Finish Fast. Lead Sooner.
Graduate in two years through a focused, customizable curriculum and dedicated faculty mentorship.
Build Your Career Momentum
Align your final project with your goals. Choose between a dissertation or capstone that equips you for real-world impact.
Low Tuition. Uncompromising Standards.
Earn a rigorous doctorate from a nationally recognized institution at a lower cost than similar EdD programs.
100% Online. Zero Travel.
Balance education, work, and family life through asynchronous coursework — with no residencies required.
Guiding the Educators of Tomorrow
Transform schools and communities with an online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership that empowers you to advance educational equity, strengthen operations, and shape policy. Build the advanced knowledge and practical skills you need to lead as a principal, district administrator, or curriculum expert.
AIC’s flexible online Ed.D. program will equip you to navigate complex legal and financial challenges, inspiring meaningful change in today’s K-12 environment.
New England Commission of Higher Education
Top National College
U.S. News & World Report
A+ in Diversity from Niche
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The Educational Leadership specialization provides students the opportunity to expand upon their already existing license (this program is not a licensure program) while they continue their studies, preparing them for a wide range of administrator and leadership roles.
Additionally, AIC’s Online EdD Educational Leadership specialization provides dissertation writing courses woven throughout the program, allowing students to stay connected to their research while refining their skills and transforming into reflective leaders.
- Graduate in just two years (six terms) while studying full-time
- Study 100% online – no campus immersions or travel requirements
- Benefit from a cohort-style learning model, allowing you to build key connections with peers within and outside of your role
- Learn from doctorally-prepared faculty who are educators themselves
- Receive dedicated student advisor support from application to graduation
AIC has a long-standing history of making education more accessible for people of all backgrounds, with a legacy centered around diversity, access, and inclusion. Founded in July 1885, AIC still stands more than 125 years later as a leader in education and continues to foster community more effectively than any other time in its history.
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The Educational Leadership specialization provides students the opportunity to expand upon their already existing license (this program is not a licensure program) while they continue their studies, preparing them for a wide range of administrator and leadership roles.
Additionally, AIC’s Online EdD Educational Leadership specialization provides dissertation writing courses woven throughout the program, allowing students to stay connected to their research while refining their skills and transforming into reflective leaders.
- Graduate in just two years (six terms) while studying full-time
- Study 100% online – no campus immersions or travel requirements
- Benefit from a cohort-style learning model, allowing you to build key connections with peers within and outside of your role
- Learn from doctorally-prepared faculty who are educators themselves
- Receive dedicated student advisor support from application to graduation
AIC has a long-standing history of making education more accessible for people of all backgrounds, with a legacy centered around diversity, access, and inclusion. Founded in July 1885, AIC still stands more than 125 years later as a leader in education and continues to foster community more effectively than any other time in its history.
Why Choose AIC?
| Compare EdD Programs | American International College | University of New England | Northeastern University | Bay Path University |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Massachusetts | Maine | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Ranked by U.S. News & World Report | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Asynchronous/ Fully Online | ✓ | ✓ | × | × |
| Cost | $38,400 | ~ $43,860 | ~ $65,400 | ~ $59,700 |
| Months to Complete | 24 Months | 36-48 Months | 36-48 Months | 36-48 Months |
| Residency/ Immersions | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Dissertation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Capstone | ✓ | × | × | × |
This course focuses on promoting theoretical and applied understandings of school personnel management in an ever-changing professional educational environment. Emphasis will be placed on understanding effective ways of dealing with labor relations, personnel appraisal, communication, disciplinary procedures, leadership systems and designs, and compensation structuring. Focus will be on applicable laws and the roles and responsibilities of school leaders in the area of human resource management in educational settings will be examined.
The School Finance course is essential for the school administrator. Responsible for the ethical and strategic use of resources, the administrator cannot completely delegate financial responsibility to another office. Thus, this course will cover a broad range of topics designed to acquaint the students with the knowledge of; funding formulas, accounting procedures, procurement regulations, taxation principles, fiduciary oversights, audits, and general management of state and local funding formulas. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills necessary to manage the financial program of a district and, in turn, a school.
Administrators must know the laws that govern the operation and conduct of their organizations as they face a highly litigious society. This course will study the relevant legal principles that affect the operation, organization, and administration of schools. Students will gain knowledge about legal issues that will help them in effectively performing their professional duties within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory, and case law.
Choose Your Path
Dissertation vs. Capstone
Finish your EdD with a project that fits your goals. Choose between a dissertation or a culminating experience (commonly known as a capstone project), that addresses challenges in your school district, or organization. Integrated writing courses and ongoing faculty guidance throughout the program ensure you stay focused and supported every step of the way.
Dissertation
- Contribute original research to the field of education
- Build deep academic expertise
- Prepare for research, policy, or higher education careers
- Research writing courses are built into the program
Culminating Experience (Capstone)
- Solve real-world problems in your school district, organization or community
- Apply research in a hands-on, practice-based way
- Improve programs, policies, or systems
- Ideal for professionals seeking practical, actionable outcomes
Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership graduates can expect to earn:
$95,000–$150,000+
With many roles offering opportunities for advancement and additional stipends for leadership responsibilities.
Potential roles include:
5.5%
Projected growth by 2033
Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership graduates can expect to earn:
$95,000–$150,000+
With many roles offering opportunities for advancement and additional stipends for leadership responsibilities.
Potential roles include:
Principal
District Administrator
Curriculum Director
Policy Analyst
*Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
FAST FACTS
3 intakes per year
Full-time
Classes are 100% online
Career Salary Trends
| Education Administrators (Kindergarten through secondary) | $101,320 |
|---|---|
| Education Administrators (Postsecondary) | $99,940 |
| Post Secondary Teachers | $80,840 |
| Training and Development Managers | $120,000 |
| Chief Executives | $189,520 |
Is Educational Leadership right for you?
The Educational Leadership specialization helps licensed educators refine their skills as scholar-practitioners and transition into administrative or leadership roles in K–12 settings. Students gain a foundation in school management, law, and finance, and apply both traditional and unorthodox leadership approaches.
Consider this EdD track if you want to focus on:
- Advancing into K–12 leadership or administrative roles
- Building expertise in school management, law, and finance
- Moving beyond classroom teaching into broader impact roles
Achieve Your Vision, Faster
Educational Leadership Focus
Shape K–12 policy, promote student success, and drive excellence across schools in today’s educational landscape.
Diversity, Access, & Inclusion
Become part of AIC’s 140-year legacy, advancing accessible, high-quality education for learners from all backgrounds.
Impact-Driven ROI
Make an immediate impact with a program designed for your career — pursue academic insight or practical application.
Flexible, with Built-in Support
Learn on your schedule as you continue working, with structured support and an accelerated path to completion.
This track equips educators to move into leadership roles, such as school principal, district administrator, or curriculum director, with a focus on law, finance, and organizational management to drive positive outcomes in schools.
American International College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
The online EdD degree program costs $960 per credit hour for a total investment of $38,400. Financial aid may be available to our online students.
This program can be completed in two years (six semesters).
AIC’s online EdD is fast, affordable, and customizable. With four concentrations and two final project options, students can align their degree with their career goals, maximize their impact, and complete their education in just two years — without ever traveling to campus.
Additionally, AIC is a nationally recognized institution, ranked by U.S. News & World Report, with a long-standing legacy of academic rigor and dedicated faculty and staff.
The online EdD offers four in-demand concentrations:
- Educational Leadership
- Higher Education
- Teaching and Learning
- Organizational Leadership and Development
Yes, every student completes a final project with the option to choose between a dissertation or a culminating experience (capstone). Both pathways let students produce actionable results that they can bring to their workplace and apply to future roles.
The dissertation path is ideal for students who want to contribute original research to the field of education. It’s a traditional academic route that builds deep expertise and prepares graduates for roles in research, policy, or higher education.
The culminating experience (capstone) project is designed for professionals who want to solve real-world problems in their own organizations or communities. It’s a hands-on, practice-based approach that applies research to improve programs, policies, or systems.
Typically, dissertation research and composition fall at the end of a degree program and can take years to complete. Our process is different. Interwoven throughout the EdD program are dissertation writing courses, where the daunting aspects of a dissertation project are broken down into clear, manageable tasks. This structure allows students to start their dissertations early, stay connected to their research, and complete their degrees in a timely manner.
In this program, you will study under engaged, doctorally-prepared, prolific scholars, practitioners, and leaders who are committed to your success from day one.
Students from a number of states are welcome to apply to AIC's online EdD Please see our State Authorization page for more information.
While all the courses are fully online, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with classmates and faculty. Under a cohort-based model, you will complete your courses alongside the same group of students throughout the program. This model will help you develop those critical relationships and further build a professional network.
Students also experience a mix of asynchronous online courses (meaning there are no mandated log-in times for classes), as well as optional live classes on a week-by-week basis. Students can join live Zoom sessions which provide the opportunity to connect with peers and faculty in real time.
Additionally, students are supported by other EdD students—or accountability partners—during the program. Accountability partners are fellow doctoral students who commit to supporting each other’s academic progress through regular check-ins, goal-setting, and reflective dialogue. Unlike advisors or committee members, accountability partners are peers, not evaluators
Accountability partners pair up and help each other by:
- Maintaining momentum on IRB, and dissertation writing
- Staying engaged and persistent, particularly during independent research phases
- Reducing isolation by fostering scholarly community and shared problem-solving
- Strengthening reflective practice, a core expectation of doctoral-level work
Nicole Esposito
MS ’09, EdD ’12
"My professors at AIC changed how I viewed myself, my abilities, and what I could offer my community."
