Are you an experienced PreK–12 professional ready to lead transformational change in schools, districts and educational systems?

Created with the realities of executive-level leadership in mind, UCF’s Executive EdD in Educational Leadership program prepares you to solve complex challenges with vision, strategy and integrity.

Whether you aspire to become a superintendent, chief academic officer or policy leader, the program blends advanced study in areas including organizational theory, strategic planning, and data-informed decision-making with real-world application — equipping you with the tools to influence systems and improve outcomes at scale.

Here, you’ll learn alongside a cohort of your peers from expert faculty with extensive leadership experience in education — not only scholars but also former principals, superintendents and policy influencers who understand the demands of your role. Through applied research, collaborative inquiry and personalized mentorship, you’ll deepen your ability to lead with clarity, communicate with impact and drive sustainable improvement.

Because as the best educators know, what you learn today will inform everything you do tomorrow. And upon graduating from UCF in as little as three years, you’ll not only be ready to affect positive student learning outcomes at all levels. You’ll be prepared to shape the future of education.

Possible Careers

  • Chief Academic Officer
  • Chief Strategy Officer
  • Chief Schools Officer
  • Curriculum Coordinator
  • Deputy Superintendent
  • Education Policy Analyst
  • Executive Director
  • Executive Leader
  • Principal
  • Principal Leader
  • Superintendent
No. 40

Best Education Schools
(U.S. News & World Report, 2026)

$185,664

Average Salary of a Superintendent in Florida, 2023-24
(FL Department of Education)

23.5%

Increase in school administrators working in the United States from 2013-23
(Department for Professional Employees)

“I was comforted by the fact that this program is designed with working professionals in mind. That’s not to say it’s easy — it’s not — but so much of the work I completed in the doctoral program aligned with the work I was doing as a school leader, and my time at UCF allowed me to refine and enhance the skills that I needed to make an impact in my school and district.”

Michael Meechin ’24EdD
State Director - Florida, the National Center of Education and the Economy

Are You Working for Osceola Public Schools?

Through our partnership with the county, we’ve developed a professional development program for school leaders, where you can complete online modules at your own pace and gain badges in different areas of expertise. You can also apply up to 6 credit hours of your micro credentials toward the EdD program.

Interested in earning micro credentials? Contact Karen Vislocky at Osceola Public Schools.

Interested in learning more about applying your credits toward the EdD program? Contact Larry Walker.