Degrees · Ohio
Doctor of Education Pathways in Ohio
Doctor of Education (EdD) in Ohio is a graduate award, not Professional Principal License. This table lists 15 institutions with matching IPEDS completions. Completions are not approval to recommend candidates for the license. Use the Ohio principal checklist for the credential.
A Doctor of Education (EdD) is a terminal practitioner-focused doctorate for advanced leadership, organizational improvement, and applied research. It is not a teaching license, and it does not automatically grant a principal or superintendent credential.
Reviewed by Brittnie Vargas, School principal, M.Ed.Editorial processHow this degree relates to the Ohio principal credential
The Ohio license is Professional Principal License. Read the principal checklist for steps, exams, and the board source — this page is the IPEDS inventory for Doctor of Education (EdD), not a second copy of that checklist.
Ohio’s principal license is grade-banded, which is the detail that most often undoes an otherwise complete CORE application. The State Board of Education of Ohio issues a Professional Principal License tied to early childhood, middle-level, 5–12, or related bands that match the ages and grade levels of the candidate’s qualifying teaching. Two years of successful high-school teaching under a standard or professional license supports a 5–12 principal license; those same years do not automatically unlock an early-childhood principal license. Professional pupil-services experience can substitute for teaching when it is the professional pupil-services license and the ages align, but a pupil-services role in a high school does not, by itself, create a PK–6 principal license.
Preparation is an approved principal program plus a dean’s recommendation, not a self-assembled transcript of leadership electives. The State Board’s principal-licenses page treats the recommendation as a required element. Candidates who finish coursework, pass OAE 015, and then wait months for a dean’s letter are not “done” in CORE until that recommendation posts. OAE 015 Educational Leadership is the examination the pathway names; other Ohio Assessments for Educators content tests used for teaching licenses do not replace 015.
Institutions with Doctor of Education (EdD) programs in Ohio
Rows come from IPEDS awards by CIP and award level. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An institution that conferred awards is not automatically approved to recommend candidates for Professional Principal License.
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Antioch University (Yellow Springs, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Ashland University (Ashland, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus (Bowling Green, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus (Bowling Green, OH) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Kent State University at Kent (Kent, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Kent State University at Kent (Kent, OH) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Miami University-Oxford (Oxford, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| Ohio University-Main Campus (Athens, OH) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Ohio University-Main Campus (Athens, OH) | 13.0411 Superintendency and Educational System Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (Cincinnati, OH) | 13.0499 Educational Administration and Supervision, Other | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Dayton (Dayton, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (other) |
| University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Youngstown State University (Youngstown, OH) | 13.0401 Educational Leadership and Administration, General | Doctorate (research) |
Frequently asked questions
EdD vs PhD in Education: which should I choose?
An EdD usually emphasizes applied leadership and practice. A PhD usually emphasizes original research and academic careers. Choose based on career target, not prestige framing, and verify any licensure claims independently.
Do I need an EdD to become a principal?
Usually no. Most principal credentials require a master’s (or equivalent) plus an approved administrator preparation program and experience. An EdD may help for district or system roles, but it is not a substitute for the state credential checklist.