The Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in Professional Practice was developed by the faculty of the Helen DeVos College of Education (HDCOE) along with Local Education Agency (LEA) partners to give candidates the skills and dispositions to impact education administration, policy, and instruction. Since Fall 2020, the audience of this program has been K-12 school leaders in Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who are interested in honing their leadership skills and research practices. However, this terminal degree program is open to all professionals from a wide range of fields including higher education administration, biblical and theological studies, philanthropic studies, and non-profit management and leadership.
The EdD degree at Lee is a cohort-based, face-to-face program and is designed to strategically integrate teaching, mentoring, and applied research to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to become scholar-practitioners and responsible citizens in organizational settings. Dissertations are designed to be problem-based projects (i.e., action research methods) that are both intellectually stimulating and practical. Admissions will be rolling throughout the academic year with an expected enrollment of 6-8 annually. For more information, please contact Dr. Roy Y. Chan, Ed.D. Program Director, at [email protected]
| Ed.D. Core Requirements |
| EDLR 510 Foundations of Leadership (3)** |
| EDLR572 Organizational Theory (3)** |
| EDUC 612 Intro to Comparative & International Education |
| EDUC 665 Legal and Ethical Issues (3) |
| EDUC 675 LEA Technologies (3) |
| EDUC 683 Instructional Leadership and Coaching (3) |
| EDUC 684 Curriculum Theory and Design (3) |
| EDLR 685 Education Policy and Advocacy (3) |
| EDUC 686 Professional Learning Communities (3) |
| EDUC 701 Professional Praxis in Modern Education (3) |
| EDUC 703 Quantitative Research Methods (3) |
| EDUC 705 Qualitative Research Methods (3) |
| EDUC 791 Dissertation I (3) |
| EDUC 792 Dissertation II (3) |
| EDUC 793 Dissertation III (2) |
| EDUC 794 Dissertation IV (2) |
| EDUC 795 Dissertation Continuation |
| Ed.D. Electives |
| BUSN 510 Management Philosophy and Ethics (3) |
| COUN 514 College Student Development (3) |
| COUN 558 Social and Cultural Diversity (3) |
| EDLR 571 School Finance and Facilities (3)** |
| EDLR 573 Curriculum and Instruction (3)** |
| EDLR 574 Interpersonal Relationships (3)** |
| EDLR 596 Building Leadership Practicum (3)** |
| EDLR 681 Community Relations(3) |
| EDLR 696 District Leadership Practicum (3) |
| EDUC 599 Cross Cultural Practicum (3) |
| HEDS 500 Higher Education Environments |
| HEDS 510 Higher Education Practicum (3) |
| MAFT 511 Introduction to Family Studies (3) |
| MAFT 523 Human Growth and Development (3) |
| MAFT 707 Applied Multivariate Statistics (3) |
| MAFT 734 Self-Care and Resilience (3) |
| MAFT 737 Evidence-Based Strategies with At-Risk Youth and Families (3) |
Other graduate-level courses approved by committee
** Leads to Tennessee ILL-A Licensure
17 Elective Hours Required
60 Total Hours Required
| Bowers, Lynda (F) |
Ph.D. West Virginia University
M.S.Ed. Kinesiology, Southern Illinois University |
| Brown, Shane |
Ed.D. Liberty University
M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Lee University |
| Chan, Roy (F) | Ph.D., History, Philosophy, and Policy in Education, Indiana University M.A., Higher Education Administration, Boston College M.Ed., Comparative Higher Education, The University of Hong Kong B.A. University of California, Irvine |
| Diamond, Rene (F) | Ed.D. candidate, Liberty University |
| Estes, William (F) | Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill MSE, Admin Sec. Education, University Central Arkansas |
| Fisher, Kimberly (P) | Ph.D., Trevecca Nazarene University M. Ed., University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| Lawson, Daniel (F) | Ed.D., University of Mississippi Ed.S., University of Missouri MSE, Science Education, Missouri State University |
| Milliron, James (F) | Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary |
| Moffett, Kimberly | Ph.D. Tennessee Technological University |
| Parker, Joseph (P) | Ed.D., Professional Practice, Lee University |
| Parris, Jamie (P) | Ed.D., Educational Leadership & Administration, Carson-Newman University |
| Pierce, Allison (F) | Ph.D., Business Administration, North Central University MBA, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| Price, Delia (F) | Ed.D., Trevecca Nazarene University |
| Raper, Randal (P) | Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Liberty University Ed.S., Instructional Leadership, Lincoln Memorial University |
| Rapson, Paige | Ph.D. Special Education, Northcentral University
M.Ed. Educational Leadership, University of the South |
| Rogers, Brandon (F) | Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapy, Virginia Tech |
| Sargent, Jeff (F) | Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Alabama |
| Thomas, Jennifer (P) | Ph.D., Counseling Education and Supervision, Regent University |
| VanHook, Jayson (P) | Ph.D., Educational Studies, University of Nebraska |
For more information and application procedures please contact Laura Humble, Secretary of Graduate Education, [email protected].
Student Testimonials
“If you are looking for a university that is fully in-person, face-to-face, then I highly recommend you consider Lee University’s EdD program. The support and encouragement you’ll receive from the faculty have allowed me to advance in my career, both academically and professionally.”
Michelle Helie (EdD student)
Superintendent of Chattooga County School, Georgia
“The faculty at Lee genuinely cares for you and your wellbeing and is willing to help you with anything that you need. Lee has formed me into a responsible Christian citizen today. I look forward to using my dissertation to solve real world problems in Cleveland, TN and beyond.”
Carter Landreth (EdD student; EdS ‘23)
Counselor at Cleveland Middle School, Tennessee
“I can personally attest to the tremendously gracious support of the EdD professors at Lee. They understand and treat us as both teacher-scholars and practitioners. They work hard to ensure that all students feel supported throughout the program while maintaining a high expectation of academic excellence.”
Holly Kidder (EdD ‘24)
Dean of Lower Grades at Savannah Classical Academy, Georgia
“The EdD program at Lee has helped me to become a lifelong learner. I love the Christ-centered family feel of this program. I encourage all prospective EdD student to take time to get to know the professors prior to starting your doctoral journey at Lee.”
Kristen Early (EdD ‘23)
Assistant Principal at Blythe-Bower Elementary School, Tennessee