EdD in Educational and Professional Practice: Waldorf Education
Location: AU Online
Credits for Degree: 60 semester credits
Standard Mode of Instruction: Low-residency
Standard time to completion: 36 months
Program Overview
The Ed.D. program prepares change-oriented scholar-practitioners committed to advancing more just, inclusive, and sustainable schools, organizations, and communities. Through a transdisciplinary approach, the program integrates theory and practice through shared seminars, applied inquiry, and individualized specialization, enabling students to address complex challenges related to equity, ethics, leadership, and social justice
Students specialize in one of the following transdisciplinary areas of inquiry: Critical Pedagogy; Environmental and Sustainability Education; Humane Education; Multicultural and Anti-Racist Education; Social Emotional Learning; Social Justice Leadership; Waldorf Education; or Self-Designed.
Specializations may include seminars, individualized study, and opportunities to take courses across Antioch University programs. Students may also transfer approved graduate credits in alignment with program requirements. Each student’s dissertation will fall within the chosen specialization.
The program culminates in a Practice-Based Dissertation that establishes students as scholar-practitioners who design and implement meaningful, research-informed solutions to complex challenges in schools, organizations, communities, and national and global contexts.
Waldorf Education Specialization
Waldorf education is one of the fastest growing independent school movements in the world, with more than 1,000 Waldorf Schools in 60 countries. By placing an emphasis on imagination, teachers who leverage this approach are better equipped to encourage students to think creatively, critically, and empathetically. It allows students to develop important artistic and social skills, while also promoting free thinking and moral responsibility. The Waldorf Teacher Education Program at Antioch University New England has been at the forefront of Waldorf teacher education in the United States for more than 30 years. We are pleased that the addition of a doctoral-level specialization will provide a unique opportunity for experienced educators to engage in scholarly inquiry into the theoretical foundations of Waldorf Education and anthroposophy and matters of professional practice that arise in the classroom pertaining to a host of issues such as arts in education, children’s cognitive development, parental choice, play in education, technology, student performance, comparative Waldorf education, and curricular issues in math, science, and other subjects.
The specialization may be composed of seminars and individualized study. You may also choose to take courses in other Antioch programs and to transfer in credits from previous graduate work. Each student’s dissertation topic will fall within their chosen specialization.
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