The Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice is a nationally recognized program that engages students in rigorous study, preparing them for rewarding leadership roles in education.
The Doctor in Education, Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D.) program prepares educators to recognize varying levels of social and educational inequity and to serve as advocates for disenfranchised and under-served students, resulting in their personal and professional empowerment.
Candidates are consistently encouraged to analyze, debate, and develop productive strategies in response to educational justice principles and challenges and opportunities for equity. Five concentration options offer the opportunity for specialization. This allows graduates to become informed educational leaders who actively work to develop ideas and expressions of social justice across educational systems.
This nationally recognized program engages about 20 students per cohort in rigorous study, debate, research, and practice. Our driving mission is to produce scholarly practitioners who are sought after for leadership roles in schools, districts, agencies, and public service, as well as faculty positions in institutions of higher education.
Dedicated to addressing social and educational inequity, candidates in the School of Education’s doctoral degree program develop impactful solutions that strive toward educational justice.
The Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice is intended for students of exceptional drive and ambition who are determined to uphold and promote values of equity and access across educational systems. Our energetic, highly qualified faculty constantly strive to help doctoral students develop academically and professionally. At the same time, candidates are pushed to consider innovative ways they can make a difference in the world of education, improving the lives of learners and strengthening the work of schools.
Through this one-of-a-kind program, students develop the skills and deep understanding of educational justice required to create real change in the school systems and other educational institutions -- a change that makes a lasting impact on the lives of those who matter most: the students.
The doctoral program requires 60 credit hours for degree completion, including 21 credits of core content coursework, 15 credits of concentration coursework, 9 credits of methods coursework, and 15 credits of dissertation work.
Designed for working educators, this flexible doctoral degree includes evening and weekend classes for students determined to earn a degree without compromising their careers. The program can be completed in 3 to 4 years -- research included.
The Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice program offers 5 concentrations for educators to tailor their degree to their interests and professional goals. Concentration coursework (15 credits) is broken out below.
The program prepares educational leaders to:
1. Employ a sophisticated understanding of social justice theories to identify and direct responses to educational inequities
2. Apply principles of leadership for social justice to direct a change process
3. Leverage understandings of political, legal, and financial systems to mitigate constraints on equitable educational practices
4. Advocate for just policies and practices for educational institutions and their communities
5. Critically analyze scholarship to inform professional practice and applied research activity
6. Design and implement inquiry relevant to educational leadership and social justice
EDUC 829 Historical foundations in education and social justice (3)
Examines the historical foundations of US education (PK-12 and higher education) through a social justice lens. Explores how gender, race, class, religion, sexuality, and ableism interact with changing purposes, systems, and institution-building of education considering access to, leadership within, and provision of education. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 830: Social Justice Theory and Practice (3)
Examines social justice theories and their implications for educational practice and leadership. Identifies the social, cultural, political, and economic factors that influence schooling in a diverse society. Applies multiple perspectives to problems affecting various stakeholders across educational systems (PK-12 and higher education). Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 827 Leadership and practice in education (3)
Deeply examines leadership perspectives in organizations. Utilizing a historical and organizational perspective, critically examines leadership and management, including leadership theories, models, and, application to emerging social justice scholarship and practice. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 822 Organizational Change and Education (1x3)
Explores organization theory, attending to administration and policy associated with education organization for social justice leaders. Students create a conceptual understanding of education organization and governance so that participants can apply multiple theoretic constructions to critically examine educational organization functioning. Students develop competency as critical examiners of educational organizational functioning. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 831: Education Law, Policy, and Justice
Explores federal, state, and local education law for PK-12 and higher education systems in the context of the current policy environment. Includes the evolution of state and federal education policy, Constitutional rights for students and educators, and educational practice from a lens of educational justice. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 833: Education Finance
Explores how revenues are generated, negotiated, distributed, and budgeted to achieve desired educational outcomes in PK-12 and higher education systems. Course topics include funding equity, strategic budgeting, and making financial decisions from a lens of educational justice to create change and support student needs. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 871 Special topics doctoral seminar (3)
A special topics seminar examining social justice and education leadership across Pk-12 and higher education. Topics alternate according to instructor and year of offering. Prerequisite: Admission to Ed.D. program.
EDUC 841: Quantitative Methods (3)
Introduces students to the purpose and use of quantitative methods in educational decision making. Through applied projects, this course acquaints students with survey design, sampling, forms of data collection, the preparation of data for statistical analysis, and descriptive statistical procedures. Provides a conceptual overview of quantitative research designs and inferential statistics.
EDUC 842: Qualitative Methods (3)
This course examines literature about and how to do basic qualitative research. Students will devise and conduct a small study to learn about qualitative research in practice. They will engage in: design, participant recruitment and sampling, data collection (e.g., interviews, observations, and documents), analysis, and write a research paper about their work.
Students take one of the following:
EDUC 846 Advanced Quantitative Methods (3)
Extends understanding of quantitative research designs and the statistical analyses most appropriate for answering research questions under each for the purpose of educational improvement. Introduces statistical procedures used to make inferences. Supports satisfying the early research project requirement of the program. Prerequisite: 841 and 842
EDUC 847 Advanced Qualitative Methods (3)
Extends understanding and skills involved in qualitative research. Explores advanced qualitative design approaches to qualitative data gathering, analysis, and interpretation. Students produce an original piece of qualitative research as part of this course. Supports satisfying the early research project requirement of the program. Prerequisite: 841 and 842
EDUC 820 Writing a Literature Review A-C (1x3)
A (1): Systematically develops knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to produce a literature review that demonstrates mastery of a topic with an emphasis on each student producing their dissertation literature review. Students will conduct library research, topic refinement, bibliography development, and literature analysis.
B (1): Systematically develops knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to produce a literature review that demonstrates mastery of a topic with an emphasis on each student producing their dissertation literature review. Continues with literature analysis, synthesis, critique, and writing the first draft. Deepens conceptual understanding of research methods used in the literature reviewing.
C (1): Systematically develops knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to produce a literature review that demonstrates mastery of a topic with an emphasis on each student producing their dissertation literature review. Culminates with writing a final draft, including compliance with all technical standards for manuscript preparation.
EDUC 860: Dissertation development and proposal writing A-C(1x3)
A. Students use this course to start work on their dissertation research proposal. With the guidance of the course faculty member students will devise a dissertation topic, recruit a chair, hone in on a research question(s), and produce a piece of work that establishes the importance of the topic and the scope of the problem.
B. Students update and refine their literature review based on the development of the research questions in 860A. Further develop the context, purpose, and scope of their dissertation study.
C. Students submit a dissertation research proposal that includes methodological content congruent with the purpose and scope of the study.
EDUC 861: Dissertation writing (1-9)
Dissertation writing is completed under the supervision of the candidate’s faculty research chair. Students may also attend a voluntary workshop while enrolled. 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: successful completion of one advanced methods course
EDUC 862 Dissertation writing extension
If the dissertation is not complete and accepted after the awarding of 9 credits of EDUC 861, candidates will need to enroll in this course until the dissertation is completed and accepted. There is a seven-year deadline from the last term of enrollment in EDUC 861 to complete the dissertation. Credit/no-credit only.
1. Education Administration - for credentialed K-12 school leaders
2. Preliminary Administrative Service Credential - for aspiring K-12 leaders who do not yet have a PASC credential
3. Higher Education and Student Affairs - for aspiring higher education professional
4. Community-Engaged Leadership in Schools and Society - for teachers who want to make a difference in their community through advancing their classroom work
5. Individual Path: Make Your Own 5 Courses - for leaders in the community who want to create their own program
EDUC 890: Core content exam (0)
Taken during August at the end of the first year (for 3 year pathway), students will answer a take-home prompt for their core content exam. If students pass, they proceed to the second year of courses. If students fail, they proceed to second-year courses but must enroll in a 0 credit support course to help prepare to take the exam a second time. Students may choose to reduce their courses and take their concentration classes after passing the core content exam but this will lengthen their program. Students take the exam a second time in April. If students fail twice, they are dismissed from the program.
EDUC 889: Student success seminar (0)
To support students as they prepare to take the first-year exam for a second time. Students take in Fall and Spring before taking the core course exam in April. Prerequisite: failure of core course exam
Early Research Project Requirement (0)
The early research project reinforces skills students need as part of their readiness to engage in the dissertation. The project is submitted as the final paper in their advanced methods course. Passing the course fulfills the requirement. Failing the course does not fulfill the requirement.
Dissertation (0)
Students design, conduct, write and submit an individual research project working with a chair and committee of faculty members with expertise in their topic area.
Dissertation proposal defense (0)
Students must defend their dissertation proposal to their committee to progress to conducting the research.
Dissertation defense (0)
Students must successfully defend their dissertation work to their committee to be able to earn their degree.
The concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs (15 credits) exposes students to the social, cultural, and organizational contexts of higher education, theories of leadership and student development, and discussion of current issues.
Students in this concentration will select five content courses from the Higher Education and Student Affairs program.
Required: EDUC 607 Higher Education in the United States: Contexts and Populations (3)
And will also choose four courses from the following options:
EDUC 605 Community College Today (3)
EDUC 606 Topics in Higher Education (3)
EDUC 608 Evaluation and Assessment (3)
EDUC 611 Introduction to College Student Affairs (3)
EDUC 612 Popular Culture, Media, and Higher Education (3)
EDUC 624 Introduction to College Student Development Theory (3)
EDUC 631 Law, Policy, and Finance in Higher Education (3)
EDUC 633 Working with College Students (3)
EDUC 669 Diversity in Higher Education (3)
For course descriptions, please view the most recent university catalog.
Concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs Pathway
The concentration in Education Administration with an embedded preliminary administrative services credential (PASC) provides candidates with the opportunity to expand on their leadership skills in a deep and meaningful way, meet the state standards for educational leadership, engage in meaningful fieldwork in education administration, and complete the state performance assessment for education leaders (California Administrator Performance Assessment - CalAPA).
In this five-course series, students engage in a deep dive into program evaluation and assessment; education law, finance, and personal management; coaching and teacher development; and, applied leadership skills in leadership labs.
EDUC 828: School Law, Finance, and Personnel Management (3)
EDUC 643: Coaching and Teacher Development (3)
EDUC 670: Program Evaluation and Assessment (3)
EDUC 675: Curriculum and Program Development (3)
EDUC 634A: Leadership Lab A (1)
Co-requisite EDUC 635A (zero-unit CalAPA registration).
EDUC 634B: Leadership Lab B (1)
Co-requisite EDUC 635B (zero-unit CalAPA registration).
EDUC 634C: Leadership Lab C (1)
Co-requisite EDUC 635C (zero-unit CalAPA registration).
For course descriptions, please view the most recent university catalog.
Concentration in Education Administration (PASC Credential) Pathway
The concentration in Education Administration (with no credential) provides candidates, particularly those who already possess an administrative credential, with the opportunity to expand on their leadership skills in a deep and meaningful way. Students in this concentration will select five content courses from the Education Administration Program.
EDUC 602 Leadership for Diverse Populations (3)
EDUC 641 Leadership for Change (3)
EDUC 643: Coaching and Teacher Development (3)
EDUC 670: Program Evaluation and Assessment (3)
EDUC 671 Ethical and Reflective Leadership (3)
EDUC 673 School Resource Management (3)
EDUC 674 Education Law and Policy (3)
EDUC 675: Curriculum and Program Development (3)
EDUC 676 School Personnel Management (3)
For course descriptions, please view the most recent university catalog.
Concentration in Education Administration (no credential) Pathway
The concentration in Community-Engaged Leadership in Schools and Society (15 credits) provides candidates with opportunities to explore the power and promise of community-embedded approaches to social change.
Students in this concentration will take five courses examining the role of educational leaders in promoting democratic participation in K-12 schools and communities.
EDUC 836 Race, Equity and Schools (3)
EDUC 837 Literacy and Democracy (3)
EDUC 872 Education and Community Organizing (3)
EDUC 501/MALT601 Inside-Out (Foundations of Learning) (3)
EDUC *** Special Topics in Community-Engaged Leadership (3)
For course descriptions, please view the most recent university catalog.
Concentration in Community Engaged Leadership in Schools and Society Pathway
The general concentration (15 credits) provides a lot of choices and is intended to allow students to take a range of graduate courses, as per their interests.
For course descriptions, please view the most recent university catalog.
Students should discuss possible choices with their advisor or dissertation chair.
After receiving her MBA from the School of Business, U of R employee Mai Vang ’18, ’22 decided to pursue a doctoral degree from the School of Education, where she is researching a topic that is particularly relevant to her own life—the experiences of mothers of color in graduate school.
What are some of the challenges that LGBTQ teachers face in the classroom? Recent Ed.D. graduate Amy Cecilio ’14, ’18 addressed this question in her University of Redlands School of Education dissertation titled “The Perceptions and Experiences of Queer Teachers.”
Sara Durazo-DeMoss ’13, ’19 was among those presenting recently at the national conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).
Brian McDaniel ’11 uses innovative methods to reach middle school music students
After four years of excelling as the director of bands and choirs at Painted Hills Middle School in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., McDaniel was named a California Teacher of the Year.
The University of Redlands School of Education has several scholarships and assistantships available for doctoral students of outstanding character and academic performance. To learn more about each of these opportunities, visit our scholarships and assistantships page.
Applications to the Ed.D. program are accepted 3 times throughout the year in December, March, and June, though priority is given to applications received by the December and March deadlines. Review the complete Ed.D. admissions application requirements.
The Doctor in Education, Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D) program prepares compassionate, highly skilled leaders that are positioned to face educational equity challenges head-on and become advocates for the under-served.
Five concentration options allow you to tailor the degree to achieve your individual goals and establish a career focused on promoting equity and justice across educational systems.
Ready to get started? Request information, or apply now.
