Program Overview
The goal of the DELEJ Ed.D. program is to develop educational leaders that can use their critical lenses to bring about equity and justice focused transformative change throughout educational communities. Graduates of the program will be able to address problems of practice in diverse communities where marginalized and underrepresented students face inequities of race, gender, sexuality, class, inclusion, access, and varied abilities. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is grounded in relevant research and theory and supports students in taking a critical inquiry stance and developing a deeper understanding of themselves as reflective practitioners, thoughtful educational leaders, researchers, advocates, policy makers, and change agents.
The three year, three-semesters per year program is designed for full-time working professionals. This program is in an online, asynchronous format, with an annual in-person one week summer residency that allows the cohort to build community on the CSUCI campus.
60 semester units are required to be eligible for the degree.
Requirements for the Doctoral Degree
The basic requirements for the doctoral degree are as follows:
- The degree requires a minimum of 60 units of approved doctoral level work including 12 units for dissertation studies. It is expected for all work to be completed within a three-year period.
- A 3.0 GPA or better in all 60 units offered as satisfying the requirements of the degree.
- Passage of a qualifying examination by the end of the Fall semester of the second year. The qualifying examination shall include a rigorous written assessment of student knowledge; the examination must be passed prior to the student's advancement to candidacy.
- Approval of a written dissertation proposal and oral defense before a dissertation committee. The dissertation proposal examination shall evaluate the candidate's readiness to proceed with the dissertation research.
- Approval, by a dissertation committee, of a written dissertation that is a product of systematic, rigorous research on a significant professional issue.
- Approval, by a dissertation committee, of an oral dissertation defense.
Course of Study
Students will move through four stages of progression of study, comprising 60 units. The Doctoral Program progression consists of Coursework (Core courses, Research courses, Specialization courses), Qualifying Examination, and Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense, and Dissertation and Oral Defense. This progression provides a learning experience designed to give students knowledge about the strategies of scholarly research, application in practice, and critical analysis.
Courses and Course Progression
Pre-requisites for all courses below include admission to the program:
- Leadership Foundations Core (18 units)
- EDD 701 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Justice in Education (3 units)
- EDD 702 Educational Leadership for Transformation and Change (3)
- EDD 703 Complex Organizations Designed for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (3)
- EDD 704 Leading Equitable Assessments and Program Evaluation for Accountability (3)
- EDD 705 Policy and Practice for Educational Leaders (3)
- EDD 706 Educational Reforms Designed for Equity (3)
- Research Methodology Core (19 units)
- EDD 711 Applied/Field-based Research for Equity (3)
- EDD 712 Applied Qualitative Research Methods (3)
- EDD 713 Applied Quantitative and Data Analysis Research Methods (3)
- EDD 714 Data Collection, Visualization, and Analysis (3)
- EDD 715 Writing and Presenting a Dissertation (3)
- EDD 716 Writing for Publication: Getting Started (2)
- EDD 717 Writing for Publication: Advanced (2)
- Advancement to Candidacy (2 units)
- EDD 720 Qualifying Examination and Dissertation Proposal Defense (2)
- EDD 720 Qualifying Examination and Dissertation Proposal Defense (2)
- Leadership Specializations (9 units)
- EDD 780T Topics in Educational Leadership (9)
- Students select 3 courses with content determined by student’s area of specialization. These courses vary depending on student interest.
- EDD 780T Topics in Educational Leadership (9)
- Dissertation
- EDD 731 Dissertation Research I (3)
- EDD 732 Dissertation Research II (3)
- EDD 733 Dissertation Research III (3)
- EDD 734 Dissertation Research IV (3)
Course Sequence and Descriptions (Year 1 through Year 3)
Course Sequence Overview
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Course Descriptions
Culminating Experience: The Dissertation-in-Practice
The culminating experience is the Dissertation-in-Practice. Dissertation topics must relate to some existing body of theoretical or empirical knowledge in the chosen field of study and should address a problem of practice. The student will work closely with their dissertation Chair to progress through the dissertation. Dissertations must meet the expectations of the program, the dissertation Chair and committee, and EO 991—the Executive Order that establishes minimum requirements, policies, and procedures that shall apply to all Doctor of Education degree programs offered solely by the California State University (CSU).
The Ed.D.’s applied and equity-focused nature shapes the expectations for the dissertation-in-practice. The Ed.D. dissertation is generally expected to contribute to an improvement in public P-12 or community college professional practices or policy, generally or in the context of a particular educational institution (EO 991). It shall evidence originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale for the research problem examined.
DELEJ students will be expected to identify a problem of practice and complete a dissertation that includes a research question(s), a review of relevant literature, clear theoretical framework(s), a thorough discussion of the research methods employed, a critical analysis of the data collected, and a direct and specific discussion of the implications of the study for educational practice or policy. The dissertation must offer specific conclusions or recommendations. It shall also include a written abstract. The dissertation research will be conducted under the supervision of the dissertation Chair and the dissertation committee.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of equity, ethics, and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice by addressing issues of diversity, equity, and opportunity, including attention to special populations.
- Apply modern theories of management of complex organizations to education by constructing and applying knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and communities.
- Develop and demonstrate effective collaboration and communication skills to work with diverse communities and to build partnerships, by demonstrating leadership based on a shared vision of learning grounded in moral principles and ethical decision-making.
- Navigate political, legal, and historical contexts affecting local, state, and federal educational policy and decision-making by utilizing field-based opportunities to analyze problems of practice and using multiple frames to develop meaningful solutions.
- Develop a professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research, which links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry for achieving reform and improvement within California's P-12 or community college/post-secondary education institutions.
- Generate, transform, and utilize professional knowledge and practice by demonstrating leadership based on a shared vision of learning grounded in moral principles and ethical decision-making.
- Design internal and external accountability processes and use them in data-driven planning by conducting research in relevant field settings, including collection, analysis, and use of original data as well as institutional research and other existing data to improve educational outcomes.
- Assess learning outcomes and use data for student interventions and program decision-making and improvement, by formulating researchable questions, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, designing statistical and qualitative analyses, and interpreting results to make equity-focused decisions.