admissions Office to Find Out More
If you have more questions about the program, your application or other enrollment-related inquiries, contact our Admissions Office.
Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or send an email to admit@webster.edu.