Alvernia University expands its doctoral portfolio with the launch of an online Ed.D. in transformative education, designed for educational leaders across PreK-12 systems, higher education institutions, intermediate units, nonprofit organizations and the broader educational industry.

The 48-credit program is built for scholar-practitioners who want to mobilize people, data and resources to create equitable, forward-thinking learning environments.

“Education leaders are being asked to navigate unprecedented complexity while keeping students and communities at the center of decision-making,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Leamor Kahanov, Ed.D., ATC, LAT. “Alvernia’s new Ed.D. in transformative education reflects our mission-driven commitment to ethical leadership and a culture of care, preparing practitioners to lead meaningful change across learning environments.”

The need for adaptable, outcomes-focused leadership continues to grow as Pennsylvania and the nation respond to workforce disruption, demographic shifts and increasing demands for postsecondary credentials. Pennsylvania’s statewide higher education strategic plan projects a credential gap of more than 200,000 by 2032 and notes that 65% of jobs require some type of postsecondary credential.

In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Education continues to identify educator shortage areas statewide, including shortages in grades 4-8 and special education.

Designed for working professionals, Alvernia’s Ed.D. in transformative education combines asynchronous online learning with scheduled live virtual sessions and structured residencies.

As part of Alvernia’s commitment to access and workforce-aligned education, the university will also extend a special introductory partnership opportunity for Pennsylvania community college partners interested in upskilling faculty and staff through the Ed.D. in transformative education. This will include a significant per-credit discount through Alvernia’s Business and Community Partnerships program.

The 48-credit curriculum includes a research core, education core and concentration-area electives that students personalize with program director approval. Instead of a qualifying exam, students complete a portfolio assessment that demonstrates readiness for dissertation work, followed by applied dissertation courses. Students may transfer up to 18 credits, including eligible doctoral-level coursework, select prior Alvernia graduate coursework and approved professional experience credits.