Doctor of Education Overview

The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education offers an EdD in Jewish Education. Its two doctoral programs (full-time and the Executive Doctoral Program) are designed to prepare academics and senior professionals for the growing educational needs of North American Jewish communities. Our graduates hold senior roles as educators, researchers, academicians, administrators, and leaders in the field of Jewish education.

The EdD programs offer two areas of concentration: (1) teaching and learning; and (2) leadership and administration. In so doing, they prepare students for practical work in administration, supervision, curriculum development, and educational research, as well as for academic careers in the field of Jewish education.

The Executive Doctoral Program is designed for working, senior Jewish educators who want to continue their leadership positions in Jewish education while pursuing advanced learning and training in educational leadership, pedagogy, curriculum development, and religious development. The Executive Doctoral Program provides the students flexibility to engage with their studies in a series of courses offered online and in seminar-style intensive sessions.

The William Davidson School accepts up to three full-time EdD students every year and up to six executive doctoral students every other year. The school offers both exclusive doctoral-level courses and opportunities for doctoral students to take advanced MA-level courses. Both executive and full-time doctoral students can take classes at Teachers College and Union Theological Seminary without additional fees through our consortium arrangement. Doctoral students have the opportunity to enroll in JTS’s large repertoire of courses in Jewish studies. JTS offers many high level Judaica courses in areas such as Bible, Talmud and rabbinics, Jewish history, and Jewish thought.

The full-time doctoral program of The William Davidson School prepares students for senior roles as researchers, academicians, and administrators in the field of Jewish education. The full-time EdD program is designed for those seeking an immersive experience in applied research and the opportunity to work closely on an ongoing basis with Davidson School faculty and project directors. Full-time EdD students have the opportunity to take a role as researchers from the beginning of their education at The William Davidson School. The program structure allows students to take on multiple roles including research on issues of interest to faculty, taking an active role in working with one of The William Davidson School’s educational field projects, acquiring much-needed experience in university-level teaching, and consulting for projects and new initiatives in the school and in the community. These opportunities are in addition to taking courses and doctoral candidates’ work on their own research.

To underscore the importance of research, The William Davidson School offers a series of colloquia in which students and faculty come together to present new research. These workshops are based on the belief that research is always a work in progress; the sessions are structured to allow sharing the work and getting feedback from colleagues.

Admissions Requirements

  • Full-time and part-time candidates for the EdD program should have a minimum of three years of full-time experience working in the field of Jewish education. Applicants to the Executive Doctoral Program must have a minimum of five years of experience in either teaching or administration.
  • Candidates for the full-time doctoral program should identify an area of interest and conduct a conversation with one or two professors about research interest before applying to the school. For those candidates who at this point cannot identify an area of research, an MA program might be more suitable.
  • Previous graduate-level work (i.e., a master’s degree) is suggested but not required for candidates for the full-time or part-time EdD program. However, candidates should be ready to complete prerequisites, as determined by the candidate’s advisor.
  • An interview with the Admissions Committee and dean is required for all applicants to the doctoral program.

Consortium with Other Institutions 

All matriculated students in The William Davidson School may take courses offered through the consortium agreement with Teachers College (of) Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary. Students who would like to register to the consortium courses must fill out the consortium form found on the registrar page and submit the form to the JTS registrar.

Doctoral Student Fees

All students should consult the full list of tuition, special categories fees, and tuition fees. According to the fellowship agreement with the school, a student can determine how much money to allocate for fees, special categories fees, and tuition. The William Davidson School will not cover any fees, special categories fees, and fines; these expenses are the students’ responsibility.