Online Doctor of Education
Take the lead in the classroom and beyond
100% online
As few as 3 years
54 credit hours
$1,090 cost per credit
Request more information
Complete this form to receive information about coursework, admissions, tuition and more.
What is Brenau University’s online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program?
- Apply By: 02/08/2027
- Start Class: 03/08/2027
Learn to lead strategic change, improve outcomes and drive innovation within education leadership when you earn your 100% online Doctor of Education degree from Brenau University. You can customize your academic journey in a specialized area that aligns with your career goals. A flexible format lets you set a convenient study schedule around your busy life.
Brenau’s leadership-focused Ed.D. program is designed for experienced educators seeking to advance their impact in the classroom or in a variety of educational and business settings. Through rigorous coursework, you will delve into the theories behind how education is practiced and critically explore the evidence for those theories. You will advance your research skills, develop the capstone of your degree — a doctoral dissertation — and expand your expertise in a focus area of your choosing. An All But Dissertation (ABD) status option is also available.
Our Doctor of Education online program equips you to be a thoughtful, forward-looking leader ready to navigate and shape the future of education across diverse learning environments. In as few as three years — faster than traditional doctoral programs — you will emerge as a high-quality educator ready to pursue a variety of advanced roles.
Program details
- Multiple concentration options
- ABD pathway
- 100% online coursework + 2 virtual residencies
- High student-to-faculty engagement
- Professional values centered on educational excellence
What concentrations does Brenau University’s online Doctor of Education program offer?
Tailor your studies to your career goals by choosing a focus area that will increase your professional credibility.
More Information About This Program
Click on each tab below to learn additional details regarding the program requirements and features.
Curriculum
What does the curriculum look like in Brenau’s online Ed.D. program?
54 total credits
Multiple specialization areas
Brenau’s expert-led 100% online doctorate of education program prepares you to become a high-impact contributor to today’s educational institutions and systems. Our leadership-focused curriculum covers essential topics like policy, pedagogy and population need, as well as developing your research skills necessary to evaluate educational literature and track performance for informed decision-making. Focused coursework deepens your knowledge in the doctorate area of your choosing.
What makes our Ed.D. programs in Georgia unique
Guided practicums
Apply theoretical knowledge gained through online coursework to professional settings to acquire real-world experience that strengthens job readiness.
Immediate dissertation support
Get your dissertation on the right track in the first semester by gaining early feedback, reducing stress, planning ahead and saving valuable time.
Virtual residencies
Engage in two virtual residencies that offer you, fellow cohort members and faculty the opportunity to foster scholarly collaboration.
Admission Requirements
What are the admission requirements for Brenau University’s online Doctor of Education program?
Application Deadline 06/17/2026
Start Date 08/17/2026
The doctorate of education program online at Brenau is designed for mid-career educators and administrators with at least three years of relevant professional experience who also hold a master’s degree.
If you choose either the elementary education or middle grades education concentration, your master’s degree must be in a related area, and you must hold a clear and renewable teaching license for your state.
| Online Application Form | Apply Now |
|---|---|
| Degree and Minimum GPA | Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an appropriately credentialed foreign institution Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in your master’s degree program |
| Transcripts | Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended |
| Transfer Credits | Brenau University recognizes coursework and degrees earned at institutions accredited by organizations listed by the U.S. Department of Education within its Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). The institution must also be eligible for Title IV funds. To be considered, coursework and degrees must have been completed during a period in which the granting institution held recognized accreditation as described above. |
| Additional Requirements |
|
Tuition & Aid
How much does Brenau University’s online Doctor of Education program cost?
Calculate your cost for attending Brenau University Use our tuition calculator to help you estimate your total tuition costs.
At Brenau, earning your online Doctor of Education is one of the most important decisions you can make to invest in your career. We provide the true cost of your tuition to make your academic journey as smooth as possible.
| Cost per Credit Hour | $1,090 |
|---|---|
| Total Number of Credit Hours | 54 (up to 27 hours of relevant transferred coursework for ABD status option) |
| Total Estimated Tuition | $58,860 ($29,430 for ABD status option, depending on transfer credits)** |
| Additional Fees | Additional fees may apply** |
| Other Costs to Budget For | Students are also responsible for the purchase of books and materials |
My name is Dr. Kelley Brock-Simmons. I’m associate professor in the faculty of the College of Education at Brenau University. I also serve as the chair of the graduate programs and the director of the Ed.D. program.
There are a few advantages to earning your Ed.D. online at Brenau University. It offers a flexible program so that you can continue to work full-time, take care of your family, and engage in class work at your convenience.
After students graduate, there are multiple ways to use the degree to your benefit. You can continue to work in the classroom and perhaps become one of the highest-paid people in the building. You can also teach in a collegiate environment, in an online program, or in a bricks-and-mortar program.
Brenau has designed a doctoral program that meets the specific needs of the contemporary doctoral student.
What career opportunities can you pursue with an Ed.D. from Brenau University?
As a graduate of Brenau’s online doctorate of education online program, you are empowered with leadership toolkits and focused expertise to address complex challenges within the ever-evolving landscape of education. Join the more than 600 Brenau alumni working in institutions throughout Georgia as caring and effective teachers, administrators and education policymakers.
You will be prepared for high-level opportunities in schools, districts and organizations. For example, be a leader in traditional settings such as universities, community colleges, state agencies and K-12 school systems, where the median annual salary for K–12 education administrators is $111,0201. Or apply your advanced knowledge in non-traditional settings like corporations, government and public policy, nonprofit and health care education in high-impact roles such as chief learning officer, education policy advisor, community impact strategist and director of clinical education.
Meeting the needs of contemporary doctoral students
Discover more about the benefits of online educational doctoral programs in Georgia from Brenau University in this short video presented by Dr. Kelley Brock-Simmons, dean of the College of Education.
What can you earn with a doctoral education degree from Brenau University?
Instructional Coordinator $81,280 per year2
Education Administrator, Postsecondary $131,590 per year3
What will you learn in Brenau’s online Doctor of Education program?
The coursework in the Doctor of Education online program teaches you essential knowledge that employers require for top-tier roles. As well as gaining expertise in a specialized area, you will learn to be an effective leader skilled in applied problem-solving, confident decision-making, data literacy and advanced research.
What are the learning outcomes of Brenau’s online Ed.D. program?
- Expand expertise with advanced content in curriculum development, cultural competence, legal and ethical issues, and more
- Build quantitative and qualitative research skills that can apply to education or many other fields
- Produce scholarly content in your concentration area
Learn from faculty invested in your success
As a student at Brenau, you’ll benefit from supportive, accessible faculty who call you by name and understand your reality because they’ve traveled a similar path to a career in education. Their personalized mentorship can help you develop effective instructional strategies and build a thriving professional network.
Jillian Skelton, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education
Faculty Spotlight
I earned my doctorate degree in instructional leadership from the University of Alabama and my undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia. I have five years of experience in elementary education as the director of religious education, and I previously owned an editing company. Currently, I am working at Brenau as a dissertation mentor. I reside in Atlanta, where I continue to teach, research and write. My husband and I have always been in education. Our hobbies include exercising, playing with our kids and watching movies when we have time to relax.
Online learning
At Brenau, you will learn in small classes, which gives you plenty of opportunities to ask questions and receive one-on-one support from your professors. With flexible scheduling and online delivery, we make education fit into your busy life. Our programs respond to the needs of today’s students, so you’ll receive the education you need to become a leader who makes a difference. From here, you can.
Discover Brenau OnlineFrequently asked questions
Explore our frequently asked questions for in-depth answers. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, reach out to us.
For education professionals aiming at administrative, leadership, or higher-education roles, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is widely viewed as the credential that opens those doors. Brenau’s Ed.D. is built around leadership and applied research, with core coursework in curriculum design, educational leadership, program assessment, and policy, plus a concentration in your specific area of interest.
Whether the investment makes sense for you depends on your specific career goals, an admissions counselor can talk through how the degree aligns with the leadership roles you’re targeting.
An Ed.D. and a PhD in education are both terminal doctoral degrees, but they’re built for different goals. A PhD is typically research-focused, preparing graduates for academic research careers or faculty positions. An Ed.D., like Brenau’s program, is designed for practitioners – current or aspiring administrators, program leaders, and educators who want to apply research directly to real institutional and classroom challenges.
If you’re deciding between an Ed.D. and a PhD, think about whether your goal is applying research in practice (Ed.D.) or generating new theoretical research (PhD), an admissions counselor can help you think through which fits your career direction.
Brenau University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) at the institutional level, and Brenau’s Ed.D. is delivered primarily online with two required weekend residencies, a hybrid structure that keeps the rigor of in-person collaboration while still working around a full-time career.
If institutional accreditation and program structure are your main concerns, an admissions counselor can walk you through Brenau’s full accreditation status and curriculum in more detail.
Brenau’s Ed.D. program is designed to be completed in less than three years, combining online coursework with two required weekend residencies over the course of the program, built specifically for working education professionals.
Because the dissertation phase can extend your timeline depending on your research pace, an admissions counselor can walk through a realistic timeline based on your target concentration and current schedule.
Brenau’s ABD Status Option is for students who have already completed all required doctoral coursework at another institution but have not finished their dissertation. Rather than restarting a full doctoral program, you can enroll directly into Brenau’s dissertation advisement sequence and complete your degree here, choosing from three available concentrations for this pathway.
Because ABD eligibility depends on your specific prior coursework, an admissions counselor will need to review your transcript directly to confirm how much of your prior work applies.
You’ll need a degree from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) and eligible for Title IV federal financial aid. Most applicants to this program have already completed a master’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Specific documentation requirements can vary by concentration and enrollment path. An admissions counselor can confirm exactly what you’ll need based on your background.
Sources and Disclaimers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages. “Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary.” Retrieved April. 2026, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes119032.htm.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages. “Instructional Coordinators.” Retrieved April 2026, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes259031.htm.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages. “Education Administrators, Postsecondary.” Retrieved April 2026, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes119033.htm.
*Attention, educators: Individuals who are contemplating pursuit of advanced degrees for the purpose of certification/pay upgrades should be aware that programs completed at out-of-state institutions have not, in all likelihood, been approved for certification/pay upgrades in Georgia. Educators certified in Georgia should verify with their employer or the GaPSC whether the advanced degree leads to a certificate upgrade or pay increase. The GaPSC provides the Certificate Upgrade Advisor to assist with this process. Out-of-state applicants should also verify with their employer or certification body to verify that this advanced degree will lead to a certificate upgrade or pay increase in their respective state.
**Tuition and fees are subject to change each academic year.