This qualitative phenomenological research study investigated the meaning of the lived experiences of students from a scholarly practitioner education doctoral program (EdD). The researcher explored students’ perceptions of how the knowledge, skills and experiences gained in their doctoral program impacted their career post-graduation. Data was collected from nine participants who responded to open-ended questions on Qualtrics Survey. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Themes were identified and implications were theorized relative to previous literature. The four themes that emerged were as follows: participants felt they gained a competitive advantage in the workplace, they had greater confidence in making informed decisions on the job, they were more skilled at performing their work, and they could apply what they learned to various work scenarios.

The doctoral students graduated from a Carnegie on the Education Doctorate (CPED) influenced EdD program with a specialization in Human Resource Development (HRD). They completed a dissertation in practice that focused on analyzing complex problems of practice using applied research. To investigate the problem of practice at their worksite, students conducted a root cause analysis of the problem. Once the root cause was analyzed, a change initiative was developed and implemented and an evaluation was conducted. Students in this program were considered scholar practitioners. The program used a cohort model, and improvement science was its signature pedagogy.

Experimental learning is at the root of this program. Experiential learning is an active process where students learn by doing. They engage in activities and reflect on their performance. Learning by doing helps individuals understand concepts and knowledge and helps them develop skills. Kolb’s (1984) process of experiential learning includes the integration of knowledge that has been acquired through past experience and formal learning, the application of knowledge in a real-world setting, and the analysis and synthesis of knowledge to produce new knowledge. In this EdD program, coursework is aligned with the discipline of HRD and the curriculum is focused on developing skills and knowledge through experiential learning that prepares students to solve real world problems. Students engage in experiences within their organizations to bring about change by collecting and analyzing data and providing solutions. While conducting their study, students face novel and unpredictable situations that support new learning. Throughout the experiential learning process students actively engage in asking questions, researching, investigating, experimenting, to arrive at a solution. They have an opportunity to reflect on learning which helps them to think critically and synthesize learning experiences.

This preliminary research supports the idea that students graduating from an experiential EdD program as described above will be equipped with a strong set of competencies that can be sustained at their workplace, enabling them to have a strong sense of wellbeing.

Keywords: Education Doctorate, Experiential Learning, HRD, Post-Doctorate.