Program Overview

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Doctor of Education - Educational Leadership

About

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree focuses on visionary thinking and innovative solutions to current and future educational challenges as it develops the knowledge and skills of mid-career public school leaders for their current and future leadership positions. This program utilizes a problem-based learning approach that consists of a series of compressed thematic seminars on a week-end basis and week-long during the summer, in which emphasis is placed on identifying and developing advanced solutions to real-life professional problems. Additionally, this program incorporates interaction between students and faculty to determine the precise content and problems of practice that will be pursued under each broadly defined theme. The program consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours of study beyond the master’s degree, which includes 12 credit hours for dissertation study. Curriculum content is based on the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards. Doctoral students are required to participate in an externship with a school district or education agency outside their own employment. Students must also participate in a one-week policy-based seminar in Washington, D.C.

Learning Outcomes

• Leadership candidates demonstrate the capability to promote the success and well-being of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary for: (1) a shared mission and vision; (2) a set of core values; (3) and continuous and sustainable district and school improvement.
  • Analyze and communicate a data-informed shared mission and vision for the school district focused on the academic success and overall well-being of each student and district and school personnel.
  • Promote core democratic values that define the district's culture, stress the imperative of child-centered education such as high expectations and student support, equity, inclusiveness, social justice, openness, caring, and trust.
  • Analyze, plan for, and promote continuous, sustainable, evidence-based school and district improvement.
• Leadership candidates demonstrate the capability to promote the success and wellbeing of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary for: (1) professional norms; (2) ethical behavior; (3) responsibility; and (4) ethical behavior.
  • Enact the professional norms of integrity, fairness, transparency, trust, collaboration, perseverance, learning, and continuous improvement in their actions, decision-making, and relationships with others.
  • Model ethical behavior in their personal conduct, relationships with others, decision-making, and stewardship of the district's resources.
  • Ensure that unethical and unprofessional actions are addressed promptly and appropriately throughout the organization.
  • Promote essential educational values of democracy, community, individual freedom and responsibility, equity, social justice, and diversity.
• Leadership candidates promote the success and well-being of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary for:(1) equitable treatment; (2) equitable access; (3) culturally and individually responsive practice; and (4) a healthy district culture.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate equitable district policies and systems that ensure that each stakeholder is treated fairly, respectfully, and with an understanding of culture and context.
  • Ensure that each student has equitable access to resources and support such as effective teachers, learning opportunities, and academic, social, and behavioral support.
  • Support the development of culturally responsive practices among teachers and staff so they are able to recognize, confront and alter institutional biases of student marginalization, deficit-based schooling, and low expectations associated with race, class, culture and language, gender and sexual orientation, and disability or special status.
  • Build and maintain an inclusive, responsive, safe, caring, and healthy district culture that provides coherent systems of academic and social supports, discipline, services, extracurricular activities, and accommodations to meet the full range of needs of each student.
• Leadership candidates demonstrate the capability to promote the success and wellbeing of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary through: (1) systems of learning and instruction; (2) instructional capacity; (3) professional development of principals; and (4) principal effectiveness.
  • Analyze and manage district-wide use of coherent and technologically appropriate systems of curriculum, instruction, assessment, student services, and instructional resources that embody high expectations for student learning and align with academic standards across grade levels.
  • Plan for the support of principals and other school leaders to develop collective and individual instructional capacity of teachers and other staff members.
  • Promote systems of support, coaching, and professional development for individual principals to help them grow as instructional leaders.
  • Analyze and use research-anchored systems of principal supervision, evaluation, and feedback to improve principal practice.
• Leadership candidates demonstrate the capability to promote the success and wellbeing of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary for: (1) community engagement; (2) productive partnerships; (3) two-way communication; and (4) representation.
  • Engage families, community, public, private, and non-profit sectors in meaningful ways.
  • Sustain productive partnerships with communities and public, private, and non-profit sectors to recognize and celebrate school and community improvement.
  • Maintain ongoing, two-way communication with families and the community to develop an understanding of the diverse interests, needs, and resources of the district community in the service of student development and educational improvement.
  • Represent the district and engage various stakeholders in building an appreciation of the overall context in which decisions are made in the service of student learning and development.
• Leadership candidates demonstrate the capability to promote the success and wellbeing of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary for effectively managed: (1) district systems; (2) resources; (3) human resources; and (4) policies and procedures.
  • Manage the district's systems, including administration, management, governance, finance, and operations.
  • Seek, acquire, and manage fiscal resources, physical resources, technological resources, data, and other resources to support student learning, collective professional capability and community, and family engagement.
  • Manage the growth of individual and collective capability through systems of hiring, retention, development, supervision of school and district personnel, and pathways for effective leadership succession.
  • Promote effective policies and procedures that protect the welfare and safety of students and staff across the district.
• Leadership candidates promote the success and well-being of each student, teacher, and leader by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to: (1) understand and foster Board relations; (2) understand and manage effective systems for district governance; (3) understand and ensure compliance with policy, laws, rules and regulations; (4) understand and respond to local, state and national decisions; and (5) advocate for the needs and priorities of the district.
  • Foster a respectful and responsive relationship with the District's Board of education.
  • Manage effective systems for district governance.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable policy, laws, rules, and regulations.
  • Appropriately respond to local, state, and national decisions.
  • Advocate for the needs and priorities of the district.

Upon Completion

• Program completers will engage in a substantial and sustained educational leadership internship experience that developed their capability to promote the success and well-being of each student, teacher, and leader through field experiences and clinical practice within a building setting, monitored and evaluated by a qualified, on-site mentor.
  • Candidates are provided a coherent, authentic, district-based field experiences/clinical internships that provide opportunities to synthesize and apply the content knowledge, develop and refine the professional skills, and demonstrate their capabilities as articulated in each of the elements included in NELP District-Level Program Standards one through seven.
  • Candidates are provided a district-level internship or clinical experiences that include authentic leadership experiences within a district setting.

Requirements

Plan Description

The Doctor of Education - Educational Leadership degree focuses on novel creative solutions to current and future educational challenges as it develops the knowledge and skills of mid-career public school leaders for their current and future leadership positions. This program utilizes a problem-based learning approach that consists of a series of compressed thematic seminars in which emphasis is placed on identifying and developing advanced solutions to real-life professional problems. Additionally, this program incorporates interaction between students and faculty to determine the precise content and problems of practice that will be pursued under each broadly defined theme.

Plan Admission Requirements

• Application Deadlines
• Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
• All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

(a) Graduate College Admission Requirements

1. Completed application in the Application Portal and non-refundable application fee.
2. Applicants are required to hold a regionally accredited Master's degree.
3. Grade Point Average – You must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A) for the bachelor's degree or a minimum 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester credits).
4. All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each postsecondary institution attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received. Official transcripts required upon admission.

• Credentials not in English must be accompanied by an English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Notarized copies of originals or translations are not considered official.

(b) Department Admission Requirements

1. Two letters of recommendation. These letters should detail the applicant's (a) leadership experiences and strengths (b) academic skills and abilities
2. Letter of Application/Interest. A maximum two page, single-spaced letter of application/interest that clearly articulates professional and research goals** related to the Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership. The letter should include: (a) how the applicant will apply the doctoral degree to improve the field of education (b) the career objectives and professional goals upon completion of the program, including how the degree will assist in attaining these objectives and goals (c) the applicant's leadership philosophy.
3. Resume or Vita. A curriculum vitae/resumé of professional preparation and experience, including evidence of at least three years of leadership experience in education (broadly defined).
4. Representative samples (two or more) of professional writing related to professional study (e.g., thesis, professional paper, grant applications, opinion/editorial, newsletter, class paper).
5. Successful interview with program faculty (all applicant will be interviewed face-to-face)

Plan Requirements

Total Credits Required: 60

Course Requirements

Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 4

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 700 - Special Problems in Educational Administration
  • EDA 707 - Critique of Research in the Administrative Process

Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 724 - Foundations of Research for Educational Leaders
  • EDA 773 - Seminar: Constructs of Theory in Educational Administration

Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 725 - Quantitative Research Methods I for Educational Leaders
  • EDA 730 - Leadership for School System Innovation

Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 710 - Ethics and Professionalism, Mission, Vision, and Core Values in Educational Leadership
  • EDA 758 - Community and External Leadership

Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 718 - Equity and Cultural Educational Leadership
  • EDA 726 - Quantitative Research Methods II for Practicing Administrators

Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 7

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 727 - Qualitative Research Methods I for Educational Leaders
  • EDA 760 - Educational Leadership for Policy, Governance, and Advocacy
  • EDA 790 - Internship

Summer Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 7

• Students must take all of the following:
  • EDA 761 - Management of People, Data, and Processes in Educational Systems
  • EDA 765 - Instructional Leadership for Systematic Change
  • EDA 788 - Independent Study in the Doctoral Program

Fall Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 3

• Students must take the following, and pass the comprehensive exam to enroll in Prospectus
  • EDA 795 - Educational Leadership Comprehensive Exam Preparation

Spring Semester 3rd Year Courses - Credits: 3

• Students must take the following:
  • EDA 796 - Prospectus for Dissertation

Dissertation - Credits: 12

• EDA 799 - Dissertation

Degree Requirements

1. Students must complete a minimum of 60 credits of approved course work with a minimum GPA of 3.00.

Plan Graduation Requirements

1. The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
2. After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here.
3. Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.

Documents/Downloads

Doctor of Education - Educational Leadership

• Plans of Study

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• Syllabi

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  • EDA .63 KB

• Degree Worksheets

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• Careers

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• Graduate Handbooks

  • Program Handbook279.19 KB

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• Related Links

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Contacts

Graduate Coordinator

Bradley Marianno, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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• Office: CEB - 320

Department of Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education

We provide instruction in and the delivery of innovative research to inform the educational process from early childhood through higher education via our master’s and doctoral degree programs as well as graduate certificates, including the Intercollegiate and Professional Sport Management program.

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College of Education

The College of Education creates an intellectual environment that promotes quality instruction, significant research, and professional service. With four unique departments, graduates receive the necessary tools and experiences to make an impact on local, national, and global scales.

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