The UNC School of Education welcomed students to the first classes of its first fully online degree program, the Ed.D. concentration in Organizational Learning and Leadership, on Monday, Aug. 26.
The online Ed.D., the University’s first fully online doctor of education, will provide working professionals with knowledge, skills, and experiences to take a human-centered approach to leadership, delivering upon their organization’s goals and mission.
The first cohort of online Ed.D. students include:
- 64 working professionals from
- Organizations focused on education, health care, global training, finance, corporate talent development, and more
- And who hail from 8 states.
Of the first cohort, 56 students live and work in North Carolina.
“When the School was developing the online Ed.D. program, this kind of cohort composition was what we had in mind – aspiring leaders with a diverse set of professional experiences,” said Jill V. Hamm, interim dean and William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education. “Combine those professional experiences with classroom instruction from top faculty members with expertise in areas critical to organizational learning and leadership, and we believe this program can result in career advancement for our students and success for their organizations.”
Developed with input from working professionals in both private and public sectors and spanning various industries, the Ed.D. concentration in Organizational Learning and Leadership is tailored to equip students with specialized courses in improvement science, change leadership, human-centered design, equitable and inclusive leadership practice, research methodology, and more. It will also offer students practical opportunities to implement their learning directly into their professional endeavors.
Faculty member Constance Lindsay, Ph.D., taught one of the program’s first classes, EDUC 858: “Foundations of Inquiry – Quantitative” which introduces students to quantitative research methods to help them leverage research to advance the organizations in which they lead and work.
“I was honored to be one of the first faculty members to welcome students in the online Ed.D. program to their first class, an important milestone in their educational and career journeys,” Lindsay said. “I’m also excited for them to begin using quantitative research which has the power to benefit their colleagues, workplaces, and the people their organizations serve.”
The program utilizes a blend of interactive online classes, self-paced asynchronous lessons, and an in-person immersion experience on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. During the immersion experience, students will have the chance to forge meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and fellow students.
The program culminates with a capstone project tasking students with identifying a complex or pervasive challenge faced by their organization. Students will then undertake comprehensive research and implementation efforts to address it and design effective resolutions.
Students will graduate with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Organizational Learning and Leadership.
“These first classes are an exciting first step for these students and for their organizations,” said Carrol Warren, Ed.D., program director and instructor. “With the intentional design of the curriculum by UNC School of Education faculty members, our students will quickly gain tools to provide immediate value for the teams and organizations they lead or are part of. This is a monumental time for the UNC School of Education and for the future of human-centered leadership.”
Applications to the program – which have proven competitive – are being accepted for the spring, summer, and fall 2025 terms. Learn more about the program at ed.unc.edu/oll.