The or Doctor of Education degree, called Ed.D, has traditionally been focused more on educational administration and practice. Individuals who seek an Ed.D. tend to be those working in local school districts to develop curricula and establish best practices within schools. An Ed.D. does qualify the individual to teach at the college level. However, most students who complete the Doctorate of Education become principals, educational administrators or curriculum coaches.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree, or Ph.D., is focused on research and scholarship. Individuals who pursue a Ph.D. usually aspire to work in higher education. These students tend to focus on large-scale studies rather than practices that focus on the needs of a particular school or district. Ph.D. students may wish to teach at the university level or work in university administration.
The Ed.D. degree is available in all education-related fields: educational psychology, educational administration, policy and so on. The Ph.D. is available in all areas of study: mathematics, English, psychology, education, and so on. Students pursuing the Ed.D. tend to focus their research more narrowly on particular practices or policies that affect local schools or school systems. Students who pursue the Ph.D. in Education are more inclined to research nationwide trends or large-scale practices. Ph.D. programs usually have more courses related to research. Ed.D. programs typically offer more courses related to educational administration and policy.
Students who are teaching or working full time often choose the degree program available at their local university. Students who are not working full time have more freedom to move to a school that offers the ideal program for their needs. As more advanced degrees become available online, a program's physical proximity to the student becomes less of a factor in choosing a program.