Joint Ed.D. with Ship Adds Joint Superintendent Letter of Eligibility

Millersville and Shippensburg universities will collaborate to offer a joint online superintendent's licensure program beginning in the fall of 2026. The two universities are building upon the success of the Millersville/Shippensburg Ed.D., the only joint doctoral program in Pennsylvania.

"We are very excited about the joint LOE program between Millersville and Shippensburg universities," said Dr. Tiffany Wright, chair of Millersville's Department of Educational Foundations and coordinator for the principal certification and supervisory certification in curriculum and instruction programs. "Our joint doctoral program's current enrollment is high, and we look forward to recruiting alongside Shippensburg for the LOE."

While Shippensburg has offered the LOE program for a number of years, the joint Educational Leadership Graduate Certificate and LOE program brings together the strengths of both universities. Millersville and Shippensburg universities are highly regarded for their Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation-accredited education programs and recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for innovative teacher preparation and administrator training programs.

Six three-credit courses are required to complete the program, and they may be taken in any order. Students can begin the program in the spring, summer or fall session. On-site internship hours are built into the curriculum. Students may choose to earn the LOE, making them eligible to serve as superintendents, or continue coursework to complete the doctoral program.

Courses will be taught by Millersville and Shippensburg faculty together with Leadership Fellows, according to Dr. Ann Gaudino, director of the doctoral program in educational leadership at Millersville. "Leadership Fellows bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the classroom around current issues and trends in education, as well as provide students with both academic and on-the-ground perspectives," she says.

For more information on the Letter of Eligibility or the Ed.D. program, contact Gaudino at [email protected].