Master of Arts in Educational Leadership
The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership prepares candidates for leadership positions within an educational organization. Graduates of the program are prepared to serve as principals, teacher leaders and mentors, curriculum developers, and superintendents. The master’s program is a 30-unit program, which includes the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (24 units).
Program Outcomes
Reflective, principled Educational Leadership program graduates will be educational leaders who promote the success of all students by:
- Facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community;
- Advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth;
- Ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment;
- Collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources;
- Modeling a personal code of ethics and developing professional leadership capacity;
- Understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
Admission to the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Program
To assure a prompt admission decision, candidates for admission to the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership Program should submit all application materials by April 1st. All application materials are to be collected by the applicant and submitted together. Admission decisions for regular standing are based on a review of the following materials in the applicant’s file:
- A completed application form and non-refundable application fee
- Official transcripts verifying bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution
- Test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or an approved petition to waive the examination on criteria cited below*
- A personal statement following the guidelines included in the admission packet
- Three letters of recommendation
- Evidence of initial interview and program advisement with a faculty adviser
*Applicants whose undergraduate records do not satisfy the criteria set forth in paragraphs A-D below must include Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in their admission portfolios. The admission test may be waived for candidates who present an official transcript of previous college work from a regionally accredited college or university reflecting any one of the following criteria:
(a) An undergraduate, upper division grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale); or
(b) A combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the most recent 60 units of study consisting of any of the following: graduate course work, upper division postbaccalaureate course work (exclusive of extension or continuing education work) and upper division undergraduate course work; or
(c) A minimum of nine units of graduate course work completed with a 3.5 grade point average; or
(d) A previously earned master’s degree.
Note: All applicants who have completed their undergraduate work at an institution outside of the U.S. must submit GRE and TOEFL scores and have their transcripts evaluated by a CTC-approved agency for equivalency to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Note: Applicants for the Educational Leadership Program will need to submit verification of their teaching or services credential. If an applicant does not have a California teaching credential, a Certificate of Clearance will need to be obtained.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership
Completion of 30 units as follows:
Course Requirements (30 units) | ||
EDLD 502 | Current Social, Cultural, and Political Issues in Education | 3 |
EDLD 504 | School Law and Public Policy | 3 |
EDLD 510A | Action Research for Practitioners | 1 |
EDLD 510B | Action Research for Practitioners | 1 |
EDLD 510C | Action Research for Practitioners | 1 |
EDLD 550 | Focusing on Student Achievement | 3 |
EDLD 568 | Organizational Leadership and Public Education | 3 |
EDLD 570 | Curriculum Leadership and Program Evaluation | 3 |
EDLD 572 | Managing Resources | 3 |
EDLD 580 | Organizational Transformation and Leading for Learning | 3 |
EDLD 591A | Fieldwork Practicum | 1 |
EDLD 591B | Fieldwork Practicum | 1 |
EDLD 591C | Fieldwork Practicum | 1 |
EDLD 598 | Action Research Project | 3 |
Total Hours | 30 |
Requirements for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential1
Candidates must complete the following 21 credits for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential:
EDLD 502 | Current Social, Cultural, and Political Issues in Education | 3 |
EDLD 504 | School Law and Public Policy | 3 |
EDLD 568 | Organizational Leadership and Public Education | 3 |
EDLD 570 | Curriculum Leadership and Program Evaluation | 3 |
EDLD 572 | Managing Resources | 3 |
EDLD 580 | Organizational Transformation and Leading for Learning | 3 |
Total Hours | 18 |
1 | Before applying for the Preliminary Administrative Services credential, candidates must verify three years of full-time teaching, counseling or other services position at the school site or district level. |
Courses
EDLD 502. Current Social, Cultural, and Political Issues in Education. (3).
An in-depth systematic study of the social,
cultural, and political issues and trends that
affect educational leaders in today's American
schools.
EDLD 504. School Law and Public Policy. (3).
Implications and trends of court decisions at the
federal, state, and local levels as they affect
the role of counselor, teacher, and
administrator; their impact on district policy
and finance, and on district and local programs
and activities. Also studied is the importance of
policy development and implementation and its
impact on K-12 education.
EDLD 510A/510B. Action Research for Practitioners. (1,1).
This course provides a systematic study and
analysis of current research and research methods
for conducting action research projects. The
objectives in this course focus on the knowledge
base (A); the techniques (B); and applications of
action research (C).
EDLD 510C. Action Research for Practitioners. (1).
This course provides a systematic study and
analysis of current research and research methods
for conducting action research projects. The
objectives in this course focus on the knowledge
base (A); the techniques (B); and applications of
action research (C).
EDLD 550. Focusing on Student Achievement. (3).
An emphasis on using the California Standards for
the Teaching Profession to guide instructional
practice and the development of coaching and
mentoring skills to promote student achievement.
EDLD 568. Organizational Leadership and Public Education. (3).
An overview of curriculum; theory, development,
organization, evaluation, improvement and
implementation; historical background and
comparative educational patterns; the social,
psychological, and philosophical roots.
Candidates learn how to evaluate curricular and
instructional programs for their effective use
and implementation. Candidates learn to apply,
model, and analyze both formative and summative
assessment strategies and demonstrate an
understanding of standards-based accountability
systems.
EDLD 570. Curriculum Leadership and Program Evaluation. (3).
An overview of curriculum; theory, development,
organization, evaluation, improvement and
implementation; historical background and
comparative educational patterns; the social,
psychological, and philosophical roots.
Candidates learn how to evaluate curricular and
instructional programs for their effective use
and implementation. Candidates learn to apply,
model, and analyze both formative and summative
assessment strategies and demonstrate an
understanding of standards-based accountability
systems.
EDLD 572. Managing Resources. (3).
The processes of managing human and fiscal
resources with a focus on student achievement,
including the selection and hiring of employees,
supervision and evaluation techniques, fiscal
resources, and grant writing.
EDLD 580. Organizational Transformation and Leading for Learning. (3).
A focus on school culture and its implications
for student achievement. Candidates learn
formative approaches to supervision practices
that increase student achievement as well as how
to evaluate instruction for school improvement.
Current practices such as Response to
Intervention (RTI) and Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs) are studied.
EDLD 591A/591B. Fieldwork Practicum. (1,1).
EDLD 591C. Fieldwork Practicum. (1).
EDLD 592. Professional Induction Plan Development And Assessment a and B. (2).
The course is designed to assist and support the
candidate in the development and assessment of the
Personalized Induction Plan (PIP) to support the
candidate in his or her professional and personal
growth. The plan is developed in collaboration
with candidate's supervisor (or designee), the
candidate, and the candidate's faculty advisor.
Prerequisites: The candidate holds a Preliminary
Administrative Credential; The candidate is
currently placed in an administrative position as
found on the CBEDS document for his/her district.
EDLD 598. Action Research Project. (3).
This course is a culmination of EDLD 510 a, b, c
coursework. The candidate completes a
five-chapter paper of the action research project
developed in EDLD 510 a, b, and c, including the
following: introduction; literature review;
methodology; discussion of data; analysis and
findings.
EDLD 599A. Seminar: Professional Development Portfolio. (1).
These one-unit courses, each designed to be taken
over the period of one year, introduce the
candidate to the electronic portfolio system and
tools the candidate will need to successfully
navigate course work and create an electronic
portfolio for defense at the culmination of all
course work. Topics covered will include
developing professional goals based on
self-assessments, presentation skills, developing
a Web page, uploading to the electronic
portfolio, and choosing learning activities to
showcase benchmark assessments.
EDLD 601. Research Tools and Application to Practice. (3).
An introductory course that equips candidates
with basic library, writing, technology, and
research skills to be used in all courses in the
program. Strategies and ethics of research
provide the basis for designing research
questions, selecting data collection strategies,
and conducting basic data analysis. Candidates
begin a comprehensive literature review in the
course.
EDLD 603. Historical and Philosophical Foundation Of Educational Leadership. (3).
A historical survey of the competing
philosophical bases for the creation and
implementation of educational policy and
practice, with particular attention to questions
of equity and excellence in a multicultural
society.
EDLD 605. Instructional Leadership in Modern Complex Organizations. (3).
This course explores several major theories of
learning, group process and organizational
development, and the implications of those
theories for diagnosis and action to influence
learner outcomes. It includes emphasis on the
problems, dilemmas, and opportunities for leaders
in educational, public and human service
organizations.
EDLD 607. Ethics and Values in Educational Leaders. (3).
This course guides candidates to understand and
articulate individual and organizational values
that shape the dynamic learning organization.
Students make the connection between articulated
values and ethical practices in our diverse
communities.
EDLD 610. Research Seminar: Literature Review. (4).
A comprehensive review of the research literature
related to designated themes and a general topic
of research interest, with a focus on literature
review of the anticipated dissertation topic.
Candidates will complete the integrative
literature review and begin framing research
questions for further pursuit.
EDLD 612. Quantitative Research Design and Analysis. (4).
The use of data-based decision-making in modern,
diverse organizational settings. The course
builds on the prerequisite basic research methods
course and includes problem posing and
presentation and analysis of data.
EDLD 613. Qualitative Research Design and Analysis. (4).
An overview of qualitative research assumptions,
characteristics, approaches, and techniques.
Candidates will conduct a small-scale field-study.
EDLD 614. Policy Development and Political Influences in Education. (3).
Provides an introduction to the various phases of
policy making in education, including problem
identification, policy development, policy
analysis, political decision-making, policy
implementation, and policy evaluation. The course
includes study of organizational structures for
educational decision-making at the federal,
state, county, and local levels, with emphasis on
how and where influence can be exerted.
EDLD 617. Leadership, Diversity and Inclusivity In American P-20 Education. (3).
This course examines the social ecology of
American P-20 education through a lens of
inclusion, social justice, diversity and equity.
The course will focus on best practices as they
inform policy and practice from early childhood
education to postsecondary institutions. It will
also concentrate on the influence of diversity,
culture and society and politics on P-20 American
education.
EDLD 619. Higher Education and the Law. (3).
This course examines legal problems and issues as
they affect students, faculty members, and
administrators in American colleges and
universities. Distinctions in the legal
environments of public, private, and
church-related institutions will be made.
Emphasis will be placed on constitutional issues,
contract law, federal and state regulation,
liability, faculty and staff employment, and
community relationships.
EDLD 620. Research Seminar: Dissertation Proposal. (4).
In this course, candidates receive the direction
and guidance needed to develop their dissertation
research proposals. At the end of the course,
students will have a draft of their proposal,
which must be presented to their dissertation
committee.
EDLD 621. International Comparative Educational Practices. (3).
This course will provide students with the
opportunity to examine educational policy and
practice through an international and
cross-cultural lens. The focus of the course
will be on (1) comparative educational policies
and practices and their relationship with
economic development, and (2) educational
quality, standards, accountability, and reform.
The course will involve a critical examination of
relevant literature and the option of
international travel to visit educational
institutions and agencies of the selected country
or countries.
EDLD 622. Program Evaluation. (3).
The application of quantitative and qualitative
skills to guide the improvement of policymaking
and practice in organizations. Candidates will
conduct an evaluation study as part of this
course.
EDLD 623. Student Success and Retention. (3).
This course will examine the current research and
best practices relative to college student
success and retention. Particular attention will
be given to the demographic trends, co-curricular
institutional practices, public policies, campus
environments, and educational practices that
contribute to student success and persistence.
EDLD 624. Leading Organizational Change and Development. (3).
Candidates examine approaches to studying and
influencing organizational effectiveness. The
course includes a study of leadership styles,
conflict management, group dynamics, and change
process.
EDLD 625. Colloquium in Principles-Based Educational Leadership. (3).
This is a colloquium; that is, class discussion
based on close reading of common texts. The focus
of the course is on the concept "principles-based
educational leadership." Candidates will be
required to read a variety of texts which propose
versions of principles-based educational
leadership, to clearly and coherently define the
meaning and implications of principles based
educational leadership, to examine the potential
for application of principles-based educational
leadership in actual educational situations, and
to inquire into the connection between their
dissertations and the principles of
principles-based educational leadership.
EDLD 626. Managing Resources in Support of Organizational Vision. (3).
A focus on human and material resources and the
organizational patterns of education at the
federal, state, county, and local levels.
Emphasis is on the interrelationship of the
educational bureaucracy as it relates to the
framework of decision-making and the functions at
the local level in meeting individual student
needs. The course includes techniques and
strategies for grant writing and managing grant
funds.
EDLD 627. Administration in Higher Education. (3).
This course will focus on the best practices in
college and university management and
administration with an emphasis on planning,
resource acquisition, resource allocation, human
resource development, and organizational
communication. Distinctions will be made among
public, private, and church-related institutions
of higher education.
EDLD 630. Research Seminar: Data Analysis. (4).
This course is intended to guide candidates
through the organization and analysis of their
dissertations data. Advanced topics in data
analysis will be introduced, including
multivariate statistics; factor analysis; and
multilevel modeling. Other advanced qualitative
topics including the use of computer programs for
qualitative data analysis will be presented.
Candidates will be expected to present a draft of
the problem statement, literature review, and
methods sections of their dissertations by the
end of the summer seminar.
EDLD 631. Collaborative Research Groups. (3).
The purpose of this course is to provide support
and direction for candidates at the dissertation
stage. The course is organized for small groups
of candidates to act as peer reviewers of their
dissertations. Candidates meet online, in person,
and in formal class settings to critique their
work. Candidates act under the supervision of the
course instructor and are expected to make weekly
class presentations.
EDLD 634. Dissertation Seminar 1. (3).
NOTE: Candidates will remain continuously
enrolled
until the dissertation is completed. If
additional
time is required, candidates must register for
two
dissertation units per semester until the
dissertation is successfully defended.
EDLD 635. Dissertation Seminar II. (4).
NOTE: Candidates will remain continuously enrolled
until the dissertation is completed. If additional
time is required, candidates must register for two
dissertation units per semester until the
dissertation is successfully defended.
EDLD 636. Dissertation Defense. (3).
NOTE: Candidates will remain continuously enrolled
until the dissertation is completed. If additional
time is required, candidates must register for two
dissertation units per semester until the
dissertation is successfully defended.