Ed.D. Community-Based Leadership
Lead the change your community has been waiting for.
A doctoral program for professionals who see what needs to change in their communities — and are ready to do something about it.
- 60 credit hours | Blended In-Person and Online
- Complete in as few as 36 months
- No GRE Required
Choose from four Areas of Concentration:
Strengthen communities from the inside
Learn how to improve your community's quality of life — from local policy and public engagement to building stronger neighborhoods and services.
Lead with cultural grounding
Deepen your understanding of Indigenous leadership rooted in theory and practice. This track also earns you an embedded graduate certificate in American Indian Leadership.
Design your own path
Build your own concentration around your career goals. This flexible track lets you tailor your coursework to fit the work you actually do.
Leadership innovation
Deepen your expertise in a particular area of instruction — whether that's in curriculum development, P-12 or higher education administration, digital pedagogy, or a specific P-12 education subject area. Many concentration areas include embedded graduate certificates.
This program is built for people who...
✓ Are currently serving in a leadership role — formal or informal — and you're ready to take it further
✓ Want to lead collaboration across organizations and sectors, not just within your own
✓ Are driven by community impact, civic engagement, and real systems change
✓ Want to connect theory and research to the work you're already doing in the real world
✓ Are ready to complete a dissertation rooted in a real challenge facing your community
✓ Believe leadership means making decisions ethically, inclusively, and in partnership with others
WHO ENROLLS
Leaders across every sector
Our students come from a range of fields and professional backgrounds — what they share is a drive to create lasting change.
WHY NSU
A doctorate with a sense of place
Cross-sector by design
Our interdisciplinary is program built for anyone leading change in their community from tribal nations, nonprofits, government, and more — not just for educators.
Rooted in Cherokee Nation heritage
NSU's identity and regional mission give this program a genuine "place and people" orientation you won't find in other leadership doctorates.
WHERE THIS TAKES YOU
Roles our graduates pursue
A Community-Based Leadership Ed.D. prepares graduates for a range of leadership and impact-driven roles across sectors, especially those focused on community change, equity, and systems improvement. Common career paths include:
- Executive Director
- Program Director
- Community Outreach Director
- Community Development Manager
- Foundation or Grant Administrator
- Community Development Director
- City or County Manager
- Municipal Department Director
- Public Policy Director
- Director of Civic Engagement
- Community Partnerships Director
- Public Affairs Director
- Government Relations Manager
- Community Impact Officer
- District-Level Administrator
- Community School Leader
- Director of Curriculum & Instruction
- Director of Student Services
- Faculty in Leadership or Community-Focused Programs
- Higher Education Administrator
- Tribal Program Director
- Tribal Administrator
- Community Development Leader
