CMU’s Doctorate of Educational Leadership celebrates 10 years of partnership with Northern Michigan University

Central Michigan University's Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) program is celebrating 10 years of their partnership with Northern Michigan University (NMU) in 2025. What began as an idea from a cohort of students who were hired at NMU after completing the CMU Ed.D. has now evolved into a successful partnership to motivate advanced learners seeking a terminal degree.

The Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership provides in-depth knowledge and skills to educational leaders who seek to develop and refine their skills to help transform an educational institution. In this online program, students focus on contemporary issues facing PK-12 or higher education.

CMU’s Ed.D. program is in its 25^th year now, offering a unique way of learning for its cohorts. About 90% of students are full-time working adults ­— some are already even in positions they aspire to work in. According to Dr. Anne Hornak, Professor of Higher Education for the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, & Higher Education, students in the Ed.D. really bond with their cohort, as they are together for much of their coursework before splitting off. The program will have its 30^th cohort starting in the fall of 2025.

The main driver for the partnership from NMU was Dr. Derek Anderson, who was hired to teach at NMU after completing the CMU Ed.D. program.

“[Dr. Anderson] saw an opportunity to use his faculty position to develop a relationship with CMU,” says Dr. Joe Lubig, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for the School of Education, Leadership & Public Service at NMU. A relationship that would allow program completers in the NMU Ed.S. to transfer their credits to CMU to attain an Ed.D.

The opportunity to transfer credits to earn an advanced learning degree was very motivating to cohorts. The agreement allows those who completed the NMU Ed.S. with the Ed.S. thesis demonstrating competency in original research to transfer to CMU’s program, with 27 of the 30 Ed.S. credits carrying over. This allowed adult learners the option to complete a terminal degree and to intentionally step into those developmental levels with cohorts of people who had similar goals.

With this collaboration, NMU faculty along with Ed.D. completers have been invited to be on dissertation committees and to support Ed.D. candidates in their studies and research. “The NMU Ed.S. has been able to draw multiple disciplines,” Lubig adds, “such as education, biology, social work, theatre, speech pathology, public administration, and higher education learners to the Ed.S. where it is used as a leadership degree.” Whether their goals include higher education teaching, PK-12 leadership, community service, or nonprofit leadership, the guidance and mentorship from CMU has given confidence to those pursuing a terminal degree to advance their career.

“We think the best connector between NMU and CMU has been the level of trust placed in the learner seeking the degree” says Lubig. “People are motivated when they have agency over their learning, and this partnership has certainly allowed for that to occur and has resulted in high performing graduates who are doing good things in their communities.”

This past April, Professor Hornak traveled to NMU to attend two of the Ed.D. defenses, saying she finds it valuable to share space with the students in-person since the program is completely online. Hosting the dissertations in the Upper Peninsula also makes it easier for families of the students to be there, too.  

Visit the Ed.D. program page to learn more about earning your Doctorate in Educational Leadership from CMU.