Kent State has been recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation for online education & teaching degree programs. Just under 6 percent of postsecondary institutions received this honor in 2022.
Best Online EdD Degree Program - Doctor of Education in Interprofessional Leadership
Kent State University has been ranked one of the year’s best schools for online degrees in education & teaching by STEPS (Student Training & Education in Public Service). Just under 6 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. earned a ranking position.
See where Kent State ranked on the full list.
“STEPS wanted to find the colleges with the best overall education & teaching programs available online. This included degree programs with top-notch academics, support services for students, and affordability of enrollment,” said Kyle Smith, community outreach specialist at STEPS. “Identifying and acknowledging these schools is critical as more students look toward online higher education options in a post-pandemic era.”
This ranking comes at a time when enrollment in online degree programs is on the rise. A recent study from market research company, Technavio, found that online higher education has the potential to grow by 20 percent over the next four years.
“Kent State is one of the few colleges today prioritizing online learning to meet student demand,” said Smith. “Adding online programs also promotes diversity in higher education, opening doors to those who may not have easy access to a campus-based classroom.”
What is the difference between a Ph.D. and an Ed.D.?
STEPS analyzed multiple datasets from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), as well as data collected from the schools themselves. Key data points used to identify top schools include the following:
- Number of online programs in a given subject area
- Tuition and fees per academic year
- Percentage of students receiving institutional financial aid
- Existence of academic counseling
- An offering of career placement services
STEPS vetted an estimated 7,700 postsecondary institutions to create its rankings. To qualify, a college or university must hold active regional accreditation from an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education and have at least one partially online program in education & teaching.
Kent State University’s Online Doctor of Education in Interprofessional Leadership
The online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Interprofessional Leadership program is cohort-based, starting in the summer term, with students taking three to five years to complete the degree. Students select a cognate area for specialized study.
Cognates offered include:
Special Education
This cognate area prepares students for leadership roles in improving the practice of special education (birth to adulthood). Students will attain the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and conceptualize important problems related to the practice of special education and to develop, implement, and evaluate solutions that are informed by the best available research and theory in special education and related disciplines. The Special Education cognate provides doctoral-level training to anyone seeking to lead positive change in how special education and related services are provided to learners with disabilities.
Educational Technology
This cognate area aims to prepare leaders who are conversant in critical research, theories, and methods in educational technology to facilitate positive change in their professional settings. It is designed to help you advance your knowledge in educational technology research to implement educational technology initiatives in educational and business environments using research-informed and data-driven decisions.
Curriculum and Instruction
This cognate area prepares students to be curriculum leaders in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Students will attain the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, conceptualize and research important problems related to the practice of curriculum development, curriculum leadership, and curriculum evaluation. Additionally, students will learn to develop, implement, and evaluate solutions that are informed by currently available theory and research in curriculum and instruction. The Curriculum and Instruction cognate provides doctoral-level training to anyone seeking to lead positive curricular change in classrooms, schools, and communities.
Athletic Training
This cognate area provides graduate students the opportunity to prepare for the rigors of academic positions in a college or university by blending discipline-specific theory and practice strategies related to athletic training education. This degree program will provide the student an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge in higher education as a whole while developing the critical skills necessary to establish a strong foundation in athletic training educational leadership. A comprehensive project directly related to athletic training education will allow the student to address a contemporary issue in the profession through purposeful research strategies to generate educational change within the discipline.
Cultural Foundations
This cognate area prepares students for leadership roles in educational settings seeking to address problems of practice that reflect broad societal problems and thus defy simple solutions. Immersion in the literature of the field of social foundations of education will expose students to historical, sociological, anthropological, and philosophical understandings that will enable them to contextualize problems of practice within and beyond their particular institutional setting. Students will develop facilities with conceptual, critical, and normative modes of analysis needed to unpack contemporary problems of practice and propose approaches to addressing them in ways that do justice to their complexity. This terminal degree program will appeal to students who are already grappling with these problems in institutional settings and to those who wish to prepare themselves for such roles.
The Ed.D. degree in Interprofessional Leadership will prepare graduates to:
- Frame questions of organizational leadership, educational change, and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice
- Develop and demonstrate a professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research knowledge, and that links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry
- Construct and apply knowledge interprofessionally to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and communities
- Develop and demonstrate interprofessional collaboration and communication skills to work with diverse communities and build partnerships
- Analyze problems of practice and use multiple interprofessional frames to develop meaningful solutions
- Generate, transform and use professional knowledge in practice
- Integrate technology as a tool for teaching, learning, assessment, management, planning, and communication
For more information on Kent State’s online Doctor of Education in Interprofessional Leadership degree, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/doctor-of-education-interprofessional-leadership.
About STEPS
STEPS started in 2019 with the goal of connecting students with valuable and informative resources to help them get their degrees and find satisfying careers in public service. These free guides range from connecting students with online schools to breaking down options for affording a degree
