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Aug 20, 2026
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2026-2027 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog
Health and Physical Activity, EdD
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Return to: School of Education
The EdD in Health and Physical Activity trains students to pursue opportunities in public health, community organizations, schools, and government or policy settings, with a focus on applying improvement science to advance health and physical activity. This program will prepare students for leadership positions related to development, implementation, evaluation, or policy of evidence-based initiatives related to health and physical activity. Graduates of the program go on to work in community-health promotion, administrative and health-focused positions in K-12 education, program coordination and training programs in higher education, administrative and leadership positions in non-profit organizations, managing and running programs in healthcare and at health plans.
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EdD Curriculum
The EdD program is a three-year 76-credit program. Students are required to transfer 24 credits of relevant graduate work into the EdD program. The EdD curriculum is delivered in several stages, through a variety methods:
- Orientation: The EdD cohort participates in a virtual orientation in the spring (typically April) before the summer start of the program. Incoming students meet program faculty, current students/alumni, receive an overview of EdD program, participate in cohort-building activities and get an introduction to the summer “on-ramp” courses.
- Intensive on-ramp: The EdD cohort will participate in the first-year summer “on-ramp” courses which consist of three in-person Saturdays and a full-week, on-campus experience. The on-ramp consists of two courses— Foundations 1 and Practitioner Inquiry 1 — to give new students an immersive introduction to doctoral study, cohort collaborations, and program content. The one-week in-person experience typically takes place in June.
- Hybrid seminars: After the first summer on-ramp, students experience a hybrid learning model of education. Each semester courses are largely conducted asynchronously online which is supported through a once a month flipped classroom experience that takes place in-person (typically on Saturdays) on the Pittsburgh campus. Attendance at in-person, on campus sessions is required.
SCHEDULE (all courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted)
Foundation Courses: 12 Credits
Practitioner Inquiry Courses: 12 credits
Supervised Practitioner Inquiry: 3 credits
Dissertation-in-Practice Overview: 3 credits
Guidance In Scholarly Practice: 10 credits
Health and Physical Activity Academic Major Courses (12 credits)
Transfer Credits (24 credits)
Graduation Requirements
- 3.0 cumulative Pitt graduate GPA
- Successful completion of required courses
- Completion of written dissertation in practice and defense
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Return to: School of Education
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