Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership (EdD)

The EdD in Instructional Leadership is CUNY’s first Doctor of Education degree that prepares experienced educators to become effective practitioner leaders able to translate current research into practice. The program prepares teacher leaders, department chairs, administrators and other education professionals to transform K-12 education, and drive better educational outcomes across larger systems. The program provides clinically-focused doctoral training and a deep grounding in the best research on educational practice. Students will develop the ability to digest, synthesize, and apply new research quickly to improve educational outcomes for students, and the skills to understand and communicate their insights effectively as leaders.

Program Highlights

• Designed to meet the needs of working educators with a part-time cohort model and practice-focused 54 credit curriculum over four years
• Coursework begins in June and classes are held in the evening during the school year
• Focused on interpreting and translating current research into clinical practice
• Leverages the strength and expertise of faculty with a wide range of research and practitioner areas who are engaged with current scholarship and practice
• Provides opportunities to expand both the breadth of knowledge across the field and depth of knowledge in a particular area of interest
• Institutionally committed to serving the needs of public education with an urban focus

Eligibility and Admission Requirements

• A master’s degree from an accredited institution in the field of education or related to your work in education with a GPA of at least 3.5. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is expected.
• A minimum of five years of professional work experience in the field of education
• Two letters of recommendation. At least one should address past academic performance and/or readiness for doctoral studies and one should speak to professional leadership potential.
• A personal statement (500 words) addressing the following prompt: What has personally inspired you to pursue an EdD? How does the EdD program fit into your professional goals?
• A supplemental essay (500 words) describing a specific area of professional interest you want to research in your EdD program and explain how this line of inquiry fits into your professional goals
• A resume
• An on-site interview and writing activity may be required as part of the selection process
• Note: Prospective students whose native language is not English, or who have completed all or part of their post-secondary education in a country where English is not the first language, are required to submit English language proficiency exam scores (TOEFL or IELTS). For score requirements, visit the How to Apply page.

To Apply

Start your Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership (EdD) application today.

Under Program of Study, select School of Education – Other Programs and EdD in Instructional Leadership. Under the desired start date, select Fall/September 2025. Note, accepted students enroll in their first course in Summer 2025.

Application Deadlines

Summer Start: February 15

Visit How to Apply for information about deadline extensions.

Program Leader

• Dr. Jody Polleck

Program At A Glance

Profile of Students and Admits

• 9 cohorts
• 92 students admitted
• 27 students graduated
• 5.5 years average completion time
• 37% acceptance rate
• 3.79 average graduate grade point average (GPA)
• 3.35 average undergraduate grade point average (GPA)

Gender Identity

Women	Men	Non-Binary or Other
74.7%	24.2%	1.1%

Racial Identity

White or Caucasian	Black or African American	Asian	Multiracial	Native and Indigenous
53.2%	29.1%	12.7%	5%	1.3%

Ethnic Background

Hispanic Identifying	Non-Hispanic Identifying
25.8%	74.2%

Program In Depth

About our Cohorts

EdD cohorts are intimately sized to offer peer-to-peer and instructor connections. The average size of our cohorts is 11 students.

Cohort	Entrance Year	Students	Retention Rate	Graduation Rate
1	Fall 2016	15	80	80
2	Fall 2017	10	90	80
3	Fall 2018	8	100	87.5
4	Fall 2019	8	87.5	In Progress
5	Fall 2020	10	100	In Progress
6	Fall 2021	10	100	In Progress
7	Fall 2022	10	100	In Progress
8	Fall 2023	10	100	In Progress
9	Fall 2024	10	100	In Progress

Professional Experience

Across the program, the range of professional experience is 5 to 25 years. The average is 13 years of experience. Our students come from a wide range of professional backgrounds.

Professional Titles

• Arts Education: 2
• Childhood Education: 2
• Counseling: 4
• Instructional Coaching: 5
• Higher Education: 8
• Language Education: 8
• Non-Profit: 8
• Special Educator: 10
• Administration: 12
• Literacy and Humanities: 13
• Educational Director: 15
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education: 15

Employment Settings

Our students are in diverse employment settings.

New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Public Schools	City University of New York (CUNY)	Private	Charter	Community-Based Organizations
56.6%	26.3%	7.9%	6.6%	2.6%

Research and Areas of Inquiry

Student Dissertation Topics