Doctor of Education (EdD)

Optional Specializations

Earn one of the following specializations by choosing the elective courses that are required to complete them. These courses are taken as part of the electives needed to complete the requirements of the EdD program.

Nursing Education Specialization

Experienced nurses interested in teaching at the higher education level may choose our concentration in Nursing Education. This nursing specialization includes four elective courses focused on practical theory and application in nursing education in higher education. It is designed for experienced nursing professionals who seek to train the next generation of practitioners.

Athletic Training Specialization

Athletic trainers who are currently in higher education, or wish to purse a teaching role will find it helpful to study topics uniquely challenging to educators. The specialization includes timely and relevant topics such as cultural competency, evidenced-based injury treatment and other emerging fields of interest to the educator.

Teaching and Learning Specialization

This specialization offers participants an opportunity to increase their expertise in teaching practices designed for today’s learner. This series of courses will help students develop the necessary skills to teach in a traditional or online classroom, develop curriculum, and understand generational learning. There are a total of six courses students can select from. Students need to choose 12 credits from these electives to earn the specialization.

Executive Leadership Specialization

This specialization includes a series of courses with emphasis on operational leadership in healthcare: developing and managing an effective team, strategic planning and decision-making, balancing the economics of decision-making and timing of decisions, and leadership strategies and the strategic use of quality performance standards to achieve organizational outcomes.

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Students in the online Doctor of Education (EdD) program take a total of 60 credits. All core courses are required (38 credits). Students complete 22 elective credits, which may include 12 credits to achieve a specialization plus 10 credits from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

Elective Courses

Students choose 22 elective credit hours to complete the 60-credit-hour EdD program. Students may take 12 credit hours in their chosen specialization plus choose 10 credit hours from the general electives or any specialization track or choose all 22 elective credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

TLS-Course may be applied to the Teaching & Learning Specialization.

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USAHS is currently accepting applications for enrollment to the EdD program from the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

USAHS is not accepting applications from states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program.  It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides. USAHS’ EdD program is not designed or intended to lead to professional licensure in any state.

Admissions Requirements

To ensure your success in the Doctor of Education program, a candidate must have completed a master’s or clinical doctoral degree and have the desire to develop or advance their career in higher education for health science. To be considered for admission, a candidate must submit the following:

• Online application for admission
• Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended. An official transcript is one that is sent directly to the Admissions Office by the Registrar of the issuing institution or one forwarded in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution.
• References from two professional colleagues.
• Writing assessment
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• Copy of professional license, if applicable

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The online Doctor of Education (EdD) program may be completed in four (4) years and eight (8) months. Total program tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year are as follows.

Tuition is approximately $3,601 per trimester or $840 per credit hour for all courses not involving a separate seminar. The following costs are estimates and are subject to changes. Students whose address on record is in California at the time tuition is first charged and/or who attend the California campus will be responsible for paying a one-time Student Tuition Recovery Fund non-refundable fee, pursuant to California Code of Regulations §76120. All tuition and costs are estimates and subject to change.

Financial Aid

Student loans may be available to assist with funding your Ed D program. USAHS has financial aid counselors who are available to explain your options.

Financial aid counselors can be reached by email, phone, or on campus. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in each time zone. If you are unable to meet during regular office hours, after-hours appointments are available by request.

Please visit our Financial Aid Contact page for more information.

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Clinical and Research Expert – Hannah Y. Oldenburg, EdD, OTR/L

Dr. Hannah Oldenburg is a clinical and research expert in clinical education, occupational roles and outcomes in acute care, and mechanical circulatory devices. In her current role as an occupational therapist at the Mayo Clinic, she hosted a collaborative model for Level II occupational therapy students within acute care. She has also served as an adjunct professor for St. Catherine University and an occupational therapist at Recovery Health, Inc.
Dr. Oldenburg received her B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 2009. She went on to receive her Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy at St. Catherine University in 2012. She transitioned to her clinical education role in 2016 while pursuing a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She obtained her EdD degree in 2018 with her dissertation, “Retrospective Comparison of Clinical Reasoning Among Rehabilitation Students During Experiential Learning.”

State and Foundation Grant Specialist – Delia C. Garcia, EdD

Dr. Delia C. Garcia is a former dean of the College of Education at Florida International University, where she continues to serve as associate professor in what has been renamed the School of Education and Human Development. Prior to her appointment as dean, she served as interim dean, as well as chairperson of FIU’s departments of Educational Leadership and Professional Studies.

Dr. Garcia has published in the areas of family involvement, teacher and parent efficacy, and urban teacher preparation. She has also developed curriculum guides for teacher education in the areas of home school relations, adult literacy, and English as a second language. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in research, urban education, and teacher education. She has supervised and participated in numerous doctoral dissertations. She has also taken on leadership roles within professional organizations, including serving as an elected member of the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), receiving gubernatorial appointments to Florida’s State Advisory Committee in the area of family literacy, serving as president of the Bilingual Association of Florida for six years, and chairing state and district advisory committees that focused on narrowing the achievement gap in schools and preparing adult educators in Florida.

Dr. Garcia has been a leader in the area of community engagement for the past 35 years, forging university-school partnerships that address community needs and focus on problem-solving.

Doctor of Education (EdD)

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Doctor of Education (EdD)

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Foreign-trained candidates who do not require a student visa to participate in University courses and/or degrees can be considered for admission. Please note that many countries have their own accrediting and licensing bodies, and degree recognition and licensure differ from country to country. Additionally, a number of countries do not recognize an online EDD education degree for employment or promotion purposes, particularly government agency employment or promotion. University programs are designed to meet accreditation, licensure and other requirements in the United States. If you reside outside of the United States, it is important that you review and understand the requirements of your country of residence to confirm licensure requirements, as well as recognition of your program for employment or promotion purposes in those countries.