9 Reasons An EdD Can Promote Personal Growth
Studying for a Doctor of Education (EdD) qualification brings many professional and personal benefits. Its purpose is to prepare students for leadership roles in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and the arts.
This program of study offers many advantages from a professional point of view — but what about personal growth? Studying for an advanced degree such as an EdD is also invaluable in contributing to personal development. It requires persistence, resilience, and determination — especially if one is studying alongside working or continuing with other commitments. And so this type of qualification stimulates many aspects of personal growth, which we will look at in this article.
We’ll also discover more about how one can study for an EdD, even if they are a full-time working professional. This is a genuine possibility, meaning that an EdD’s professional and personal benefits are available to more people than ever.
This article will explain this type of qualification, what it offers, and how to find the perfect program to suit one’s circumstances.
More about Doctor of Education qualifications
EdD is short for a Doctor of Education degree and frequently (although not exclusively) refers to a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership programs. It is the highest qualification that can be achieved and focuses on developing professional skills and participating in original research.
Its primary aim is to prepare students for leadership roles and help them advance their careers, not just in the education sector but in many other fields, since the skills are transferable and universal. This means that typical EdD graduates work in positions such as presidents and deans of universities, chief executive officers in the business sector, leadership roles in fundraising, development, and the arts, and senior positions in public health or government.
Students learn about leading change, ethical leadership, problem-solving, and research as part of their studies, among other topics relevant to a broad cross-section of senior roles. Typically, an EdD program will take three years to complete on campus but may be achieved in less time via an online course.
Here is how an EdD can promote personal growth
An EdD can help one progress up the career ladder, expanding horizons and opening doors that may have previously remained closed. Studying for an EdD can also offer many ways to stimulate personal growth.
#1) Self-discovery
Self-discovery is all about inner reflection, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, and experiencing growth due to this process. Studying for any postgraduate degree will surely set students on a path of self-discovery, especially if they have opted for an EdD in leadership.
Students will set out on their academic journey with an idea of why they have committed to the course. As they learn new competencies, interact with others, and gain exposure to different ways of thinking and problem-solving, they can put their existing skills to the test and find out where their true vocation lies.
Not only will students grow in terms of their academic achievements, but they will also discover new things about themselves — they may find that they love working in teams and bringing out the best in each member or that applying original research to product development is their forte — bringing a great sense of satisfaction.
#2) Enhanced problem-solving skills
An EdD will truly put problem-solving skills to the test, taking them to the next level.
Problem-solving is at the heart of an EdD course since it requires students to identify a challenge in their workplace, sector, or community and develop an action plan with solutions as the basis for their dissertation.
It requires them to undertake original research, collect and analyze data, and use this information to inform their proposed solution. Every action towards this goal involves problem-solving, either on one’s own or within a group setting, pushing existing skills to the limits and developing an enhanced set of competencies.
#3) Improved communication
Communication is essential for success in any discipline, not least if one is studying for an EdD.
Students will use their communication skills daily to express ideas through the written and spoken word. This could be done through group discussions, presentations, assignments, or essays.
As part of any research undertaken, one will need to call on communication skills to explain and discuss the project, the results of which they will later present either orally or in writing and use to persuade and convince the audience of its relevance.
Taking part in an EdD program will certainly put students’ communication skills to the test every day, honing and perfecting them so that they graduate with the ability to liaise with individuals of all levels and get their points across successfully and with impact.
#4) Resilience and perseverance
Anyone who has signed up for an EdD program is already resilient and understands that perseverance is necessary for success. Committing to a further program of study, in addition to existing qualifications and achievements and, in many cases, studying alongside an existing career, requires a whole other level of resilience and perseverance.
The content of an EdD course will also nurture these skills, exploring themes such as change and problem-solving and illustrating how qualities such as resilience and perseverance are the cornerstones of successful and impactful leadership.
This powerful combination of personal commitment to a rigorous course of study and exploration of these features as part of its curriculum will ensure students develop resilience and perseverance throughout their studies.
#5) Organization
No postgraduate student can succeed without employing a high level of organization in their work. This is especially true if students are studying while continuing their original employment and balancing the demands of home life.
Keeping up with a study schedule, lectures, and seminars, and conducting one’s original research or writing a dissertation will mean that being super organized is critical. If a student was already an orderly and systematic individual before embarking on their EdD program, these skills will be enhanced once they have completed this course of study.
#6) Confidence and self-esteem
Challenging oneself to achieve the very best of their abilities is the surest way to boost confidence and self-esteem. On an EdD course, one will constantly learn novel ways of looking at the world, acquiring new skills and knowledge, and discovering true potential in terms of what they can achieve.
Swapping ideas with peers and participating in group discussions and research are two more essential activities that students will practice regularly as part of their EdD course. Pushing themselves to the limits in this way will bring rewards by increasing confidence and self-esteem as they recognize the value of their contribution to the system and later to their chosen profession.
#7) Leadership and empowerment
By studying the concept of leadership and its many forms, students will be inspired to uncover and refine their innate skills, preparing to use them in senior roles once they graduate.
If one works simultaneously while studying, one can immediately apply one’s enhanced leadership skills in the work environment to benefit the organization and teams.
Informed, balanced, and moral leadership, based on the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of leadership practice in many settings, brings empowerment to any location where one wishes to apply it.
It is a mutually beneficial relationship where strong and fair leadership gives rise to empowerment and vice versa for the good of the leader and their company or community.
#8) Sense of achievement and fulfillment
Studying for an EdD is no mean feat, mainly if one is also working. It requires discipline, focus, and organization to ensure that one fulfills the basic requirements of the course.
Once a student has graduated from their EdD course, they will be able to look back and reflect on the hard work they have put into their program of study and feel a genuine sense of achievement and fulfillment.
These attributes are forward-looking, too — students can anticipate the joy they will feel as their qualification opens up many professional opportunities and roles that would not have been available.
#9) Networking
Anyone already interested in an EdD will know that to succeed in today’s super-connected world, they must hone those networking skills all they can. A Doctor of Education attracts people from all walks of life and sectors. Part of the course requires teamwork, so students will be in the perfect environment to interact with a broad range of people.
Networking is one of many aspects of personal growth available to EdD students.
Find the perfect EdD program.
While many candidates set out on an EdD program to enhance their career prospects, they may not know that this type of course will also offer them many opportunities for personal growth. All these skills combined can be applied to the world of work, where with this new qualification, one can explore numerous openings for highly educated individuals like themselves.
They will also benefit from financial rewards. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, average earnings for people with the highest levels of education, including doctoral degrees, are more than three times higher than those for people with the lowest levels of education.
If these benefits sound attractive, then be sure to check out the online EdD in Leadership at Spalding University. It is a comprehensive course designed for current and aspiring leaders to equip them with the skills to effect meaningful change. As an online program, it gives students the freedom and flexibility to study from a location and at a convenient time.
This makes it ideal for anyone working full-time but intent on enhancing their career prospects and finding new and rewarding opportunities. Students can complete the program in as few as two years, making them progress faster into a role that fits their skills, knowledge, and experience.
Fulfill dreams flexibly
Higher education is not just about ticking a box or reaching a goal. It offers much more about personal development and growth, nurturing many skills and attributes that can be applied to work and all dimensions of one’s life.
Choosing the EdD in Leadership at Spalding University will help students fulfill their career and personal dreams in the most flexible way possible, studying online alongside their current position. This program will transport them to new and exciting places in their career, giving them a sense of personal and professional achievement and bringing out their best skills, attributes, and potential.
