The Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D.) is a nationally unique program that engages up to 20 students per cohort in rigorous study, debate, research, and practice. Our driving mission is to produce scholarly practitioners who are sought for leadership roles in schools, districts, agencies, and public service, as well as faculty positions in institutions of higher education.
The program prepares educational leaders to recognize the varied levels of social and educational inequity and to serve as advocates for the disenfranchised and under-served that results in their personal and political empowerment. Candidates are consistently encouraged to analyze, debate, and develop productive strategies in response to the principles, challenges, and opportunities of equity and educational justice.
Learning outcomes for the Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D.) are found online at www.redlands.edu/EDD-LDREJ/learning-outcomes.
Program Requirements
The entire program comprises 60-semester credits of advanced graduate work taken over three years. The core requirements include 48 credits of coursework. In addition, candidates will complete 12 credits of discipline-specific electives for the Ed.D. program. Students can satisfy their electives with master's or higher level coursework in their area of study completed at an accredited institution and with advisor approval. Students can satisfy up to 6 credits as electives with master’s or higher level coursework in their area of study from advanced graduate work at the University of Redlands or transferred from another accredited institution. Coursework must have been completed within 6 years of program completion date. Please refer to the Ed.D. Handbook for additional information and requirements.
The program begins with an optional Educational Justice Institute that focuses on current issues and offers students an opportunity to engage with international experts. This institute, offered each summer, brings together all doctoral students. Each cohort group shares common experiences, as well as focuses on particular areas of study during each of the three summer institutes.
The first year of the doctoral program lays a foundation for the study of educational justice in the context of theory, leadership, and policy, and builds skills in inquiry and the critical examination of practice. Year two continues to build on the foundation of understanding and applies it to the practice of educational leaders in various settings. During the second year, students will develop their dissertation proposals and prepare for comprehensive examinations that must be passed before advancement to candidacy. The third year will focus on the primary research and writing of the dissertation under the guidance of the candidate’s faculty chair and dissertation committee.
Students have the option of completing the program in four years as opposed to three. A recommended pathway can be found online.
If students need additional time after the third or fourth year to complete their dissertation, they must enroll in the Dissertation Extension course and pay the equivalent of one credit tuition to remain a student.
Required program courses:
Examines social justice theories and their implications in developing leadership in school reform. Identifies the social, cultural, political, and economic factors that influence schooling in a diverse society. Provides leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities for dealing with societal and institutional barriers to academic success and personal growth of all learners.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
Explores research theories within the context of an inquiry framework on issues related to educational leadership. Develops an understanding of the range of research methodologies to plan, conduct, and evaluate qualitative and quantitative research. Develops ways of thinking and knowing about educational inquiry that contribute to the field of study.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
A topical seminar that links research to practice relating to social justice and educational leadership.
Numeric grading only.
Explores how revenues are generated, negotiated, distributed, and budgeted to achieve desired educational outcomes. Topics include the underlying social, political, and economic tensions associated with planning, developing, delivering, and managing educational finance resources, funding sources, facilities, and means of resolving programmatic tensions related to revenue generation, negotiation, distribution, and budgeting.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
Introduces the purpose and means of various statistical practices within academic research. Acquaints students with the language of quantitative research; different understandings of the purpose and use of statistical research; various ways of framing research questions and designing studies; and generally accepted procedures for generating, analyzing, and interpreting statistical data.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
A topical seminar that links research to practice relating to social justice and educational leadership.
Numeric grading only.
This course explores federal, state, and local policy development, implementation, and analysis. Topics include school governance, boardsmanship, and working with contracts and state and federal agencies to assure equitable access to all students.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
An in-depth study of the major paradigms and perspectives of qualitative research. Strategies of inquiry, methods of data collection and analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and representation will be the focus of the course.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
A topical seminar that links research to practice relating to social justice and educational leadership.
Numeric grading only.
Explores legal and ethical issues in educational leadership in the context of the current policy environment. Course topics focus on laws affecting education and the application of legal and ethical practices in areas of personnel management, student services, and curriculum and program development.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
Topical seminar examining additional methodological areas. Topics depend on instructor.
Numeric grading only.
Writing of the dissertation proposal under the supervision of the student’s dissertation chair.
Prerequisite: EDUC 842.
Topical seminar examining additional methodological areas. Topics depend on instructor.
Numeric grading only.
Engagement in social justice discourse in analyzing organizations as paradigmatic political environments impacting one’s work within them and the use of systemic leadership in change agentry.
Prerequisite: admission to the Ed.D. program.
Writing of the dissertation proposal under the supervision of the student’s dissertation chair.
Prerequisite: EDUC 860A.
Explores pragmatics of educational leadership models grounded in social justice scholarship. Presents a range of school-reform models oriented toward equity-based, professional development goals within diverse contexts. Examines research-supported school improvement relative to transformation-based leadership policies. Guides candidates to develop a comprehensive model of school leadership practices relative to specific professional settings.
Prerequisite: admission to Ed.D. program.
Topical seminar examining additional methodological areas. Topics depend on instructor.
Numeric grading only.
Writing of the dissertation proposal under the supervision of the student’s dissertation chair.
Prerequisite: EDUC 860B.
Dissertation writing is completed under the supervision of the candidate’s faculty research chair and the dissertation committee. Normally, candidates enroll in EDUC 861 for three terms for 3 credits each term. If the dissertation process extends longer than 9 credits, candidates enroll in EDUC 862 for 0 credits until finished.
Credit/no credit only.
Prerequisite: dissertation proposal acceptance.
Course must be taken three times for a total of 9 credits. Normally, candidates enroll in EDUC 861 for three terms for 3 credits each term. If the dissertation process extends longer than 9 credits, candidates enroll in EDUC 862 each term for 0 academic credits until finished.
Please note: A fee equivalent to one credit of tuition is assessed each term in order to remain an active student.
