Ed.D. Programs in Louisiana

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in Louisiana

Louisiana has an intriguing mix of doctoral programs in education. In our school listings, you’ll discover joint offerings from ULL and SLU, online Ed.D. programs with unique concentrations, and at least one Ed.D. that can help prepare you for EDL certification. On the minus side, there isn’t a great deal of internal funding for these programs. On the plus side, tuition rates are often reasonable.

You can confirm our statements by following the curricula & cost links in our school listings. Once you’ve decided on a program, have a look at our career section. This contains reports on Louisiana administrative jobs and wages (including salary data for specific K-12 schools), links to LA-specific job boards, and links to important associations (e.g. LASE). You may even want to use the section on conferences & training programs to plan your professional development calendar.

Online Doctor of Education Programs in Louisiana

Online Ed.D. Providers in Louisiana

1. Grambling State University (CAEP-accredited)
2. Northwestern State University of Louisiana (CAEP-accredited)
3. University of Louisiana-Monroe (CAEP-accredited)
4. Xavier University of Louisiana (CAEP-accredited)

What to Know About Louisiana Online Ed.D. Programs

Most online doctorates in education in Louisiana are from CAEP-accredited public schools, although we did discover one intriguing private option. In particular, we noticed that:

• Schools of Education are playing to their strengths by developing Ed.D. programs with unusual specialties (e.g. developmental learning, urban education, etc.).
• In all Louisiana public universities, online tuition for Ed.D. programs is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. That’s not always the case in other states.

Note: Our overview of online doctoral programs in education contains a complete listing of online Ed.D. degrees in all fifty states.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Public Louisiana Universities

If you need a “traditional” program, ULM’s 60-credit Online Doctor of Education, Curriculum & Instruction is short, sweet, and 100% online. You can finish it in around two years via eight-week terms. The curriculum tackles the usual subjects in K-12 and higher education administration. But you’ll also have the option to write a dissertation OR three research articles. And tuition is very reasonable for an Ed.D. program.

Focused on adult learners? NSU’s 63-credit Online Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development has two concentrations: Community College Leadership and Adult Learning & Workforce Development. Plus you can customize the degree even further with electives and an individual practicum at a chosen site. Credit transfers are available for previous graduate work and tuition is super-low.

Interested in serving non-traditional learners? Grambling’s 60-credit Online Ed.D. in Developmental Education is a 100% online version of a campus program that’s been offered since 2008. The Department of Educational Leadership specializes in developmental topics, so that’s what you’ll see reflected in the curriculum—a focus on counseling, administration, management, and instructional design skills. We like the fact that a) you can choose a career-focused option; b) there’s an administrative internship.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Private Louisiana Universities

Or you can go private with Xavier University of Louisiana, the first historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education in the U.S. It has a unique, 60-credit Online/Hybrid Ed.D. in Educational Leadership that’s focused on urban education and school turnaround.

Although the majority of coursework for this Ed.D. is online, classes are held on campus for two weeks in the summer. One bonus of the curriculum? You’ll be able to work on a directed project that relates to your research studies. Xavier is a private school, so doctoral tuition is higher than Louisiana’s public options. But it’s not exorbitant.

Doctoral Education Funding in Louisiana

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

For this section, we focused on institutional aid—internal scholarships for the Ed.D., graduate assistantships, and the like. Louisiana colleges & universities don’t have a lot of doctoral funding in this category, so we recommend you talk to the Graduate College and/or the Financial Office about external opportunities (e.g. federal & private loans, outside fellowships, tuition reimbursement from work, etc.).

Grambling State University

The School of Graduate Studies has info on Graduate Assistantships, and the Office of Financial Aid has advice on external aid. Just be aware that GSU’s Ed.D. is now 100% online.

Louisiana Tech University

The College of Education has a list of COE Graduate Scholarships, but we didn’t see anything specific for Ed.D. students. The Graduate School also has a section on Financial Assistance, with details on graduate assistantships and campus employment.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

The Graduate School has info on Graduate Assistantships, but again, this is another case where the Ed.D. is online. Distance learning students are eligible for traditional Financial Aid.

Southeastern Louisiana University

SLU’s Ed.D. has an unusual model—it’s a joint program with ULL and it involves cohorts with regional placements. So we recommend you check with the Ed.D. program coordinator about SLU aid possibilities and/or eligibility for College of Education Scholarships.

The Office of Graduate Studies also has a general section on Financial Aid, with info on Graduate Assistantships. According to the Ed.D. program page, students who take six or more hours per semester are eligible to be awarded a graduate assistantship and/or graduate fellowship.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

ULL’s degree is offered jointly with SLU, so talk to the Ed.D. program coordinator about your options. In particular, here are some funds you may want to inquire about:

• The Department of Educational Foundations & Leadership’s Scholarships and Assistantships.
• The College of Education (COE)’s Financial Aid & Scholarships.
• The Graduate School’s Assistantships, Fellowships & Other Funding Opportunities, including the Teacher Tuition Incentive Program and the Robert Elliot May Graduate Resident Tuition Fellowship.

Note: If a university name is missing from the list, we didn’t find specific examples of Ed.D. funding beyond private & federal loans and external aid.

Educational Leader Certification Requirements in Louisiana

EDL Certification

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) handles certification for public school administrators. On the LDOE’s Teach Louisiana website, you’ll find a section devoted to Leadership Preparation. Educational Leader: Level 1 certification (EDL 1) is needed for various leadership positions, including:

• Principal or Assistant Principal
• Parish or City Supervisor of Instruction
• Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance
• Special Education Supervisor
• Comparable School/District Leader Positions

Educational Leader Level 3 certification (EDL 3) is required to serve as a school system superintendent or assistant superintendent. We’ve outlined EDL requirements below, but we recommend you take a close look at the Educational Leader Application in the Certification Application Packets section.

If you already hold a master’s degree, you may be interested in pursuing a post-master’s qualification for EDL 1 certification (i.e. through an Alternate Pathway). LDOE has a list of approved preparation programs; at least one Ed.D. program in our school listings qualifies (e.g. LTU’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – P-12 Concentration). When in doubt, check with the Ed.D. program coordinator.

Note: The Certification Application Packets section also has instructions for out-of-state applicants (e.g. principals and superintendents).

Educational Leader Certificate Level 1 (EDL 1)

You can take four paths to the EDL 1—all outlined on Leadership Preparation. In the Master’s Degree path, you would have to:

• Hold—or be eligible to hold—a valid Louisiana Type B or Level 2 teaching certificate or have a comparable level out-of-state teaching certificate.
• Have three years of teaching experience in your area of certification.
• Complete a competency-based master’s degree preparation program in the area of educational leadership from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education.
• Achieve a passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) from ETS.

If you already hold a master’s degree, have a look at Alternate Pathways 1 & 2. Regardless of the pathway, the EDL 1 is valid for three years and may be extended for a period of one year (limit of two extensions).

Educational Leader Certificate Level 2 (EDL 2)

To progress from EDL 1 to EDL 2, you must:

• Hold a valid Level I Educational Leader certificate, Louisiana provisional principal certification, or a comparable level out-of-state educational leader certificate.
• Have three years of educational leadership experience
• Meet the LDOE’s standards of effectiveness.

The EDL 2 is valid for five years and may be renewed.

Educational Leader Certificate Level 3 (EDL 3)

As we mentioned, EDL 3 is required to serve as a school system superintendent or assistant superintendent. To earn it, you must:

• Hold a valid Louisiana Level 2 Educational Leader certificate or one of the Louisiana administrative/supervisory certifications that preceded the 2006 Educational Leadership Certification structure.
• Have five years of teaching experience in your area of certification.
• Have five years of successful administrative or management experience in education at the level of assistant principal or above. (The assistant principal experience would be limited to a maximum of two years of experience in that position).
• Achieve a passing score on the School Superintendent Assessment (SSA), in keeping with state requirements.

The EDL 3 is valid for five years and may be renewed.

Educational Leadership Jobs in Louisiana

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps a watchful eye on employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators in every state. Better yet, it maps these statistics.

For example, you’ll find a fair number of K-12 education administrators in Louisiana—the state often employs more than its neighbors, Mississippi and Arkansas. It also has a high concentration of these jobs, especially in the Central Louisiana non-metropolitan area.

LDOE’s Data Center is a treasure trove of info on K-12 public schools, with reports on performance, enrollment data, school system attributes, and more. If you look up an individual school report in the section on School Financial Data, you can view staff numbers, average salaries, and staff degree levels at a glance. Louisiana Report Cards are published on the Louisiana School Finder.

It’s a different story for postsecondary education administrators. Like its neighbors, Louisiana doesn’t have a huge number of colleges & universities, and it shows in the employment levels. Having said that, the Hammond LA metropolitan area—home to Southeastern Louisiana University—often registers as having a high concentration of jobs.

The Louisiana Board of Regents has a useful section devoted to Data & Publications, with all kinds of stats on LA public colleges & universities. In the LA Board of Regents’ Higher Education State Fact Book, you’ll find a summary of each institution, with actual head counts for Executive/Management and Other Professional Staff.

Educational Leadership Salaries

You can view mean wage data for four types of LA education administrators in the BLS’s page on State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Louisiana. Or you can check the maps for K-12 education administrators and postsecondary education administrators. Like Mississippi and Arkansas, Louisiana is often in the bottom wage bracket.

• Want more specifics on K-12? See the individual school reports in LDOE’s section on School Financial Data. Each report lists average salaries for various staff categories (e.g. Functional Area: School Administration).
• Interested in higher education? Every year, the LA Board of Regents posts Average Faculty Salaries at public higher education institutions (though we didn’t see an administrative category). According to these stats, LSU tends to offer the highest salaries.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

The usual job sites (e.g. SchoolSpring, HigherEdJobs, LinkedIn, etc.) will have postings for Louisiana educational leaders and administrators. But there also state-specific job boards that may be of help!

• Teach Louisiana’s Jobs section allows you to sort by type (i.e. Ed Leader).
• LASE lists Job Openings for administrative positions (e.g. superintendent). This page also contains links to all of Louisiana School Systems’ HR departments.
• LASBO has a Career Center with job openings for school business officials in Louisiana.
• LASS posts Superintendent Vacancies in Louisiana.
• The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) has a Careers section with administrative opportunities in various parishes.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Louisiana

Educational Leadership Associations

• Louisiana Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators (LACUSPA): LACUSPA is an organization dedicated to serving student personnel professionals, students, and associates in the State of Louisiana.
• Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE): LAE is one of the state’s two teacher unions (along with LFT). It’s a state affiliate of NEA.
• Louisiana Association of Principals (LAP): LAP provides school-based administrative leadership for Louisiana schools through professional development, legislation, and member services.
• Louisiana Association for Public, Community & Adult Education (LAPCAE): LAPCAE represents professionals, administrators, educators, and advocates involved in adult & community education.
• Louisiana Association of School Business Officials (LASBO): LASBO is a non-profit professional association representing school administrators whose primary skills and services are in the business and operations functions of Louisiana schools. It offers voluntary certification. Check out the Gaynor Dawson Scholarship for Education.
• Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE): LASE is a professional organization that exists to promote strong leadership in Louisiana schools. Members include K-12 school administrators & supervisors, central office administrators, higher education administrators, and school counselors.
• Louisiana Association of School Financial Aid Administrators (LASFAA): LASFAA is an association with 500+ members who are dedicated to matters related to student financial aid.
• Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS): LASS represents the concerns of Louisiana superintendents. It provides professional development, advocacy, and other opportunities.
• Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT): LFT is one of the state’s two teacher unions (along with LAE). It’s an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.
• Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA): LSBA is a non-profit entity that provides leadership, service, and support to 69 elected school boards across the state.

Note: Remember that state and national educator organizations often have funds and scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Check the website and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in Louisiana

Educational Leadership Conferences

• COABE/LAPCAE Annual Conference: This four-day conference for adult & community education professionals attracts ~2,000 attendees. It occurs in late March/early April
• LACUSPA Conference: LACUSPA’s long-running annual event for student personnel professionals takes place over two days in October.
• LAP Annual Conference: This three-day event for Louisiana principals and school leaders occurs in September.
• LASBO Events: For school business officials, LASBO organizes a Summer Summit in June and a large Spring Conference in early April, with workshops for CEU units.
• LASE Annual Conference: Held in November, this two-day event is geared toward Louisiana’s educational leaders, school executives, and school administrators. It attracts ~200 attendees.
• LASFAA Fall Conference: This three-day event for school financial aid administrators takes place in October. LASFAA also organizes Upper Management Meetings.
• LASS Summer Conference: This three-day event in June is organized by the state’s association for superintendents.

Educational Leadership Training

• Aspiring Leaders of LASBO (ALL) Leadership Training Institute: LASBO’s two-day institute provides training on effective skills that can be developed to improve the daily job performance of school business officials.
• LASS Leadership Academy: The Academy is designed specifically for individuals with an interest in the superintendency and those who are making the transition.