on campus graduate

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Professional Practice

With an interdisciplinary focus on leadership, research and professional practice, the in-person Ed.D. builds the leadership capacity of professionals in fields such as education, medicine, religion and business so that they can solve real-world problems and bring transformational change to their organizations.

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Upcoming Start Dates:

On Campus:: Nashville, TN - May 9, 2026

National Recognition

Trevecca’s Ed.D. is earning elite accolades from respected sources nationwide, including these recent rankings:

#1 most affordable doctorate in education (Fortune)
#3 online doctorate in education (Fortune)
One of the nation’s best online Doctor of Education programs (Princeton Review)
#9 education doctorate for minorities (EDU Ledger)

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Benefits of the in-person doctorate in leadership

Attend class at our Nashville campus one Saturday per month
Graduate on an accelerated 24-month timeline, created with flexibility for working professionals
Complete your program with a supportive cohort of students who are working toward similar goals
Enjoy a collaborative learning environment made possible by our small class sizes
Learn from faculty who possess the highest degrees in their fields and have relevant and valuable experience
Complete your dissertation as you progress through the program, on a topic that addresses relevant problems in your field

What to expect from your doctorate in leadership

As a student in Trevecca’s in-person Ed.D. program, you’ll gain leadership skills and knowledge through a research-based curriculum that moves you from theory to practice. You’ll learn how to solve real-world challenges, initiate transformational change and lead yourself, your team and your organization. 

As part of your coursework, you’ll focus on planning for strategic improvement; strengthening organizational culture and performance; understanding the value of intrapersonal effectiveness; communicating with diverse stakeholders; applying research effectively; and ultimately mastering the skills it takes to develop and sustain successful organizations. You’ll dive deeper into these ideas as you work on your dissertation, researching a topic in conjunction with your coursework that pertains to your passions and career. When you complete your degree, you’ll have practical solutions in hand.

Over the course of two years, classes will generally meet one Saturday per month, with two three-day residency requirements each summer. Located in the heart of Nashville, our campus offers a warm and inviting atmosphere. Students benefit from small class sizes and develop personal relationships with faculty members who serve as both professors and mentors.

The cohort model is one of the reasons Trevecca’s Ed.D. has become one of the most successful in the Southeast. It’s a highly successful experience that allows students to complete their degree alongside classmates with similar goals in an atmosphere that cultivates accountability and networking.

Career Opportunities: Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice

The Doctor of Education in leadership provides professionals with the tools to be successful agents of change and influence in a variety of industries. Our graduates currently serve in respected leadership roles in fields like these:

Business
Technology
Education
Ministry
Government
Law enforcement
Healthcare

Led by faculty who also serve as highly credentialed experts throughout their respective fields, Trevecca’s Ed.D. takes a research-based, theory-into-practice approach to its curriculum, including the topics of:

Leadership (how to initiate transformational change and lead oneself, a team and organizations).
Research (applied research, statistics, research-based technology).

As part of your Ed.D. coursework, you’ll learn how to create effective organizations; ways to plan for strategic improvement; how to build teamwork and foster collaboration; the value of intrapersonal effectiveness and more. Students will receive instruction on cultural influences to consider when building and leading a team in addition to the latest insight on research-based technology.

Dissertation Details

Your applied research dissertation will be a comprehensive study of a significant problem that is important to you in your area of professional work. You will research your proposed topic, demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the relevant literature, explain the research methods used to conduct the study and present your research findings and conclusions.

The goal of an applied research dissertation is to provide important evidence for improving the workplace while also adding to the body of knowledge. Our four-chapter dissertation model represents the highest standards for terminal degrees.

Trevecca’s curriculum is unique in that students work on their dissertation in conjunction with their classes. You will be assigned a faculty advisor and reader to work with throughout the process. We provide guidance and encouragement while you are working on your dissertation so that when you complete your courses in as few as 24 months, your dissertation is also complete.

Our highly qualified team of faculty and staff are committed to your success as you complete this doctoral program. We are behind you every step of the way! Throughout the Ed.D. program, you’ll have your own support team. From academic advisors to dissertation advisors, Trevecca is committed to helping you finish your degree and your dissertation at the same time.

Complete the free online application
Need help applying? Read the step-by-step instructions here!
Fill out  FAFSA to be considered for financial aid (Trevecca’s school code: 003526).
Request official transcripts from your previous graduate institution.
Submit all additional materials to your dedicated enrollment counselor.

Requirements

A master's degree from an institution accredited by a CHEA-recognized regional accrediting agency or the Association for Biblical Higher Education. Students who do not meet these degree requirements may be conditionally accepted in accordance with the Conditional Admission Policy.
A 3.4 cumulative GPA for all prior graduate coursework.
Official transcript sent directly from graduate institution to Trevecca.
Two recommendations submitted directly by your professional and/or academic references using our online form.
Current resume  or curriculum vitae (CV)
Writing sample, to be submitted to the program director (After all other application documents are submitted, a link will be sent to applicants where they can complete the writing assessment.)
A photocopy of government-issued identification (e.g., driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport). This requirement ensures that Trevecca complies with the U.S. Department of Education expectations for student verification.

Emerald Mitchell ’16

Kevin Dyson ‘18

Why Choose Trevecca?

Founded in 1901 and a leader in online education for more than two decades, Trevecca helps students discover and pursue an individual calling by providing innovative instruction; cultivating a supportive, Christ-centered community; and establishing relationships that open doors.

Recognized nationally and locally for academic quality, Trevecca has earned a reputation for providing the world with servant leaders, problem solvers and difference makers. Trevecca’s holistic approach to education encompasses intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth.

Next Steps

App Process & Timeline

Submit Your Application

Our application is easy and typically takes less than 7 minutes to complete. Submit your app to get the process started!

Complete FAFSA

9 out of 10 students at Trevecca receive some form of financial aid. Complete your FAFSA today for the best chance at locking yours in!

Send Your Transcripts

To ensure credit for prior education and to expedite your enrollment, make sure to send over your transcripts!

Our Ed.D. Faculty

George Anderson

Adjunct Faculty

George Anderson serves as the program director for Microsoft's professional services organization. ‘Dr. G,’ as he likes to be called, is passionate about personal and professional change; the process of replacing ignorance with knowledge and ...
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Jonathan Bartling

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Accreditation

Jonathan is the vice president for academic affairs and accreditation and a professor of leadership studies at Trevecca. He has served Trevecca as an academic administrator since 2017, and also as the chair of the Institutional Review Board ...
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Cathy Beck

Adjunct Faculty
Mason Bellamy

Adjunct Faculty
Kristin Bledsoe

Dean, School of Leadership & Interdisciplinary Studies, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies

Dr. Kristin Bledsoe is a distinguished leadership educator and the Academic Dean for the School of Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. In her dual role as an Associate Professor, she ...
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Tony Bridwell

Adjunct Faculty

Tony Bridwell is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience working with global organizations in the areas of employee experience and culture. As chief talent officer for The Encompass Group, a people optimization company, he leads ...
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Melinda Burch

Associate Professor

After completing her undergraduate education at Trevecca, Mindy started her career as a middle school math teacher in Clarksville, TN and completed her master's degree at Austin Peay State University. After moving back to Nashville, she worked at ...
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Trudy Day

Adjunct Faculty
Jonathan Downs

Professor of Leadership Studies and Research

Jonathan serves as a professor of leadership studies and research in Trevecca’s School of Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies. His 26 years of experience in higher education includes a role as chair/program director for the Center for ...
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Sam Green

Director, Center for Worship

Samuel is chair of the Department of Worship for the School of Music and Worship Arts. He also serves as the director of Undergraduate Research and the Quality Enhancement Plan at the University. He holds degrees from Tennessee State University ...
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Dan Jenkins

Adjunct Faculty
Tracel Lockhart

Adjunct Faculty
Ryan Longnecker, Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Online Leadership Studies

Ryan considers himself to be one of the luckiest people on campus because he works with some of the most amazing students Trevecca has to offer - the future leaders in Trevecca's Ed.D. in leadership program. As program leader for the online ...
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Chris Marczak

Adjunct Faculty of Ed.D. Online

Chris is the Department of Defense's Education Activity (DoDEA) Pacific chief of instructional leadership, charged with providing professional learning for all superintendents, community superintendents, principals, assistant principals and ...
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Nikolas McGehee

Adjunct Faculty

Nikolas McGehee is a dynamic data scientist, an educator and a leading researcher in the realm of artificial intelligence in education. With a deep passion for shaping STEM education, he is dedicated to developing innovative policy solutions for ...
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Jana Roberts, Ph.D.

Program Leader for Research, Online Doctoral Leadership Studies

Jana is passionate about walking alongside students as they pursue one of the most meaningful goals of their academic journey—earning their doctorate. She holds a doctorate in Leadership Studies from Trevecca, an Advanced Certificate in Strategic ...
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Heidi Ventura

Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Research and Innovation

In her administrative faculty role, Heidi provides leadership for nontraditional undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty and students. In her instructional faculty role, she holds faculty rank as associate professor, teaching doctoral ...
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Studying at Trevecca has helped me to strengthen and confirm what I already knew about myself, while at the same time allowing me to discover new areas of personal development I was not aware of.

Fernando Almeida Ed.D. graduate

Introduction to Doctoral Studies

ELI 8001

The Introduction to Doctoral Studies course serves as a foundational runway for students entering online doctoral leadership programs, including both the EdD and PhD pathways. This four-week course focuses on the development of a doctoral identity, supporting students as they transition from prior academic or professional roles into the expectations of doctoral-level scholarship and leadership. Emphasis is placed on cultivating a growth mindset, openness to challenge and feedback, and the habits of mind required for sustained inquiry, reflection, and professional growth. Students are also introduced to the technological systems, digital tools, and academic practices essential for success in the program. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to engage confidently, ethically, and productively in the rigorous and collaborative work of doctoral study.

Leadership I: Self Leadership

ELI 8101

Leadership I: Self Leadership serves as the foundational course in the doctoral leadership sequence and is grounded in the principle that effective leadership begins with intentional leadership of self. This course focuses on the development of self-awareness, personal discipline, and authentic leadership practice as essential prerequisites for leading others. Using a strengths-based approach informed by Gallup’s StrengthsFinder framework, students identify and analyze their dominant leadership strengths and examine how these strengths shape behavior, decision-making, and influence. Emphasis is placed on aligning personal leadership practices with scholarly understanding and ethical responsibility, ensuring coherence between who leaders are and how they lead. By establishing self-leadership as the cornerstone of doctoral leadership practice, the course prepares students to engage meaningfully in subsequent coursework focused on followership, team leadership, and organizational leadership.

Leadership II: Team Leadership

ELI 8102

Leadership II: Team Leadership builds on the foundations of self-leadership and followership by shifting focus from individual leadership capacity to the dynamics of leading and participating within teams. Positioned immediately after Followership: Beyond the Leader, this course emphasizes the relational and collective dimensions of leadership, challenging students to leverage their identified strengths while intentionally engaging the strengths of others. Using an evidence-based framework, students examine team behavior, development, diversity, and effectiveness, with particular attention to how complementary strengths, roles, and followership behaviors contribute to high-functioning teams. A collaborative, team-based learning environment is used to simulate real organizational challenges, allowing students to apply theory to practice through shared problem-solving and reflection. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to lead teams strategically by building structures, cultures, and processes that amplify collective capacity beyond individual leadership ability.

Leadership III: Organizational Leadership

ELI 8103

Leadership III: Organizational Leadership serves as the culminating course in the leadership sequence, integrating insights from self-leadership, followership, and team leadership to examine leadership at the organizational level. This course focuses on how organizational effectiveness is conceptualized, assessed, and achieved through intentional leadership actions, structures, and culture. Students explore evidence-based approaches to organizational leadership, change management, and continuous improvement, with particular attention to how individual and team strengths are aligned to support system-wide effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on understanding how improvement initiatives are launched, led, and sustained across multiple organizational levels to create lasting, value-added impact. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to lead organizational change strategically, leveraging leadership theory, data-informed decision-making, and collaborative capacity to improve outcomes within complex organizational contexts.

Followership: Beyond the Leader

ELI 8104

Followership: Beyond the Leader examines leadership through the often-overlooked lens of followership, positioning effective followership as an essential component of strategic leadership practice. Serving as a bridge between intrapersonal leadership development and team leadership, this course explores followership as a theoretical construct, a practical skill set, and a dimension of professional identity. Students examine major followership theories, analyze the dynamics between leaders and followers within organizational contexts, and reflect on their own tendencies, strengths, and responsibilities as both leaders and followers. Emphasis is placed on understanding how intentional followership enhances influence, collaboration, and ethical decision-making. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to leverage their dual capacities as leaders and followers to engage more effectively in team-based and organizational leadership environments.

Leadership Identity & Innovation

ELI 8105

The Scholar-Practitioner: Leadership Identity and Innovation serves as the culminating course of the doctoral leadership program, functioning not as a capstone that concludes learning, but as a springboard that launches graduates into their next chapters of leadership practice. Building on the program’s foundation in organizational leadership, this course challenges students to integrate scholarship, experience, and innovation into a coherent scholar-practitioner identity. Students critically examine their leadership development, apply research-informed insights to complex organizational challenges, and explore how innovation can be leveraged across evolving leadership roles and contexts. Emphasis is placed on future-focused leadership thinking, ethical decision-making, and sustained professional growth. By the conclusion of the course, students articulate a clear vision for how they will continue to lead, learn, and innovate beyond the doctoral program, carrying their doctoral identity forward into lifelong leadership practice.

Research Design & Analysis I

ELI 8201

Research Design & Analysis I: The Review of the Literature introduces students to doctoral-level inquiry through the identification of an area of professional interest and the articulation of an initial Problem of Practice. Grounded in the Dissertation in Practice framework, this course focuses on helping students develop academic fluency by engaging with scholarly literature related to their professional context. Students learn how to locate, organize, and critically engage with research to deepen their understanding of existing knowledge and perspectives related to their problem of practice. Emphasis is placed on raising students’ academic foundation and preparing them for future writing and inquiry by building habits of scholarly reading, sense-making, and organization. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to move from broad interest to focused inquiry and are positioned to engage more intentionally with research and writing in subsequent coursework.

Research Design & Analysis II

ELI 8202

Research Design & Analysis II: Integrated Inquiry I builds on students’ emerging Problems of Practice by introducing the foundational components of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research design and analysis through an integrated, inquiry-driven approach. Rather than treating methodology and analysis as separate domains, this course presents research as a cohesive process in which research questions, design choices, data sources, and analytic strategies—including statistical analysis and qualitative interpretation—are intentionally aligned to the leadership problem being studied. Students explore multiple approaches to quantitative and qualitative inquiry and analysis while developing an understanding of how different research choices align with different types of leadership problems. Simultaneously, students begin reflecting on their identity as researchers, considering how their professional roles, strengths, and contexts shape the questions they ask and the approaches they take. By the end of the course, students possess a working understanding of core research concepts and a clearer sense of how inquiry can inform leadership practice.

Research Design & Analysis III

ELI 8203

Research Design & Analysis III: Integrated Inquiry II advances students from exploration to application by guiding them toward intentional research decision-making across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Building on the conceptual foundations established in Integrated Inquiry I, this course emphasizes the selection and alignment of inquiry approaches that best address each student’s Problem of Practice. Students deepen their understanding of research design and analysis while evaluating which methodological paths are most appropriate for generating meaningful, actionable insights within their professional contexts. Particular emphasis is placed on clarifying researcher identity, refining the Problem of Practice, and establishing coherence between leadership challenges, research questions, and inquiry approaches. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to articulate who they are as researchers, what they seek to study, and how responsible, ethical, and well-aligned inquiry—both quantitative and qualitative—can be used to inform leadership action.

Research Design & Analysis IV

ELI 8204

Research Design & Analysis IV: Proposal Design serves as the culminating course of the EdD research sequence and prepares students for formal proposal review, advising, and institutional approval processes. In this course, students synthesize prior learning to produce a complete, dissertation-aligned draft of Chapter 1, including the Problem of Practice, purpose, research questions, and supporting research design considerations. Emphasis is placed on coherence, clarity, and alignment across all elements of the proposed study, as well as readiness for advisor feedback and Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission. By the conclusion of the course, students have a fully developed proposal chapter that reflects their scholar-practitioner identity, demonstrates methodological rigor, and positions them to move confidently into the dissertation phase with a clearly articulated, practice-centered research plan grounded in responsible inquiry.

Dissertation I

ELI 8211

Dissertation II

ELI 8212

Dissertation III

ELI 8213

Dissertation IV

ELI 8214

Dissertation V

ELI 8215

Dissertation VI

ELI 8216

Dissertation VII

ELI 8217

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Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Professional Practice

Upcoming Start Dates:

National Recognition

Benefits of the in-person doctorate in leadership

What to expect from your doctorate in leadership

Looking for the online Ed.D. program? Click here!

Tuition & Costs

Cost/Credit Hour

$725

Hours

60

Tuition Cost*

$43,500

Career Opportunities: Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice

Dissertation Details

Requirements

Emerald Mitchell ’16

Kevin Dyson ‘18

Why Choose Trevecca?

App Process & Timeline

Submit Your Application

Complete FAFSA

Send Your Transcripts

Our Ed.D. Faculty

George Anderson

Adjunct Faculty

Jonathan Bartling

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Accreditation

Cathy Beck

Adjunct Faculty

Mason Bellamy

Adjunct Faculty

Kristin Bledsoe

Dean, School of Leadership & Interdisciplinary Studies, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies

Tony Bridwell

Adjunct Faculty

Melinda Burch

Associate Professor

Trudy Day

Adjunct Faculty

Jonathan Downs

Professor of Leadership Studies and Research

Sam Green

Director, Center for Worship

Dan Jenkins

Adjunct Faculty

Tracel Lockhart

Adjunct Faculty

Ryan Longnecker, Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Online Leadership Studies

Chris Marczak

Adjunct Faculty of Ed.D. Online

Nikolas McGehee

Adjunct Faculty

Jana Roberts, Ph.D.

Program Leader for Research, Online Doctoral Leadership Studies

Heidi Ventura

Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Research and Innovation

Course Descriptions

Cohort Schedule

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Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and Innovation

Ph.D. in Leadership Studies

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