Augusta University
Dr. Wendy Turner
For 2024-2025, EdDPrograms, a national ranking organization for Doctorates in Education, has awarded the graduate program of Ed.D. at Augusta University (AU) fifth place for most affordable Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) programs in Georgia. The Graduate School and the graduate community of AU are proud to have the program recognized. The leadership and faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) have worked hard to grow enrolment and provide an outstanding educational experience for their students. Dr. Judi Wilson, Dean of the COEHD, writes, “We are thrilled with this recognition. This supports one of the Chancellor’s initiatives which is around cost and affordability of degrees. It is important that our students receive a good return on their degree investment and our Ed.D. students certainly do!” Dr. Rebecca G. Harper, Program Director for the Ed.D. shares, “As we celebrate the ten-year anniversary of our Ed.D., this could not have come at a better time! We are excited to hear of this designation and look forward to the impacts it will have on our program.”
The AU low-residency (6 weekends/year for 3 years) program gives students great flexibility, excellence in education, and lots of faculty-student contact. Bethany Straus, the Communications Coordinator for EdDPrograms, writes, “Prospective Ed.D. candidates have much to consider when researching schools, and affordability is often the deciding factor. These rankings, determined through meticulous research into tuition and fees for every EdD program in Georgia, showcases Augusta University’s dedication to providing high-quality doctoral education at an affordable price.”
EdD programs across the country focus on the real-world practice and leadership of education in schools and classrooms. This applied degree blends research in and about educational settings with purposeful changes in the workplace. The Ed.D. program at COEHD “prepares educators to lead effectively in the teaching and learning environment, to advocate for solutions to problems, to foster innovation, and to be responsive to the evolving expectations placed upon educational systems” (from the COEHD website: https://www.augusta.edu/education/research/edd-ei). The national website for EdDPrograms includes a statement explaining that Augusta University’s Ed.D. program has “an eye-popping 21 concentrations available as part of its Ed.D. in Educational Innovation.” This high praise coupled with the quality graduate programs offered by the COEHD help establish AU as a destination for graduate education.
