{"id":18291,"date":"2025-06-05T11:36:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=18291"},"modified":"2025-06-05T11:36:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:36:22","slug":"lead-and-inspire-which-wilmu-ed-d-degree-is-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/05\/lead-and-inspire-which-wilmu-ed-d-degree-is-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Lead and Inspire: Which WilmU Ed.D. Degree Is Right for You?\u202f\u202f\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18291_34a56d-b0 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>Are you looking to lead your school or organization to its next level of success? Wilmington University\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/indexe.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts<\/a> offers two Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs to fit your goals and accommodate your schedule.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/educational-leadership-doctorate.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ed.D. in Educational Leadership<\/a> (EDL) for K-12 teachers and administrators supports you at the classroom, school or district level, using innovative coursework, a hybrid online\/face-to-face schedule and accelerated learning options for doctoral study without career disruption.\u202f&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOver half of all public school administrators (in Delaware) will be eligible to retire in the next three years. Are you ready to take the next step as a district leader? Are you ready for a rich career post-K-12?\u201d says <strong>Dr. Nancy Carnevale<\/strong>, EDL program chair. \u201cThe EDL program prepares and inspires future education leaders by providing both building- and superintendent-level certifications.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Patrick Costigan<\/strong>, a business education teacher and department chair at Glasgow High School in Newark, Delaware, calls earning a doctorate \u201ctransformative for my career.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt not only deepened my understanding of effective leadership in diverse educational settings but also gave me the tools and confidence to drive real change in my organization,\u201d Dr. Costigan says. \u201cThe support from faculty and the collaborative environment challenged me to grow both professionally and personally.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, Learning and Innovation&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/organizational-learning-doctorate.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, Learning and Innovation<\/a> (OLI) teaches you the skills you need to address the complex issues facing today\u2019s organizations, with online and hybrid formats designed for today\u2019s busy professionals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur cohorts are made up of leaders from all sectors from across the country and around the world,\u201d says <strong>Dr. Anthony Buffone<\/strong>, chair of the OLI doctoral program. \u201cIt is common to see a CEO of a credit union from Michigan learn side by side with an HR director from Pennsylvania and a fire chief from Oregon, as well as educational leaders in both higher education and K-12 systems.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Maureen Shockley<\/strong>, a 2022 graduate, refers to OLI as \u201ca big-picture degree.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all of the things that enable an organization to help its employees or members perform at their highest level,\u201d says Dr. Shockley, director of learning and development at Sun East Federal Credit Union. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing it for 30 years, and I\u2019m just glad to have the credential now that says I\u2019m an expert.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Customizable Doctor of Education Degrees With Collaborative Cohorts&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In both of WilmU\u2019s Ed.D. programs, you\u2019ll benefit from hands-on learning, instructors who are active practitioners in the field and cohort models that foster collaboration with fellow candidates. You can customize your degree with a choice of concentrations and complete it in as little as three years.\u202f&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe cohort model and the real personal relationships that you get to establish with the faculty went miles,\u201d says <strong>Dr. Barton Reese<\/strong>, head of the Oakland School in Troy, Virginia. \u201cI learned how to be a leader, the emotional piece as well.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe curriculum was fantastic, but the people at WilmU made the biggest impression on me,\u201d says <strong>Dr. Kelly Trahan<\/strong>, a dean at Lehigh Carbon Community College. \u201cI talk about WilmU all of the time, and I&#8217;ve referred people there.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy experience at Wilmington University was excellent,\u201d says <strong>Dr. Stephanie Gibbs-Emenaka<\/strong>. \u201cI had phenomenal mentors who guided me throughout the whole process. Getting my doctoral degree allowed me to leverage a full-time faculty teaching role at one point. Now I&#8217;m a dean of admissions and corporate partnerships (at Peirce College). All of those things have happened because of WilmU.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-height: 114px;}.wu-text-col &gt; div,.wu-img-col &gt; div {\tflex: 1;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id18291_666094-aa alignnone FULL wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}.kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 figure.image-is-svg {-webkit-margin-after: 1em;  margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18291_3cc59c-81 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image18291_7ddf19-e3:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image18291_7ddf19-e3.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image18291_7ddf19-e3 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18291_7ddf19-e3 size-large image-is-svg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"125\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wilmu-cta-logo-ela.svg\" alt=\"College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-17838\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18291_18f202-b8 kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin\" style=\"font-size:1rem\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/admission\/apply-now.aspx\">Apply today<\/a> to advance your career with one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/indexe.aspx\">Wilmington University&#8217;s Ed.D. degrees<\/a> for aspiring or accomplished educators and professionals.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking to lead your school or organization to its next level of success? Wilmington University\u2019s College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts offers two&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":18362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[78,366,196,969,970,971,814,374,14,15],"class_list":["post-18291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-college-of-education-liberal-arts","tag-doctor-of-education-in-educational-leadership","tag-doctor-of-education-in-organizational-leadership","tag-ed-d-2","tag-ed-d-degree","tag-ed-d-in-educational-leadership","tag-ed-d-in-organizational-leadership","tag-learning-and-innovation","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC NEWS"}],"post_tag":[{"value":78,"label":"College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts"},{"value":366,"label":"Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership"},{"value":196,"label":"Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership"},{"value":969,"label":"Ed.D."},{"value":970,"label":"Ed.D. Degree"},{"value":971,"label":"Ed.D. in Educational Leadership"},{"value":814,"label":"Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership"},{"value":374,"label":"Learning and Innovation"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/WilmU-EdD-Degree-1-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Mckayla Imperatrice","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/mckayla\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2,"name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","slug":"academic-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":559,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":460,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":2,"category_count":460,"category_description":"","cat_name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","category_nicename":"academic-news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":78,"name":"College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts","slug":"college-of-education-liberal-arts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":635,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":90,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":366,"name":"Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership","slug":"doctor-of-education-in-educational-leadership","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":923,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":196,"name":"Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership","slug":"doctor-of-education-in-organizational-leadership","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":753,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":969,"name":"Ed.D.","slug":"ed-d-2","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1526,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":970,"name":"Ed.D. Degree","slug":"ed-d-degree","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1527,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":971,"name":"Ed.D. in Educational Leadership","slug":"ed-d-in-educational-leadership","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1528,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":814,"name":"Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership","slug":"ed-d-in-organizational-leadership","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1371,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":374,"name":"Learning and Innovation","slug":"learning-and-innovation","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":931,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":291,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18291"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18364,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18291\/revisions\/18364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}