Industry leaders and innovators understand that advanced education lays a strong foundation for success. In 2021, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that postbaccalaureate enrollment (master’s and doctoral programs) exceeded three million students. By 2031, that number is expected to reach 3.4 million.
Today’s learners must balance professional responsibilities and personal commitments with the demands of advanced education and career growth. Enter online education — a practical and established means for advancement in today’s modern, dynamic workforce.
Not all online education is considered equal. Saint Leo is one of Florida’s first universities to offer online courses. Its longstanding commitment to distance education supports busy professionals through its flexible online programs. Saint Leo’s approach to learning is grounded in its core values of excellence, respect, integrity, personal development, community, and responsible stewardship.
Saint Leo’s flexible, cohort-based online academic programs build community among working professionals and enable them to advance their careers without disrupting their responsibilities and income streams.
Saint Leo develops leaders and innovators across various industry sectors by offering programs that emphasize leadership skills and provide applied learning experiences. All of Saint Leo’s programs are designed with academic excellence in mind, ensuring they meet the demands of leadership and service-oriented roles.
Saint Leo’s online Doctor in Business Administration (online DBA) prepares those who want to lead in their field and have a practical impact in their chosen industry. The online DBA combines business acumen and scholarly research methods to solve real-world organizational challenges. This degree generally leads to high-level executive, consulting, and academic roles focused on strategic leadership, data analysis, and financial bottom-line growth.
Saint Leo’s online Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) is designed for experienced professionals seeking to become leaders, administrators, or change agents in organizations and academic settings.
The online Ed.D. offers two concentrations: School and Organizational Leadership and Higher Education. The Ed.D. program is ideal for those who want to analyze complex problems and solve them practically within the framework of equity, ethics, and social justice in K-12 and postsecondary educational environments, as well as in corporate, nonprofit, and policy sectors.
Saint Leo’s online Master of Social Work (online MSW) degree program prepares social workers to become ethical leaders who promote clients’ socioeconomic well-being, support human rights, and empower people and groups who experience discrimination and oppression. This advanced degree typically leads to careers in schools and educational systems, hospitals, health systems, and private practice, among others.
Saint Leo’s offers two options to earn an MSW. Students with a bachelor’s in social work (BSW) take the Advanced Standing program, and those without a BSW follow the Traditional Track.
Saint Leo’s online degree programs apply theory and research to identify and solve practical problems in business and organizational settings, to meet the demands of educational leadership in K-12 and higher education, and to respond to the growing demand for social workers and community-focused professionals.
Saint Leo’s curricula prepare graduates with research, critical analysis, and practical application skills for leadership roles in business and academic settings, or for service in community environments to protect the well-being of its denizens.
All programs emphasize real-world, relevant learning opportunities to apply theory to complex contemporary issues, develop ethical leadership skills, and foster professional growth.
A graduate degree from Saint Leo is transformative — a career-escalating step that delivers real workplace impact, not just a credential.
Through online delivery pathways in business, education, and social work, Saint Leo supports professionals who want to lead with purpose and make meaningful contributions within their organizations and communities — all without leaving the workforce. The real benefit of online education is that working professionals can balance their current jobs and maintain their source of income while earning their advanced degrees.
About Saint Leo University:
Saint Leo University was founded in 1889 as Florida’s first Catholic institution. As the largest Benedictine Catholic university in the nation, it has a longstanding history of providing students with a transformative, values-centered education. It was ranked among the Best National Universities in 2025 by U.S. News & World Report.
Saint Leo is a nonprofit university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).