A Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership: Saint Louis University’s Ed.D. Program
Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 84, No. 1
Susan Toft Everson Saint Louis University
This article presents the case of a professional doctorate program in educational leadership at Saint Louis University (SLU). This Ed.D. program was designed to prepare students for executive leadership positions in school districts, distinguishing it from SLU's Ph.D. program that prepares students for research or academic positions. This article describes the program's background and theoretical foundation as well as its design and components. Concluding remarks focus on lessons learned during the program's development and ideas regarding future work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Toft Everson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Saint Louis University (SLU). Since 2002, she has chaired the Ed.D. Program Development Committee which has redesigned the Ed.D. program to focus on professional practice. Before coming to SLU, Dr. Everson spent 20 years as a senior director at McREL, where she directed programs focusing on leadership, educational improvement, and reform. She has written numerous articles and co-edited two books on educational reform. In addition to her written work, she has consulted in educational programs throughout the United States and Europe.
