EdD vs.
PhD in Education
A Doctor of Education is a professional degree designed for practitioners pursuing
educational leadership roles. A Doctor of Philosophy in Education, on the other
hand, is designed to prepare graduates for research and teaching roles.
“With a PhD, [students are] reviewing the research, seeing a gap in the literature, and
generating new knowledge based on a theory or hypothesis,” says Joseph McNabb, a
professor of practice in Northeastern’s Graduate School of Education. “Conversely, an
EdD student starts with a problem of practice and [works to learn] the skills it will take to
resolve that complex problem of practice
What is an EdD degree?
An EdD, or Doctor of Education, is a professional doctorate best suited for
experienced educators and mid- to senior-level working professionals who want to lead
and implement change within their organization.
EdD candidates work in a broad range of fields ranging from K-12 and higher education
to nonprofits, government, healthcare, and the military. What each share is a desire to
transform their everyday environment and apply the lessons learned through their
doctorate to a complex, critical issue facing their workplace.
The EdD is practice-based. Students in an EdD program don’t want to just research
their area of interest, but leverage that research in ways that could positively influence
their community or organization’s decision-making process.
Learn More: 5 Tips for Choosing Your EdD Concentration
Those who pursue an EdD focus on qualitative, exploratory research. Students collect
data and conduct individual interviews, observations, or focus groups to construct
hypotheses and develop strategies that can help solve or clarify a specific problem of
practice, such as how to support student veterans transitioning to civilian life or how to
foster more female leaders in higher education—two dissertation topics recently
explored through Northeastern’s EdD program.
What can you do with an EdD Degree?
While an EdD can be applied to a variety of industries and career options—such as K-
12, higher education, the nonprofit sector, or civic service—there are several job titles
you’ll likely come across within your cohort of classmates. They include:
Postsecondary education administrators: Postsecondary education administrators
work in colleges or universities, and typically oversee faculty research, academics,
admissions, or student affairs. Some job titles that fall under this category include
president, vice president, provost, and dean. The average annual salary for a
postsecondary education administrator rings in at $102,610.
Elementary and secondary school education administrators: Superintendents, who
are the top executives of a school district, fall under this category. They manage
academic programs, spending, and the staffing of all educational facilities within their
district, and typically earn an average of $111,020 per year.
Top executives: In education, a top executive could be a “chief learning officer” or
“chief academic officer”—senior-level professionals who drive and develop strategies
that help their organization meet critical business goals. Top executives make an
average of $103,840 per year.
Instructional coordinators: Instructional coordinators create and manage school
curricula and other educational materials. They help teachers implement effective
classroom learning strategies and measure the effectiveness of what’s being taught and
how. The average annual salary for instructional coordinators is $74,620.