Doctor of Education (EdD) Program

Optional Specializations

You may choose to follow the general program, or optionally earn one of the following specializations.

Nurse Educator Specialization

If you’re an experienced nurse interested in teaching in higher education, choose our concentration in Nurse Educator. This specialization includes four elective courses focused on practical theory and application within nursing education. It’s designed for experienced nursing professionals who seek to train the next generation of practitioners.

Athletic Training Specialization

Athletic trainers who are currently in higher education, or who wish to pursue a teaching role, will find it helpful to study topics uniquely challenging to educators. This specialization includes timely and relevant topics such as cultural competency, evidenced-based injury treatment and other emerging fields of interest to the AT educator.

Teaching and Learning Specialization

Through this specialization, you’ll have the chance to increase your expertise in teaching practices designed for today’s healthcare student. You can develop the skills you need to teach in a traditional or online classroom, develop curricula, and understand generational learning. Choose 12 credits from among six courses to earn the specialization.

Executive Leadership Specialization

In this specialization, you’ll prepare to lead departments and teams across academic and clinical settings. Courses focus on human resources, organizational leadership, and other subjects related to healthcare education administration. This specialization will support your current or future role as an academic department chair, a lead trainer within a health system, a human resources coordinator, and much more.

Students in the online Doctor of Education (EdD) program take a total of 60 credits. All core courses are required (38 credits). Students complete 22 elective credits, which may include 12 credits to achieve a specialization plus 10 credits from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

Elective Courses

Students choose 22 elective credit hours to complete the 60-credit-hour EdD program. Students may take 12 credit hours in their chosen specialization plus choose 10 credit hours from the general electives or any specialization track or choose all 22 elective credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

General Elective Courses

Nurse Educator Elective Courses

Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

Athletic Training Elective Courses

Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

*Students earn the ImPACT® Trained Athletic Trainers (ITAT) certification and 3.0 continuing education units (CEUs).

Teaching & Learning Elective Courses

Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

Executive Leadership Elective Courses

Students choose 12 credit hours in the specialization plus 10 credit hours from any course in the general electives and specialization tracks.

TLS-Course may be applied to the Teaching & Learning Specialization.

USAHS is currently accepting applications for enrollment to the doctorate program from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

USAHS is not accepting applications from states where the institution does not have state authorization, nor conducting on-the-ground activities. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program.  It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides.

Post-Graduation Licensure

USAHS’ EdD program is not designed or intended to lead to professional licensure in any state.

The map below identifies the states from which the University is now accepting applications for the EdD program (indicated in blue).

Admissions Requirements

To ensure your success in the program, a candidate must have completed a master’s or clinical doctoral degree and have the desire to develop or advance their career in higher education for health science. To be considered for admission, a candidate must submit the following:

• Online application for admission
• Official transcripts from each college or university previously attended. An official transcript is one that is sent directly to the Admissions Office by the Registrar of the issuing institution or one forwarded in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution.
• References from two professional colleagues.
• Writing assessment
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• Copy of professional license, if applicable
• Candidates holding a non-U.S. degree may be eligible to take University courses and/or be considered for admission to USAHS. Please refer to the “Additional Requirements for Domestic, International, and/or Foreign-Educated Students” section of the University Catalog/Handbook for further information.

*Applicants located in the United States on a non-F-1 student visa can be considered for admission. Prospective students who already hold a non-F-1 student visa allowing for study in the U.S., including clinical placements, are eligible for admission to distance education courses and programs, provided a copy of a valid, unexpired passport reflecting visa status is provided prior to admission and that the individual meets other admission requirements. Students must keep their non-F-1 student visa in good standing throughout the duration of their studies with USAHS, as the University cannot sponsor them for study now or at any point in the future for distance education courses or programs. Students holding a visa that is renewed during their course of study must provide a copy of their updated passport reflecting visa status to the Admissions office. Further, there may be additional requirements for students seeking federal financial aid. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to enrolling and provide any required documents.

Total program tuition and fees for the Fall 2024 academic term is as follows.

Financial Aid

Student loans may be available to assist with funding your EdD program. USAHS has financial aid counselors who are available to explain your options.

Financial aid counselors can be reached by email, phone, or on campus. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in each time zone. If you are unable to meet during regular office hours, after-hours appointments are available by request.

Please visit our Financial Aid Contact page for more information.

Clinical and Research Expert – Hannah Y. Oldenburg, EdD, OTR/L

Dr. Hannah Oldenburg is a clinical and research expert in clinical education, occupational roles and outcomes in acute care, and mechanical circulatory devices. In her current role as an occupational therapist at the Mayo Clinic, she hosted a collaborative model for Level II occupational therapy students within acute care. She has also served as an adjunct professor for St. Catherine University and an occupational therapist at Recovery Health, Inc.
Dr. Oldenburg received her B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 2009. She went on to receive her Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy at St. Catherine University in 2012. She transitioned to her clinical education role in 2016 while pursuing a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She obtained her EdD degree in 2018 with her dissertation, “Retrospective Comparison of Clinical Reasoning Among Rehabilitation Students During Experiential Learning.”

State and Foundation Grant Specialist – Delia C. Garcia, EdD

Dr. Delia C. Garcia is a former dean of the College of Education at Florida International University, where she continues to serve as associate professor in what has been renamed the School of Education and Human Development. Prior to her appointment as dean, she served as interim dean, as well as chairperson of FIU’s departments of Educational Leadership and Professional Studies.

Dr. Garcia has published in the areas of family involvement, teacher and parent efficacy, and urban teacher preparation. She has also developed curriculum guides for teacher education in the areas of home school relations, adult literacy, and English as a second language. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in research, urban education, and teacher education. She has supervised and participated in numerous doctoral dissertations. She has also taken on leadership roles within professional organizations, including serving as an elected member of the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), receiving gubernatorial appointments to Florida’s State Advisory Committee in the area of family literacy, serving as president of the Bilingual Association of Florida for six years, and chairing state and district advisory committees that focused on narrowing the achievement gap in schools and preparing adult educators in Florida.

Dr. Garcia has been a leader in the area of community engagement for the past 35 years, forging university-school partnerships that address community needs and focus on problem-solving.

Click the program below to view the program data:
Doctor of Education

Foreign-trained candidates who do not require a student visa to participate in University courses and/or degrees can be considered for admission. Please note that many countries have their own accrediting and licensing bodies, and degree recognition and licensure differ from country to country. Additionally, a number of countries do not recognize an online EdD education degree for employment or promotion purposes, particularly government agency employment or promotion. University programs are designed to meet accreditation, licensure and other requirements in the United States. If you reside outside of the United States, it is important that you review and understand the requirements of your country of residence to confirm licensure requirements, as well as recognition of your program for employment or promotion purposes in those countries.