The online EdD in Leadership and Innovation at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (EDLI) boasts many distinctive characteristics: a novel and innovative curriculum, an emphasis on cross-sector solutions to systemic organizational challenges, a hands-on Problem of Practice (in place of a dissertation), and, significantly, an accomplished faculty and student body.
The Steinhardt online EdD is built around a cohort of distinguished leaders and faculty who collaborate to address real-world challenges facing organizations today. Attendees represent a breadth of industries and sectors but share one crucial trait: a drive to enact change.
Opportunity, influence, and potential impact of the EDLI network is demonstrated from Day One. Even before the program begins, a prospective student is tasked at the application stage to identify an institutional challenge they are facing, and articulate the ways the program may inform their leadership development and drive lasting impact. This framework, called the Problem of Practice (POP), replaces the dissertation required in similar programs. Students, their cohort, and the Steinhardt faculty unite to explore solutions from various disciplines and industries. The end product is a sustainable and scalable solution they can activate in their organizations.
Who attends the NYU Online EdD in Leadership and Innovation program?
Cohort participants represent all sectors: government, higher education, early education and K-12, nonprofit, corporate, healthcare, technology, and philanthropy. These working professionals have completed both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees and are influential members of their organizations, with at least seven years of work experience in a leadership position.
The cohort — carefully curated to provide diverse perspectives and institutional insights — completes the program as a group. In addition to gaining insights from different industries and roles, participants develop relationships and expand their networks through the program.
The program is also representative of a global community. The most recent cohort admitted to the program includes students across five continents and fifteen countries. These leaders not only bring to the table varied perspectives informed by industry and sector, but ideas which stem from diverse cultures, economic systems, and geopolitical climates, as well.
Unlike some other doctoral programs, the EDLI program encourages participants to remain in their professional roles while pursuing their degrees. It is imperative to the program that insights from course work and the collaborative cohort experience are applied outside of the classroom to address Problems of Practice. Working students leverage their program experience to advance organizational change from the start.
Spotlight on…
Participants come from a wide range of education professions. Discover the industry-changing impact of the EdD program from some recent graduates:
Felipe Henao, EdD ’21
Occupation: Dean of Students, New York Institute of Technology
POP project: Addressing food insecurity for at-risk populations
Dr. Henao was attracted to NYU’s EdD program by the way it “[pushes] cross-sectional leaders to work together to find new ways to address problems.” The diverse group of education professionals he learned alongside shared his commitment to innovative problem-solving, an approach that benefited Henao’s POP project: creating an ecosystem of support structures (such as food pantries, counseling and health services) for low-income college students.
“I chose to apply to the NYU Steinhardt EdD program because I want to learn how to be a collaborative leader who pushes the envelope and challenges the status quo. No one leader/person can solve complex issues without the help of a team, but a single voice can disrupt systems and help a team embrace change. The EdD program promotes leadership and innovation, which is something institutions of higher education desperately need in order to address complex social issues and compete in today’s consumer’s environment.” — Dr. Felipe Henao
Jesse Jackson, EdD ’21
Occupation: Head of Consumer & Community Banking Talent Acquisition, JP Morgan Chase
POP project: Accelerating professional skills and improving diversity among new hires
As the Head of Consumer & Community Banking Talent Acquisition at JPMorgan Chase, Dr. Jackson manages continuing education initiatives, with the goals of increasing productivity and helping employees maximize their career trajectories. He sees lifelong learning as essential to both personal advancement and corporate success. Jackson credits the EdD program with delivering the leadership training needed to bring together team members to collaborate and solve complex corporate issues.
“NYU Steinhardt’s EdD program is an excellent platform for the cross-sector engagement that is so critical to solving the big problems facing us as executives today.” — Dr. Jesse Jackson
Why Choose the Online EdD in Innovation and Leadership from NYU?
The online EdD in Leadership and Innovation at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers a leadership degree program with multidisciplinary applications. The student body — a network of cross-sector, senior-level leaders — reflects that approach. When you pursue an online EdD in Leadership and Innovation at NYU you join forces with a cohort of engaged industry peers to solve pressing issues facing education today. Contact an enrollment advisor today to learn more and start your application.