Implementing an Online Professional Practice Doctoral Program in a PhD Environment: Managing the Dilemmas

As EdD programs are revised across the United States, it is important to understand how the development of innovative approaches to these degrees gains traction in higher education settings, especially those with a history of traditional PhD preparation. In this article, we describe the creation of a job-embedded online EdD program designed as a professional practice doctorate for full-time education practitioners. The nature of the program, the challenges that we have confronted, and our emerging strategies for addressing challenges contribute to the conversation about changing paradigms of doctoral preparation.