Ph.D. in Education Leadership
Welcome
The Ph.D. program in Education Leadership (Ph.D., EdL) provides a research-intensive doctoral program that supports the development of professors and researchers in PK-12 education leadership roles. Building upon Teachers College’s long-standing devotion to social justice, pioneering research, and cultivation of collaboration, students in the program will study, and research at the nexus of equity and social justice focused on school leadership and administration, adult development, data science, and organizational management and leadership. The coursework throughout the program accomplishes this by providing an innovative and unique core course of study that focuses on the current issues, theories, research, and methods in K-12 education leadership research and practice, which culminates in student independent research projects through their dissertation, advised by faculty.
The Ph.D. in Education Leadership is a 75-credit program housed in the Department of Organization & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Program Mission
The program's mission is to support the development of professors and researchers of education leadership who will be prepared to grow aspiring and practicing school leaders and advance scholarship in the field. More specifically, the Education Leadership Ph.D. program:
- Sits at the nexus of national and global research, theory, and real-world practice.
- Equips students with the necessary skills to investigate and respond in socially just and equitable ways to critical issues in education leadership from multiple and diverse perspectives.
- Focuses on building bridges between research and practice by employing qualitative, quantitative, and data science approaches.
- Supports and stretches aspiring scholars to redefine notions of education leadership, education leadership development, and education leadership research to care for future education.
- Provides a supportive mentoring environment to develop critical thinkers, thought leaders, systematic and skilled researchers, and innovative scholars.
Faculty Recommendation on the Statement of Purpose
Applicants are encouraged in their statement of purpose to please speak to specific projects that they've undertaken in education leadership that address the intersection of the central domains in the EdL PhD program. Additionally, we ask that applicants in their statement of purpose also work to articulate the core question(s) that are driving them to commit to the PhD in Education Leadership. These should be addressed through a focus on the intersection of three or more of the domains of 1) school and district leadership and administration, 2) equity and social justice, 3) adult development, and 4) data science, as applied to K-12 Education Leadership research, theory, and practice.
Why Us?
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Ph.D. program in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.
How can participating in a world-renowned institution that prioritizes research, theory, and practice help you influence the communities and contexts you serve? And, how can being part of this community help you to develop your leadership as you serve in schools, districts, organizations, and education systems around the world? Our Ph.D. Program aims to assist you in these vital tasks of leading and preparing leaders in the 21st century.
How can researchers, scholars, and professors of education leadership collaborate with you to help aspiring and practicing leaders develop the internal capacities that they need to teach, learn, and lead in an increasingly complex environment that constitutes the field of education today? If this is part of your professional and personal mission, our Ph.D. program is a good fit for you.
Our Ph.D. program in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University equips those who aspire to teach leaders—practicing and aspiring—in learning how to create schools, districts, organizations, and professional learning environments that support adult growth and organizational development. You will develop methodological expertise (qualitative and quantitative) to explore questions that will enhance the field of Education Leadership. In addition, you will be mentored in utilizing theories, analytic tools and strategies to shape contexts that build and improve schools, districts, and education more broadly. Put simply, you will develop your research, theoretical and practical skills to make meaningful contributions to the field of Education Leadership and the practice of it.
Increasingly, as a field, we are coming to understand that we must:
- Prepare leaders who are not only able to “manage” schools, but who are architects of adult learning and development in their schools, districts, organizations, and systems, and
- Understand how to use data as integral to effective decision making, leadership, and increasing student achievement.
We not only support our students to achieve these goals, we provide true mentorship that is unparalleled in quality among doctoral programs of education. Throughout the program our students gain the tools, skills, and networks they need to be successful scholars, practitioners, researchers, and faculty at a wide variety of institutions and organizations around the world.
The Education Leadership Ph.D. program is a 90-credit, full-time program that focuses on adult development, leadership development, and organizational development. Heavy in research methods, it prepares students to enter the professoriate in higher education institutions. Dr. Ellie Drago-Severson is the Program Director of the Ph.D. program.
|
Program |
Degree Type & Credit Requirements |
Experience of Applicants |
Curriculum Focus |
Structure |
Is this an Online Program |
Time to Complete |
Program |
|
Ph.D. in Education Leadership |
Ph.D. (At least 90 credits, depending on course of study) |
Experiences in Education Leadership in particular and leadership in general as well as a Masters in education leadership or a related field are required |
Leadership development to work with preparation of principals and superintendents. Prepares students to enter the professoriate and to conduct research. |
Full-time only |
No |
4-7 years |
Dr. Ellie Drago-Severson, Program Director |
Helping Educators Grow: Strategies and Practices for Leadership Development
"How can we help aspiring and practicing leaders develop the internal capacities they need to teach, learn, and lead in the increasingly complex environment that constitutes the field of education today?" In Helping Educators Grow: Strategies and Practices for Leadership Development (Harvard Education Press, 2012), Drago-Severson presents a new learning-oriented model of leadership development that draws on twenty-five years of teaching and research with educators from around the world. Favoring the creation of professional learning environments that fully support adult growth, she presents and elaborates on a valuable conceptual framework based on the core elements of care, respect, trust, collaboration, and intentionality.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2027, Summer 2027, and Fall 2027 terms.
Doctor of Philosophy
- Points/Credits: 75
- Entry Terms: Fall (Odd Year Only)
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Campus-Based
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fall | December 1, 2026 | December 1, 2026 | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Three (3) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Master's degree required | |
| Academic Writing Sample | |
| GRE General Test | |
| Interview (phone, video, or in-person) required for finalists only | |
| Must hold Master’s degree in education leadership, curriculum and teaching, or a related field |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact ORLadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Additional Information
- Program accepts applications for odd year cycles only.
Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2025-2026)
Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 terms.
Program Description
The Ph.D. program in Education Leadership (Ph.D., EdL) provides a research-intensive doctoral program that supports the development of professors and researchers in PK-12 education leadership roles. Building upon Teachers College’s long-standing devotion to social justice, pioneering research, and cultivation of collaboration, students in the program will study, and research at the nexus of equity and social justice focused on school leadership and administration, adult development, data science, and organizational management and leadership. The coursework throughout the program accomplishes this by providing an innovative and unique core course of study that focuses on the current issues, theories, research, and methods in K-12 education leadership research and practice, which culminates in student independent research projects through their dissertation, advised by faculty.
The Ph.D. in Education Leadership is a 75-credit program housed in the Department of Organization & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Program Mission
The program's mission is to support the development of professors and researchers of education leadership who will be prepared to grow aspiring and practicing school leaders and advance scholarship in the field. More specifically, the Education Leadership Ph.D. program:
- Sits at the nexus of national and global research, theory, and real-world practice.
- Equips students with the necessary skills to investigate and respond in socially just and equitable ways to critical issues in education leadership from multiple and diverse perspectives.
- Focuses on building bridges between research and practice by employing qualitative, quantitative, and data science approaches.
- Supports and stretches aspiring scholars to redefine notions of education leadership, education leadership development, and education leadership research to care for future education.
- Provides a supportive mentoring environment to develop critical thinkers, thought leaders, systematic and skilled researchers, and innovative scholars.
Course Listing:
ORLA 6100-Introduction to Systems of Human Inquiry (3 credits)
ORLD 5070-Leadership for Adult Development (3 credits)
ORLA 6024-Proseminar in Public School District Leadership (3 credits)
ORLA 6031-Legal Research, Ethics, and the Law (3 credits)
ORLA 6541-Applied Data Science in Organizations and Leadership (3 credits)
ORLA 6641-Advanced Topics in Research Methods and Design (3 credits)
ORLA 6523: Social and Political Contexts of Educational Leadership (3 credits)
ORLA 6552-Research, Theory, and Practice in Education Leadership (3 credits)
ORLA 7500-Dissertation Seminar in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
ORLA 7501-Dissertation Research Seminar (3 credits)
The following are three areas from which students will select courses in collaboration with the academic faculty advisor.
Qualitative or Quantitative Course I or II (3 credits)
Qualitative or Quantitative Course II (3 credits)
Qualitative or Quantitative Course I or II (3 credits)
Elective I (3 credits)
Elective II (3 credits)
Elective III (3 credits)
ORLA-8900 Dissertation Advisement in Educational Leadership
Doctoral Certification Requirements:
The Ph.D. Certification Examination in Education Leadership
The certification exam is your opportunity to demonstrate that you have mastered a core body of knowledge in the interdisciplinary domains covered by the Ph.D. Education Leadership program and that you are ready to progress to your dissertation project. By preparing for and writing the exam, you will be able to weave together ideas and perspectives from many different courses you’ve taken and push your own understanding to a deeper, integrated level. By articulating your own approach to the field, you will begin to establish your own intellectual identity within a broader community of scholarship.
The Dissertation:
The Ph.D. in Education Leadership requires the successful completion of a dissertation study approved by a committee of two to three faculty members, a sponsor, and at least one member from the Programs in Education Leadership on a topic related to K-12 education leadership. Candidates can conduct traditional dissertations or a three-paper dissertation, so long as they demonstrate their ability to conduct empirical research and generate new knowledge that contributes to the study or practice of education leaders.