The University of Portland School of Education has offered graduate education in Edmonton for over 25 years. Our master's and doctoral programs are known for their strong cohorts and face-to-face learning experiences, on-time graduate rates, and faculty dedicated to the success of working professionals. The first Edmonton EdD cohort began in summer (May) 2017. The next Edmonton EdD cohort is projected to begin in summer (May) 2026 and a new cohort begins every three years.
The EdD program in the nationally accredited School of Education combines innovative coursework and faculty expertise with applied research and best practices to prepare the next generation of leaders. The School of Education is Portland's premier institution preparing teachers and leaders. Shaped by the 200-year Holy Cross tradition, we affirm an ethos that each individual is a learner, that dignity and justice are achieved through education, and that education is a community responsibility. All programs in the School of Education are approved by Oregon (TSPC) and accredited nationally (NCATE/CAEP), with distinctions in the areas of evidence-based programming, faculty experience, and community outreach. The EdD program in Edmonton is offered pursuant to the written approval of the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education. Tuition assistance, grants and coverage of living expenses are available through Student Aid Alberta.
Anne Rasmussen
Academic Specialist for Graduate Programs and Licensure
rasmusse@up.edu
800.546.3633
Receive Information Attend an Information Session Apply for Admission
Credits and Length: The 51-credit cohort program is designed to be completed in 3 years. Students enroll in 5-6 credits in 3 contiguous semesters (summer, fall, spring) during 3 consecutive years of study. Part-time options may be planned individually based on consultation and transfer credit.
Integration of a Leadership and Learning Concentration: Edmonton EdD candidates complete a 15-credit organizational leadership and development concentration within the program.
State-of-the-Art EdD Core Curriculum: All students complete a 21-credit core curriculum that bridges theory, best practices, and applied research for immediate impact on the profession.
Dedicated Faculty and Professional Network: Our full-time faculty hold doctoral degrees from leading national institutions of education, and our clinical faculty bring expertise and applied experience around the challenges of learning and leading. Our Educational and Teacher Leadership Boards and alumni network, 7,500 strong, connect EdD candidates with opportunities for mentorship and leadership advancement.
Thoughtfully Crafted Cohorts: EdD students are carefully selected and form learning communities with faculty around areas of interest, study, and research. A new cohort of Edmonton EdD candidates begins every three years during the summer (May) and progresses toward faculty-led seminars that culminate in the prospectus and dissertation focused on applied issues in the field.
Convenient Course Delivery Model: Courses are delivered in Edmonton and taught by UP School of Education faculty. Students enroll in two courses per semester. Generally, each course meets three times per semester for three consecutive evening and weekend days. However, in the summers, one of the courses may have an intensive, week-long meeting in lieu of a third class meeting.
Competitive Tuition and No Fees: Edmonton EdD candidates pay the same tuition rate as Portland (on-campus) EdD candidates. There is no fee to apply to the program and there are no hidden program fees once admitted. Tuition assistance, grants, and coverage of living expenses are available through Student Aid Alberta. Candidates who need to extend their program beyond three years in order to complete their dissertation pay a minimal fee each semester until the dissertation is defended and the program is completed.
Information, Consultation, and Advising Sessions: For general questions about the Edmonton EdD program and questions related to transfer credits, please contact Anne Rasmussen at rasmusse@up.edu or 503.943.8257.
The Edmonton Doctor of Education program in Learning and Leading integrates organizational leadership and development as the area of concentration. The program develops leaders who apply knowledge of research and practice to advance individual and organizational learning in a socially just manner. The program aims to develop lifelong learners who are able to integrate research and theory and provide leadership for the field, which is in alignment with the School of Education's emphasis on inquiry and scholarship for service. The Edmonton EdD program of study consists of 51 credits segmented into doctoral core courses (21 credits), area of concentration courses (15 credits), and dissertation courses (12 credits).
Doctoral Core Courses (21 credits)
ED 600 Introduction to Doctoral Research (3 cr.)
ED 601 Advanced Qualitative Research (3 cr.)
ED 602 Advanced Quantitative Research (3 cr.)
ED 603 Research for Evaluation and Action (3 cr.)
ED 610 Cultural and Institutional Perspectives on Education: Individual, Community, and Society (3 cr.)
ED 611 Essential Ideas in Education: History, Philosophy, and Change (3 cr.)
ED 614 Adult Learning, Group and Organizational Dynamics (3 cr.)
Organizational Leadership and Development Area of Concentration Courses (15 credits)
ED 545 Leadership and Organizational Change (3 cr.)
ED 552 Leadership for Sustaining the Vision (3 cr.)
ED 553 Leadership for Instructional Improvement (3 cr.)
ED 554 Leadership for Effective Data Driven Decision Making (3 cr.)
ED 585 Foundations of Cognitive Processes in Learning (3 cr.)
Dissertation Courses (15 credits)
ED 621 Dissertation Prospectus (5 cr.)
ED 622 Dissertation Seminar (2 semesters, 2 cr. each semester)
ED 698 Dissertation Approval (0 cr.)
ED 699 Dissertation Research (2 semesters, 3 cr. each semester)
Course descriptions are available in the University of Portland Bulletin.
Pre-candidacy evaluation. In the first two years of the program, students complete core and area of concentration courses that lay the foundation for the completion of the dissertation. During the sixth semester, students will submit a Qualifying Paper that presents a critical literature review of scholarship pertaining to the topic area they wish to study for their dissertation. The Qualifying Paper is a required step in the process towards development of a Dissertation Proposal.
Post-candidacy evaluation. In the second year of the program, a doctoral committee is established to support the student's independent research. Each Edmonton student's doctoral committee, in addition to the Chair, must include at least three voting members: one member will be from the UP School of Education, the second member will be a UP Graduate School representative outside of the School of Education, and the third member will be from an external peer institution.
Proposal Defense. Once a student's doctoral committee Chair reviews his/her Qualifying Paper and determined that he/she may progress to writing his/her Dissertation Proposal, the student will prepare a prospectus for an oral defense to members of his/her doctoral committee. The focus of this defense will be to ensure that the student's dissertation project is well-conceived, and the individual is prepared to begin conducting the proposed research independently.
Dissertation Defense. Upon completion of the dissertation, an oral defense will be conducted by the candidate to his/her doctoral committee. The purpose of the defense is to confirm three elements of the dissertation: (a) the candidate's mastery of methodology employed in the dissertation study, (b) the appropriateness of findings in relation to the methods employed, and (c) the clarity of communication.
The next Edmonton EdD cohort is projected to begin in summer (May) 2026. The application review process begins on November 1. Interview invitations and admission notifications will be extended until the cohort is full.
There is no fee to apply to the program. Review the current graduate program tuition rates. Tuition assistance, grants, and coverage of living expenses are available through Student Aid Alberta.
Transfer Credit
All transfer credits must be pre-approved by the Associate Dean. Required EdD core, prospectus, and dissertation courses and credits may not be satisfied through transfer credit. A maximum of 12 post master's transfer credits may be accepted toward the Organizational Leadership and Development area of concentration, resulting in a lighter credit load during certain semesters in the EdD program. For questions related to transfer credits, please contact Anne Rasmussen at rasmusse@up.edu or 503.943.8257.
This program is offered pursuant to the written approval of the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education, effective July 2015, having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the Minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (for example, acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies, or other educational institutions). This degree program does not lead to leadership certification currently required for school principals in Alberta.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
