Ed.D. Programs in Utah

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in Utah

Doctoral programs in education in our Utah school listings are limited to the “Big Three”: Utah State University, University of Utah, and Brigham Young University. In addition to providing Ed.D. doctoral funding opportunities, each has a little something to recommend it.

• USU’s College of Education and Human Services has a great national ranking, a ton of research funding, and an Ed.D. that involves distance learning.
• U of U doctorates in education have no dissertation requirement and come with a concentration that can prepare you for administrative licensure.
• BYU is an active participant in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and provides substantial tuition breaks to LDS Church members.

Weighing up your job options post-graduation? Check out the career section. It contains administrative job & wage data for Utah, links to annual salary reports, and ideas for state-specific job boards. To support your networking goals, we’ve also included an annotated list of educational leadership associations (e.g. ALAS-Utah) and details on conferences & training programs (e.g. USBA Leadership Academy).

Online Doctor of Education Programs in Utah

Online Ed.D. Providers in Utah

1. Utah State University

What to Know About Utah Online Ed.D. Programs

We’ve listed USU as an online Ed.D. provider because it’s the only university in Utah to offer a distance-delivered doctorate in education. Having said that, the 60-credit Hybrid Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with all of its concentrations is not 100% online.

In addition to distance-delivered courses via synchronous sessions and online technologies, this Ed.D. includes an on-campus orientation at the USU Logan campus and a summer cohort experience—three weeks of face-to-face instruction, faculty mentoring, and special group activities.

USU often has a superb ranking for online graduate education programs and Utah residents qualify for in-state tuition rates. But we recommend you contact USU directly to see if the doctorate is open to applications. The catalog sometimes states that it’s not currently accepting new students.

Note: Our overview of online doctoral programs in education has a comprehensive listing of online Ed.D. degrees in every state.

No Dissertation Ed.D. Programs in Utah

Doctoral Research Projects & Capstones

Looking for a doctorate in education that focuses on applied learning? All of U of U’s Ed.D. programs in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy, including the Administrative Licensure option, contain a field-based capstone project instead of a dissertation. For the capstone, students are expected to:

• Apply their leadership and research skill-sets to problems of practice or policy issues.
• Focus on a timely and significant challenge in their field.
• Make a meaningful contribution to their school, district, college, university, or other relevant organizational setting.
• Present their work in a written document and deliver an oral presentation.

U of U provides examples of K-12 Leadership & Policy capstone projects. Common choices include a policy report or inquiry brief, program evaluation, school/organizational improvement plan, or implementation project.

Doctoral Education Funding in Utah

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

To save you time, we’ve done the research on institutional aid opportunities at Utah universities (e.g. internal Ed.D. scholarships, payment plans, etc.). The Office of Financial Aid and the Graduate School will have more information on loan programs & external aid (e.g. national fellowships).

As always, we recommend you ask the Ed.D. program coordinator how most doctoral students are funded—there may be hidden university partnership discounts with your workplace. You can also talk to your employer about the possibility of tuition reimbursement.

Brigham Young University-Provo

On its Ed.D. program website, BYU notes that the Educational Leadership & Foundations (EDLF) department has very limited funding for its students, and annual scholarship funding varies from year to year. Incoming candidates will need to submit the Ed.D. program Application for Financial Aid form as part of the initial application process.

BYU Graduate Studies has further info on Costs & Financial Aid, including assistantship & employment opportunities and Research Presentation Awards (RPAs). Tuition for the Ed.D. is BYU’s normal graduate tuition rate. However, graduate students and families of students who are tithe-paying members of the LDS Church are charged a significantly lower tuition rate than non LDS students.

University of Utah

The College of Education (COE) has a large section on Scholarship & Fellowship Opportunities and Financial Aid. There are graduate-level Department of Educational Leadership & Policy scholarships up for grabs, but they are by faculty nomination only. All COE and general scholarships are listed in U of U’s Academic Works Scholarship Database.

Another site to visit is the Graduate School’s section on Graduate Financial Resources. This has details on fellowships & assistantships, the Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award (GSTAA) for conference travel, and external funding resources. U of U also offers a range of payment plans and U of U Employee Tuition Reduction.

Utah State University

You’ll find financial aid information listed in the Admissions section of the Ph.D./Ed.D. program page. The info on graduate assistantships may be more relevant to Ph.D. candidates, but the link to the School of Graduate Studies’s section on Tuition & Financial Aid is very helpful. It contains details about graduate scholarships (e.g. Graduate Research & Creative Opportunities Grant), Graduate Student Travel Awards, and USU Employee Tuition Reduction. USU also offers payment plans.

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.

School Administration Licensure Requirements in Utah

Administrative Licensure

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) handles licensing for public school educators & administrators. Aspiring educational leaders in Utah typically add an administrative area of concentration to their existing Utah Educator License. Complete rules & requirements for this process are listed in the Utah Administrative Code: Rule R277-505.

Many Utah universities, including all the ones in our school listings, offer state-approved preparation programs for administrative licensure. Although these tend to be M.Ed.s or licensure-only programs, U of U does have a relevant doctorate—the Ed.D. in K-12 Leadership and Policy – Administrative Licensure.

K-12 Administrative/Supervisory License

To earn an administrative license in Utah, you must:

• Hold a Level 2 teaching license or equivalent from another state in the area of concentration. Level 2 licensure requires at least 3 years of acceptable full-time professional experience in an education-related position in a public or accredited private or parochial school.
• Hold a master’s degree or higher.
• Complete a board-approved education leadership licensure program or hold a valid education leadership license issued by a NASDTEC member state. You’ll also need to receive institutional recommendation for licensure.
• Receive a passing score on the Praxis II: Educational Leadership OR School Leaders Licensure Assessment test.

The Utah Administrative Code: Rule R277-505 has further details on exceptional circumstances for licensure, requirements for out-of-state candidates, and Tier Two credentials for principals.

Educational Leadership Jobs in Utah

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monitors employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators in every state. We especially like the employment maps, since they put Utah in context with its neighbors. The education administrator statistics used for these maps are listed in State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Utah.

Utah is not a state with high population numbers, so it makes sense that it usually falls into the third employment bracket for K-12 administrators—just like Nevada. But it’s intriguing to note that the Central Utah non-metropolitan area often has a particularly high concentration of these jobs. The size of Utah’s Iron District may have something to do with this blip on the radar.

Want more detailed K-12 insights? USBE’s section on Data & Statistics and its annual Superintendent Annual Report contain all kinds of useful stats, including reports on enrollment numbers, student assessment, graduation rates, educator headcounts, and more. USBE also issues Utah School Report Cards. Big districts such as Alpine, Davis, and Granite employ a large number of licensed school administrators.

The employment story for Utah postsecondary education administrators is similar to K-12—low, but not extremely low. The state often loses out to Arizona and Colorado in the job stakes, but it has more higher education opportunities than Nevada.

Planning a career at one of Utah’s public institutions? The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) publishes data-driven Dashboards & Data Books, Issue Briefs, and more. Staffing summaries (e.g. administrator headcounts) are listed in the Detailed Institution Budget & Finance Information. U of U is always a major employer of faculty & administrators.

Educational Leadership Salaries

Annual mean wages for Utah K-12 administrators are often very healthy—comparable to school administrators in Nevada and Colorado and far in excess of Idaho and Arizona.

If you’d like to view individual school & district numbers, the USBE posts its annual School Administrator and Classroom Teacher Average Salary reports in the Data & Statistics section (under Educators) and in the Superintendent Annual Report. Salt Lake City and Park City, as you might expect, tend to pay well.

In contrast, wages for UT postsecondary education administrators are less than stellar. Like Idaho and Arizona, Utah is usually one of the worst paying states for this job category in the country.

• The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes summaries of Utah Faculty Salaries at public and private institutions. U of U and BYU usually head the list.
• The state government posts higher education salaries for its colleges & universities on Transparent Utah. It provides instructions on How to Search Public Employee Payroll Data. Salaries are listed by individual name.
• You can also view public university Salary Comparisons in the USHE’s section on Detailed Institution Budget & Finance Information.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Standard job sites (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, TopSchoolJobs, LinkedIn, etc.) will always contain postings for Utah PreK-20 administrators and educational leaders. In addition:

• Teach Utah contains listings for public K-12 administrators. You can search by keyword (e.g. principal, director, etc.).
• USBA conducts Superintendent and Business Administrator Searches.
• The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) hosts a Utah Charter School Job Fair.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Utah

Educational Leadership Associations

• Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents – Utah (ALAS-Utah): ALAS-Utah supports current and aspiring Latino educators in Utah. Check out the ALAS-Utah Scholarship for educators who are in an educational leadership program that leads to an administrative license.
• American Society for Public Administration – Utah Chapter (ASPA Utah): ASPA Utah exists to bring public administrators together to discuss important issues. Members come from a wide range of public and non-profit organizations.
• Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP): UAESP serves as a clear and unified voice for Utah elementary school principals. It’s a state affiliate of NAESP.
• Utah Association of School Business Officials (UASBO): UASBO represents Utah administrators involved in the business side of school operations. It’s a state affiliate of ASBO International.
• Utah Association of Secondary School Principals (UASSP): UASSP was created to promote and enhance the leadership of Utah secondary school administrators. It’s a state affiliate of NASSP.
• Utah Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (UASFAA): UASFAA serves the needs and interests of financial aid administrators of higher education, as well as professionals in organizations engaged in the support and/or administration of student financial aid. It’s a state affiliate of NASFAA.
• Utah Education Association (UEA): UEA is the state’s largest public education employee association. It represents ~18,000 active Utah classroom teachers, retired educators, administrators, licensed educational support personnel, and students in education programs at universities. See also the Utah School Employees Association (USEA).
• Utah Rural Schools Association (URSA): URSA advocates for educational equity in Utah’s rural school districts and seeks to improve instruction in rural elementary and secondary schools.
• Utah School Boards Association (USBA): USBA empowers locally elected Utah school boards with the knowledge, skills, and quality services they need to advocate for public education and govern with excellence. It oversees USSA and it’s a state affiliate of AASA.
• Utah School Superintendents Association (USSA): USSA represents superintendents & leaders from 41 school districts, the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB), the Utah State Office of Education, and four Utah Regional Service Centers.

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

Educational Leadership Events in Utah

Educational Leadership Conferences

• ALAS-Utah Summit: This one-day leadership summit for Utah Latino administrators & superintendents usually occurs in May.
• UAESP Conferences: UAESP sponsors two conferences for Utah elementary and middle school principals—the Summer Conference in June and the Mid-Winter Conference in February. It also hosts a Student Council Leadership Conference and School Secretaries Conference in October.
• UASBO Conferences & Meetings: UASBO hosts its main Spring Conference for Utah business officials over two days in April. But one-day summer, fall, and winter meetings are also in the mix.
• UASFAA Spring Conference: This two-day event for Utah financial aid professionals in higher education is held in March and always includes a federal update.
• UASSP Conferences: Secondary school administrators can attend the one-day Assistant Principals Conference in November or the annual three-day Mid-Winter Conference in January.
• URSA Summer Conference: URSA’s annual three-day conference for Utah rural school administrators & educators takes place in July.
• USBA Statewide Annual Conference: USBA’s professional development conference is designed for Utah school board members, superintendents, business administrators, and middle-management staff. It’s usually held over three days in December.

Educational Leadership Training

• ALAS-Utah Mentoring Program: This program is open to individuals who are seeking the skills, abilities, and attitudes to affect change for Latino students in Utah and the nation.
• UAESP Workshops: UAESP sometimes offers a New Administrators Workshop and a Previewing the Principalship Workshop to elementary school administrators. Check the website to see if they’re on offer.
• USBA Leadership Academy This is a three-day, in-depth training session for Utah school board members, superintendents and business administrators. The agenda includes courses and curriculum specific to leadership topics.
• USBA Training: In addition to the Leadership Academy, USBA organizes a number of other workshops & training programs, including a Legislative Day on the Hill.