Online EdS in Applied Learning, Leadership, and Innovation

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
• A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with minimum GPA 3.5
• Minimum 3 years professional experience relevant to professional goals
  

Required Documents

With multiple ways to submit documents, Drexel makes it easy to complete your application. Learn more by visiting our Completing Your Application Guide.

• A completed application
• Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions attended (including trade schools)
• Three letters of recommendation (professional or academic)
• Three Writing Samples: Our goal with these writing samples is to understand more about you and how you communicate in writing. We are interested in two types of writing: reflective writing, in which you will engage frequently in this program, and academic writing, important in communicating your ideas in a more formal manner. Reflection writing should be written in first person. Prompt #1 is reflective writing. Prompt #2, academic writing. Prompt #3 you may approach as you wish.
  • Prompt #1: Personal Goal Statement (Reflective Writing – maximum 500 words) What do you expect to gain from an EdS degree? Why this degree and why now? What professional goals do you imagine this degree will help you to achieve? What is it about this program that you think will help you to meet those goals?
  • Prompt #2: Focus of Concern: How do we do this better? (Academic Writing – Maximum 500 words) The learning in this program will orient to your own professional practices around something that you believe could and should be done better. In this writing sample, you are to explain a focus of concern for you in your professional practice and why it warrants your attention. Who is impacted by your focus of concern and who cares about it, aside from you? This writing will tell us how well you are able to formally communicate something that matters to you. Please use citations as appropriate and write a convincing argument that your focus of concern is worth addressing – something you believe should be done better.
  • Prompt #3: Conceptions of Leadership (Reflective or Academic Writing – Your Choice – Maximum 500 words) This is a program to develop your leadership capacity. Thus it is important to know how you think about leadership. How do you know when someone is leading? What do you think it takes to develop a good leader? What do you most need to learn in order to lead? There are no wrong answers here; we are interested in your thinking as a starting place for growing you as a leader.
• Resume
• Additional requirements for International Students

All But Dissertation (ABD) to EdS Completion Pathway (enrolling Spring 2026) Applicant Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
• A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with minimum GPA 3.5
• Minimum 3 years professional experience relevant to professional goals
• Applicant must have advanced to doctoral candidacy or reached “all but dissertation” (ABD) status in a regionally accredited doctoral program which is aligned academically with the content of Drexel’s EdS in ALLI program
  • Exceptions may be made as determined by the admissions committee and would require an applicant interview.
• ABD applicants must have left their prior institution(s) in Good Academic Standing (not academically dismissed)

All But Dissertation (ABD) Criteria

• ABD applicants must provide evidence of reaching doctoral candidacy or ABD status at a regionally accredited institution
• Applicants must have earned a minimum of 24 doctoral-level credits in their prior doctoral program which can be transferred to Drexel’s program
  • Courses should be compatible with Drexel’s EdS-ALLI program content in education and educational leadership
  • Courses must have been completed with a minimum letter grade of “B” in each
  • Courses must have been completed within the last 10 years; applicants who were enrolled in a doctoral program more than 10 years ago may still apply, but should submit a supplemental written response to the following prompt:
    • How has the world changed since you completed your doctoral coursework?  How does this changing landscape adjust the ways in which you think about leadership and what is essential for leaders to know and be able to do?

Required Documents

• A completed application
• Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions attended (including trade schools)
• Three letters of recommendation (professional or academic)
• Three Writing Samples
• Evidence of reaching doctoral candidacy or ABD status in prior doctoral program
• Resume/CV
• 4 Writing Samples
  • Prompt #1: Personal Goal Statement (Reflective Writing – maximum 500 words) What do you expect to gain from an EdS degree?   Why this degree and why now? What professional goals do you imagine this degree will help you to achieve? What is it about this program that you think will help you to meet those goals?
  • Prompt #2: Focus of Concern: How do we do this better? (Academic Writing – Maximum 500 words) The learning in this program will orient to your own professional practices around something that you believe could and should be done better. In this writing sample, you are to explain a focus of concern for you in your professional practice and why it warrants your attention.  Who is impacted by your focus of concern and who cares about it, aside from you?  This writing will tell us how well you are able to formally communicate something that matters to you.  Please use citations as appropriate and write a convincing argument that your focus of concern is worth addressing – something you believe should be done better.
  • Prompt #3: Conceptions of Leadership (Reflective or Academic Writing – Your Choice – Maximum 500 words) This is a program to develop your leadership capacity. Thus it is important to know how you think about leadership.  How do you know when someone is leading?  What do you think it takes to develop a good leader?  What do you most need to learn in order to lead?  There are no wrong answers here; we are interested in your thinking as a starting place for growing you as a leader.
  • Prompt #4: Supplemental Prompt: ABD to EdS (Reflective Writing – Maximum 500 words) As someone who has completed all of their coursework, reading ABD (All But the Dissertation) status, you come to this program with a significant background in doctoral-level learning.  We want to know about your experiences that led you to this point: What drew you to doctoral studies?  What prevented you from completing your program?  What will convince you that this program has been a good use of your time and resources?  There are no right or wrong answers here. We want to know you and to make sure that what we are offering will meet your needs.