Our online leadership and innovation doctorate at a glance
Blending academic theory and real-world practice, NYU Steinhardt’s EdD in Leadership and Innovation is more than an online degree. It’s a unique program that provides working professionals with the tools to harness transformative change in their organizations and beyond.
1
three-day immersive residency at a global NYU site
15-20
hours per week
Average time commitment, including classes, will vary
42
total credits at the doctoral level
$2,272
per credit hour
Based on 2025–2026 tuition rates
24
months
Minimum time to degree completion1
EdD program overview
NYU Steinhardt’s EdD in Leadership and Innovation is more than a doctorate program. It’s a cohort of professionals, faculty, and distinguished cross-sectoral leaders from spaces such as:
- For-profit companies
- Healthcare
- Higher education
- Nonprofit and philanthropic organizations
- Public and governmental organizations
- Pre-K–12
We examine the most important issues cross-sectoral leaders face today and discover solutions that make change possible for tomorrow. We apply an academic lens to myriad sectors so students graduate from the doctoral program with the core competencies for impactful director and executive-level career options.
The research, analysis, writing, and critical thinking involved in students’ strategic design and implementation of a change management project are assets that students will bring to current and future employers.
The Problem of Practice
While many doctoral programs require students to complete a dissertation, NYU Steinhardt challenges students to examine and create an academically informed solution to a persistent organizational problem throughout the EdD program. This unique project is called the Problem of Practice (POP), and it enables students to create real value for their organizations.
Download Guide“We want students to have a collaborative experience in which they ignite a transformation in education from across sectors.”
DR. NOEL S. ANDERSON
FOUNDING FACULTY
Explore the cohort model design
When students work together, they leverage their unique leadership skills and professional experiences to develop new ideas and effect sustainable change. That’s why the cohort model is a defining feature of NYU Steinhardt’s EdD in Leadership and Innovation program. Traveling the curriculum together, students develop a common problem-solving language and discover new solutions to old challenges. Best of all, since courses run continuously through Summer and January terms, students earn their degree in 24–28 months, a duration that’s among the shortest in the country relative to other education doctorates.
Great minds, thinking differently
Our program unites experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds who share their unique perspectives on real-world challenges. By giving them the space to question, explore, and take risks, we foster innovation, resulting in new solutions to persistent organizational problems.
A collaborative system of support
For the duration of the program, faculty serve as mentors, supporters, challengers, and advocates, bringing decades of leadership experience to their partnership with students.
Built for immediate action
Students can complete their degree in as few as 24 continuous months, preparing them to create sustainable and scalable change at their organizations in their leadership roles.
Who is this program for?
The NYU online Doctorate in Leadership and Innovation is different by design. More than an educational leadership program, it’s a global cohort of cross-sector professionals motivated to create real change in their fields. Diverse leaders from the worlds of business, government, nonprofits, healthcare, and education seek out our program to be challenged to think beyond their areas of expertise – and to create new solutions and catalyze change in their organizations.
Current and former students’ employers include:
- IBM
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- CVS Health
- The World Bank
- NYC Department
of Education
- The Millennium School – Dubai
- Harvard
Current and former students’ job titles include:
- Chief executive officer
- Chief learning officer
- Senior director of global security
- Head of diversity, equity & inclusion
- Program manager, behavioral health
- Military officer
- Director, office of educational assessment
- Adjunct faculty
Students represent a global cohort whose diverse voices are informed not only by the work they do, but from lived experiences around the world.
The NYU EdD addresses the needs of full-time working professionals with a rigorous online Doctorate in Leadership and Innovation program that can be completed in as few as 24 months.
Three-day immersive residency
At the beginning of the program, your cohort will convene at NYU to meet, discuss your professional experiences, and examine the persistent challenges you face in your organizations. The residency will deepen students’ connections with peers and faculty and help serve as a foundation for the EdD curriculum.
Learn more about the residencyCourses
Designed as a cohort model, our 42-credit curriculum includes 17 consecutive courses that can be completed in as few as 24 months. Students continue working while earning their degree, examining and solving a persistent challenge in their organization throughout the program.
Problem of Practice (POP)
Rather than completing a traditional dissertation, you will identify a persistent problem in your organization and examine it through an academic lens throughout the program, emerging with a thoroughly researched, actionable solution that creates real value for your organization.
Frequently asked questions
Finding the right EdD program to expand and leverage your leadership skills is essential to your success. To aid in this decision-making process, we’ve compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions about eligibility, tuition, courses, and more.
Admission requirements
To be eligible for the EdD in Leadership and Innovation program, you must hold both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. You must also have seven years of work experience in a leadership role. The GRE is not required for admission.
Learn how to solve institutional challenges with NYU’s EdD
1 Total time to complete the program may vary based on the number of credits taken each semester.