Overview
The Executive Ed.D. program, offered through Seton Hall University's College of Education and Human Services, provides an accelerated cohort doctoral degree exclusively for certified and practicing K-12 school administrators. Organized to provide a balance of rigor and relaxation, study and collegiality, courses blend with lectures, labs, presentations, picnics and receptions, which allow for bonding, networking and unwinding. Students begin their dissertation from day one with their choice of topic and the assignment of a faculty mentor. This fast-paced program demands that students remain engaged, which, in turn, permits them to finish their degrees and graduate in two years.
 
A Unique Approach
The Executive Ed.D. provides a flexible program of study at a respected academic institution during 10 weekends and two Summer sessions. A convenient schedule allows students to complete their degrees over a two-year time period, providing busy school administrators the ability to give 100 percent to both their job and career and advanced degree. Students, who in the past have come from 27 states and five foreign countries, are part of a cohort team, which means they start and finish the program together. In a collegial environment, students bond with one another, provide mutual support and assistance, and are afforded opportunities for professional sharing and cooperative activity. Many graduates are convinced that the relationships forged with their peers and faculty were critical to successful completion of the degree. Students begin their dissertation from day one with their choice of topic and the assignment of a faculty mentor.

Who Should Apply?
The Executive Ed.D. program is ideal for vice-principals, principals, directors, supervisors with district responsibilities, assistant superintendents and superintendents. Candidates must have a master's degree in an appropriate field and recent (within five years) scores on the Miller Analogies Test or the Graduate Record Examination. Loans may cover the entire cost of the program under the guidance of an assigned financial aid officer. For specific application procedures, click on admission.
 
The Program
The rigorous, 54-credit program is designed specifically for working administrators and can be completed in two years. Students enjoy a convenient course schedule that takes place on weekends and during the summer. Classes meet in the fall and spring semesters on 10 weekends over a two-year period: Friday evenings from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are six weekends in the first year (April prior to the first summer session, September, November, January, March and May) and four weekends in year two (September, November, January and March). Two, 16-day summer sessions during the month of July, with classes taking place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., round out the program. As a result of this accelerated program, content courses are completed over a 20-month period. After the first summer session, a qualifying examination is administered, with the comprehensive assessment following the second summer session.  While the degree program is designed to be completed in two years, under certain circumstances, and with prior approval, dissertation completion may extend to a third year.

In support of a fast-start on the dissertation and at-elbow faculty support throughout the program, each student is assigned to a full-time staff member who serves as adviser/mentor immediately upon the program. These leading authorities in the field of education provide stimulating conversations and challenge cohort members with cutting-edge insights about timely topics. For detailed program requirements, click on curriculum.

The estimated cost of $32,500 per year is competitive with the traditional four-year program format. However, the cost of this 54-credit Accelerated Executive Ed.D. program includes: 

• All tuition
• All fees 
• All texts 
• All course guides 
• On-campus parking 
• Recreation and fitness center use 
• Most meals 
• Special summer lodging rates 
• Support of a full-time director, assistant director and administrative assistant exclusively dedicated to the needs of the cohort members
  

If you plan to use student loans to fund the cost of the program, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as quickly as possible. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Please note that while student loans are available to fund the entire cost of the program, not all loans are guaranteed and may require a satisfactory credit rating for approval. Please feel free to call Mr. Gary Thomas, Associate Director of Financial Aid, at thomasgh@shu.edu or (973) 761-9104 with any questions that you might have about student loans or the financial aid process.

Career Advancement
Graduates of the Executive Ed.D. program work in key leadership positions as professors, superintendent of schools, assistant superintendents, principals and vice principals, instructional services executive directors and special education directors in K-12 school districts around the country.