Doctor of Education Leadership

Remarkable Colleagues
The first advantage of the Ed.L.D. Program is the cohort itself. Your classmates represent some of the most passionate and accomplished educators in America. They are also eager to collaborate and learn from one another. Ed.L.D. students understand that the ambitious goal of transforming preK-12 education won’t be accomplished by any individual alone, but by a diverse movement of leaders in government, school systems, nonprofits, and educational for-profit ventures.

Individualized Curriculum
Another advantage of the Ed.L.D. Program is the ability to tailor some program content to your individual strengths and career goals. Each Ed.L.D. student comes from a different professional background with a different balance of skills. In year one, in addition to completing a core curriculum, every student chooses an elective and receives one-on-one leadership coaching to help identify areas of improvement. In year two, students work with coaches and advisors to choose electives that deepen knowledge and fill gaps in experience or education.

Practical Leadership Experience
The 10-month paid residency in year three of the program is much more than an externship or summer position. Our partner organizations hire Ed.L.D. students to lead high-priority projects. The residency offers a practical, hands-on opportunity for third-year students to hone their leadership skills in a supportive professional setting. Through a careful matching process, students work with organizations that support their professional goals, providing a foothold in the industry and a growing network of contacts.

The Ed.L.D. curriculum is a balance of multidisciplinary coursework and practice-based learning. Core courses and electives are taught by recognized leaders from across Harvard’s graduate programs in fields like data-based education reform, organizational change and innovation, and effective leadership strategies for urban schools. Students develop and test their leadership skills through team projects and an immersive third-year residency.

Year One

All 25 students in the cohort take the same classes in four core areas: learning and teaching, leadership and organizational change, politics and policy, and personal mastery (including one-on-one executive coaching). Sample units in the year one curriculum include:

• A608 Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Learning (fall 2016)
• L100AY The Workplace Lab (fall 2016)
• L101AY Ed.L.D. Leadership Workshops and Seminars (fall 2016)
• L102 Leaders of Learning (fall 2016)
• L103 Thinking Strategically about Education Reform (fall 2016)
• L104AY Practicing Leadership Inside and Out (fall 2016)
• L106AY Race, Equity, and Leadership (fall 2016) 

• L100BY The Workplace Lab for System-Level Leaders (spring 2017)
• L101BY Ed.L.D. Leadership Workshops and Seminars (spring 2017)
• L104BY Practicing Leadership Inside and Out (spring 2017)
• L105 Evidence-Based Leadership in Education
• L106BY Race, Equity, and Leadership (spring 2017)
• One elective in either Learning & Teaching or Politics & Policy (spring 2017)

View all courses in the Academic Catalogue.

Year Two

Each cohort member works with program advisors to choose an individualized sequence of electives from any of the Harvard graduate schools. Samples of year two electives include:

• L201 Ed.L.D. Second-Year Core Leadership Seminar (fall 2016)
• L203AY Second-Year Practicing Leadership: Peer and Pod Coaching (fall 2016)
• L202 Second-Year Core Leadership Seminar (spring 2017)
• L203BY Second-Year Practicing Leadership: Peer and Pod Coaching (spring 2017)

View all courses in the Academic Catalogue.

• Harvard Business School
• Harvard Kennedy School

Year Three

Among the most innovative features of the Ed.L.D. Program is a paid residency during the third year at one of our partner organizations, which include school systems and departments of education, as well as some of the nation's most influential and dynamic nonprofit, mission-based for-profit, and philanthropic organizations.

Students will be intentionally pushed out of their comfort zones and be asked to work systemically and make a significant contribution to the partner organization. In addition, the residency will provide students with the professional mentoring, practical experiences, and network of connections they need to position themselves as future leaders in the education sector.

As part of the residency, each Ed.L.D. resident will define (with supervisors from their partner organization) a strategic project on which to focus. In the strategic project, the resident will have an opportunity to lead one or two major efforts on behalf of the organization, such as the creation or implementation of current initiatives. The project allows residents to practice and improve upon their leadership skills, add important value to the mission and strategy of the partner organization, work systemically, and hold high-level accountability.

During the residency period, all Ed.L.D. candidates will produce a written Capstone. The Capstone is a descriptive, analytic, and reflective account of the third-year student's leadership of and contributions to a strategic project within an Ed.L.D. partner organization. It is a demonstration of the student's ability to diagnose challenges, engage others, develop strategy to successfully address challenges, work towards a vision and goals, and learn from the results. The Capstone serves as an integral part of the third-year residency experience. Sample Capstone topics of recent Ed.L.D. graduates include:

• Accountability, Coherence, and Improvement: Leadership Reflection and Growth in the Los Angeles Unified School District
• Leadership Development for Entrepreneurial Education Leaders Working to Build Public & Private Sector Support
• Disrupting Teacher Preparation: Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation Across the Learning to Teach Community of Practice
• Pursuing Educational Equality for English Language Learners

Summaries of the following Capstones are available by clicking below:

• Breaking Down Silos in a School District: Findings from an Ed.L.D. Project in Montgomery County
• Expanding Students' Access to Meaningful STEM Learning Opportunities Through Strategic Community Partnerships
• Developing a New Teacher Leadership and Compensation System in Iowa: A Consensus-Based Process
• Finding Great Teachers for Blended-Learning Schools

In the third year, residents stay connected with their Ed.L.D. cohort and HGSE through technology and by returning to Harvard periodically for intensive workshops. 

Students work closely with the program faculty during their second year to determine the best match with a partner organization for their third year residency. In matching, faculty take a number of factors into account, including each student's career goals and geographic preferences. The program expects that the current list of partners will continue to evolve based on organizational and student interest, and as the Ed.L.D. alumni network continues to grow. 

• L300AY Ed.L.D. Residency
• L300BY Ed.L.D. Residency
• Ed.L.D. Capstone

The Ed.L.D. Program has partnered with organizations that are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in American preK-12 education. The partners are school systems, nonprofit organizations, mission-based for-profit organizations, and government agencies, all pursuing a common goal of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential. Ed.L.D. students work directly with partner organizations in the third-year residency and have some exposure to partner representatives in the first two years of the program. Ed.L.D. students capture their work with partner organizations in Capstones, which are descriptive, analytic, and reflective accounts of the resident's leadership of and contributions to a strategic project. Summaries of Capstones by several members of the first cohort of Ed.L.D. graduates are available in the curriculum section. 

The following partner organizations are hosting an Ed.L.D. resident for the 2016-17 academic year: 

• Bellingham Public Schools
• Big Picture Learning
• Boston Public Schools
• Chelsea Public Schools
• Education First
• Framingham Public Schools
• Harlem Children's Zone
• IDEO
• Jobs for the Future
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Kern County Superintendent of Schools
• Madison Metropolitan School District
• New Schools for Baton Rouge
• New York City Department of Education
• Oceanside Unified School District
• Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning
• Phi Delta Kappa/Educators Rising
• Providence Public Schools
• Rhode Island Department of Education
• South Carolina Public Charter School District
• Transcend

How do I know if this program is a good fit for me?

To determine whether the Ed.L.D. Program is a good fit for you and your interests, it may help to begin by thinking about your career goals. Do you wish to pursue a career as a system-level leader who will contribute to transforming preK-12 education in the United States? 

In addition, consider the program's curriculum. Will a deep understanding of the following help you achieve your career goals?

• Learning and Teaching
• Politics and Policy
• Leadership and Organizational Change
• Personal Mastery

Lastly, take a look at the types of organizations with which HGSE is partnering; these school systems, nonprofit organizations, mission-based for-profit organizations, and government agencies are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in preK-12 education. Do you see yourself working in these types of organizations or even creating your own? If the program meets your needs and interests, you are encouraged to apply.

For what types of positions will the Ed.L.D. Program prepare me?

The Ed.L.D. Program is designed to prepare graduates for a variety of system-level leadership responsibilities in organizations such as school systems, state departments of education, U.S. Department of Education, national policy organizations, national nonprofits or mission-based for-profits, and foundations/funders. Ed.L.D. graduates will be well positioned to assume roles such as chief academic officer, chief executive officer, chief of staff, superintendent (head, assistant, deputy, or area), commissioner, executive director, advisor to the deputy secretary, program director, or program officer.

I am interested in becoming a superintendent for urban school districts. Should I apply to the Ed.L.D. or the Ph.D. program?

If you are interested in a career as a superintendent or district leader, you should apply to the Ed.L.D. Program. For 20 years, HGSE has prepared students to lead urban school districts through the Urban Superintendents Program (USP). USP admitted its final cohort in fall 2009.

The Ed.L.D. Program prepares graduates for preK-12 system-level leadership roles but, like USP, it is not a licensure program. As requirements for licensure vary from state to state, students ultimately seeking certification for superintendent or cabinet level roles requiring licensure are advised to work with state departments of education to confirm prerequisites and available options to meet state-specific requirements. Links to state licensing offices can be found here.

What types of positions do Ed.L.D. graduates hold?

Recent Ed.L.D. alumni hold positions such as:

• Director of Leadership Development (urban school district)
• Vice President of Strategy (education non-profit organization)
• Director of Strategic Initiatives (state education agency)
• Network Superintendent (urban school district)
• Curriculum Director, Early Childhood Development (education non-profit organization)

Is this program suitable for someone with interests in international education or higher education?

At this time, the program's focus is on preparing graduates who will transform the American preK-12 education system. If this meets your interests and needs, you are welcome to apply. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to apply for admission to the Ed.L.D. Program.

As part of the Ed.L.D. Program, the Harvard Graduate School of Education will draw on the knowledge and successes of other countries and may partner with some international organizations in the future.

Our Masters of Education (Ed.M.) and Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.) programs continue to serve students who would like to work in international or higher education. We encourage you to explore all of the HGSE degree programs to determine which may be the best fit with your personal interests and career goals.

How does the Ed.L.D. advising system work? Will I stay with the same adviser throughout their three years?

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the Ed.L.D. Program. Assignments are made based on the background, experience, and interests of the student and the faculty member. Requests to change advisers are accepted at any time after the first semester of study.

How is the third year residency determined? Will I get to choose where I go and for whom I work?

Students will work closely with Ed.L.D. Program faculty during their second year to determine the best partner organization match for their third- year residency. In ascertaining a match, faculty take a number of factors into account, including students’ career goals and geographic preferences. The program expects that the current list of partners will continue to grow based on organizational and student interest.

What is the Ed.L.D. Capstone?

The Capstone is a descriptive, analytic, and reflective account of the third-year student’s leadership of and contributions to a strategic project within an Ed.L.D. partner organization. It is a demonstration of the student’s ability to diagnose challenges, engage others, develop strategy to successfully address the challenges, work towards a vision and goals, and learn from the results. The Capstone serves as an integral part of the third-year residency experience.

What types of topics do students choose for their Ed.L.D. Capstones?

Sample Capstone topics of recent Ed.L.D. graduates include:

• Accountability, Coherence, and Improvement: Leadership Reflection and Growth in the Los Angeles Unified School District
• Leadership Development for Entrepreneurial Education Leaders Working to Build Public & Private Sector Support
• Creating a Teacher Leadership and Compensation System in Iowa
• Disrupting Teacher Preparation: Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation Across the Learning to Teach Community of Practice
• Pursuing Educational Equality for English Language Learners

For summaries of a few recent Capstones, see the Curriculum section above. 

When does the program start? How long does the Ed.L.D. Program take to complete?

Each Ed.L.D. cohort will begin the program in late August. A new cohort is selected once per year for fall-entry only. The program takes three years to complete.

Can the Ed.L.D. Program be done part-time, online, or by distance education?

No. The Ed.L.D. Program requires that students attend full-time in residence at Harvard, due to the intensive cohort-based nature of the program.

Is the Ed.L.D. a joint degree program?

The Ed.L.D. is based solely at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; it is not a joint degree program. However, the program is taught by faculty from HGSE, the Harvard Business School, and the Kennedy School of Government, who work collaboratively to provide a challenging and coherent experience for students.

Does the Ed.L.D. Program accept transfer credits from other Harvard programs or universities?

No, the Ed.L.D. Program does not accept transfer credits from other Harvard programs or universities. This program is designed as a comprehensive, full-time, three-year experience.

How much does the Ed.L.D. Program cost? Is funding available?

If accepted, you will receive a full-tuition funding package, which includes stipend/work opportunity support in years one and two, as well as a paid residency in year three. The stipend/work opportunity funding is expected to cover HGSE's estimate of living expenses.

For more information, please visit the Financial Aid website.

Learn more about the unique benefits of the Ed.L.D. Program at Harvard — including full tuition funding — by visiting the admissions section of the website, contacting HGSE admissions, or attending an admissions event.

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