Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Explore the doctoral courses that will prepare you to become a confident, effective leader in education. The course catalog outlines the required coursework for the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership, including foundations in organizational leadership, research methods, policy analysis, and strategic planning. Each course is designed to deepen your understanding of leadership theory and applied practice while strengthening your ability to make data-informed decisions, guide institutional improvement, and foster collaboration across educational settings. Through this advanced study, you’ll develop the analytical and leadership skills needed to navigate complex challenges and lead with integrity, creativity, and purpose.

A baccalaureate degree from an accepted institutional accreditor, or its equivalent from a foreign institution, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study.

Application and Fee

Prospective students are required to use our online system to create an account and submit an application. The application opens approximately one year in advance and is only good for the term and program in which it is submitted. Applicants who have submitted their application and wish to change their admission term or major/concentration may submit a new application and associated application fee. If you would like to cancel an open application, please contact us.

A $30 (USD) application fee is required regardless of previous enrollment. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived. Undergraduate application fees cannot be used for a graduate application, and vise versa. The application fee must be submitted prior to the review of an application.

Current students who would like to add or change a major, concentration or certificate should submit the Change of Concentration or Major form.

College Transcripts

All applicants must provide transcripts from a U.S. institution accredited by an accepted institutional accreditor or its equivalent from a non-US institution that awarded the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, if applicable, and transcripts from institutions where any post-baccalaureate and/or graduate credits were earned.

All admits must provide official transcripts.

All international transcripts will require a course-by-course evaluation by an approved third-party credential evaluation agency unless a graduate program has established an alternative credential evaluation procedure that is approved by the graduate school. To be accepted, the evaluation must be:

1. Translated to English and be the U.S. equivalent
2. Evaluated course-by-course
3. Include the overall academic GPA
4. Be from an approved third-party accredited evaluation service. Recommended evaluation agencies: 
   • SpanTran. They have created a custom application for UNF that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application through the SpanTran Application - UNF Graduate School portal.
   • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
   • World Education Services

• The UNF Graduate School cannot request transcripts on an applicants behalf.
• Unofficial transcript copies are accepted for admissions but must clearly state the institution name, student name, course information, terms, grades, and credits. Degree audits are not accepted. Admitted students will be prompted to provide official transcripts. 
• If currently enrolled in courses, an incomplete transcript must be submitted before the posted deadline. 
• Applicants who also have to apply through systems such as ATCAS or PTCAS, must submit separate transcripts to UNF. 
• Official transcripts must:
  • Must be less than one year old from the date of printing
  • Must be submitted in a sealed envelope from your institution, or emailed through official electronic means.
• When requesting college transcripts, please verify with your institution(s) whether or not they are able to submit electronic transcripts in the proper EDI format. Institutions can submit transcripts via e-mail to graduateschool@unf.edu from an approved vendor such as ScriptSafe, Credentials, or Parchment. 
• Former or current UNF students should not request UNF transcripts. After application submission, the UNF requirement will be updated to a "waived" status.

Where do I send transcripts?

UNF Graduate School
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224

graduateschool@unf.edu

• Resume
  • Three years of successful teaching experience, administrative experience, or related work in training and development required
• Letter of intent
  • Describe how minimum criteria for admission are being met (i.e. Master's degree and three years of teaching or comparable leadership experience);
  • In your letter also answer the following questions:
    1. What personal and professional goals do you hope to meet through earning a doctorate? Why do you think the a doctorate degree from UNF is a good fit for your goals?
    2. What special knowledge, skills, and experience would you bring to the program that would be of value to your classmates?
    3. What personal, professional and financial resources do you have to support your success in the program?
• Writing sample. This should include one of the following:
  • Published article in a professional journal;
  • Paper (6-8 pages) written for a graduate course that demonstrates academic writing; or
  • Other professional materials for which primary responsibility was held that demonstrates academic writing
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Address applicants academic and professional work
• A Master's degree earned from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent international university

  • Minimum 3.25 GPA

Interview Process

Applicants that meet minimum program admission requirements will be invited to participate in an interview process with program faculty before being admitted to the program.

Deadlines and Documents

The program application deadlines below are for international students who are seeking F1/J1 visas. While these deadlines are not mandatory, we encourage students to complete their applications and submit all immigration documents at least two months prior to the regular program deadlines to ensure timely visa processing. For most programs, the international deadlines are:

• Fall: June 1
• Spring: October 1

For programs with fall deadlines earlier than June 1 and spring deadlines earlier than October 1, the international deadlines are the same as the program deadlines. Please direct questions to the International Center.

According to U.S. immigration regulations, immigration documents can only be issued for students who are fully admitted to a full-time, on-campus, in-person, degree-seeking program. F-1/J-1 students cannot pursue online degree programs, part-time enrollment, or certificate programs; please see the list of F-1 Non-Qualifying Degree Programs and contact the International Center for more information. This list is subject to change. 

English Language Proficiency

All international applicants, except those from an English-speaking country, are required to demonstrate English Language Proficiency by meeting the indicators listed on the English Language Proficiency page.

Affidavit of Financial Support and Bank Certification

The Affidavit is a legal document which is signed by the sponsor (the person who will be providing the funds) stating the amount of funds that she/he will provide for the educational expenses of the student applicant and then certified by a bank official that the sponsor does have that amount of funds in their account. This form represents an obligation on the part of the sponsor to provide the required amount of funds as indicated on the form. Please review the Estimated Cost of Attendance for International Students to determine the amount of funds needed to be written on the Affidavit.

All documentation and immigration inquiries should be sent to the UNF International Center.

Immunization Documentation Form and Health Insurance

All international students are required to submit proof of required vaccinations and health insurance. Please refer to the Office of Medical Compliance with any questions. 

Thomas A. Mulkeen was a professor at Fordham University who was hired as a consultant and shared his expertise with faculty at UNF as they designed and developed the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership. Tom was a leader within the Danforth Foundation initiative that sought to redesign and improve graduate programs in Educational Leadership. It was Tom who encouraged the doctoral program to focus the dissertation on practice-centered inquiry. Unfortunately, Tom passed away around the time that the UNF Ed.D. program graduated its first students in 1994. In honor of his work, the Ed.D. program faculty established this award in his honor. This award is given to the dissertation that best exemplifies practice-centered inquiry. 

Learn more about the recipients

Project SPIDERS stands for School-University Partnerships Influencing aDvocacy and Engaging Rural Special educators. This scholarship program for doctoral students is a partnership between the University of Oklahoma, University of Louisville and the University of North Florida. Project SPIDERS prepares special education personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in high need rural school systems. This five-year project funded six scholars from each University.

Learn more about Project SPIDERS

The University of North Florida (UNF) Silverfield College of Education and Human Services proudly supports the L.E.A.D. Scholars Program. This prestigious fellowship is designed to foster exceptional doctoral students who aspire to become leaders in education, academia, and development. The program is committed to preparing scholars for influential roles where they can make significant contributions to educational practice and scholarship.

Learn more about L.E.A.D. Scholars

This award honors the enduring legacy of Dr. Katherine M. Kasten, celebrating her innovative, excellent, and impactful advising and mentoring throughout her career. Fondly known as Kathe, Dr. Kasten joined the University of North Florida in 1988 and served as Dean of the College of Education and Human Services from 1995 to 2004. Each year, the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership recognizes a faculty member whose commitment to students reflects Dr. Kasten’s dedication to excellence in leadership, scholarship, and mentorship.

Learn more about the recipients