COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Locations: Distance + in-person immersions
Formats: Online + hands-on
Program duration: The program can be completed in as few as 3 years or less based on transfer credit and prior learning experience. The average time to degree is 4.33 years for students who have graduated within the last 3 years*
See Requirements & Program Details
EdD at a Glance
*The program can be completed in as few as 3 years or less depending on individual progress, traditional vs. accelerated pathway, credits transferred, prior learning experience, and other factors. The average time to degree is 4.33 years for students who have graduated within the last 3 years*
USAHS’ specialized Doctor of Education degree is devoted to healthcare practitioners and educators. It brings together students across healthcare disciplines who form a diverse cohort and collaborate on interprofessional projects together. Because the doctoral program is focused on healthcare education, you can more easily customize it to your career goals.
With our online EdD program, you can help fill a critical shortage of healthcare educators as you prepare for an academic, administrative, or leadership role in a variety of healthcare industry and educational settings. Your clinical experience is invaluable to the next generation of healthcare professionals.
USAHS’ EdD program received the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Effective Practice Award in 2019, “recognizing successful efforts that help make quality online education accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, any time.”
PPOTD to EdD Bridge Program
For those who wish to teach in an occupational therapy academic program, we offer a bridge program from our Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD) program to our EdD degree. Most students may transfer 24–27 PPOTD credits to the EdD and complete the EdD faster.
Professional Certification Opportunities
The ImPACT® Trained Athletic Trainer (ITAT) certification is available for students who complete the Concussion in Sport course, part of the Athletic Trainer specialization.
You may choose to follow the general program, or optionally earn one of the following specializations.
If you’re an experienced nurse interested in teaching in higher education, choose our concentration in Nursing Education. This specialization includes four elective courses focused on practical theory and application within nursing education. It’s designed for experienced nursing professionals who seek to train the next generation of practitioners.
Athletic trainers who are currently in higher education, or who wish to pursue a teaching role, will find it helpful to study topics uniquely challenging to educators. This specialization includes timely and relevant topics such as cultural competency, evidenced-based injury treatment and other emerging fields of interest to the AT educator.
Through this specialization, you’ll have the chance to increase your expertise in teaching practices designed for today’s healthcare student. You can develop the skills you need to teach in a traditional or online classroom, develop curricula, and understand generational learning. Choose 12 credits from among six courses to earn the specialization.
In this specialization, you’ll prepare to lead departments and teams across academic and clinical settings. Courses focus on human resources, organizational leadership, and other subjects related to healthcare education administration. This specialization will support your current or future role as an academic department chair, a lead trainer within a health system, a human resources coordinator, and much more.
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.
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| IPE 7001 - Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice or IPE 7001B - Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (B) | 3 |
| EDF 7050 - Teaching Methods in Higher Education or EDF 7050B - Teaching Methods in Higher Education (B) | 3 |
| EDF 7111 - Research Methods I | 3 |
| EDF 7121 - Research Methods II | 3 |
| EDF 7175 - Foundational Theories in Education or EDF 7175B - Foundational Theories in Education (B) | 3 |
| EDF 7171 - Motivation Theory in Health Care Education | 3 |
| EDF 7200 - Residency I | 2 |
| EDF 7225 - Residency II | 2 |
| EDF 7325 - Dissertation Research Preparation | 4 |
| EDF 7871 - Dissertation | 4 |
| EDF 7872 - Dissertation II | 4 |
| EDF 7873 - Dissertation III | 4 |
Total Credit Hours | 38 |
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.
| General Elective Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| COM 7130 – Healthcare Communication and Collaboration | 3 |
| EDF 7181 - Technology in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDF 7013 - Practical Application of Online Teaching | 3 |
| EDF 7250 - Teaching Internship | Varies |
| EDF 7455 - Special Topics in Professional Practice | Varies |
| HSA 7236 - Accounting, Finance and Economics for the Healthcare Leader | 3 |
| HSC 7200 - Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice | 1 |
| IPE 7200/7200B Cultural Competence in Healthcare | 3 |
Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.
| Nurse Educator Elective Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EDF 7323 - Contemporary Issues in Nursing Education | 3 |
| EDF 7320 - Leadership Development for Advancing the Future of Nursing Education | 3 |
| EDF 7260 - Assessment and Evaluation in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| EDF 7235 - Ethical Principles in Healthcare | 3 |
Specialization Required Credit Hours | 12 |
Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.
| Athletic Training Elective Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ATP 7050 - Cultural Competency | 3 |
| ATP 7130 - Evidence Based Injury Prevention | 3 |
| ATP 7280 - Psychosocial Strategies for Patient Care | 3 |
| ATP 7100 - Advanced Topics: Ethics in Healthcare | 3 |
| ATP 7255 - Concussion in Sport* | 3 |
Specialization Required Credit Hours | 12 |
*Students earn the ImPACT® Trained Athletic Trainers (ITAT) certification and 3.0 continuing education units (CEUs).
Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.
| Teaching & Learning Elective Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| EDF 7161 - Program and Curricular Design for Health Science Education | 3 |
| EDF 7181 - Technology in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDF 7260 - Assessment and Evaluation in Health Professions Education | 3 |
| EDF 7250 - Teaching Internship | 1-3 |
| EDF 7455 - Special Topics in Professional Practice | 1-6 |
| EDF 7013 Practical Application of Online Teaching | 3 |
Specialization Required Credit Hours | 12 |
Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.
| Executive Leadership Elective Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| HSA 7200/HSA 7200B - Foundations of Healthcare Administration B | 3 |
| HSA 7250 - Human Resources Management & Organizational Development in Healthcare | 3 |
| IPE 7133 - Strategic Planning in Healthcare Administration | 3 |
| HSA 7260/HSA 7260B - Operations and Quality Management in Healthcare | 3 |
| IPE 7121/IPE 7121B - Organizational Leadership and Policy in Healthcare | 3 |
Specialization Required Credit Hours | 12 |
TLS-Course may be applied to the Teaching & Learning Specialization.
USAHS is currently accepting applications for enrollment to the doctorate 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, 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.
The map below identifies the states from which the University is now accepting applications for the EdD program (indicated in blue).
To ensure your success in the 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:
Total program tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year are as follows.
| Tuition and Fees | |
|---|---|
| Student Expenses | |
| Tuition | $50,414.00 |
| Program Fees | $4,676.00 |
| Books & Associated School Expenses | $1,000.00 |
| Total Program Direct Expenses | $56,090.00 |
Student loans may be available to assist with funding your EdD 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.
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.”
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.
Click the program below to view the program data:
Doctor of Education
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.
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