EdD in Education Policy and Social Change

Responding to the needs of individuals looking to advance their careers, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education offers a Doctor of Education (EdD) program that serves professionals from various fields through interdisciplinary and practical experiences.

The major in Education Policy and Social Change prepares students to lead efforts to improve access, outcomes, and opportunities for all students across education sectors. The program focuses on the development of knowledge and skills in education policy and social change in local and global contexts, organizational change, economics-informed policy, and policy implementation and evaluation. Our graduates make a lasting impact because they are ready to create, implement, and assess the policies and practices that shape and drive educational improvement in local, national, and global environments.

Quick Facts 

• Program Duration: 3 years over 10 terms of study
• Time Commitment: Part-time
• Term of Enrollment: Summer
  • ​The first summer term includes a week-long on-ramp experience, plus four Saturday classes spread across the summer months.
• Course Requirements:  84 credits, including 24 credits transferred from previous graduate work
• Application Deadlines: February 1
• Admissions Requirements: GRE Exam Not Required

Program Details

Education Policy and Social Change is one of the majors of the Doctor of Education (EdD) program at the Pitt School of Education. The program accommodates the schedules of working professionals and combines an online learning environment with monthly Saturday in-person sessions. It uses a hybrid course delivery model, including a one-day welcome and information event, a week-long intensive on-ramp experience in the first summer, cross-disciplinary practitioner inquiry and foundations courses, and an internship.

The EdD helps graduates advance within their professional areas of practice. This is in contrast to our PhD, which is a full-time program that helps to prepare graduates for research-oriented careers and/or working as faculty within research and doctoral granting universities.

Degree Requirements

EdD students at the Pitt School of Education complete 10 requirements that are embedded in coursework, including a practitioner inquiry project.

Prerequisites

The EdD program at the Pitt School of Education requires applicants to have 24 credits of relevant graduate work to transfer from a source institution with a B (3.0) or higher according to University policy.

Faculty Advisors

• Michael Gunzenhauser (Major Coordinator)
• Eleanor Anderson
• Joshua Bleiberg
• Sean Kelly
• Maureen McClure
• Maureen Porter
• Xu Qin
• Najeeb Shafiq
• Keith Trahan
• Hayley Weddle