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[msparticularity]

I don't know what happened to my post, but Ms. P replies saliently to it, apparently having read my mind....I had also remarked that Nebraska was probably both better and cheaper.

I found a bit of it buried within the OP's response to me--but apparently not the part about Nebraska!

[zharkov]

What is it you would be hoping to achieve through this program? The degree is practitioner-focused (per the web page), and looks to me like a decent option for people who are already in administration or other leadership positions who would like to broaden expertise and/or qualifications, and/or to move up the salary scale. It is not, however, an appropriate program for someone seeking a faculty position in a program in higher education; it provides neither the research grounding nor the courses and experiences that are vital to someone seeking a TT position in a department or college of education.

Thanks for replying, msparticularity.  I'm a fortyish, mid-career, mid-level administrator who believes that a doctorate would help open doors to higher levels of administration.  I have a young child, and my husband and I wish to relocate in five years (but cannot relocate any earlier).  While I would prefer to pursue a PhD, my university doesn't have a doctoral program in my research area.  It has a fairly new engineering program that comes close (and I might even be able to transfer some of my recent graduate courses), but it is not designed for part-time students.  If I begin that program, I fear that I might not be able to make sufficient progress within my 5-year time frame. 

I agree that this EdD program does not offer as much career flexibility as a PhD or certain other EdDs, but it is certainly more feasible given my time frame, family obligations and financial constraints.  I only ask the fora for opinions to see if anyone has any firsthand information (caveats or endorsements) regarding this particular program.

NU is an OK to good school, and would be considered really good if not for higher end universities in the vicinity like BC, BU, MIT, and naturally Harvard.  Its historic focus was on professional education.

Many EdD programs for practitioners were originally designed for K12 principals and superintendents, and I suspect that in some cases, adding higher ed admin was an after thought.  (I don't know if this was the case with NU or not.)

I'd suggest you shop around New England for other doctoral programs in educational leadership or just leadership, many of which are designed for part time students, and look into PhD/EdD/DA programs.  In addition to NU, I know of others in Mass, Ct, RI, and NH.  (Not sure if there are any in ME or VT.)

[higheredguy]

What do you think you will do marimbadog?

[funfitgirl]

I recommend Pepperdine's EdD program in organizational leadership. They have the blended format in the GAP program so you meet in person twice a semester thur- Sunday. There is application to their learning so you can use what you learn and apply it to your current position. Great people, and great if you are motivated and can work with others.

[latinwords]

I recommend Pepperdine's EdD program in organizational leadership. They have the blended format in the GAP program so you meet in person twice a semester thur- Sunday. There is application to their learning so you can use what you learn and apply it to your current position. Great people, and great if you are motivated and can work with others.

Hmmm... grads of this program that I know personally are very poorly educated (not aware of core points of the discipline; barely pulling off undergrad level research). Perhaps they are not representative, but I would be careful.