Why Belmont for Your Ph.D.? | Is this program right for you? | What You'll Learn | Customize Your Ph.D. | Program Details | Testimonials | Career Possibilities | FAQ
Lead Education at Scale — Without Leaving Your Career
You’ve seen firsthand the impact a great educator can have. Now you’re ready to expand that impact beyond a single classroom — to lead schools, systems and organizations. Belmont’s SLE Ph.D. gives you the research, leadership and innovation skills to do it. Three reasons education leaders choose it:
- You graduate a leader and a scholar. Few programs in the nation prepare you for both — senior leadership in education-oriented organizations and scholarship in the field of educational leadership.
- It’s built around your career. The hybrid format is mostly online, with just one three-day on-campus session each term, so you can keep working while you earn your doctorate part-time in four years.
- You customize it to your goals. Choose one of five concentrations and learn alongside doctoral candidates from education, government and nonprofits.
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Why Belmont for Your Ph.D.
- A hybrid, mostly online format with one three-day on-campus session each term (summer, fall and spring) in Nashville.
- 60 credit hours you can complete part time in four years, including up to 12 hours of approved prior graduate credit.
- Five concentrations, from educational leadership to management and entrepreneurship to higher education.
- A multidisciplinary cohort of working education, government and nonprofit leaders.
- SACSCOC accreditation.
What Sets This Ph.D. Apart
The SLE Ph.D. is intentionally multidisciplinary, with core courses grounded in educational leadership theory and the flexibility to specialize. You’ll work on your dissertation alongside your coursework — researching a challenge from your own field so you finish with practical solutions in hand, not just a credential. And because the cohort brings together leaders from education, government and nonprofits, you build a professional network as strong as your scholarship.
Is This Program Right for You?
This program is built for experienced educators and professionals ready to lead at scale — without leaving their careers. You’re likely a strong fit if you’re:
- A teacher or school administrator moving into district or system leadership.
- A leader in higher education, a foundation, a nonprofit or government focused on education.
- A working professional who needs a mostly online schedule with one short on-campus session per term.
- An aspiring scholar-practitioner who wants to research problems tied to your own work.
Customize Your Ph.D.
- Educational Leadership. Develop the management skills to lead teams, steward resources and raise student achievement.
- Educational Leadership + Instructional Leader License. The same leadership core, paired with Tennessee instructional leader licensure.
- Management and Entrepreneurship. Business-world competencies for education — entrepreneurship, financial literacy and strategic thinking.
- Faith and Justice Leadership. Ethical leadership grounded in faith and social justice to create change.
- Higher Education. Leadership focused on colleges, universities and adult education.
Inside the Curriculum
The Ph.D. is 60 credit hours: 51 hours of coursework — which may include up to 12 hours of approved prior graduate credit — plus nine hours for the dissertation. Core courses are grounded in educational leadership theory, with concentration and elective courses that fit your goals.
Curious about your coursework? View requirements for this degree in the course catalog.
Belmont’s Ph.D. program in Strategic Leadership in Education seeks emerging and established leaders who exhibit the knowledge, skills and attitude of leader-scholars. We strive to recruit individuals who aspire to “Change the World” through education as strategic, entrepreneurial, data-informed, equity-focused leader-scholars.
Apply now for the April 1 Priority Deadline and June 1* Final Deadline!
*We have extended the deadline to July 15 for the Fall 2026 term.
Applicants for the program must submit the following:
- A completed Belmont graduate application, selecting the Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership in Education as the program of study.
- All undergraduate and graduate post-secondary transcripts.
- A professional resume that includes educational background and career experience, highlighting leadership positions and/or responsibilities. Most competitive applicants will have a minimum of three to five years of professional experience.
- A narrative statement and supporting evidence of academic achievement. Candidates may submit graduate standardized test scores as evidence, but standardized test scores are not required for admission to the program.
- Three non-familial references, including referees who can speak to the applicant’s professional experience, and at least one referee who can speak to the applicant’s past academic performance and his or her academic readiness for doctoral studies.
- A writing sample of approximately 1,000 words in which the applicant describes his or her career aspirations and the relevance of the degree from this program. Applicants are asked to indicate new knowledge and skills they would hope to acquire from the program.
- An interview with the Program Director and/or program faculty.
- The deadline to deposit for this program is June 30th.
- Qualified applicants may be invited to an additional interview to discuss their professional interests and ensure the program is the right match for their academic and career goals.
Students must pass all coursework, a qualifying examination and a dissertation/oral examination to graduate.
Application Status
Applicants are admitted on a rolling admissions pattern and will be notified of the admissions committee's decision shortly after the admissions requirements are completed. To check on the status of your application, check your BU4U portal.
Tuition & Financial Aid Information
You can determine the cost per semester for courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching program by visiting the Graduate Tuition & Aid website.
After being offered admission to Belmont, you may secure your enrollment with a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $150. This deposit will be applied to first semester charges.
Due to visa and Social Security Number requirements, at this time international students cannot be considered for admission in the College of Education graduate programs.
Candidates without an SSN:
State of TN law prohibits state agencies from issuing professional licenses to individuals who are not eligible to work in the US. Aside from a few specific exceptions, all individuals eligible to work in the US are given an SSN. Therefore, the department is unable to process any licensure transactions for candidates without an SSN.
Belmont University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Belmont University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Belmont’s Teacher Education Program is approved by the Tennessee Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) legacy site visit of 2021.
The Belmont University School of Music is a fully-accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
The Watkins College of Art at Belmont University is an Accredited Institutional Member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
CAEP ANNUAL REPORTING MEASURES
The Belmont University College of Education prioritizes the use of data as part of its assessment and continuous improvement process. The below data provide summary of survey results, state data reports and teacher candidate performance assessment data. Data are acquired from sources including the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE); Educational Testing Service (ETS); the Belmont Office of Career & Professional Development, and the Belmont Office of Assessment & Institutional. Data are linked to the reporting measures to assist prospective and current students, faculty, accrediting bodies, the public, and researchers.
Please contact Dr. Cathy Eschete, Director of Clinical Practice and Accreditation Coordinator ( cathy.eschete@belmont.edu) before including any of this information in reports or research.
You’ll learn in a mostly online format, with one required three-day on-campus session each term (summer, fall and spring) in Nashville that builds relationships with faculty and your cohort. You’ll work on your dissertation alongside your coursework, researching a challenge from your own field, and learn beside leaders from education, government and nonprofits.
You’ll be prepared for advanced leadership across PreK-12 districts, higher education, foundations, nonprofits and government. Graduates are equipped to lead as senior administrators and to contribute as scholars in educational leadership.
Accreditation
The Strategic Leadership in Education Ph.D. holds full accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Belmont’s accrediting body.
Darrell Hawks
Strategic Leadership in Education, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Friends of Mill Ridge Park
“What appealed to me about the Strategic Leadership in Education Ph.D. program, as it relates to my current work, is that it gives me the opportunity to learn in depth about doing research. I can be more effective and productive in my work — the better I can understand the issue, challenge or need I’m trying to solve.”
Graham Spencer
Strategic Leadership in Education, Ph.D.
Doctoral candidate; 2022 Blue Ribbon award-winning teacher
“Belmont’s commitment to providing an outstanding educational experience is evident in its SLE Ph.D. program, which is why I believe it is the best choice for anyone interested in becoming a leader in education.”
Learn From Experienced Faculty
You’ll learn from experienced practitioner-scholars who have led at the highest levels of education. They include Dean Jim McIntyre, who brings more than 30 years in education — including serving as superintendent of Knox County Schools, Tennessee’s third-largest system, and as chief operating officer of Boston Public Schools.
Sally Barton-Arwood
Email: sally.arwood@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5028
Devin DeLaughter
Email: devin.delaughter@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5033
Darcie Finch
Email: darcie.finch@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5034
Joe Fitzgerald
Email: joe.fitzgerald@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5019
Rachael Flynn
Email: rachael.flynn@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5023
Jodi C. Green
Office Location: Ayers 5016
Annie Insana
Email: annie.insana@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5034
Mona Ivey-Soto
Email: mona.iveysoto@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5026
Lauren Lunsford
Email: lauren.lunsford@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 2044
Emily Moses
Email: emily.moses@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 4104
Amanda Nelms
Email: amanda.nelms@belmont.edu
Office Location: Ayers 5027
Jesse Wood
FAQ
It prepares experienced educators to become transformative leaders by building advanced skills in research, leadership and innovation to address complex challenges in education. It’s built to develop you as both a senior leader and a scholar.
The Ph.D. is 60 credit hours — coursework, research and a dissertation — and can be completed part time in about four years. You may apply up to 12 hours of approved prior graduate credit.
It’s hybrid and mostly online. You’ll take predominantly online courses, with one required three-day on-campus session each term (summer, fall and spring) in Nashville.
Five: Educational Leadership; Educational Leadership with Instructional Leader License; Management and Entrepreneurship; Faith and Justice Leadership; and Higher Education.
Yes. The schedule is built so you can keep your career while you earn your doctorate — mostly online, part time, with just one short on-campus session per term.
Yes. The Strategic Leadership in Education Ph.D. holds full accreditation through SACSCOC, Belmont’s accrediting body.
Both are doctorates in education, but a Ph.D. emphasizes original research and scholarship alongside leadership practice. Belmont’s SLE Ph.D. is built to develop you as both a senior leader and a scholar.
Contact Us
Addison Wallace
Admissions Coordinator
615.460.5505
Email Addison
Plan Your Visit
There's no better way to experience Belmont than by visiting campus. Whether you attend an admissions event, take a student-led campus tour or explore Nashville while you're here, a visit helps you picture yourself as part of the Belmont community.