Is a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Worth It? If you’re dreaming about helping patients restore their mobility and quality of life, and you’re exploring what it would take to become a physical therapist, you may be wondering, “Is a degree in physical therapy worth it?” The answer to this question depends, of course, on your personal career goals. Some people choose to become physical therapist assistants because only a two-year associate degree is required. It’s true that pursuing a doctorate takes time and effort; however, there are countless advantages to earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. To that end, let’s look at some of the factors that make a Doctor in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree the best first step on an exceptional career Read more
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Location
- Distance + in-person immersions
Format
- Online + hands-on
Program duration
- 14 trimesters (4 years, 8 months)*
Earn Your EdD in Our Healthcare-Focused Program
USAHS’ specialized Doctor of Education (EdD) 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.
EdD at a Glance
Online coursework
Two required residencies and two optional on-campus immersions
Acceleration options
60 credit hours over 14 trimesters (4 years, 8 months)
Sept., Jan. & May start dates
Dissertation
Please note that the program typically takes 4 years and 8 months to complete, based on the most recent 2-year graduate data (2018-2019 and 2019-20120); however, individual experiences will vary based on factors including, but not limited to, individual progress, part-time vs. full-time enrollment, credits transferred, changing specializations, unsuccessful course completion, leaves of absence, or other personal circumstances.
How Our EdD Program Stands Apart

We offer specializations.
The online doctorate in education program offers specializations in Nursing Education, Athletic Training, Teaching and Learning, and Executive Leadership. You’ll study with faculty mentors who are experts in these areas of education.

We’re online + hands-on.
We’ve long been at the forefront of innovative and applied learning methods, such as case-based teaching and realistic, immersive virtual simulations. Alongside our online coursework, the EdD doctorate program has two required on-campus residencies. Two core courses also offer optional on-campus immersions, a chance to enjoy face-to-face connections with faculty and fellow students.

We offer acceleration options.
In the flexible and individualized online EdD education program, your advisors will work with you to design a customized plan of study. You can take self-paced courses that award credit according to competency assessments*, receive academic credit for your professional experience, and ask to transfer credits from another graduate program.
* While USAHS does not offer Title IV for any term in which an accelerated learning course is taken with a full term “Anchor” course, other financing alternatives may be available. Please refer to the Financial Aid webpage for additional information.
Learn More
We’re interprofessional.
Our core courses and on-campus immersions emphasize interprofessional education, enabling students from different healthcare professions to learn together and practice working in a team. You will contribute your educator’s perspective to problem-solving in collaborative scenarios.

We support deep scholarship.
The EdD culminates with a dissertation, which allows you to dive deep into conducting research to make an original scholarly contribution to your field. You may also choose to engage in independent directed study on a special topic of your choice. And students within the Teaching & Learning specialization have the chance to complete a teaching internship, a unique opportunity to work with a mentor in the field and focus on your teaching goals.
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.MHS to EdD Bridge Program
Graduates of USAHS’ Master of Health Science (MHS) program with a specialization in Teaching and Learning are eligible to apply up to 30 credits from the MHS to the EdD program, allowing them to earn the EdD in less time.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.EdD Requirements and Program Information
How to ApplyEdD Specializations
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.
X CloseEdD Curriculum
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 - Motivational Theory in Healthcare 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 |
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.
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.
X CloseEdD Admissions Requirements
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
EdD Tuition & Fees
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.
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 |
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.
X CloseEdD Advisory Board
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.
X CloseEdD Program Data
Students Residing Outside the United States
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.
X CloseEdD Learning Outcomes
- Establish an advanced scholarly agenda.
- Employ interprofessional education techniques to teaching and/or leadership practices.
- Evaluate an education or organizational leadership practice and create solutions.
- Use effective communication skills in teaching or leading.
- Formulate a teaching and/or leadership philosophy that reflects professionalism, integrity, and ethical standards.
- Use a leadership development plan to guide professional growth.
- Contribute to the analysis of scholarly works through the evaluation of evidence-based literature.
Upcoming Education Events
ThursdayJuly 7, 2022

Doctor of Education (EdD) Webinar – 4PM PT
ThursdayAugust 4, 2022

Doctor of Education (EdD) Webinar – 4PM PT
SaturdayAugust 20, 2022
