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Virginia Commonwealth University · Department of Educational Leadership, VCU School of Education

Ed.D. in Leadership (online)

Professional doctorateEdDDoctor of Education in Leadership

Overview

A 48-credit, 36-month cohort Ed.D. in Leadership with online cohorts in organizational, higher education and K-12 leadership that meet online for 1.5 hours on Wednesday evenings. All students attend on-campus Saturday sessions in the first two summers, and the program ends with a team-based capstone that students defend. Applicants need a master's degree and three years of leadership experience; the GRE is optional.

Official program name
Ed.D. in Leadership (online)
Awarded degree
Doctor of Education in Leadership
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level
Doctoral — professional doctorate
University
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Administering location
Richmond, VAWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject
Specializations
Organizational Leadership · Higher Education Leadership · K12 Leadership
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Required credits
48 credit hours
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration
36 months
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Start terms
Summer
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Why this program is listed

Online cohort Ed.D. with required on-campus summer sessions.

Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.
Academic delivery
Online coursework + campus visitsCoursework is online, with required visits, residencies or immersions on campus or at another set location.Coursework is online, with required visits, residencies or immersions on campus or at another set location.
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits
Campus visits required
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Practical placement
Placement requirement: not verified
Class schedule
Mixed (live + self-paced)
Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Study intensity
Part-time
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

In-person and practical requirements as published

  • Residency Required

    Required two-day on-site residency to start the program

    Once, at program start · VCU campus

    Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

  • Campus visit Required

    Three on-campus Saturday sessions in the first summer and two in the second summer

    Summers 1 and 2 · VCU campus

    Source: online.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

  • Dissertation defense Required

    Team-based capstone research project completed and defended (location not stated)

    Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Capstone

Specializations, concentrations and tracks

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Prior degree
RequiredMaster's degree
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Work experience
RequiredThree years of leadership experience, formal and informal
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredStatement of intent
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Interview
OptionalA personal interview may be requested
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Writing sample
RequiredWriting sample
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
Optional
Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    January 15 · for Summer

    The university does not print a year with this date.

    Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this online program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

State authorization

  • VCU participates in NC-SARA, which allows students from NC-SARA-approved states to enroll in VCU's programs; state regulations determine whether VCU may offer a place to students located outside Virginia. Official pageSource: onlinesocialwork.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Professional licensure

Accreditation and state authorization do not establish that a program meets licensure requirements in your state.

International applicants

Not verified for this online program.

  • For tuition estimates, the program directs online Ed.D. students to select the 'Doctoral - Off Campus' category.
    Source: soe.vcu.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.
  1. academics.provost.vcu.edu/assessment-accreditation-and-compliance/compliance/professional-licensure- — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  2. online.vcu.edu/online/programs/edd-leadership/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
  3. onlinesocialwork.vcu.edu/academics/licensure/ — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  4. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  5. soe.vcu.edu/academics/doctoral-programs/edd-leadership/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026

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Same degree level and subject group. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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