EdD Doctorate in Education

Our next cohort kicks off in September 2027.

Can't wait? Start your journey early

While admission decisions take place on a rolling basis after you submit your application materials, applying early allows you to begin your doctorate long before the official fall 2027 start date.

Apply by August 15, 2026, and begin the program as early as this September by registering for fall electives.

Apply by December 15, 2026: Missed the August deadline? You can still begin the program early with spring elective classes, beginning in January 2027.

Apply by May 15, 2027: Don't miss this final deadline for joining the fall 2027 cohort.
 

How to Apply

Application deadlines:

Hamline's EdD is a hybrid program, with classes offered synchronously online as well as in-person.

In-person intensives meet monthly — four times each fall and spring semester (Friday evenings and Saturdays) — alongside two online class meetings per month on weekday evenings. Summer sessions follow a lighter schedule: two monthly in-person intensives with two online meetings -- a schedule that honors the rhythms of professionals who are leading organizations while earning their doctorate. Between intensives, your cohort continues its work online.

The typical time to complete the Doctorate of Education (EdD) is 4-5 years. You’ll complete your coursework in approximately three years and then take an additional one to two years to complete your dissertation.

Your Doctorate of Education can be completed by taking six core courses in year one and four in year two, as well as sixteen credits worth of elective coursework. 

Upon completion of core and elective coursework, you must complete four advisement experiences (Dissertation I-IV) with a primary dissertation advisor and two committee members to develop and complete your dissertation. 

View complete course descriptions in Hamline's Bulletin, linked below.
 

EdD course descriptions

To apply to the Doctorate of Education program, you must complete the following:

• Online application (no fee)
• Professional resume demonstrating at least three years of relevant work experience
• A one- to two-page statement of your educational aims that specifies how the Hamline EdD will help you achieve your goals
• Official transcript of master’s degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and an official transcript of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university
  • This should be sent directly from the institution to Graduate Admission or provided in a sealed, signed envelope. Official electronic transcripts should be emailed from the institution to gradprog@hamline.edu
  • You do not have to supply transcripts for courses taken at Hamline University
• An article—which should be no more than 10 pages—written by you that demonstrates your ability to synthesize and portray thinking about a critical issue in education (see guidelines for this article below).
• Three letters of recommendation, including at least two from instructors/professional colleagues familiar with your learning, leadership, and collaboration capacity

Create New Account to Apply    Login to Finish Application

Guidelines for the article portion of the application

One of the most distinctive parts of Hamline's EdD application is the writing sample — and it's also the one that raises the most questions. We want to make this as clear as possible, because the goal isn't to screen out qualified applicants. It's to understand how you think on the page.

The writing sample tells us something your resume and statement of purpose can't: how you engage with a complex idea, build an argument, and synthesize evidence to reach a conclusion. That's the core intellectual work of doctoral study — and this is your chance to show us you're already doing it.

What exactly is the "article"?
The writing sample should be a piece of writing — up to 10 pages — that demonstrates your ability to engage with a critical issue in education. It should reflect your capacity to analyze, synthesize, and develop an argument. Think of it less as a formal journal article and more as a demonstration of how you think about a complex educational problem.

Can it be co-authored?
No — the writing sample must be solely authored by you. We need to assess your individual voice, reasoning, and analytical capacity. If your most relevant work was co-authored, we encourage you to submit a different piece that reflects your independent thinking, or to write something new for this purpose.

What topics are appropriate?
Your writing sample should engage with a critical issue in education — broadly defined. This can include equity and access, leadership and organizational change, curriculum and instruction, policy, student success, community-based education, or any other area relevant to your professional context. There is no required topic or prescribed format.

What if I don't have anything that fits?
You may write something specifically for the application. Many strong applicants do. A well-reasoned 8–10 page analysis of an educational challenge you've faced in your own practice — grounded in relevant research or evidence — is exactly what we're looking for.

Is 10 pages a hard limit?
Yes. Submissions should be no more than 10 pages, not including references. If your existing work is longer, we encourage you to submit an excerpt or a condensed version that stands on its own.

What makes a strong writing sample?
Strong samples tend to identify a specific problem or question clearly, engage with relevant evidence or scholarship, develop a reasoned argument rather than just describing a situation, and reflect the applicant's own perspective and professional lens. You don't need to write like an academic — you need to write like a thoughtful practitioner who takes ideas seriously.