orking in education doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a teacher or professor. While those are rewarding jobs, some people want to earn a doctorate and serve a different role in academia. Doing so can significantly expand your options and open the door to many unique career paths.
For example, having a doctorate in educational leadership can allow you to work as an administrator. Whether you want to be a curriculum developer, dean, provost, or beyond, having a doctorate can add value to your resume.
Follow along as we highlight the many surprising career paths you can pursue with an education doctorate.
1. Chief Learning Officer
While colleges and universities are academic institutions, they also operate as businesses. Because of that, they need someone well-versed in all aspects of education to maximize their appeal and performance. Chief learning officers (CLOs) fill that role by developing the workforce and helping institute programs to maximize the student body’s potential.
Today, technology is a huge tool, and universities that don’t embrace it can fall behind financially and academically. CLOs know this better than anyone and stay on top of the latest technology, protocols, and training programs. They marry the business and academic sides of higher education to benefit the staff, administrators, and students.
2. Curriculum Developer
While being a teacher, professor, or dean is rewarding, many people want to play a bigger role in the curriculum itself. With a doctorate in education, this is possible because curriculum developers help shape students’ experiences. Curriculum developers create and alter curriculum plans and materials to best suit the students.
Naturally, curriculum developers also directly affect the teachers and play a big role in their work experience. Collaborating with teachers and helping them implement the curriculum is part of what makes curriculum development so rewarding. Few academic roles affect students and teachers in equal measure as much as curriculum developers do.
That said, some curriculum developers don’t work for schools and instead hold government positions. State curriculum developers help establish curriculum guidelines for educators throughout the state. This is a powerful, rewarding position, whether you do it on a state, federal, or local level.
3. Academic Dean
You can’t necessarily become a dean right after graduating from a doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D.) program. That said, an Ed.D. degree is the bedrock for many esteemed, successful academic deans throughout the United States. The path to becoming a dean typically involves working as an educator and then getting administrative experience.
This can take a while, but the payoff of holding one of the most esteemed academic titles is well worth it. You can use your Ed.D. degree to work your way up the ladder and play a vital role in a college or university’s operations. Academic deans work in all aspects of operation, from curriculum development and staff management to establishing and enforcing policies.
More importantly, they work hard to ensure a positive and productive student experience. Many academic career paths lead toward a dean position, but they start with a doctorate in education.
4. Provost
While deans are powerful and esteemed, the provost holds a higher position at a college or university. The provost, or chief academic officer (CAO), works directly beneath the college president. As the second-in-command, the provost must oversee the deans, faculty, operations, and student body.
Provosts work closely with the deans, curriculum developers, professors, and even the Board of Trustees. An Ed.D. degree can put you on the path toward becoming the provost and eventually the university president.
5. University/College President
The president holds the highest position at a college or university. Naturally, you can’t reach this career height without a doctoral degree, such as Ed.D. or PhD. That said, the path to becoming a college president is long, and that’s because it’s such a vital role.
You must typically accumulate 15 or more years of experience working in education. This may seem arduous, but that doesn’t mean you must hold a single role that whole time.
Instead, you can work your way through the ranks as an educator, administrator, dean, and provost. The path to becoming a college president doesn’t look the same for everyone, but it’s worth the investment.
6. Principal
Many people who pursue Ed.D. degrees want to work in elementary, middle, and high schools. While an Ed.D. isn’t always required to become a principal, it can certainly put you on the right track. You at least need a master’s degree in most cases, and a doctorate is higher than that.
Principals oversee all aspects of a school’s operations, while also handling the student body. Sometimes this includes disciplinary action, but it also involves providing individualized support. That is more important than ever, as many people push schools to help students with neurodivergences and behavioral disorders.
7. Education Consultant
Some people don’t want to spend their career beholden to a single academic institution. This is understandable, and you may want to consider a career as an education consultant. Education consultants advise schools and universities about policies, curriculum, and new technologies.
In many ways, education consultants help keep academia modern and on the cutting edge of new developments. Schools can hire education consultants to rework their teaching methods and protocols to fit new demands and standards. Education consultants are especially in demand now, as countless schools navigate academic technology.
8. Education Policy Analyst
If your passion for academics goes beyond the school setting, you want to consider a career as an education policy analyst. Education policy analysts analyze and use data to contribute to meaningful academic progress. This typically involves changing policies and assessing how new laws and regulations will impact students.
Education policy analysts ultimately affect nearly everyone in academics in a particular state. However, some policy analysts work with federal lawmakers and affect the entire country. You need a doctorate in education and a strong, analytical mind to work as an education policy analyst.
An Education Doctorate Yields Many Branching Paths
A doctorate is a prerequisite for many high-level academic positions. Whether you want to work in administration or become a policy analyst, earning a doctorate can set you up for a great career. A doctorate in educational leadership is the best degree for those who want to work in administrative positions. Such roles may not come right away, but the right degree can at least fast-track your journey.
