New Meridian University · School of Education
School of Education
Three research doctorates for the people who run schools, write the rules they live under, and build the technology reshaping them.
The institution that decides all the others
Schools are where every other profession is made — and the research says the people who run them are running out.
The evidence stacks up fast. Learning Policy Institute surveys found 42 percent of principals considering leaving; the NASSP survey puts it at one in two school leaders. Teacher turnover runs at 15.1 percent a year, nearly all of it attrition — and fewer than one in five leavers are retiring. These are not staffing statistics; they are the measure of how much institutional knowledge the system loses every June, and how thinly the people who remain are supported when making decisions.
The School of Education trains the people who change those numbers — with evidence. Its three doctorates cover the system end to end: Educational Leadership for the people who run schools and districts, Education Policy for the people who write the rules they live under, and Education Technology for the people building — and studying — the tools arriving faster than anyone can evaluate them. Each is a research doctorate for working educators: 60 credit hours, 100% online, one to two years, ending in a dissertation on a problem from the school system you actually work in.
The three specializations
Ed.D. / Ph.D.
Research doctorates across the school system — leadership, policy, and technology.
Educational Leadership
42% of principals have considered walking away. Become the school leader they keep — trained to run schools as organizations, with the evidence to defend every call.Explore the specialization →
Education Policy
Nine in ten new teaching positions exist to replace people who left. Study why — and write what changes.Explore the specialization →
Education Technology
A $187 billion industry that is still under 6% of global education spending. Build its evidence base.Explore the specialization →
The path every specialization shares
Five gates between admission and the title — the same five for every specialization in the school:
The coursework
Sixty credit hours online, paced around a full-time career.
The Candidacy Qualifying Exam
Command of the field and the research methods, confirmed in one sitting.
The dissertation proposal
Your question, defended before your committee before a word is written.
The ethics review
New Meridian’s registered IRB keeps the research publishable and credible.
The final defense
Your findings, your committee, and the conversation that ends with the title.
The school at a glance
| Structure | What it means |
|---|---|
| Degrees | Ed.D. (practice track) or Ph.D. (scholarly track) |
| Credits | 60 credit hours |
| Format | 100% online and asynchronous — no campus requirement |
| Time to completion | 1–2 years, paced around a full-time career |
| Dissertation | Original research on a problem from your own school system, IRB-approved |
Questions, answered
Can I finish while working full-time?
Yes — the school was built for working educators and administrators. Coursework is 100% online and asynchronous, and most students complete the 60 credit hours in one to two years. Your school system is also your research site.
Ed.D. or Ph.D.?
The Ed.D. is the practice track for working educators and administrators; the Ph.D. is the scholarly research track. The coursework is largely shared, so you can settle the choice with your advisor once your dissertation question takes shape.
Do I need administrative experience to apply?
No — the programs serve teachers moving toward leadership and practicing administrators deepening it. Your experience in the system is the raw material your dissertation builds on.
Ready to change the numbers?
Explore the specializations, then speak with faculty about your path from application to defense.