What are the outcomes of an EDD?

And How to Achieve Advancement Opportunities

Written by Jennifer Moss Breen, EdD

If you want to become a stronger leader, you need to arm yourself with skills that will allow you to communicate, motivate and lead with clarity and confidence. There are many online doctorate leadership programs to choose from, so it is important for you to find the program that will help you best meet your career goals.

If you are someone who wants to lead change, who wants to make deep and profound differences at your workplace or in your community, an EdD in interdisciplinary leadership doctoral program can accelerate your career and open the doors to more advancement opportunities that require strong and value-driven leadership skills.

Creighton's EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership: More Than a Degree

Creighton University offers one of the few online interdisciplinary leadership doctorate programs available among Jesuit universities. The curriculum instills Ignatian values of Jesuits that promote academic excellence, respect for human dignity, service to others and justice.

“The concept of leaders as stewards of an organization is emphasized during each course and is promoted through research activities,” says Jennifer Moss Breen, PhD, program director, Creighton University EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership.

You will learn essential leadership skills such as how to become a more effective communicator, how to build solid relationships and collaborate well across disciplines, organizations and diverse societies. You will also gain more effective critical thinking skills, the ability to apply leadership theories and models to everyday issues, the practice of ethical decision-making and how to produce scholarly research backed by leadership theory and social science methodology.

The interdisciplinary nature of Creighton’s EdD program is designed to support leadership positions in all types of fields and positions such as administrative level jobs, clinical, academic, professional, research, higher education, government, non-profit, healthcare, talent development and private or public organizations.

“Our online EdD program is designed to develop leaders who possess moral courage and tactical skills to innovate, adapt, and act in a changing world as they strive for a more just society,” says Moss Breen.

Gain Skills to Lead Positive Change in Your Career

The outcomes for completing a degree like this are often more than students expect. “Companies are always trying to develop and foster new leaders,” says Dr. Moss Breen. ”Completing a leadership doctorate degree can propel your career forward or it can redirect you to a new career path that is more fulfilling. Whichever is the case, it will advance you intellectually, psychologically and professionally.”

The dissertation required at the end of the coursework brings significant value to the online EdD program. Because the dissertation is done in a practice-based setting, meaning you are researching and finding a solution to an issue or challenge in your workplace, field or community, you become a knowledge leader in this area.

“It gives you more visibility and exposure in your workplace and/or community and others begin to look to you for insight and information,” says Moss Breen. “Students are often promoted during or immediately after completing the degree.”

Graduates of the EdD online leadership program have used this degree as a launching pad to begin careers in consulting, to advance into a leadership track in their current jobs, to changes fields or to teach, says Moss Breen. Some have gone on to achieve successful careers as chief executives, school administrators and educators, marketing and sales leaders, military and government leaders, consultants and various other occupations that require strong and value-driven leadership skills.

The professional network that students gain through the EdD leadership program cannot be overlooked. “These connections develop into deep and meaningful relationships over the three to four-year course period that become a valuable resource to them in both their personal and professional lives throughout their lifetime,” says Dr. Moss Breen. “They can be very powerful in helping students advance in their careers.”