Higher Education

The Power of Cohort Learning in Higher Education Leadership

Executive EdD students explore the impact of the program’s model for learning

We come from varied professional backgrounds, yet we are united by a singular purpose: to elevate our capacity for thoughtful and effective leadership in higher education.

As members of the inaugural Executive EdD in Higher Education Leadership cohort at BU Wheelock, we have experienced firsthand how powerful learning becomes when it is rooted in community. This program is not simply designed for higher education leaders—it is designed for leadership itself. Add “‑ship” to the word, and it becomes about people connected by a shared role, shared responsibility, and shared growth. That distinction matters.

Our cohort is a vibrant tapestry of higher education professionals—spanning institutional types, functional areas, and leadership levels—each bringing unique perspectives to every conversation. This diversity ensures that our learning reflects the complexity of today’s higher education landscape. Whether we are discussing organizational theory, equity‑centered leadership, or the future of the academy, our conversations are enriched by the range of lived and professional experiences in the room.

Learning as a Practiced Trade

In our day jobs, many of the students in our program are accustomed to being the person at the head of the table or the front of the room—the one expected to have the answer or make the call. In this program, we practice something different. We step forward to contribute our expertise, and we step back to listen, learn, and be challenged by others’ wisdom. Leadership here is not positional; it is relational and collective.

From the very beginning, we were told that we are a cohort. And that structure matters. We move through the program together—taking the same courses, working with the same faculty, managing the same workload and deadlines. We share the pressure, the curiosity, and at times the fatigue that comes with doctoral‑level study alongside full professional lives. We read widely, listen deeply, and wrestle with the existential questions facing higher education while also engaging with innovation and possibility.

Cadence and Trust

One of the most underrated strengths of the cohort model is cadence. In many graduate programs, each new semester resets the social dynamic. You introduce yourself again, recalibrate relationships, and relearn how to engage. In a cohort, that reset never happens. By the second semester, you remember who pushed back on your last idea—and who will ask the uncomfortable but necessary question. Trust accumulates. Dialogue becomes layered. When someone references a reading from a prior semester or an argument you made weeks ago, you know you are engaging in sustained, meaningful exchange.

There is no hiding behind surface‑level participation. You are accountable to the community, and in turn, you see your thinking evolve in community.

For leaders, this sustained exchange is invaluable. Leadership roles can be isolating, and there are few spaces where leaders can think out loud, test ideas, and admit uncertainty. Over time, our cohort has come to feel less like a class and more like a council—sometimes even a therapy session in the current context. We return each week to people who understand our professional realities and who are invested in our growth.

Learning That Fits a Working Life

The online format amplifies these benefits. Rather than limiting connection, the virtual classroom has become a collaborative space that accommodates demanding schedules while enabling consistent engagement. We meet in pairs and small groups, comment thoughtfully on one another’s work, share notes from interviews with inspiring leaders, and apply insights directly to real workplace challenges in real time.

The faculty, too, model the cohort experience. They operate as a learning community of their own—communicating closely, intentionally scaffolding coursework, and guiding us through a carefully designed leadership journey. That alignment reinforces the very principles the program teaches.

Why This Matters for Aspiring Leaders

Ultimately, cohort learning does more than support academic success. It expands our perspectives, sharpens our decision‑making, and exposes us to leadership strategies beyond our familiar environments. It challenges assumptions, fosters innovation, and builds the kind of professional relationships that endure well beyond graduation.

If you are ready to lead with purpose, intentionality, and agility—and to grow alongside a community equally committed to transforming higher education—this cohort will empower you to reshape not only your own trajectory, but the future of the field itself.

Shonda Pettiford, Rachelle Joseph, and Pierre Huberson are students in BU Wheelock’s Executive EdD in Higher Education Leadership program.