Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership Study Today to Lead Tomorrow

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Degree Options
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Distinguish Yourself as a Leader with Liberty’s Online Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership
At Liberty, we believe that knowledge of all things begins with Christ — especially knowledge of leadership. As a steward of the power vested in you, you have a responsibility to lead others with excellence and integrity. People look to you for answers, guidance, expertise, and encouragement. If you are in a position of authority or hope to pursue a job that requires principled leadership, Liberty University’s 100% online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership can help you develop valuable leadership skills that are directly applicable to several career fields.
No matter what leadership position you serve in, you can benefit from a Christian view of leadership. Leading others can be challenging – awareness of the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of your team is a must, as is the ability to steer your team towards the completion of goals and objectives. At Liberty University, we seek to train principled, ethical leaders who can compassionately and effectively shepherd others.
Our doctorate in Christian leadership gives you the opportunity to personalize your degree. This program offers multiple specializations, allowing you to gain knowledge that is both broadly applicable and specifically tailored to your career goals.
Whether you’d like to revive a struggling church, minister to today’s youth, develop your ability to share the Gospel on digital platforms, start your own ministry, or serve as an administrator in a Christian school, Liberty’s Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership is an excellent option. Partner with us, gain valuable knowledge and skills, and take your career to new heights.
Your officially conferred degree name will be Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership.
Accreditation
Liberty Theological Seminary, as part of Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your seminary degree is approved by ATS and has met rigorous accreditation standards, so you can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.







What Will You Study in a Doctor of Christian Education Online?
While each of our Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership tracks has a different emphasis, each one contains the same core foundation of courses.
In the core classes of our Christian leadership doctoral degree program, you will study biblical and theological foundations of leadership and education. You will also study theological anthropology in leadership and education, character and ethics, leadership and management theory, and organizational development. In addition, our EdD in Christian Leadership covers group and team dynamics as well as teaching theory and practice.
Within each of the Christian leadership EdD specializations, you’ll find a group of courses tailored to your unique interests. For example, the digital discipleship specialization offers an overview of how to construct a theology of networks for the digital age, best practices for digital spiritual formation, techniques for fostering online Christian community, and an advanced examination of digital ministry. The next-generation ministry specialization features courses that can help develop your youth ministry skills — such as leadership models for next-generation ministry and trends in next-generation ministry.
Following completion of your particular specialization, you will begin preparing for your praxis sequence. In your praxis courses, you will seek to produce a scholarly artifact that demonstrates applied research competency, scholarly achievement, and professional development within a specific field setting.
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This EdD degree program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
- View the Graduate Divinity Course Guides (login required).
- Contribute to the body of knowledge in your field through this program’s integrated praxis sequence.
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Degree?
As a pioneer in distance education since 1985, we understand what you’re looking for in an online degree. You want a program that will challenge you to grow, teach you marketable skills, help you develop in-demand knowledge, and respect your free time. After all, your community, family, and personal obligations don’t stop when your degree begins. Our EdD in Christian Leadership is offered 100% online with no set login times and no required intensives, so you can take the next step in your educational journey while staying invested in your personal commitments.
Many doctoral programs have one of 2 emphases: theoretical or practical. For example, if you were to pursue a PhD in Christian Leadership online, your program would likely have a theoretical emphasis. While many PhD programs are designed to prepare you for careers in research or academia, other doctoral programs have a practical emphasis — like our Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree program. Programs like the DMin are designed for practical application and hands-on problem-solving.
Liberty’s Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership offers you the best of both worlds. Our Christian leadership EdD won’t just help prepare you for academic or research careers – it can also help you pursue careers like ministry or Christian education. If you’re not sure whether you’d like to pursue a career within or apart from academia, choose a degree program that can help prepare you for both: Liberty’s EdD in Christian Leadership.

Backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked among Niche.com's Top 5 College Campuses in America
What Sets Us Apart?
- Private Nonprofit University
- 600+ Online Degrees
- No Standardized Testing for Admission
- Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
- Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree
Potential Career Opportunities for Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership Graduates
- Christian education administrator
- Christian school principal or president
- Church administrator
- Church discipleship coordinator
- Curriculum coordinator
- Minister of education
Doctor of Education Degree Options
Our EdD in Christian Leadership allows you to choose from the following list of specializations so you can gain additional training in a subject you’re most passionate about. Whether you’d like to revive a struggling church, lead an online ministry, or minister to today’s youth, our EdD in Christian Leadership offers a specialization that can give you the training you need to succeed.
Church Revitalization
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Church Revitalization can help prepare you to breathe new life into a struggling church.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Digital Discipleship
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Digital Discipleship can help you gain an advanced understanding of effective evangelism on digital platforms.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Educational Ministries
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Educational Ministries emphasizes leadership, foundations of educational ministries, and strategies for teaching others about biblical principles. The coursework integrates theory with practical application through a series of praxis courses, providing you with the opportunity to become well-prepared to address the unique challenges of Christian educational settings.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Faith-Based Consulting
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Faith-Based Consulting may be your key to a career that involves helping faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and churches achieve their vision and mission. You can help them grow stronger and more effective and become a beacon of faith, guiding others with wisdom and expertise. Gain the knowledge and skills you need to make a real difference in your community and beyond.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Ministry Leadership
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Ministry Leadership can help you become a knowledgeable minister capable of sharing God’s Word with your congregation.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Next Generation Ministry
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Next Generation Ministry can help equip you to minister to the leaders of tomorrow.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Spiritual Formation
Liberty’s Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Spiritual Formation is designed to help you shepherd your flock and take your evangelical ability to the next level.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Strategic Christian Ministry
Liberty’s online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Christian Leadership – Strategic Christian Ministry is designed to help you critically assess and serve faith-based groups as you glorify Christ through effective evangelism.
View the Degree Completion Plan.

Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for many divinity courses* all for one convenient fee.
*Electronic textbooks are not provided for PACO courses or courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.
EdS and EdD Full Time | $595/Credit |
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EdS and EdD Part Time | $650/Credit |
Military EdS and EdD | $275/Credit |
Tuition rates may change annually. For the current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for the Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
- Submit a Statement of Purpose
- In 1,000-1,500 words, please answer the following questions:
- How has your previous education and/or work experience prepared you for doctoral studies at Liberty University?
- What is your goal with regard to pursuing a doctoral education at Liberty University?
- Please describe the character and values you possess that will help you succeed in your desired field.
- In 1,000-1,500 words, please answer the following questions:
- Submit a School of Divinity Questionnaire(login required).
- Department Review
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
- Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
- Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.
Transcript Policies
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for EdS and EdD courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Inner Navigation
- Overview
- What Will You Study?
- What Sets Us Apart?
- Potential Careers
- Specializations
- Tuition & Aid
- Admission Information
- Military
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