Embrace the opportunity to lead with confidence. Drive impactful change in education as an administrator and make a lasting difference in your schools and community.
Our Educational Administration EdD program is designed to shape future leaders poised to excel at building and district levels. Emphasizing practical solutions to real-world challenges, this program prepares administrators to address problems head-on. With a rigorous curriculum and expert faculty, you'll gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed. Ideal for PreK–12 school leaders and administrators, this program offers an opportunity to advance your academic career or engage in stimulating professional development.
Genelle Morris, EdD ’14, leveraged her education at the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education to become Superintendent of Olean City School District. Her journey showcases the importance of relationships, collaborative research and practical application of theoretical knowledge in educational leadership. From fostering community engagement to advocating for equity, Genelle’s path is a testament to the transformative power of education. Read more about Genelle's inspiring path and her impactful work in urban education.
Experience the power of collaboration with our cohort seminars on school leadership. Work closely with your cohort group throughout the program, focusing on teamwork and collaborative problem-solving to develop the skills necessary for effective and innovative educational leadership.
Our program integrates theoretical and experiential learning to equip you with practical skills and knowledge for effective educational leadership. Flexible coursework featuring hybrid courses that convene four weekends on Friday and Saturday evenings allows you to balance your education with your personal and professional commitments.
Engage in collaborative applied research on school-based issues and leadership actions, culminating in an individual or collaborative capstone project or dissertation.
Academic credential granted | Doctor of Education (EdD) |
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Credits required for completion | 72 |
Time to completion | 3 years |
Course delivery | Online |
Application deadline | Summer admission only April 1 |
You may transfer up to 30 credits from your approved administrator preparation program. The transferred credits may not include those that were assigned to an internship or clinical experience. Prior to your formal admission, your advisor will determine which courses can be applied to your doctoral program. Courses older than 10 years at the time of admission must be petitioned before they can be accepted.
ELP 624 Research Paradigms and Problems in Educational Research
ELP 630 Leading and Managing People in Education
ELP 677 Leading Curriculum and Instructional Improvement
You must complete a sequence of at least five courses that reflect your particular academic and professional interests. You can choose courses offered within or outside the Graduate School of Education, depending on your particular interests and background and in consultation with your advisor.
Areas of specialization include school business and human resource administration; policy formulation, implementation and analysis; or leadership for curriculum and instructional leadership.
Your chosen specialization can incorporate the requirements for an existing Graduate School of Education advanced certificate such as the advanced certificate in school business and human resource administration.
In order to acquire and demonstrate your proficiency in research methods, you must take a minimum of 12 credit hours in the research component, and must include:
ELP 500 Nature of Inquiry (or equivalent)
ELP ### 1 introductory quantitative research methods
ELP ### 1 introductory qualitative research methods
ELP ### 1 advanced quantitative or qualitative research methods
(Research courses may be taken from other departments at UB with the permission of your advisor.)
Upon successful completion of the required coursework and with your advisor’s permission, you will take three to four hours of ELP 702 during the final three semesters of your program in order to maintain matriculation while completing your qualifying paper, capstone project/dissertation in practice research proposal, and your final project.
In an effort to make the application process more equitable, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for admissions consideration. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.
To be considered for admission:
Submit your completed online application, which includes:
Test scores, contact information for recommendation letters, and sample of academic writing requirements are waived for University at Buffalo LIFTS program alumni.
Former/Maiden Name: Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.
Admission Decision: The admission decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you must provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months before your semester start date.
If accepted, you will need to upload three documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Required Documents for Residency Application for more information.
All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application and dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.
Our graduates go on to take on:
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
University at Buffalo, SUNY Graduate School of Education Buffalo, NY 14260-1000
Buffalo, NY 14260
Email: malemke@buffalo.edu
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
How can instructional leaders contribute to creating a more progressive, equitable and inclusive society? Ian Mette, PhD, set out to answer that question in the recently published book, “Making a Difference: Instructional Leadership That Drives Self-Reflection and Values the Expertise of Teachers.” The book challenges traditional, deficit-oriented perspectives on learning and underscores the importance of recognizing and leveraging students' sociocultural identities, including race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, orientation and class.