Doctor of Education (EdD)

The Educational Specialist (EdS), Doctor of Education (EdD)  programs described in this catalog are currently pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). These programs are not yet authorized for enrollment, and no students will be admitted until formal approval has been granted. 

The Doctor of Education (EdD) is Reinhardt University's applied doctoral degree for education professionals who seek to lead transformative change in educational institutions, organizations, and communities. The EdD is offered in four concentrations: General, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Organizational Leadership. The program requires 54 credit hours, comprising 39 hours of coursework and a 15-credit Applied Capstone Project sequence.

The Reinhardt University EdD is delivered entirely online, allowing working professionals to advance their credentials without interrupting their careers. All synchronous requirements, including consultations, advising, and final defenses, are conducted via web conferencing. There is no on-campus residency requirement.

Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator to be announced.

Mission

Rooted in Reinhardt University's commitment to educate the whole person with challenge and care, the Doctor of Education program prepares scholar-practitioners to lead meaningful, evidence-based change in educational institutions and organizations. Grounded in applied research, reflective practice, and a commitment to equity and excellence, the EdD develops professionals who can identify complex problems of practice, design rigorous solutions, and advance the field of education through disciplined inquiry and transformative leadership.

Admission Requirements

See Graduate Studies Admission — Common Policies for application procedures, admission statuses, holistic review criteria, and English proficiency requirements. Specific admission requirements for the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree appear below.

Admissions Standards

All EdD applicants must hold an earned master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Admission is determined by academic profile and professional background as described below.

Provisional Acceptance — EdD

Students admitted provisionally must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in their first 9 credit hours of EdD coursework. Failure to meet this standard may result in academic probation or dismissal from the program. See Academic Standards & Satisfactory Progress for full details.

Preliminary Acceptance — EdD

Students admitted on a preliminary basis must submit a final official transcript confirming degree conferral to the Office of Admissions by the end of their first semester of EdD enrollment. Full acceptance is contingent on receipt of this transcript.

English Proficiency

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting official scores from one of the following:

• TOEFL: 80 or higher (internet-based)

EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway

A Named Pathway for EdS Graduates

Reinhardt University offers a formal EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway for graduates of regionally accredited Education Specialist programs who wish to pursue the Doctor of Education. This pathway recognizes the advanced graduate work already completed at the specialist level and allows qualifying students to apply the full credit value of their EdS toward the EdD degree.

Eligibility

To qualify for the EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway, students must:

• Hold an earned EdS degree from an accredited institution
• Have completed all EdS coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
• Meet all standard EdD admissions requirements (see Admissions Requirements & Application Process)

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Doctor of Education program will be able to:

1. Apply advanced theoretical frameworks and current research to the analysis of complex problems of practice in educational and organizational settings.
2. Design and conduct rigorous applied research using appropriate qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods to generate evidence-based solutions.
3. Synthesize scholarly literature to situate problems of practice within the broader field of education and related disciplines.
4. Develop and communicate evidence-based recommendations for improving educational systems, programs, and organizational performance.
5. Demonstrate ethical leadership and professional conduct in the application of research to educational and organizational challenges.
6. Lead transformative change initiatives that advance equity, inclusion, and excellence in educational institutions and communities.

Academic Performance

See Academic Standards & Satisfactory Progress — Common Policies for the full academic performance policy, including GPA requirements, the F Rule, academic probation, and dismissal procedures.

EdD-Specific Academic Standards

Advising

EdD students are assigned a faculty advisor upon admission. The faculty advisor guides the student through degree planning, course selection — including advisor-approved elective selections — and academic progress review. Upon advancement to candidacy, the student will work with a Doctoral Capstone Committee consisting of a minimum of two members:

• Committee Chair — A Reinhardt University faculty member who meets Reinhardt University faculty credentialing policies
• Methodological Expert — A faculty member or qualified professional with demonstrated expertise in the research methodology employed by the candidate's project

Additional committee members may be appointed beyond this minimum. See Advising & Doctoral Committee Formation — Common Policies for full committee formation policy.

Transfer Credit

Maximum Transfer Credit

Students without an EdS degree may transfer a maximum of 15 credit hours into the EdD program. 

Transfer policies for students admitted through the EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway are governed by a separate policy below.

Grade Requirement

Transfer courses must have been completed with a grade of "B" or better.

Recency

Transfer coursework must have been completed within 7 years of the student's projected EdD start date.

Non-Transferable Coursework

The following are not eligible for transfer credit in the EdD program:

• The Applied Capstone Project sequence (EDU 887, EDU 888, EDU 889, EDU 900)
• Advanced research core courses, unless a direct content match is confirmed by the Registrar
• Core leadership concept courses, unless a direct content match is confirmed by the Registrar

See Transfer Credit — Common Policies for the full transfer credit evaluation policy and Prior Learning Assessment statement.

EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway

Transfer Credit Under This Pathway

Eligible EdS graduates may transfer up to 100% of their EdS credit hours into the Reinhardt EdD program, subject to the following conditions:

• All transferred courses must meet the standard 70% content overlap requirement as determined by the Registrar
• All coursework must fall within the 7-year recency window
• Doctoral capstone courses are strictly non-transferable regardless of pathway

Remaining Requirements

Students admitted through the EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway complete the remaining EdD requirements not satisfied by transferred credit, including the full Applied Capstone Project sequence (EDU 887, 888, 889, and EDU 900).

Students interested in the EdS-to-EdD Completion Pathway should contact the program coordinator to request a transfer credit evaluation prior to applying.

Capstone Requirements

Applied Capstone Project

The Doctor of Education (EdD) requires the completion of an Applied Capstone Project. The Applied Capstone Project is grounded in a problem of practice — a significant, persistent challenge within the candidate's professional or organizational context that warrants systematic inquiry and evidence-based intervention. The problem of practice serves as the organizing focus for all four capstone components, from initial identification through final defense.

Advancement to Candidacy

An EdD student advances to doctoral candidacy upon the successful completion of all pre-capstone coursework requirements — 39 credit hours across the Foundational Education Theory, program Core, Research & Evaluation Core, and Specialization Electives components — with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and no unresolved academic deficiencies.

Upon advancement to candidacy, the student:

• Establishes the Doctoral Capstone Committee (see Advising & Doctoral Committee Formation)
• Registers for the Applied Capstone Project sequence (EDU 887–900)
• Is subject to the continuous enrollment requirement through degree completion

See Qualifying Examinations & Advancement to Candidacy — Common Policies for full candidacy requirements.

Capstone Grading

EdD Applied Capstone courses are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory model. The following grades apply:

Component-Specific Completion Standards

• Capstone I (EDU 887): Satisfactory completion of the problem identification and literature review component. A grade of "S" in Capstone I indicates the student has produced a scholarly foundation sufficient to advance to proposal development.
• Capstone II (EDU 888): Satisfactory completion indicates the student's research proposal has been reviewed, defended, and approved by the Doctoral Capstone Committee. The proposal defense is a formal, synchronous presentation before the full committee. A grade of "S" in Capstone II serves as the committee's formal approval to proceed to data collection and analysis.
• Capstone III (EDU 889): Satisfactory completion indicates that the student has completed data collection, analysis, and solution development and that the Committee Chair has determined the student is reasonably prepared for a successful final defense. A grade of "S" in Capstone III serves as the Chair's formal endorsement that the student is cleared to schedule the final defense.

Defense Format & Outcomes

The Applied Capstone Project sequence includes two formal defenses, both conducted via synchronous web conference:

• Proposal Defense — conducted at the conclusion of Capstone II, prior to advancing to data collection
• Final Defense — conducted at the conclusion of Capstone III, upon the Committee Chair's formal endorsement of defense readiness

The Proposal and Final Defenses are open to all members of the Reinhardt University Community.

Defense Outcomes

Graduation Requirements

See Graduation & Degree Conferral — Common Policies for the full graduation eligibility policy, application for graduation procedures, degree conferral timeline, and commencement information.

Mid-Program EdS Conferral

The EdD program's 39 credit hours of pre-capstone coursework include the same 30 credit hours required for the EdS degree. EdD students who:

• Complete the 30 credit hours that satisfy EdS degree requirements, and
• Meet all EdS academic standards (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, no unresolved academic deficiencies)

...are eligible to have the EdS degree conferred at that point in their EdD progression, without any additional coursework or application.

Students interested in EdS conferral during their EdD program should notify their academic advisor and the Office of the Registrar when they approach the 30-credit milestone.

EdD-Specific Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation from the EdD program, a student must have:

• Completed all 54 required credit hours of the EdD curriculum
• Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Successfully defended the Applied Capstone Project (EDU 900)
• Resolved all incomplete grades, academic deficiencies, and academic integrity matters
• Met all financial obligations to the University
• Submitted a completed Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar