The Strategic Educational Leadership major
The Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with a major in Strategic Educational Leadership prepares professionals to serve in leadership roles in organizations with missions that include elements of training, education, and teaching-and-learning programs. The Doctorate of Education in Strategic Educational Leadership seeks to develop the program candidate’s graduate-level knowledge and skills in Leadership Theory & Practice; Curriculum Design and Data Fluency; Cultural Proficiency in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Resource Use in Education. The program offers a wide range of elective course choices from NLU’s broad array of professional disciplines, enabling candidates to customize and personalize their advanced leadership credentials.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Upon completion of the Strategic Educational Leadership major, candidates will demonstrate mastery of the following forms of knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
PLO-1 Content Knowledge. Candidates evaluate and create specialized content knowledge as applied to leading learning communities and organizations with educational components within their missions.
PLO-2 Leadership Dispositions in Action. Candidates evaluate and employ leadership dispositions to articulate and model cognitive habits of mind and social-emotional habits of heart to promote safe and stimulating learning cultures for learners, staff, faculty, and community stakeholders.
PLO-3 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Capacities. Candidates integrate and employ diversity, educational equity, inclusion, and social justice through cultural proficiency and opportunities to advance the overall well-being of learners, staff, and other educational stakeholders.
PLO-4 Engagement and Networking. Candidates engage in an organization’s development and improvement plan for collaboration among stakeholders to develop effective learning communities and promote academic success.
PLO-5 Scholarly Proficiencies. Candidates evaluate and exhibit scholarly habits as they create theory, research and practice to their coursework and dissertation.
PLO-6 Self-Directed Learning. Candidates develop and meet one or more personalized learning objective/s tailored to achieving the individual’s professional and a doctoral dissertation goals related to program pursuit.
In addition to National College of Education Doctoral Admissions Requirements, applicants must:
- Submit two letters of recommendation. One of the required letters should be completed by a person who can attest to the candidate’s capacity to complete rigorous graduate studies and one by a person supervising the applicant's professional work.
- Submit written responses to the following three questions:
- What professional and/or scholarly interests, experiences and goals have led you to apply to this doctoral program? How do you envision doctoral study supporting and/or relevant to achieving those goals?
- Please describe your personal engagement in a community that has made a substantial impression on you (can be a cultural, religious, service-oriented, educational, or neighborhood group of people united by common values and a cause). Describe the role you play(ed) in that community and the nature of your participation and learning.
- What is an area in which you are passionate about advocating and working towards social and/or educational change? What is the source of your passion and your hope for enacting change?
- Note: The admission process occurs in two stages:
- First, the applicant submits the application and supporting documentation to the Office of Admissions by the published deadlines. The Office of Admissions will forward to the doctoral committee the completed application form once all documentation is received. A faculty committee will review the documents and decide if and when to invite the applicant for the second stage of the admissions process.
- The second stage will consist of an individual interview in which the applicant’s goals for doctoral study and the fit with the program is discussed.
Program Details:
- Requires 60 SH for completion
- Requires a dissertation
- Credit by Portfolio may be accepted for the following courses: EDL 601, EDL 605, EDL 622, and EDL 628.
- Candidates may transfer in up to 12 SH of coursework from another doctoral program if approved by faculty and not part of a completed degree program. Applicants who have completed the Educational Leadership (formerly Administration and Supervision), Ed.S. degree at NLU may transfer a maximum of 6 SH of internship credit toward the doctoral degree upon the approval of the director of the Educational Leadership doctoral program or designee.
- Candidates may bring up to 12 SH of post-master's degree courses taken before admission into the program, including courses taken at NLU. They must seek approval from the School Directors in consultation with their Academic Advisor.
Required Courses
Foundational Courses - 12-15 SH
| CCD 698 | Dissertation Research Seminar | 1 TO 3 |
| EDL 517 | Leadership Concepts and Applications in Education | 2 |
| EDL 520 | Leading Diverse Schools | 2 |
| EDL 525 | Decision-Making for Educational Systems and Organizations | 2 |
| EDL 526 | Realizing Vision through Technical, Human, and Financial Resources | 2 |
| EDL 625 | Scholarly Writing for Practitioners | 1 TO 4 |
Major Electives - 12 SH
Leadership Theory and Practice- Choose 3SH
| CAP 602 | Curriculum Theory: Contemporary Issues and Practices | 3 |
| CCD 625 | Critical Policy Analysis | 3 |
| EDL 605 | Leading Change | 3 |
| EDL 620 | Understanding the Dynamics of Political, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Education | 3 |
| HED 626 | Legal Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
Curriculum Design and Data Fluency - Choose 3 SH
| CAP 600 | Curriculum Theory: Historical, Philosophical, and Political Issues | 3 |
| CAP 601 | Cultures of Schools and Communities | 3 |
| EDL 622 | Developing Curriculum and Evaluating Programs | 3 |
| EDL 624 | Improving Instruction through Professional Development and Evaluation | 3 |
| EDL 626 | Leading Instruction to Advance Student Learning | 3 |
| EDL 628 | Analyzing and Using Data for Systemic Improvement | 3 |
| EDL 632 | Utilizing Data to Inform Decision Making | 3 |
Diversity Equity and Inclusion - Choose 3 SH
| CCD 630 | Education in a Global World | 3 |
| DEE 605 | History of Disability and Education | 3 |
| EDL 604 | Fostering Cultural Proficiency, Opportunity and Equity | 3 |
| HED 600 | Higher Education in the United States | 3 |
| OBD 651 | Diversity and Inclusion in the Organizational Culture | 3 |
Resource Use in Education - 3 SH
| EDL 601 | Analyzing Resource Allocation and Equity in Educational Financial Management | 3 |
Research and Dissertation - 21 SH
Intro to Research - Choose 3 SH
| EDL 630 | Understanding and Using Educational Research | 3 |
| HED 601 | Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research in Education | 3 |
Advanced Research - Choose 6 SH
| CCD 604 | Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Presentation | 3 |
| ESR 612 | Statistical Methods in Research | 3 |
| ESR 614 | Interpretive and Critical Research Methodology | 3 |
| ESR 616 | Mixed Methods Design | 3 |
| HED 652 | Quantitative Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| HED 654 | Qualitative Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| RES 640 | Survey Research and Intro to Statistical Software | 3 |
Dissertation - 12 SH
| CCD 699S | Dissertation: Strategic Educational Leadership | 1 OR 2 |
Note:
CCD 699S must be completed for the total of 12 SH.
General Electives - 15 SH
Choose 15 SH of NLU graduate courses listed below in consultation with the Academic Advisor.
Curriculum Design and Data Fluency
| CCD 604 | Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Presentation | 3 |
| EDL 628 | Analyzing and Using Data for Systemic Improvement | 3 |
| EDL 632 | Utilizing Data to Inform Decision Making | 3 |
| ESR 616 | Mixed Methods Design | 3 |
| ESR 618 | Interpretive and Critical Research Design | 3 |
| HED 651 | Data-driven Decision Making in Education | 3 |
| RES 640 | Survey Research and Intro to Statistical Software | 3 |
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
| CCD 630 | Education in a Global World | 3 |
| DEE 605 | History of Disability and Education | 3 |
| DEE 606 | Applied Disability Studies: Advocacy Through Consulting | 3 |
| DEE 690 | Seminar: Special Topics in Disability and Equity in Education | 1 TO 12 |
| DEE 693 | Disability Studies in Education Seminar | 3 |
| EDL 604 | Fostering Cultural Proficiency, Opportunity and Equity | 3 |
| OBD 651 | Diversity and Inclusion in the Organizational Culture | 3 |
Leadership Theory and Practice
| EDL 605 | Leading Change | 3 |
| EDL 622 | Developing Curriculum and Evaluating Programs | 3 |
| EDL 624 | Improving Instruction through Professional Development and Evaluation | 3 |
| HED 620 | Leadership and Governance in Higher Education | 3 |
| HED 634 | Quality Assurance in Higher Education | 3 |
| OBD 650 | Culture of Learning Organizations | 3 |
Other (Teaching and Learning)
| CAP 600 | Curriculum Theory: Historical, Philosophical, and Political Issues | 3 |
| CAP 601 | Cultures of Schools and Communities | 3 |
| CAP 602 | Curriculum Theory: Contemporary Issues and Practices | 3 |
| CAP 603 | Curriculum Planning, Organization, and Evaluation | 3 |
| CAP 605 | Professional Development and School Change | 3 |
| CCD 615 | Sociology of Education | 3 |
| CCD 620 | Epistemology of Learning, Teaching and Inquiry | 3 |
| CCD 690 | Seminar: Special Topics in Education | 1 TO 3 |
| EDL 626 | Leading Instruction to Advance Student Learning | 3 |
| HED 632 | Student Development Theory | 3 |
| HED 695 | Special Topics in Higher Education | 1 TO 6 |
| PTIL 601 | Instructional Design in Higher Education | 3 |
Note: Additional 500- and 600-level courses in ECA, ECE, EDL, CIC, CIL or other elective topics may be accepted with dissertation chair approval.
Resource Use in Education
| CCD 625 | Critical Policy Analysis | 3 |
| EDL 608 | Communicating and Engaging with Staff, Families, and Communities | 3 |
| EDL 620 | Understanding the Dynamics of Political, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Education | 3 |
| HED 600 | Higher Education in the United States | 3 |
| HED 622 | Strategic Marketing and Enrollment Management | 3 |
| HED 626 | Legal Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
| HED 630 | Academic Affairs: Faculty, Curriculum, and Assessment | 3 |